Blog archives

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Flektogon ?

I just received a comment (anonymous) about the previous article: "Ha you forgot the Carl Zeiss Flektognon". I read my articles again, and I'm sorry, but I do not see how the Flektogon (not Flektognon!) Is concerned.
As far as I know, "Flektogon" were born by Carl Zeiss Jena after 1945 and the partition of Germany (and Zeiss). So when the Soviets "moved" Jena factory, they could not find Flektogon there. The Russians "wide angle", even if they are calculated from the Flektogon formula are designined by them. The most well nown, the Mir 1, was part of a lot presented at the Universal Exhibition in Brussels in 1958, composed only of Soviet design material. The two Carl Zeiss societies are now reunited, but the current production does not include Flektogon, perhaps this name looks too much "Eastern countries" ?
I cited three examples of Zeiss names currently used, I thus omitted the Biogon, like for the Leitz Summilux, I have also not quoted all the lens manufacturers... It's nice to let me know that there is a person who has seen my blog, but do not tell me that I have not mentioned the Domiplan or Bonotar in what are only examples!
Note when I regret that all these poetic names tend to be replaced by generic names for the range intended for Zenit, the same phenomenon of "Japanisation" occurred at Praktica for the lenses for "B" Series, the Sonnar, Tessar, Domiplan, and other Flektogon becoming all "Prakticar!"