Photographica Pages

An online guide to collectable cameras and related stuff

500/8 Zeiss Fernobjektiv for Contax

The 500/8 Zeiss Fernobjektiv for Contax, in Flektaskop.

The longest lens Zeiss made for the Contax rangefinder system would be the 500/8 Fernobjektiv. It was a simple design, two elements in a single group. Although it was introduced in catalogs dating to 1934, the intial version shown may have either been a prototype or an artists rendering.

The first serial production began in 1935, with the barrel styled very much like the 300/8 Tele-Tessar, with the raised section towards the back with a shoe for a special finder (436/13).Some of these lenses were fitted to Flektaskop mounts in 1937-38.

In 1938 a black and chrome version was introduced in Flektaskop mount. At least two batches were produced with numbers in the 22xxxxx and 26xxxxx range.

Jena produced the lens after the war in 1949. Some were mounted in wartime Panflex housings, and later in Flktometer housings. These lenses would all have serial numbers over three million. The last lens built for the Contax rangefinder system was a 500/8 Fernobjektiv.