Question:
This discussion made me absolutely curious as to what I have for my Rolleis. I just double-checked. Mine is the Carl Zeiss Planar (Germany) 1.4 50 mm lens with ‘HFT’ designation. This is with the auto stop-down (2 pin?) configuration as used on the 35SL E, the 35 SLM, etc, cameras. I also have the 1.8 Rollei Planar Singapore lens along with assorted other third-party lenses.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I own a Rolleiflex SL35E with 50mm 1.4 Zeiss Planar HFT and also a Rollei HFT Tele-Tessar 135 f4. I also own and use several Contax SLRs with Zeiss lenses with T* coating. I tend to use the Contax equipment much more and haven’t done side by side comparisons but if anything I would say the Contax version of the Zeiss 50/1.4 with T* coating may be more contrasty than the Rollei version. The Contax version may be a newer reformulated design though so I’m not sure it can be attributed to a difference in lens coatings.(The Rollei 50/1.4 is more compact taking a 49mm filter compared to a 55mm filter for the Contax). Both the Rollei and Contax versions are excellent lenses. I was curious about your Distagon 25/2.8. Is it not multicoated (you said it is non HFT)? I didn’t know there was a non HFT Zeiss designed Rollei lens. Is it a so called 3 pin lens with full compatibility with your SL35E? Jason Hugh/Andrew, HFT is different from T*. HFT is multi-coated process designed by Rollei which rumored to be more contrasty. I don’t own T* lenses so I cannot compare. What you are dealing with was a strange period of German camera history. Voigtlander exited camera business in 1968 and the operation was folded into Zeiss. Subsequently, Zeiss closed their camera making business in 1972 and the 35mm operation from Voigtlander was absorted by Rollei. Hence, the entire Rollei SL series was designed by the Voigtlander people up to 3003. Throw in the failed Rollei Singapore plant, there were about 3 different series of lenes were available for SL series. First there was a series for SL35 which normally was labeled as Carl Zeiss. At that time, Schneider made some lenses for SL mount as well. Singapore plant and HFT was introduced right when they brought in second generation SL35E, SL35ME, SL35M, hence you have some Carl Zeiss HFT (rare cases) and Rollei HFT Singapore. Then you have the last version after the closure of Singapore plant which they have moved all their manufacturing facility back to Germany thus Rollei HFT Germany. A Planar is a planar is a planar. The Planar design has been around since the 1920s and all major camera makers model their standard lens after this lens formula. Except a few HFT lenses that was massively produced in Singapore such as (all HFT) Distagon 35/2.8, Planar 50/1.8, Tele-Tessar 135/4 and Sonnar 85/2.8, the rest were made for late models and in Germany — translation: expensive and rare. Sample lenses from this batch are: (all HFT) Distagon 35/1.4, Planar 85/1.4, Sonnar 135/2.8, Distagon 25/18/16. Get as many HFT lenses as your budget allows and get the rest in non-HFT version. I like the Distagon NON-HFT 25/2.8 so much I would not want to touch my Nikon 24mm with a ten foot pole. I don’t see any ill effect from the Singapore lens compare to the German lens. Have fun! Regards, Chung Wong Owner of SL35E with Planar HFT 50/1.8, Distagon HFT 35/2.8, Sonnar HFT 85/2.8 & Distagon 25/2.8 Correction: Only lenses made by Zeiss themselves carry the "Carl Zeiss" or T* monikers. Rollei made the HFT lenses according to Zeiss specs under license. HFT and T* are the same process. Andrew There are many lenses made for the SL series, which are the best? There are two types of Carl Zeiss lenses, one that says HFT and one that doesn’t. What’s the difference? Which is better? And are the Rollei lenses that say Planar & Distagon (but do not say Carl Zeiss) as good? Are they using glass manufactured by Zeiss or just copying the design? Thanks! -Hugh Reilly There are many lenses made for the SL series, which are the best? There are two types of Carl Zeiss lenses, one that says HFT and one that doesn’t. What’s the difference? Which is better? And are the Rollei lenses that say Planar & Distagon (but do not say Carl Zeiss) as good? Are they using glass manufactured by Zeiss or just copying the design? Thanks! -Hugh Reilly
Response:
Great post. -Hugh
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Here’s an extract from the spring 2001 Zeiss Camera Lens News no.13, taken from the Zeiss website: Quote: "How do Zeiss T* and Rollei HFT compare? Since this has recently grown into a frequently asked question we feel it is appropriate to provide an official and unequivocal answer from Carl Zeiss: HFT, meaning "High Fidelity Transfer", is a multi-layer anti-reflection coating system co-developed by Zeiss and Rollei. This occurred several decades ago at a time when Zeiss T* coating was new on the market and could only be applied at the Zeiss Oberkochen plant to rather small camera lens production batches. Rollei envisaged very large volume production in their then new Singapore plant and therefore encouraged this joint development. Today the situation is this: HFT has become a well established trademark for Rollei’s proprietary multi-layer anti-reflection coating. The optical performance of this Zeiss/Rollei co-development is so close to the original Zeiss T* that one can hardly detect any difference in all practical picture taking. The Planar
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