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| ... Carl Zeiss went to the moon on the Apollo 11 mission? |
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Did you know that Carl Zeiss went to the moon on the Apollo 11 mission? On July 20th, exactly 40 years ago, 600 million people were glued to their televisions: Apollo 11 was landing on the moon. “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed!” The words spoken by the first human on the moon. Six hours later, Neil Armstrong began his walk with his legendary quote: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” And just like any good tourist, he had his camera handy – a Hasselblad 500EL with a Carl Zeiss 5,5/60 mm Biogon lens.
Why did NASA choose this camera? Because it was one of the best cameras in the world back then. The most important criterion was the technical reliability. Several lens types such as the Biogon are known for their extremely low optical distortion. They are therefore particularly well-suited for geometric dimensions.
Because mass-produced lenses do not work properly on the moon, this Biogon was developed specially for this mission. The “moon lens” had a different lubricant and no leather or plastic parts. The mounts feature pressure compensating holes and the operating elements were modified for gloved users. These modifications were required for use outside the space capsule.
NASA also used Hasselblad cameras with Carl Zeiss lenses for later trips to the moon. These included the Biogon 38, Biogon 60, Planar 80, Sonnar 250 and the Tele-Tessar 500. Twelve of these cameras are still on the moon. They were left there to reduce weight; only the film magazines made the return trip. If you happen to come across one on your next trip to the moon, feel free to take one. They are worth a fortune to collectors.
July 14, 2009 | |
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