Author: | | New Member Registered: November, 2013 Posts: 14 | Review Date: March 22, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | very sharp "eagle eye" by zeiss | Cons: | very few CA's in the edges | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: k-5 k-x kS1 k200d fuji x-e1 and x-t100 fuji x-e1 x-t100
| | comparted with Domiplan 2,8/50 (3/3) with heavy CAs in the edges : another world (4/3 elements)
so called "Cooksches Triplet" with achromatic rear element
my first item for EXA, but with adapter suitable to x-e1 = excellent sharpness, x t-100 = extreme sharpness
my second item for Pentax k-x k-5 k200d k-s1 with M42 screw mount = very good sharpness
O/+ wide open with f 2.8 fair to good sharpness and some few CAs, especially in the corners and in bokeh area
++ with aperture f5,6-11 very sharp (eagles eye ) in the center and in the corners
+/++ good to very good contrast
++ excellent neutral color rendition
+ nice bokeh
++ close ups: excellent center and corner sharpness with f 8-11
with an additional achromatic macro lens in front of this lens: phantastic results (no difference to expensive high tech lenses)
9.5 points and very highly recommended (because there is no weakness in the corners as usually, stopped down a few) - one of my best standard lenses, tested by ephotozine with result 3.500 x 5.250 lines = 18,4 MP at f5.6-11 (only to reach with APC-C Fuji x-t100 (100-1000 iso) or K-1 (full frame at 100-400 iso) kind regards - yours very faithfully joe
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: October, 2017 Location: Lancaster Posts: 3,821 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: November 7, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Sharpness | Cons: | Non as such | | I bought this lens off a Portuguese seller on eBay. It was one of my first M42 lenses and is a stunner to look at. My copy requires a flanged adapter, otherwise it stays wide open and it took me a while to realise this at which point I realised its true potential. As the preset ring is spring loaded there are times when you could do with a third hand. It is slightly soft wide open and my copy doesn't suffer massively from abberations or fringing although they are present but this is a vintage £30 lens so we have to be realistic. I love this lens and now I have done the review I can't wait to get it out again Carl Zeiss Jenna Tessar 50mm by Peter Kay, on Flickr
| | | | New Member Registered: February, 2017 Location: amsterdam Posts: 17 2 users found this helpful | Review Date: September 27, 2018 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | super sharp, colortrue and nice contrast | Cons: | the rings are a bit tiny to dial. Very soft on 2,8 | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-1
| | A friend gave me an old Praktica German camera from the 60ies. it was rubbish, he said, but would make a good prop. I decided to check out the attached lens. It was so dirty, I worked on it for quite some time to clear the glass. With my 8 dollar Pentax K to M42 ring I attached it to my K-1. I was absolutely stunned when I shot with it. We shoot for our clients all over the globe and I took a huge risk to only bring a set of analog lenses with me for a 4 week gig. The shots with the Tessar 2,8/50 turned out stunning, pretty sharp and in great color. But with that analog feeling. You should dial it up to 8 and stay away from the 2.8. It gets really soft on 2,8.
So, if you want to make your clients happy with your photography, consider an analog lens for your next project. I own a bunch and love my Carl Zeiss Jena 2,8/50. btw, I never told my friend I use his lens. He's a photographer as well (married to Nikon). Some secrets are best kept from those you love ;-) | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2018 Location: Southern California Posts: 12 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: April 1, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | rendering and bokeh | Cons: | a bit clunky old style lens | Sharpness: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 6
Value: 9
| | I picked this lens up along with a Pentax 35mm f3.5 Takumar for $30. The Tessar has stiff focusing (likely old grease), but does work. I tested it recently on a Fujica STL 705W, and the manual operation was a bit clunky; though that was to be expected. I like some of the results, and especially the bokeh. It is an inexpensive, but really nice lens, and I am somewhat intrigued with Tessars, as they were the standard for decades and produced some amazing images. The only thing that killed them was really the desire for faster lenses. Here are a few images captured on ADOX CHS 100 II B&W film (developed in Rodinal 1:25). First two are bokeh examples. The first was at f2.8, and the second was f5.6 or f8. The third one is just a representative photo. This was hand held at likely 1/60th of a second. | | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2019 Posts: 15 | Review Date: March 8, 2023 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 7 |
Pros: | Fancy looking 50mm | Cons: | Looks don't take better photos | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 6
Value: 6
Camera Used: Film and full frame Digital
| | I have no clue how other people are picking this lens up for $20 to $30, to be sure. In 2023 these were going for $50 to $100 a pop on the old secondhand market.
It's silver and some people get carried away with shiny lenses. This forces up the prices, and that's a downside of this old lens being bought and sold in the secondhand market. Linked to this, the actual performance of this lens is exactly the same as age-comparable Black Tessar 50mm lenses. However, the black versions cost much less. I suppose that having a couple of extra aperture blades will make a little difference to a bokeh shots, though.
Sharpness is not excellent up to F5.6 but it is better than many other non-Tessar lenses of the same years of manufacture. So they were comparably excellent in their day, but so many lens makers from the 1970's and 80's onwards were making far better and far sharper 50mm lens designs at F4 to F1.2. Where the Tessar design excels - and always will do - is at F5.6 to F11, and this silver lens is excellent there if (and it is a big IF) you have a clean and unmarked optical version. Some of these silver aluminium lenses are terribly abused both optically and with much barrel marking and denting and filth.
Chances are that such an old Zeiss will have lumpy or dry focusing, which can be easily cleaned up and re-lubed and the soft aluminium body will be marked. The pre-set rings are good fun if they work well and the auto cocking and pin-release are magical. However, unless you are needing silent aperture operation there is nothing here that gives better imaging than using a black body Tessar.
| | | | Pentaxian Registered: April, 2011 Location: Lost in translation ... Posts: 18,076 | Review Date: May 3, 2013 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 7 |
Pros: | Build, Close focus | Cons: | No Auto/Man clutch | | Bonjour,
Found this CZJ at the bottom of a bin at the thrift store and purchased it for 2€. The glass is OK, but the lens exterior is heavily marked, filter ring damaged, some markings on aperture preset ring illegible and the focus ring was seizing and very stiff near infinity. Pulled the lens apart (only one screw to remove on back base mount), cleaned and re-lubed ... focus ring now rotates normally. Super-glued the pin to have a full-time working aperture ...
I have only tested indoors and with marginal results ... also I have to pull the lens apart (again) because it will not focus at infinity. Giving it a "7" across the board rating until I can try to regain infinity and test outdoors ...
Here's what it looks like on the K-5 using a Pentax M42 adapter ... J
EDIT: Here's some quick snaps in the garden ... no PP.
Also, pulled apart for a second time and still do not have infinity.
f 2.8
f 8 | | |