Mystery lens: Carl Zeiss 75-300mm EF MC Macro zoom lens for AF/Digital Canon EOS

I own a strange and rare Canon lens and would like to know more info about it.

Any pro-photographers have any experience or even heard about this lens? I

brought my lens to a local camera dealer and they even told me that my "lens

doesn't exist". The lens is a Carl Zeiss 75-300mm MC Macro EF zoom lens Canon

mount. The dealer I talked to said there are no Zeiss lenses that exist with a

Canon mount. I offered to have the camera dealer exam it and test it on their

Canon cameras but they wouldn't even bother. They said that what I have is a

Zeiss lens for Contax/Yashica cameras, I gave up and walked out the store.

 

This "lens that doesnt exist" is now perfectly mounted on my Canon 5D EOS

Digital full frame SLR camera. The AF is super sharp and TTL light meter in the

viewfinder works perfectly. The photos taken of portrait/wildlife/macro by

the "lens that doesn't exist" look superb with beautiful color rendition -

especially at the macro setting. I am pretty sure I own a little bit of camera

history here as very few of these lens were made. What does it look like? It

looks like any of the black Canon EF "L series zoom lenses" in similar focal

length. The Zeiss glass seems to have above average multi-coating (green/purple

reflections. The lens is of metal construction and has a deep black finish with

a crimson-red ring at the end. Oh and the lens cap and lens barrel says "Carl

Zeiss" on it. Can anyone tell me more info on this lens?<div></div>

Here's some history...

http://www.company7.com/zeiss/history.html

 

Seems as if Carl Zeiss Jena was a company in Eastern Germany, later they split?

 

Lots of neat info/history in the link

 

regards

Jörgen

Interesting, sounds like a pre-production prototype or so, Is there a date stamp within the serial no?

It bears a strong resemblance to late 1980s and early 90s Sigma zooms. I wonder if Zeiss

farmed out prototypes to Japan?

I think you are onto the right trail, Puppy Face. Carl Zeiss Jena indeed had relations with some Japan lens maker (Soligor?). They essentialy licenced their brand (like Zeiss does today with Sony). I think this lens is product of such cooperation.

Carl Zeiss Jena the East German side, (as opposed to the Zeiss/Contax West German side) had many lenses made for them in the 70's & 80's in Japan under licence. They are of average quality usually. It is a fair guess that either Sigma, Tokina or maybe Kino precision (Kiron) made them...it does seem rare to find an auto focus EF mount lens though and I would guess Sigma made this one.

This is interesting; how did you come to own the lens originally?

I may be wrong but I think the "Jena" lenses lack the T* coating that the Zeiss lenses made for Contax/Yashica. Is there a red T* on the lens?

I think there was a small period, the Jena side buy lens from Cosina, design and mfg by Cosina. This is likely a Cosina lens with a re-badged Zeiss Jena label.

Wouldn't it be possible to shoot a couple of images and post here. Possibly someone had the mount adapted.

The EOS system was introduced around 86 or so, so there would have been time for something to have been made by "Zeiss Jena" for film EOS cameras. However, as Steven pointed out, most of the zooms were contracted out to Japan, just as the Wessies were doing at the same time.

 

However, I am a little intrigued by the similarity of the Zeiss Jena markings, especially that lens cap, to my wonderful black Contax.

 

Could someone in the FSU with a shortage of old Kievs to alter or a lot of time on their hands, have done a job on some innocent third-party zoom? I just throw it out as a possibility, and note that if the markings are ignored, this lens looks really similar to a Canon EF 75-300mm lens. Then on the other hand, they all look the same, anyway.<div></div>

Here is a Carl Zeiss instruction manual.<div></div>

I appreciate all the comments above. Here is the mystery revealed of the Carl Zeiss Jenazoom. Steven Moseley who commeted above, is absolutely right! JDM, your theory about these lenses being cloned by Kiev from Russia (FSU) from third party lenses is totally wrong. The Carl Zeiss lens above is not modified in any way shape or form. Neither is this a Zeiss lens with a Zeiss/Canon EOS EF adapter. This is a genuine Carl Zeiss lens with a genuine Canon EOS EF bayonet mount. And to answer Mark Thomas question, none of the Zeiss Jenazoom lenses (manual or autofocus) have the T* star designation.

 

Here is some history of the Carl Zeiss Jenazoom. In the late eighties and early nineties the whole East German Zeiss camera and optical industry was consolidated in one company. Carl Zeiss of East Geramany and Japan designed a new line of lenses, the lens brand was called "Carl Zeiss Jenazoom Lenses" a full blown production line and they were licensed to most likely the Sigma factory of Japan. These were CZJ manual focus zooms and primes available of every focal length imaginable (too many to list) from the Carl Zeiss Jenazoom family of lenses (see brochure/instruction manual picture above) and these manual lenses are actually fairly common.

 

However toward the end of the Carl Zeiss Jenazoom production, before they merged with the West Carl Zeiss, they designed Zeiss autofocus lenses in a very limited number and only a handful were made as they were designed at the dawn of the camera autofocus revolution. How rare were they? Lets just say your lucky if you even see a photo of one of these! The autofocus line of lenses were called "Carl Zeiss Jenazoom Super" and were all zooms designed with macro function. The AF Jenazoom line were available in Canon AF, Nikon AF, Contax/Yashica AF and Olympus OM AF. Today these are the only Zeiss lenses in existance that will work in the Digital Age for Canon or Nikon Digital cameras without an adapter of any kind or modification. The AF Zeiss lenses were only available in the following focal lengths:

 

Zeiss AF lenses:

 

400mm 75-300mm 75-200mm 70-210mm 55-200mm 35-135mm 35-70mm

 

The Zeiss AF 75-300mm for Canon is what I have and what you see above. I have seen photos of the 400mm and it is a beast! I would never want to own one of these 400mm lenses - it looks like something from NASA! - it is large, bulky & heavy.

 

I included a photo below of the Zeiss with Canon bayonet mount so people could see there is indeed NO ADAPTER. I hope this clears up the mystery of the Zeiss lens!

Here are the close up shots of the Carl Zeiss Jenazoom for Canon EF<div></div>

<p>The mystery has indeed been solved, although my Carl Zeiss 35-70mm MC Macro Jenazoom lens with the Nikon Ai mount was not specifically referred to in this forum Rob H has clarified things for me. It has a 1:4-1:6 macro feature, was made in Japan under licence from VEB Carl Zeiss and is a manual lens of excellent build and optical quality. MC, I believe stands for multi-coated. I use it on my Nikon FM2 and D200 cameras.</p>

<p>A brief comment to my post of Jan 18 2009 above. Have not yet found a review of this lens so I tested it against my Sigma 28-105 f2.8-f4 lens at various focal lengths and aperture settings on my Nikon D200 mounted on a tripod. Although an unscientific test, the Jena was clearly not as sharp as the Sigma. Build quality is superb and it is has a nice range, size and weight for walking around. Rather than toss it back in a drawer, I am going to try the Jena on my Nikon F4s film camera with slide film to see what results I may achieve. If anyone can point me towards a review of this particular Jenazoom or has other information about it I will be grateful. </p>

<p>I've found this thread after seeing a Pentax Z-1 film SLR for sale along with one of these, so maybe some KA-mount ones were made too.</p><div></div>

<p>Further to the mystery- I have a CARL ZEISS JENA F=35-70MM 1:3.5-4.8 MACRO JENAZOOM 11- with a Pentax Bayonet fit. Now it geta a tad intersting, the lens "fits" my Penatx , but wont click in . This means that altho I can shoot great pix, the lens will just fall out of the camera if not held securely when adjusting or focussing.<br>

It's a great shooter, just annoying that i can't get it to lock in, so it stays in the cupboard awaiting a trip to the 'Bay sometime, unless someone can shed some light?</p>

<p>Carl Zeiss Jena JENAZOOM SUPER for Minolta AF<br /> <br /> The copy I own is a Carl Zeiss Jena 35 - 70mm 1:3.5 - 4.5 with Minolta AF mount.<br /> It works perfectly on a new Sony Alpha. I found some evidence about at least tow other Carl Zeiss Jena Minolta AF- mount lenses with different zoom- range.<br /> I heard, that these lenses were made in a join- venture- project between VEB Carl Zeiss Jena and Sigma in the period 1989-90. This project was probably ended when Carl Zeiss (West) was taking over Carl Zeiss Jena in 1990/91. <br /> As far as I concern, a very few number of pre- production copies were made. <br /> It seems as they where aimed as a premium line for Sigma. <br /> On my personal tests IQ and build quality is on an equivalent level as the Minolta 35-70mm F4 (in other words very good) but with a minimum focus distance of 500mm (Minolta 1000mm in AF- mode) <br /> I would not try to over- appreciate it’s IQ (on digital) but for a 20 year old lens that was designed for film it is very good.<br /> <br /> However I think these lenses are nice and rare collectors- items.</p>

<p>Hey guys thanks for all great posts on this thread on the Carl Zeiss Jenazoom. I started this thread back in 2008 here we are in 2010 and the thread is still going on 2 years later!</p>

<p>Michael Deeley thanks for posting and trying out your Zeiss lens on your Nikon D200 digital. The main point why I started this thread in the first place was not only to find out more on the history of the Carl Zeiss Jenazooms but to see if they work on todays digital cameras be it Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Minolta/Sony ect. Carl Zeiss Jenazoom lenses both primes and zooms were made in all these mounts not only manual but even in AF! So I really encourage everone who can get a hold of of one of theses CZJ lenses to shoot it on their digital camera and then post reviews for everone to see. I will check back on this thread often to see everyones reviews on digital cameras. Here is the first in depth review ever on the Carl Zeiss Jenazoom 75-300mm AF f4.5/5.6 ED IF Canon EF zoom lens!</p>

<p>It is an original Carl Zeiss Auto Focus zoom lens designed in the 1990's for Canon Auto Focus. And Yes it works (partially) on all Canon Digital cameras including fullframe digital. <strong>I put this unusual Carl Zeiss Jenazoom 75-300mm AF f4.5/5.6 ED IF Canon EF MACRO MC zoom lens on my Canon 5D EOS full frame digital camera!</strong> With AF Canon cameras this works 100% perfectly. This is the only Carl Zeiss zoom lens in existance to date as of 2010 that will work with Canon AF or Digital cameras without an an adapter ring [ Zeiss new ZE lenses for Canon intoduced in 2008 are all prime lenses]. The only flaw from this lens for Canon Digital cameras is because it was designed by engineers in the 1990's who could not have forseen the invention of digital cameras is that it only works "wide open". This only happens with Canon Digital and this does not effect Canon AF film cameras. This means you can only use the 4.5/5.6 variable apertures. If you stop down ie; f11, f16, f22 ect it will freeze up! You will get an Error 99 or other Error message. I have no idea why it does this but this is the limitation. Not a bad limitation if you normally shoot wide which I do for portraiture/fashion work. If only I could contact the engineers in Japan (Sigma) who worked with Zeiss and have this lens rechipped for Digital. :)</p>

<p>Technical Specifications Facts</p>

<p>Lens: Carl Zeiss Jenazoom Super ED MC IF Macro 75-300mm f4.5/5.6 AF Canon EF Zoom lens<br>

Manufacturer: Sigma Corporation for VEB Carl Zeiss Jena<br />Release Date: 1990’s<br />Lens Mount: Canon EF Mount<br />Focal length: 75-300mm Zoom lens<br />AF (Autofocus) Confirmation: Yes<br>

Optics: Special formulated ED (Extra low Dispersion) glass based exactly on state of the art Sigma APO zooms <br />Multicoated Glass: Yes<br />Diagonal Angle of View (35mm Full Frame Digital or Film): apx. 32 degrees ~ 8degrees<br />Macro: 1:4 macro feature<br />Min Focus Distance: 1.5m<br />Number of Lens Elements/Groups Construction: 13 elements/10 groups<br />Minimum Aperture: f22<br />Maximum Aperture: Variable Aperture f/4.5~5.6<br />Focus Adjustment: Autofocus; single zoom range with manual focusing ring design<br />Manual Focusing: possible via small AF/M switch located on the lens <br />Zoom Adjustment: via zoom ring rotating type, pump / push-pull zoom lens. <br />Indicative focal length zoom/DOF settings: Markings are 75mm, 100mm, 135mm, 200mm, 300mm & DOF curves on lens barrel. Macro at the 300mm focal length.<br />Distance Scale: marked in feet and meters<br />Lens Compatibility: Works 100% with all Canon EOS Film cameras. Works 100% with all Canon EOS Digital cameras at maximum aperture f/4.5~5.6.<br />Weight: 704g <br />Size: 74mm Height ×138.5mm Length<br />AF Motor: AFD (Arc Form Drive)<br />Filter Diameter: 55mm<br>

<br />Field Tests<br>

These are my ratings based on photographic results from actual use of the lens. This Carl Zeiss Jenazoom 75-300mm Super lens was tested on the Canon 5D EOS Full Frame Digital camera. Results may vary from camera to camera.<br>

Optical Lens Quality: Excellent. MC (multicoated). Purple/greenish reflections seen in glass. APO glass. Excellent color saturation, color and natural skin tone renditions.<br />Lens Construction: Excellent. High quality metal lens barrel with black finish and metal lens mount construction. Crimson red ring on zoom ring focus rotating type. Pump/push-pull zoom operates with just the right amount of tension. Zoom extension is smooth and well damped and there is no "zoom creep" when the lens is pointed up or down. There is no "play" in the extended zoom barrel. Lens mounts smoothly and clicks into place on Canon EF camera mount.<br />Bokeh: Good. Smooth.<br />Sharpness: Excellent at all focal lengths. Macro feature is especially sharp. Surprisingly sharp for a zoom lens of this focal length. <br />Macro Feature: Excellent 1:4 life-size magnification.<br />Chromatic Aberration: Good. Minimal red / green fringing.<br />Lens Flare: Good. Flare is well controlled. Almost no flare with use of quality lens hood.<br />Focusing Mechanism: Excellent but slow and incredibly noisy. AFD (Arc Form Drive) motor has a loud buzzing sound however the AF is surprisingly sharp and accurate for a lens of this age. This could be do to the Canon 5D Digital EOS camera’s excellent 9-point AF sensor. In any case the AF confirmation works perfectly. AF (Autofocus), (One-Shot AF, Predictive AI Servo AF, AI Focus AF (automatic switching between One-Shot/Predictive AI Servo AF)), Manual Focus (MF) all function perfectly.<br />Metering Mode: Excellent. This lens works with all the standard Canon Digital EOS camera functions including TTL metering, spot meter, f-stop/shutter info in the viewfinder...ect. Max. Aperture TTL metering with 35-zone SPC (1) Evaluative metering (link to all AF points) (2) Partial metering (approx. 8% of viewfinder) (3) Spot metering (approx. 3.5% of viewfinder) (4) Center-weighted average metering all function normally.<br>

<br />Interesting Trivia about this Lens<br>

1) Although this CZJ Jenazoom was licensed and supervised through Carl Zeiss and except for minor cosmetic differences to the lens, this lens is nearly identical to the high quality, and long out of production SIGMA AF 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 APO Zoom lens manufactured in Japan and introduced during the same time in 1990’s! In fact the Sigma APO glass is exactly the same renamed ED or Extra Dispersion glass. As far as I am aware the Carl Zeiss Jenazoom 75-300mm AF (autofocus) is the ONLY version that has this. It even has the same crimson red ring in the front of the lens!<br />2) Even with the introduction in September 2008 of the new high quality MF (manual focus) Carl Zeiss ZE lenses designed for Canon EF mount and as of 2009 this strange CZJ Jenazoom Super still remains the ONLY AF autofocus lens ever made from Carl Zeiss for Canon EF!<br />3) As with the rest of the MF (manual focus) zoom and prime Carl Zeiss Jenazoom lenses, this Carl Zeiss Jenazoom Super AF (autofocus) were not available for sale in the USA. Carl Zeiss (East) lens made in Japan under license from VEB Carl Zeiss Jena. This lens was banned from the USA due to political tensions between NATO and Warsaw Pact and a questionable court order. It was also banned from Germany (West). No one could afford to buy such lens in Germany (East). These were sold mainly to (wealthy) customers in UK, Canada, Japan.</p>

 

<p>Rob, and others following this fascinating thread. Craigslist has a manual version of the 70-300 f4.5-5.6 Macro MF Jenazoom lens of this lens up for sale in a Nikon mount. It does not have the red band, VEB, or country of manufacture identified as far as I can see from the photo. Have replied with an offer to purchase, not that I need another lens in this range. "The plot thickens" It's time to bring in Holmes. Sherlock that is!</p>

<p>For the record and to keep the thread going I have the Promaster Spectrum 7 version of the same lens with a Nikon Mount. An excellent lens at an excellent price-under $30 with shipping</p>

<p><img src="http://cgi.ebay.com/Carl-Zeiss-Jena-28-70mm-Pentacon-135mm-PB-New-Old-STK-/160509951899?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item255f237f9b" alt="" /><br>

Hello everyone, I am new to photo.net and just wanted to say thank you for the postings on these particular Carl Zeiss MC Jena Zoom Lenses. I did the search because I noticed an eBay auction in which a high rated seller was auctioning or selling with a Buy It Now Option, countless photographic items from a camera store that closed and he purchased their entire inventory. One of the many lenses for sale was a " Carl Zeiss Jena 28-70mm 3.5-4.5 MC Macro Jenazoom series II" together with a "Pentacon 135mm f/2.8 Lens both with the Praticka B mounts. It was the first time I saw the lens and was curious so I did a Buy it Now for $89.00 for both lenses. I will post pictures once I receive the lenses but I figured that for $89.00, what do I have to lose? He has at least a dozen of the lenses for sale at this low price and after reading all the post regarding these lenses made in East Germany on this thread, I figured I should all of you know about the current auction. I think it was a steal, but will know for sure once I take pictures. This is the link to the auction and make sure to take a look at the other items for sale since it is all new old stock items.<br /> Regards,<br /> Primo<br /> http://cgi.ebay.com/Carl-Zeiss-Jena-28-70mm-Pentacon-135mm-PB-New-Old-STK-/160509951899?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item255f237f9b</p>

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<p>As Joel mentioned, in the spirit of keeping this thread open, I purchased the Carl Zeiss JENA 75-300 3.5-300 MC MACRO Jenazoom lens in Toronto and note that inscribed in blue letters are the words- VEB Made in Japan under licence. Mine has a Nikon mount. The seller told me it belonged to his grandfather, a retired sea captain who sat in a deckchair on his lawn taking pictures of passing ships. The lens is well used with plenty of scuff marks on the paint, but no signs of damage. Very well built and mechanically perfect. The push-pull zoom is very smooth (better than my Nikon AF 80-200 f2.8 ED lens in this respect). Surprisingly, considering it's history, the optics are in excellent shape. Used on my Nikon F4s and D200 cameras image quality is superb with good colour, contrast and sharpness. I have two other Carl Zeiss Jena lenses and because my mid seventies eyesight is no longer 20/20 I find that using manual focus lenses slows me down and forces me to concentrate. It's also lots of fun. I am always amazed at the mechanical and optical quality of these old lenses compared to many of the modern computer modeled lenses made today.<br>

Regards</p>

<p>Thanks for your comprehensive review Rob and for encouraging this thread on JENA lenses. They don't get much press and this may become the go-to place for the brand.<br>

Forgot to mention that mine also has the CARL Zeiss JENA lens cap. Serial # is AI 94500279<br>

Regards </p>