Xícara de Café Posted July 29, 2022 Share Posted July 29, 2022 Hi, I've just come across a Dresden made and Contax mount Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 5cm f3.5 lens in what looks like good condition and a good price. I take it that it's a pre war or wartime model. Couldn't find any information on it. Does anyone have any experience with it? Is it a coated lens? How might it compare with a pre-war Sonnar 5cm f2 collapsible (of which I have 2 and like very much). Googling, there seems to be a *T model. This isn't one of those, so perhaps it's older. Keen to hear if anyone has any comments. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xícara de Café Posted July 29, 2022 Author Share Posted July 29, 2022 Actually, it says "Zeiss Ikon A-G Dresden" on the outer part of the lens, but "Carl Zeiss Jena [serial #] Tessar" on the inner ring. I know Jena is a different city to Dresden... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xícara de Café Posted July 30, 2022 Author Share Posted July 30, 2022 Oh well, I went ahead and bought it. From what I can find, the serial number makes it a 1937 model, so I guess it's not coated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg M Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 (edited) Definitely pre-war for the Contax II/III models. The post-war West German f3.5 Tessar was a rigid-design, hard to find today because most everyone wanted their Contax with an f2 or f1.5 Sonnar and the post-war f3.5 rigid West German “Opton” or “Carl Zeiss” Tessar may be the sharpest post war lens made for the Contax. Hard to know what’s in store from a lens now 85 years old with no known history other than, shoot it and show us what you get. Edited July 30, 2022 by Greg M 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 (edited) If in good shape, it should be a more than decent shooter. With old lenses, it's bound to be somewhat of a crapshoot. Here's an early postwar non-collapsible Tessar on a just post-war Praktiflex II. Edited July 30, 2022 by JDMvW 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xícara de Café Posted July 30, 2022 Author Share Posted July 30, 2022 If no good, I may send it to a lens polisher I know who did a great job on my Sonnars. I gather the filter size for these is 25.5mm. Does anyone know what lens cap will fit? I have a spare aluminium cap from a Jupiter 8, perhaps that will work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJG Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 If no good, I may send it to a lens polisher I know who did a great job on my Sonnars. I gather the filter size for these is 25.5mm. Does anyone know what lens cap will fit? I have a spare aluminium cap from a Jupiter 8, perhaps that will work. A regular 42 mm Zeiss metal lens cap will fit around the outside of the f/stop ring, at least it does on mine. Zeiss also made a push on lens hood for 50 mm lenses that also fits. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xícara de Café Posted August 6, 2022 Author Share Posted August 6, 2022 Hard to know what’s in store from a lens now 85 years old with no known history other than, shoot it and show us what you get. The lens arrived and I managed to shoot a short roll of film in a Contax IIa to test the lens. Seems very good and has a different look to my Sonnars. Here's the best of the tests and a shot of the lens itself. Film is Delta 100 and the developer is PMK. All the best! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels - NHSN Posted August 7, 2022 Share Posted August 7, 2022 You never go wrong with a Zeiss Tessar. It is my favorite lens design. From what I hear, they are relatively rare in Contax RF mount as people who were willing to fork out the big bills for a Contax RF could normally also afford a Sonnar 2.0 or 1.5 - and if you preferred compact, then a Barnack Leica with an Elmar would be a much more logical choice. Niels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xícara de Café Posted August 7, 2022 Author Share Posted August 7, 2022 (edited) From what I hear, they are relatively rare in Contax RF mount as people who were willing to fork out the big bills for a Contax RF could normally also afford a Sonnar 2.0 or 1.5 - and if you preferred compact, then a Barnack Leica with an Elmar would be a much more logical choice. Yes, there aren't so many photos listed as having been taken with it on Flickr. I just created a group for the Contax RF-mount 50mm Tessar. If anyone has one, please join and start posting photos. :) See: Tessar 50mm in Contax RF-mount One more: Edited August 7, 2022 by Xícara de Café 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christopher_a._junker1 Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 Great dog, nice shot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
httpwww.photo.netbarry Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 Nice shots. The lens looks to be a winner! Congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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