WHO is familiar with this lens? OPTON T* OBERKUCHEN 18mm F1,2/T1,3

[Sam T]

WHO is familiar with this lens?

OPTON T* OBERKUCHEN, 18mm F1,2/T1,3 Arriflex35mm

 

[Will Keir]

Super speeds?

 

[Will Keir]

I've heard this before about the Super Speeds. Germany was a country divided in the 70s/80s and the guys on one side or another could not sure the Zeiss name, so it's the same glass but they called them "Oberkuchen."

Speed matches with a Zeiss Super Speed 18mm. Matt Duclos would be a good guy to ask.

 

[Oliver Skibbe]

OPTON was a trade name for optics made by Zeiss (West Germany) that were imported into the GDR. This branding was required since there was a separate East German company named Zeiss (Jena).

 

[Nick Morrison]

OPTON was a trade name for optics made by Zeiss (West Germany) that were imported into the GDR. This branding was required since there was a separate East German company named Zeiss (Jena).

Exactly. This is also the reason West German Zeiss had to sell their 35mm glass under the name CONTAX for so long...because they weren't allowed to use the name "Zeiss"...it was being fought over by both companies.

When the two companies finally re-united after the cold war, these names started to fade away...which is why Contax (the name) went the way of the DODO...but the lens designs got absorbed into Zeiss ZF/ZE.

 

[Will Keir]

you guys are great, thanks for the info.

 

[Alan Piper]

Oberkochen (Germany) is where the Carl Zeiss HQ is located...FWIW