Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm f/2.8: first test image

[foxbat]

My Ukrainian M42 adaptor arrived in the post today and I just had to take a test shot. This lens is a "Carl Zeiss aus Jena DDR T 2.8 50" that I picked up for, wait for it, 10 pounds! That's about $17.

This test shot was taken wide open at f/2.8 under indoor lighting at 1/5s ISO 400 on the 300D. The camera was on AV and no adjustments were made to the metered exposure. No post processing has been applied from the RAW, just resized for the web. The focus point is the word "JURA".

http://www.aprd31.dsl.pipex.com/tmp/zeiss50mm1.jpg

I think that me and this little "nifty fifty" are going to get along together really well. I love these old lenses!

[KevC]

That a Tessar? Apparently they aren't any more special than the modern 50 primes. But for 10 quid, I wouldn't mind picking one up :)

The bokeh looks smooth... better than my 50/1.8 that's for sure.

[Jon]

Of course it's smooth. Look what it's sampling ;{)#

[rdenney]

That a Tessar? Apparently they aren't any more special than the modern 50 primes. But for 10 quid, I wouldn't mind picking one up :)

The bokeh looks smooth... better than my 50/1.8 that's for sure.

Actually, I thought the bokeh had that classic Tessar look, which isn't really that smooth.

But it is uniquely a Tessar look, and gives images an old-world look to them that's pretty hard with the ultramodern Canon lineup.

Your next purchase should be a screw-mount bellows, heh, heh.

Rick "noting that Tessars are very good in macro distances without having to be optmized for it" Denney