Well, I think many know that name … Carl Zeiss, and together with his buddies, Ernest and Otto, created the Carl Zeiss AG company … there is lots to read about these three, so I won’t go into details.
I got a hold of a Contax II, which came with a Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm f/2 collapsible lens. This lens was designed by Dr. Ludwig Bertele for the Contax I … he also made the fastest lens, an f/1.5 Sonnar. Ludwig started as an apprentice working at Rodenstock and moved on to work for Ernemann. Here he produced very fast projector lenses … hmm. When he started working under the Zeiss Ikon name he brought forth the Sonnar.
The collapsible Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm f/2 Sonnar is light, simple, and fast !! The standard lenses on the Contax have no focus helix as it is in the body.
When I got the camera in my hands I can see that it needs some servicing. The lens is dirty and the aperture ring is very hard to turn … it appears that there is a dent in the side, and it probably needs a good cleaning of the old grease.
Ok, so lets get into it … from the back.
With spanner, unscrew rear cell with the outter ring.
The inner one is for the rear element.
Slide the lens mount collar down up towards the front of the lens. This will reveal a large screw and right above it is a grub screw.
The grub screw secures the inner column. Loosen the recessed grub screw … or just take it out.
Now you can unscrew the front inner assembly … hold the rear and turn the front.
… be aware of the spacers. one could be an extremely thin brass one
There is a lower ring … set the aperture to widest then scribe a mark on the ring and upper part.
Loosen tiny grub screw on the lower retaining ring and unscrew the ring.
Remove the large screw that couples to the inner aperture ring.
Now you can slide the aperture dial ring off … notice the grease.
To get the front ring off … loosen the grub screws (not the ones on the aperture dial ring)
Unscrew the front ring.
The inner front cell assembly will fall out when inverted.
The aperture is secured with a c-clip. Squeeze the ring together to release it and then nicely push out the aperture section out from the bottom.
Clean up those blades.
This Old Camera 