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I am selling my 50mm and 85mm Zeiss Super Speeds/B-Speeds T1.4 MKI. The lenses are in pristine/mint condition, mechanics are perfect and glass is scratch free. These Zeiss B-Speeds, often called Super Speeds MK1 has a PL mount conversion and 80mm front (from Visual Products), Tilta Focus gears that can be moved to show either metric or imperial focus scale, and the coverage/format is S35, maybe FF for at least the 50mm. I just noticed that the 50mm lens is missing the screw/button to turn off and on iris clicking, - a pen will do the trick until new screw/button is mounted. Flight case and extra focus gears included.

The Zeiss's iconic Super Speed lenses, also known as B-Speed and Superspeed, were first introduced in the mid 1970s. What truly distinguishes these lenses are their exceptional optics, crafted from the now-prohibited "rare earth element glass" and their triangular iris configuration from the 9-bladed diaphragm. Wide-open, the lenses produce beautiful round bokeh, but as soon as you stop down you get a triangle bokeh with softly curved angles as seen here in the driving scene in Scorsese's Taxi Driver from 1976:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO8ZVSRbVN8
(shot on B-speeds with Kodak 5247 ASA 100 "pushed" to ASA 200 or 400).

Their minimal breathing adds to their allure, while the vintage coatings produce delightful flares. Shooting wide open delivers a beautifully flattering aesthetic with a subtle luminous quality to highlights. When you stop down, the result is a crisper, higher-contrast appearance.

Zeiss Super Speed lenses are legendary in the cinematography world. Whether you are shooting in low light situations, want a shallow depth of field or want their unmistakable cinematic look, Zeiss Super Speed lenses have been the fast, prime lenses of choice for decades for both film and digital shooting and are perfect for use on today’s modern digital cinema cameras. Nothing “takes the curse” off of the somewhat harsh, synthetic look of digital camera sensors like shooting with vintage lenses.

The B-Speeds from the mid 70’s is still some of the fastest prime lenses you can purchase. The original set consisted of an 18mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm. The B-Speed name comes from the fact that they were originally shipped from the factory in an Arri Bayonet Mount (B-Mount). The lenses had a maximum aperture of T1.4. Note that the front engraving on these classic primes will show a number that is NOT a T-stop rating, but rather an f/stop – hence the “1:1.2, 1:1.3, or 1:1.4” engraving. The /f stop was the theoretical aperture of the lens, factorable, as it were – whereas the T-stop markings on the iris ring were the actual measurable light being passed through the lens, onto the film.

How to spot a B-Speed

• No factory focus or iris gear

• Half focus rotation (appx 180°)

• Triangle aperture (stopped down)

• T1.4 maximum aperture

• Metric and Imperial focus marks

Over the years, some of these traits may become a bit tricky to spot. There have been numerous upgrades and enhancements from Zeiss and third-parties such as PL mount conversions and add-on focus or iris gears. Being able to spot these after-market mods can be tricky. But the triangle aperture is a dead giveaway that you’re dealing with an original B-Speed.


Sources:
https://thecinelens.com/2016/08/24/whats-in-a-name-a-guide-to-zeiss-super-speeds/
https://www.camescoop.com/gear/p/zeiss-b-speed
https://www.oldfastglass.com/zeiss-bspeeds-tls

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