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Anyone ever hear of "green star" lenses?

Double Negative

Double Negative

Member
I just picked up a 4/50 Distagon FLE CF. It's one of the "green star" lenses made custom for a Japanese dealer. Supposedly it's better than the normal version.

Anyone ever heard of this?
 
This is how you can tell. Notice the star (white, actually) on the shutter speed lock button:

200961815344.JPG
 
Michael,

I suppose you are old enough not to believe in fairytales anymore?
The star is a clumsy little thing not even green and placed off centre.
CZ would never do that.

CZ production is always to the highest standards.
Of course from time to time like with any industrial product all tolerances show the same way.
Those lenses deliver superior quality.

There is only one goup of lenses known to have extremely high quality.
Lenses used for fotogrammetrie are handpicked and carefully selected lenses with extremely low tolerances.
Two focal lengths are known: the 60 mm Biogon and the 100 mm Planar both from the MK 70 series.


Paul
 
My 50 CF FLE must be really very special then - if I hold the lens cap up to my ear, I can hear the sea....
 
Paul, I have to agree that I have reservations about believing it. I've shot a different copy of the 4/50 FLE and it's already impressive. And it's not like Zeiss would custom-design or otherwise change a production lens for a dealer... Unless he were moving hundreds of lenses if not thousands (which I don't see for Hassy lenses, even during their prime). It just doesn't add up. About the only thing that makes sense is that the lenses were cherry-picked off the line and perhaps given a tighter tuning as far as tolerances go. Otherwise, yeah, seems pretty fantastic to believe. ;)

I've heard of the extraordinary capabilities of the 3,5/100. I've been tempted to swap it for my 2,8/80 Planar... But being that it's the only lens that opens to f/2.8 (aside from FE lenses) I don't want to give that up and owning both seems a tad redundant. Though perhaps one day I'll compare the two side-by-side and decide then. Didn't realize the 3,5/60 was also such a lens. Interesting.

In any event, the lens was a good deal, "green star" or not. The first lens I picked up apparently had two scratches on the front element that the seller "wasn't aware of" which I sent back. At least I got to shoot it and see what the fuss was about - enough to know that I NEED a 4/50. :)

EDIT: The first lens was a different seller.
 
How about a 12 star back? I bought this from a gentleman in Japan. He told me the star indicated that this back was made for the Japanese market. No idea if this is true.

Terry
 

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It seems anything with a star sells good in Japan.

How about a three pointed star...........




Paul
 
From another forum, I got this response:

"I have a star on my 110/2 planar that I bought when I was living in Japan. When I asked about it, the dealer said that the star indicated that it was a official Hasselblad Japan lens. He did not say that it had any other significance."
 
I know how it feels to have something special in your hands.
Both Terry and sportback know that feeling quite well.

It is a pity some sellers use any excuse to cough up stories that have no real ground.

At least the story is a good one.
This star thing may even give some users an extra happy feeling.
No harm is done unless you have paid extra for this little "green" star of course.......



Paul
 
Double Negative said:
"I have a star on my 110/2 planar that I bought when I was living in Japan. When I asked about it, the dealer said that the star indicated that it was a official Hasselblad Japan lens. He did not say that it had any other significance."
Click to expand...


As long as the star is not in the front element of the 110 lens you are OK.
 
^ LOL guys. :)

Thankfully, no - I got a pretty decent deal. Most 4/50s on the 'bay are at insane prices, or quite the "user" copy. The ones in between that are near mint for a good (and more reasonable) price pop up every now and then. If only the timing was a little better, I'd have picked up the one in the classifieds. That's a clean lens for a good price.

The star and the hyperbole had no influence... I thought it was "interesting" though, heh. :D
 
Most important is you are happy with the lens you got.
From time to time excellent specimens with low use turn up for a fair price.

CZ quality is rightfully legendary.
Even WA lenses from the first generation made for Hasselblad are still going strong despite a hard working life.
 
Exactly. And I'm sure I will be, the 4/50 FLE is a fantastic lens from the brief experience I had with it already. If this one is as clean as the pictures and description say it is, I'm sure it'll be icing on the cake.

I love CZ. I have half a dozen ZMs and three Hassy lenses. I have yet to meet a CZ lens that disappointed. It's quite likely there's a ZE or two in my future.

The ZVs sure look nice, but a little pricey. ;)
 
Double Negative said:
I just picked up a 4/50 Distagon FLE CF. It's one of the "green star" lenses made custom for a Japanese dealer. Supposedly it's better than the normal version.

Anyone ever heard of this?
Click to expand...

Hi, I have heard and seen Hasselblad lenses, camera bodies (from 500C/M dated 1975, 903SWC, 203FE and 205FCC), backs (A12 and E12), accessories' packaging (dark slide etc) with a star on them. See attached below (Source: various yahoo auction offerings from Japan).

To Japanese, it is a label for all products from authorised dealers in Japan, thus distinguishing them from grey products.

The "supposedly" superior quality of such lenses (and bodies and backs) had been unheard of, until the appearance of some dealers. I would be surprised if it is true. The proposition that everything marked with a star means superior quality leads to absurdity if it is pressed to its logical limit (eg a dark slide with star marking on its packaging means it is "better"?).

By the way, Paul was talking about the Biogon 5,6/60 and Planar 3,5/100 on MK 70 made for NASA (not the Distagon 3,5/60 nor the commerically available Planar 100).
 

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That's some great info; thanks hume!

I'm pretty convinced it's nothing more than the ramblings of a zealous seller, and it seems pretty clear that it just means it went through Japanese dealer channels.

Ahh, of course, the MK70. It didn't "click" the first time I read it. Basically a dressed up 555EL of sorts. Similar in concept to the MKWE.
 
Double Negative said:
Ahh, of course, the MK70. It didn't "click" the first time I read it. Basically a dressed up 555EL of sorts. Similar in concept to the MKWE.
Click to expand...

The undestatement of the year!

The ELM body in MK70 guise is is completely redesigned camera.
Any EL is built like a tank.
The MK 70 versions are even stronger with extra bracing to make any deviations due to the load lenses give impossible.

The system for fotogrammetrie is different in all details.
Film backs are fitted without the dark slide to name but one of numerous changes to the system.
 
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