A super rare lens just sold at auction for $340,000

https://www.leitz-auction.com/auction/de/onlinekatalog

When you think iconic and famous camera lenses ones that might come to mind would be the Nikon 50mm f1.4 or the Leica 35mm f2 Summicron - each respected and loved by many, granted none of these lenses break the $5,000 dollar mark let alone over $340,000, but one Zeiss lens just did that at the 38th Leitz Photographic auction, whilst still remaining relatively unknown.

image: www.leitz-auction.com

In the mid 60’s, NASA commissioned Carl Zeiss’s optical facility to develop a ‘super fast’ lens to use on the Apollo missions. For those of you unfamiliar with this terminology, a ‘fast’ lens is one that lets in the most light possible with a wide open aperture.  The lens would solve a very specific problem for NASA;  its intended purpose was to counteract the issue of having to take photos of the incredibly dark shadow areas of the moon. It wasn’t as easy as just putting a super high ASA/ISO (light sensitivity) film into the camera, because without enough light passing through to the film, it would just be super grainy blackness even with high sensitivity.   Zeiss went to extreme lengths to produce the specialised lens for NASA. Zeiss were not unfamiliar with the idea of a lens like this, since 1874 the basic design of the lens (a double-gauss lens) existed. Zeiss themselves began research and development on this type of lens long before WWII but during, they created a lens similar to the one which would be used by NASA for night time weapons guidance.  But they pulled all the stops for NASA (pardon the pun) and they created a lens which would become one of the fastest lenses ever made - the Planar 50mm f0.7. While just looking at the number f0.7 (a measurement of the amount of light passing through the lens) might seem insignificant, to put it in perspective; an f1.4 lens is considered to be a very ‘fast’ lens for night time shooting, the Zeiss 50mm f0.7 lets in an incredible four times the amount of light. Zeiss made 6 lenses for NASA for their Apollo missions, they then made 4 more lenses, one for themself (which can be seen in their museum) and 3 for one of the most prolific filmmakers of the time - Stanley Kubrick.

image: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdchffDosvY&ab

In 1974 Stanley Kubrick was facing the same problem that NASA was: he needed more light for the candlelit scenes in ‘Barry Lyndon’, and standard lenses wouldn’t cut it. He researched high and low for the perfect lens; when he discovered that Zeiss had made super fast lenses for NASA, he begged both NASA and Zeiss to let him use the lenses, eventually they budged and sold him three. His problems wouldn’t stop there. Because of the super specialised design of the lens, it needed to be a tiny 4mm away from the film when it was being exposed, which wouldn’t allow any room for the standard rotating shutter mechanism inside the cinema camera. So Kubrick contacted a camera and lens technician to modify the camera to be able to take the lens. They ripped out and redesigned the whole internal shutter mechanism just to fit this specific lens. Without the standard mirror-reflecting shutter for the viewfinder it meant they couldn’t monitor the frame when shooting, so they strapped on a closed circuit tv camera to the cinema camera which would emulate the frame and provide distance measurement for the operators.

image: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8_VLXmrgss

Because of how wide the aperture was at f0.7 the depth of field for the image was razor thin and the actors had to deliver all of their scenes moving perfectly parallel to the camera or they wouldn’t be in focus, which was a very daunting task. Even then, after all that, it still wasn’t bright enough. They brought in three wick candles that burnt much brighter than regular ones and then over-developed the film to brighten the image. The end result is one of the most iconic pieces of cinematography not only for its visuals but technical achievement. Barry Lydon won the Academy Award and the BAFTA for cinematography in 1976 and ever since, the Zeiss Planar 50mm f0.7 has become a thing of legend amongst camera enthusiasts and cinema fans. It's no wonder when one of the ‘holy grails’ of fast lenses was auctioned off on Saturday it stirred up a lot of interest, selling for an astonishing $340,000 AUD. It might seem like a lot, but even newly manufactured ‘fast’ lenses are some of the most expensive lenses on the market for new cameras, with Leica’s Noctilux f0.95 selling for an eye watering $18,300 at their Sydney boutique.

image: https://leica-store.com.au/products/11602

It's obvious Zeiss make fantastic lenses and are regarded highly, far and wide because of that. *** On today's offer A 20th anniversary Contax G1 kit which comes with three Zeiss lenses - a 28mm f2.8 Biogon, a 45mm f2 Planar and a 90mm f2.8 Sonnar, all very beautiful lenses. If you are on the fence whether film photography is for you, this set will make you fall in love with how easy and rewarding it can be. When it was originally released this camera earned its reputation as the 'distinguished man's' luxury travel camera, and it's easy to see why. The finish and build quality for such a compact camera will take you back.

K7649 - Contax G1 20th Anniversary Special Edition  Contax G series - the only Autofocus rangefinder ever made  Titanium cladded Contax G1 body 35 mm rangefinder camera Contax G Mount  Mechanical shutter - up to 1/2000  Auto exposure assistance Automatic winding up to 2fps Zeiss Biogon 28mm F2.8, Zeiss Sonnar 90mm F2.8, Zeiss Planar 45mm F2 with lens hoods and lens caps Contax TLA140 Flash Wooden anniversary presentation box Comes as a set with original wooden 20th anniversary presentation box and instruction manuals. Overall condition: 9.8/10

CELEBRATING - we are now an OFFICIAL Astron dealer!

The first three ASTRON GPS Solar watches have just arrived from Seiko Japan! One blue, stainless steel, one dark grey/black also stainless, and the third is the white dial titanium. All three 42.5mm case size. How cool - watches accurate to 1 second in 100,000 years! Obviously, for this level of accuracy, a synchronization with an atomic clock via a GPS satellite system is necessary every now and then, but Astron does that automatically. The steel models are available at an amazing price of just $2,950 (boutique price). However, today, for those first two watches in stock, I am happy to offer them at $2,500 each. Let's celebrate! The titanium white dial is light as a feather! Boutique price: $3,750. Yours for just $3,500. Sorry, one watch only. Thank you for your support - truly appreciated. SSH019J SSH021J SSH063J

Widelux: A Space Odyssey

The 60’s was the golden age of space. As man crept closer to venturing out into the unknown, people began to contemplate our place among the stars and what the future of space travel would look like; it was a question that many people, far and wide pondered. Probably one of the most influential pieces of media from the time (apart from the moon landing itself) was a film which has now been cherished and loved by many for over 50 years; not only for its visual spectacle, but its technical achievements too. Of course this movie is none other than 2001: A Space Odyssey. While being one of the most influential film directors of all time, Stanley Kubrick was also a prolific photographer whose images spanned almost his entire life. He also prided himself on his knowledge of cameras, so it was an obvious choice when shooting with super wide angle lenses on Super Panavision 70mm film cameras for production the of 2001, to take set photos on the Panon Widelux.

A Widelux pictured next to a photo taken by Kubrick (featured in the book - 'Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures') of the production of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Why the Widelux?  Because of the Widelux’s swivelling lens design moving across the film to capture a large field of view, instead of creating a normal ‘flat’ perspective, it creates a unique ‘bowing’ effect on the vertical lines in the image - without heavy distortion. The result: it gives the same look and feel as the wide angle shots from the cinema lenses being used on the film, but in a ‘compact’ format. To do this on a regular 35mm format camera you would need an enormous fish eye lens or super expensive and impractical anamorphic lenses and even then, the image quality wouldn’t be the same. But with the Widelux, Kubrick could take photos on the same colour negative film as the Panavision cinema cameras, with almost the same frame sizing and resolution he would get from the 65mm motion picture film, and then develop and inspect the image much quicker than developing motion picture film reels - and if you know anything about filmmaking, time is the most valuable currency.

I consider myself somewhat a movie buff and will take any opportunity I can to watch a film in the cinema rather than at home, even going to the lengths of waiting years for a cinematic release of an old film. Possibly one of my most anticipated was Kubrick’s 2001, regarded as a ‘masterpiece’ by many. So when Hayden Orpheum theatre announced they were doing a 70mm film screening of the film last Saturday, I jumped at the chance.  In anticipation I had spent the day shooting on the Panon Widelux F6B, because what better camera to use before seeing 2001 than the same one Kubrick used while directing the movie - here are some of the images that came out of the camera.

-a shot of Sydney's two greatest monuments usually extremely difficult to get, made easy with the Widelux F6B listed below.

By the time I had wrapped up for the day, nearing the start of the screening of 2001; I decided to go, camera in hand.  While sitting in the theatre waiting for the film to start, one moviegoer had curiosity get the better of him and asked me about the Widelux - still perched around my neck. “I collect vintage cameras but I’ve never seen anything like that, what is that?”. I told him the brief history about NASA modifying one for the Gemini missions, Kubrick using it to shoot set photos on 2001, how the PANON factory burnt down which led to their demise and that it shoots in a wide angle ‘scope’ similar to that shown in 2001. I could see the excitement in his eyes as he was processing all of this, the same excitement I felt when learning about the rich history of this camera. “Wow, I think you’ve just started my new obsession”. He chuckled.  And I think that perfectly sums up a camera like this; not only is it eye-catching, an absolute joy to shoot on and a unique and rare camera (with an awesome story); but you won’t know you need one until you learn its story and pick one up for the first time. After that - there’s not turning back.  - Michael On todays offer:

K7735 - Widelux F6B  Widelux F6B - Manufactured circa 1970 35 mm - wide format Fixed 26mm Lux Lens f2.8 - f11 Mechanical shutter - up to 1/250 1 of 2000 made Comes with original box, papers and leather case.  Overall condition: 9.5/10

They just can't keep up with demand

 

Only a few manufacturers can lay claim to the ‘best in their field’ title, commonly reserved for the finest, most precise and widely respected brands; two of the most famous examples being Rolls Royce and Patek Phillipe. For cameras, there is Leica.  Leica have been around for over 100 years and from the start, they were at the top. They were a powerhouse of German innovation and manufacturing for the majority of the 20th century. Their reputation caught like wildfire, even with those that had no interest in photography.  Nearing the end of the 20th century, Leica like every other brand, without knowing, was reaching their Apex in mechanical film camera development. Almost overnight digital cameras took over the market in what would become the ‘quartz crisis’ of mechanical film cameras. At the time, Leica had reached an impressive point in their journey with the famous M6.  The M6 is a mechanical rangefinder camera, and is one of, if not the most, desirable and sought after camera ever made. It is a manual focus and mechanical film camera without any automatic features; with the only electronic component in the camera being the built-in light meter. They were produced from 1984 - 2002 and many consider it to be the last great camera from Leica due to its almost entirely mechanical design, without reliance on electronic components.  You might think with the advent of digital technology that there would be little to no demand for this sort of stuff anymore from the consumer photography market. Surprisingly, the Leica MP, an extremely close ‘modern’ version of the M6, still being offered by Leica, has seen a massive influx of demand in the past few years. This has led to a waiting list of over 1 year to become a ‘Leica ambassador’. Leica simply can not keep up with demand. The second hand market of Leica’s has seen a massive shift, the prices of their used film cameras steadily creeping towards the retail price of a new, Leica MP. One of the most greatly affected, and becoming increasingly harder to come by in unused condition, being the M6.

It seems that the demand for Leica on the second hand market has become so high that people are willing to go to any lengths to get their hands on one. Check out this 1968 Leica M4 with a 50mm f2 Summicron which sold at auction last month for over $2000, even though it is in an inoperable, ‘destroyed by fire’ state. https://petapixel.com/2021/05/20/burned-inoperable-leica-m4-sold-at-an-auction-for-over-2000/

An unfortunate result of a house fire, even in death, Leica still has value - crazy.

There’s one thing more sought after than a Leica Camera, and that’s a Leica lens. When you buy Leica you’re buying into a system that stands for precision, perfection and rarity. The pinnacle of Leica’s mark on the world of cameras is with their lenses. With the average price of a Leica lens commonly exceeding the price of the actual camera, it is obvious where Leica’s true achievements lies. Leica has been manufacturing optics for far longer than they have been making cameras. Their long history of production (over 150 years) has led them to become known as the finest manufacturer of photographic optics in the world. If you aren’t convinced check out this brief video by Leica on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HRyZBUSMXg

One of the most iconic M-series Leica lenses is the 50mm f2 Summicron. In December 2001, Leica announced they would manufacture and release only five hundred 50mm f2 Titanium lenses to match their Titanium M6. With only five hundred lenses made to match the unique titanium tone on the M6, paired with the fact that the 50mm f2 is one of the more iconic and sought after Leica lenses, an unused titanium lens matched with an unused titanium body is extremely hard to come by. A winning combination. And just for you, we have one such set today.

This M6 is one the rarer versions of the standard M6 with a titanium coating and deep black ostrich leather detailing. Its unique titanium tone sets it apart from the standard black or chrome cameras offered by Leica.

K7654 - 1992 Leica M6 Titanium w/ Limited 50mm f2 Titanium Summicron 1992 Leica M6 - Titanium finish with ostrich leather details 35mm rangefinder camera Leica M Mount Mechanical shutter speed up to 1/1000 50mm f2 Summicron-M titanium finish - One of 500 made Manual aperture adjustment from f2 to f16 Comes as a full set with original box, papers, lens case and strap.  Overall condition: 9.9/10; unused.

Genuinely foolish

 "I absolutely love getting your emails about watchmaking, I am truly impressed by your skill, confidence and experience, keep them coming in. However, your knowledge of Bitcoin is hilariously non existent. You pass judgement on something you clearly know nothing about and what’s worse you don’t even care to learn. It’s mentally lazy and sadly quite arrogant. Bitcoin is a paradigm shift that is clearly currently beyond your grasp. Not because you’re dumb (clearly you are not) but because you truly feel you know all there is to know and your mind is closed. By all means offer comment on Bitcoin but know it would be like me, a know nothing member of the public telling you how to fix your watches and not having a clue or caring about my ignorance. Don’t you dare take me off your mailing list, I enjoy it too much as a watch enthusiast. But please, shooting your mouth off so ignorantly makes you look genuinely foolish and is so cringeworthy. Stick to what you know and keep an open mind and I hope one day you can learn something new.

J.B."

Dear J.B.

I've been called so many things, but this is the first time for me to be accused of paradigm paralysis.

Actually, paradigm shifts are cool. Shifting from mechanical watches to quartz was a huge paradigm shift, and from quartz to atomic timekeeping was an even bigger one. But the new revolutionary knowledge and all the practical benefits granted by it are not necessarily a guarantee that paradigm shifts will supersede previous knowledge and well established practices.

Atomic clocks are large, expensive and impractical. Quartz watches are far less accurate, but cheap and suitable for the masses.

Einstein's theory of relativity was a paradigm shift too, but if a falling brick hits me on the head, I'll blame old fashioned Newtonian physics.

Block chain technology is a paradigm shift indeed, but Bitcoin is not. It lacks transparency; it is not an asset, currency, nor a store of value. It is not a hedge against inflation. However, this is not the main problem. There are two major hurdles which prevent Bitcoin from ever becoming what its inventors intended it to be.

First: it is not backed by the government. Governments fight wars to protect fiat paper money - money which could be easily manipulated. Central banks hate Bitcoin and there will be no shift of that paradigm, ever.

The second problem is branding. Bitcoin is a cheap brand - it could be devalued by one tweet, by one press release, or a single statement by a government official. The US dollar is Louis Vuitton, but gold is Rolex. Elon Musk can wear his fingers off tweeting yet another opinion about the dollar or gold, but it will make no difference to their value, whatsoever. The only opinion that matters is the one of those in power.
As the Golden Rule goes: those with gold make the rules.

As I type this, on the desk is a cup of coffee and a bunch of watches which will soon be exchanged for fiat dollars. Taxes will be paid in dollars, worker's wages too. What is left will be exchanged for real goods - coffee and watches, and the cycle will be repeated. And every now and then, when times are good, a bit of surplus will be stored in gold, for that inevitable rainy day. This is how business has been done and how commerce has worked since the time of Babylon.

Of course, it is not my intention to crush your Bitcoin dreams. But quite frankly, figuring out that Bitcoin is just a fad - a gamble with odds stacked against you, a pyramid scheme and fools gold - requires neither humbleness nor mental acrobatics.

Cheers.                         

Angry ‘hodlers’

Yesterday's comment on bitcoin struck a nerve with two 'financial advisers'. Both made a strong demand that I 'stick with watches, or else', with one specifically requesting that I disclose my own investment portfolio, here, publicly. Sore losers: hit unsubscribe and make my day! However I am more than happy to oblige: here is the performance data of our Rolex restoration video, on YouTube. In 210 days this video was watched 3,140,888 times, generating passive income of $12,051 dollars. Total viewing time: close to half million hours! Actually, this video is so popular that it shows no sign of slowing down. Meaning it will continue to make us $1,700 per month for years to come. So much for your ‘stick to watchmaking’ advice. Yet this performance is hardly an exception: there are millions of hard working people out there who are not interested in get rich quick schemes; who understand that hard work invested in slow but steady growth will outperform the bitcoin hype. People with common sense, who use their brains, who are not side-tracked with fake news. People who enormously appreciate me, sticking it to you, disillusioned hodlers. Cheers.

Bitcoin is store of value?

You pull over at a petrol station, fill your sixty litre tank with unleaded, and drive home. The next day, the needle shows that you only have thirty litres left in the tank. You suspect a leakage. However, after examining the car, the mechanic concludes that there is nothing wrong with the tank. "It simply fluctuated in volume overnight, as they tend to do". But you know that the petrol tank does not and cannot fluctuate; by the very definition of being sixty litres in volume, it will hold sixty litres of petrol. Because that is what store of value means: being of a certain size, capable of holding and storing a certain volume of liquid. It is simply common sense. In the past year, Bitcoin exploded in volume by six hundred percent, then all of a sudden, in the past six weeks, almost halved in value. A few weeks ago, one Bitcoin was worth more than one kilogram of gold. Today, it is worth five hundred grams. Where did your gold disappear to? Well, if you ask your financial adviser, who got you into Bitcoin in the first place, he would tell you the same bullshit that idiot car mechanic told you: "things fluctuate over time, hang in there, it will bounce". Which could be true, no one knows what the future brings. But we do know that STORE OF VALUE - whether that is a sixty litre petrol tank, a meter stick containing one thousand millimetres, a kilo of gold, or your 4 bedroom house - remain very constant over time. Houses don't grow in size. Land does not shrink or fluctuate. Clock dials will always show sixty seconds per minute. For that reason, we call them 'store of value'. Bitcoin is not a store of any value whatsoever. It is a speculative 'asset'. A pyramid scheme designed to suck you in. Surely, some gamblers will get rich in the process, but that is not because Bitcoin is store of value. Of course, every real asset from gold, land, houses to petrol, could also be manipulated and hyped. Here is what happened on the weekend: some lunatic just bought a fibro house in St Marys (suburb of Sydney near Penrith) for $1.81 million dollars!

Cheers.