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Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8 : Specifications and Opinions

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The Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8 is a standard lens for FF and APS-C, manufactured from 1952 to 1978 (discontinued). The focus is done by Manual Focus, it does not have image stabilization. The average price, when it has been added to the JuzaPhoto database, is 50 €;

25 users have given it an average vote of 9.2 out of 10.

Specifications
Focal lenght	50 mm
Angle of view	46.8°
Format	FF, APS-C
Max. aperture	f/2.8
Aperture blades	12
Lenses/Groups	4 elements in 3 groups
Min. focus distance	0.35 meters
Reproduction ratio
Features
Stabilization	No
Focus	Manual Focus
Internal Focus	No
Built and notes
Tripod ring	No
Extenders	No
Filters
Lens hood	Yes (not supplied)
Weather sealing	No
Weight	175 g
Dimensions	51 x 45 mm
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Reviews

What do you think about this lens?

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The following opinions have been automatically translated with Google Translate.

Antonio.bartalozzi

sent on April 22, 2025

Pros: Soft blur, color rendering, micro-contrast, very smooth focusing, look (aluminum version) super cool

Cons: Not too bright, suffers quite a bit from backlight

Opinion: I bought this lens by seeing a few video reviews at a good price. Being in the period when I used brighter lenses such as the helios and the super takumar 50mm f1.4 I left it aside a bit. In recent days I have picked it up again and I must say that it left me surprised. It has perhaps one of the most elegant, soft, and painterly bokeh among my vintage lenses. At close range it is very beautiful on flowers and nature and even closing the aperture a little (at f4 or f5.6) it still maintains a very soft and pleasant blur. Also nice for portraits with soft or sharp light (if not backlit, as it suffers a bit like all old lenses). I am very satisfied, it is a very poetic lens.

Alex170290

sent on April 15, 2021

Pros: construction, sharpness, blurry, bokeh, colors

Cons: maybe the passage of the diaphragm is a little strange..

Opinion: it's an optics that returns very natural colors, with the best bokeh ever seen. 12 slats of the diaphragm guys, the bokeh is a booling ball. Sharpness is great. the construction made in Germany is beautiful, all in metallic silver. The only drawback in my focus is very hard, so you have to crack it a little bit. It's for still photos! it's beautiful aesthetically, sexyy

EnricoGiuliani

sent on May 10, 2020

Pros: Very compact and light, remarkable quality even for the present day, beautiful bokeh even with "soap bubbles", excellent readability of lights and shadows, very intense colors.

Cons: Nothing, given the palious cost for a goal!

Opinion: Recently bought, in black version with screw attack 42, at a few tens of euros, surprised me pleasantly. High resolution especially central but starting at f/5.6, under that diaphragm is relatively soft. It provides excellent results in closed diaphragms macro shots (mounted inverted or with classic extension tubes), for its performance in the finest details. A miscousation for a few euros that pays off a lot in terms of satisfaction!

Rolubich

sent on May 10, 2020

Pros: Construction, lens and historical scheme, color quality, blurry, low cost

Cons: Yield to TA

Opinion: Historic CZJ lens with equally historic Tessar optical scheme. Mine is the aluminum version with 12-bladed diaphragm, multilayer coating ("red T") and M42 attachment. At TA it has a rather weak resolution and contrast but it is still very usable even on dense sensors, and then the low contrast to TA can also be considered an advantage. At f/4 it improves a lot and at f/5.6 excellent resolution and contrast, this in the center. It suffers a bit in the peripheral areas, like all the goals of the era that I tried, but at f/11 achieves a good uniformity on the whole image and you can also take landscape photos with good results. Beautiful colors and good blurred, especially in comparison with another 50mm vintage. Moderate vignette and almost no distortion. We add the very low cost and easy availability and I do not know what you can ask for more.

Chebeltempo

sent on March 23, 2020

Pros: Size, color rendering, price

Cons: Adjustment diaphragm

Opinion: Taken for a loaf of bread the ALU version. What about... Excellent optics, exciting color rendering, good sharpness and blurry really very nice. Very compact and at the same time solid and well-crafted optics. You just have to get used to the diaphragm preset system (it was stuck in my model, then unlocked with Zippo gasoline and lots of patience). Excellent rendering in macro images, also using extension tubes, not having the rear diaphragm activation pad, present on many M42 optics. As far as I'm concerned, considering also the cost and age of the project, it is a very advisable optics, which can not miss in the park of a vintage enthusiast.

There are 9 more reviews. Show all »

Photos taken with Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8

Magical

by Lara Bonazza
68 comments, 6674 views

HI RES 11.2 MP

Naomi on Agfa Photo APX 400, 2

by Francescoc
55 comments, 4207 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Naomi on Agfa Photo APX 400, 1

by Francescoc
46 comments, 3172 views

HI RES 3.6 MP

Magical

by Lara Bonazza
22 comments, 3110 views

HI RES 18.3 MP

Beechwood 7

by Finco
15 comments, 6514 views

HI RES 15.1 MP

Katia with Tessar

by Silvio Madeddu
17 comments, 2899 views

HI RES 15.4 MP

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Melitea and pieris

by Gandy
39 comments, 2020 views

Naomi on Agfa Photo APX 400, 10, shooting final

by Francescoc
46 comments, 3939 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Naomi on Agfa Photo APX 400, 8

by Francescoc
46 comments, 3493 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Graptopetalum from Paraguay

by Fabrix
35 comments, 4438 views

HI RES 10.3 MP

Naomi on Agfa Photo APX 400, 9

by Francescoc
35 comments, 2949 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Naomi on Agfa Photo APX 400, 6

by Francescoc
38 comments, 3835 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Aporia Crataegi

by Gandy
35 comments, 2053 views

Pieris Rapae

by Gandy
24 comments, 1988 views

Jessica Bianco on Ilford HP5+ 400 6 7

by Francescoc
39 comments, 1347 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Jessica Bianco on Ilford HP5+ 400 2

by Francescoc
36 comments, 2140 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Jessica Bianco on Ilford HP5+ 400 4

by Francescoc
43 comments, 1509 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Jessica Bianco on Ilford HP5+ 400, detail II

by Francescoc
35 comments, 1824 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Naomi on Agfa Photo APX 400, 5

by Francescoc
35 comments, 1873 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Jessica Bianco on Ilford HP5+ 400 6

by Francescoc
31 comments, 1293 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Melitaea Dydima

by Gandy
27 comments, 1810 views

HI RES 6.7 MP

The New Day

by Gandy
26 comments, 1593 views

Jessica Bianco on Ilford HP5+ 400 8

by Francescoc
30 comments, 1458 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Naomi on Agfa Photo APX 400, 4

by Francescoc
27 comments, 4187 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Jessica Bianco on Ilford HP5+ 400 5

by Francescoc
28 comments, 1420 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Untitled Photo

by Fabrix
9 comments, 2068 views

HI RES 13.6 MP

Jessica Bianco on Ilford HP5+ 400, detail I

by Francescoc
29 comments, 1384 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Jessica Bianco on Ilford HP5+ 400 3

by Francescoc
36 comments, 1594 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

I'm here too*

by Golf
9 comments, 517 views

HI RES 19.7 MP

Untitled Photo

by Arconudo
12 comments, 754 views

HI RES 14.6 MP

Jessica Bianco on Ilford HP5+ 400 9

by Francescoc
25 comments, 1146 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Try Tessar

by Silvio Madeddu
9 comments, 1488 views

HI RES 14.6 MP

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Jessica Bianco on Ilford HP5+ 400 1

by Francescoc
29 comments, 1217 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Arianna in the City

by Francescoc
22 comments, 3368 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Naomi on Agfa Photo APX 400, 7

by Francescoc
30 comments, 1833 views

HI RES 3.8 MP

Faggfeta 4

by Finco
8 comments, 3211 views

HI RES 13.7 MP

Primula

by Claudio_Giuffrida
20 comments, 964 views

HI RES 11.2 MP

The sample photos are selected automatically between all photos posted by JuzaPhoto members, using the camera and the lens selected in the techs. If you find evident errors (e.g. photos taken with cameras and lenses that are not available yet), you can contribute to improve the page by sending a private message to the user that has entered incorrect values in the photo caption.

Reviews » Lenses » Lenses Zeiss » Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8

Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8 : Specifications and Opinions

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Reviews

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Photos taken with Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8