Contax III Jena on ebay

Hi,

Check this ! :
http://www.ebay.fr/itm/Contax-III-Jena-SAG-prototype-Nr-24-museum-camera-exstremely-rare-/222153057671?hash=item33b95aa587:g:pKkAAOSwnNBXW-2b

Thanks, Jean!

At that price, it's certainly possible to fake all that an honest collector knows about these ultra rare Jena Contaxes III: few, in fact.

Some more photos more would be interesting, about the turret and the main fixing screw on the back, for example. But I don't know any Jena Contax III with internal numbers only, at least for the moment...

Anyway, that comment is purely speculative!

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Interesting there is no sign of a Carl Zeiss Jena trademark in the accessory shoe, or a serial number. See http://collectiblend.com/Cameras/Zeiss-Ikon/Contax-III-(Jena-Contax).html
All the Jena cameras I have seen have had the CZJ trademark and often two serial numbers, one with the year of manufacture as the first two digits as per Kiev.

Cheers,

Steve

Dear Steve

The absence of the trademark is not necessary for such early Contax Jena cameras. If you read the recollections of assemblers of Kiev Contax (e.g. of mister Widder) they point out that the cameras left their workshop without any engraving of the serial numbers or logos. The engravings were actually made elsewhere. You can read about this point in L. Gubas's book "Zeiss and Photography". So the existence of no-number Contax Jena cameras is also possible. The other thing is that the shoe itself is of Dresden Contax type. But I think it is also original. Probably the whole light-meter housing from Dresden Contax was used.

There is also the article of B. Otto in PhotoDeal IV 2005 where the early Contax Jena and Kiev cameras are discussed with the similar features.

IMHO the price is of course unrealistic for this camera.

altix

Agreed - after all it is only a camera :)

Hi, I have two samples of so-called Kiev III Jena with respectively number #36 and #54 on the bottom, exactly in the same position of that on auction. There are no engraving on the accessory shoe. The fron plate is marked in cyrillic "KIEV".

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Incredible !

Thanks for these news photos of your s/n 36 and 54, Claudio.
I remember I had said the same "incredible" when seeing these two Contax III Jena in your book...

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Thank you Jed and Jacques for your appreciation! :)
Excuse me for dust on cameras!!!
I have noted after posting images!!!
For me too price of Contax Jena III on auction (19950usd) is abnormal amount... I will remember until the end of my days when I lost for few minutes another Contax Jena III on ebay...was not many knownledge about these kind of cameras those past days, but a collector from Swiss knew...

Something interesting: the Jena Contax III (for sale) has a 1,5/5cm Sonnar s/n 2724868. And one of Claudio's Jena Kiev III has the 2724869. Just 1 n° after...

So, no doubt now that these ultra rare cameras were made at the same time and at the same place (Saalfeld, like the II). Things become more clear. And amongst the regular series of Jena Contax II, we find too some Jena Kiev II...

By Thiele's listings, these two lenses belong to a batch of 3000 Sonnars delivered in january 1943.

Jacques.

Jacques, I would ask to you:
In another topic (or another forum) you spoked about a Jena Contax w/out serial number. Since I also have a Jena Contax without serial number on accessory shoe, but has internal serial number (both on bottom and cover) professionally scratched out, I wish to know if your sample too has the same!

Here some pictures. Could be one of first samples, due the shape of the engraving Contax (following Sasaki's research)

Hi Claudio,

Very interesting camera! For me, it's probably one of these Jena Contaxes, made from spare parts by the Germans, to be exchanged against food or else...
The black circle behind the selftimer, the square shape shoe are Jena features. I suppose the rangefinder is grey on grey ?

On my own camera, there is no trace of numbering, and some features are very different: the position of the two screws fastening the selftimer on the back, and the selftimer/rangefinder which is much more a Leica's, for example.

You will find the complete discussion here: http://ussrphoto.com/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2827

Amitiйs. Jacques.