Category Archives: Vintage

Review: Carl Zeiss Jena 183mm 1.9 Visionar

Introduction

projection lens projector cinema carl zeiss jena czj row rathenower optische werke kino 183mm 1.9
Carl Zeiss Jena Visionar 183mm 1.9 on Sony A7rII

After I tried the Visionar 109mm 1.6 I became quite interested in this line of projector lenses as they offer quite a lot of glass for the money. The 183mm 1.9 is the second longest and extreme of the line. So if you are interested in the look of a 180mm 2.0 but don’t want to spend more than 500€ be sure to keep reading!

Sample Images

carl zeiss jena visionar 183mm 1.9 projector lens cinema sony a7rii a7rm2 review sharpness bokeh supertele fast cheap
Sony A7rII | Carl Zeiss Jena Visionar 183mm 1.9 | f/1.9
carl zeiss jena visionar 183mm 1.9 projector lens cinema sony a7rii a7rm2 review sharpness bokeh supertele fast cheap
Sony A7rII | Carl Zeiss Jena Visionar 183mm 1.9 | f/1.9
carl zeiss jena visionar 183mm 1.9 projector lens cinema sony a7rii a7rm2 review sharpness bokeh supertele fast cheap
Sony A7rII | Carl Zeiss Jena Visionar 183mm 1.9 | f/1.9

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Review: Carl Zeiss Jena Visionar 168mm 1.9

Introduction

projection lens projector cinema carl zeiss jena czj row rathenower optische werke kino 168mm 1.9
Carl Zeiss Jena Visionar 168mm 1.9 on Sony A7rII

After I tried the Visionar 109mm 1.6 I became quite interested in this line of projector lenses as they offer quite a lot of glass for the money. The 168mm 1.9 is the third longest of the line. It is quite a bit ligther than the two longer ones, so is it a good compromise?

Sample Images

carl zeiss jena visionar 168mm 1.9 projector lens cinema sony a7rii a7rm2 review sharpness bokeh supertele fast cheap
Sony A7rII | Carl Zeiss Jena Visionar 168mm 1.9 | f/1.9
carl zeiss jena visionar 168mm 1.9 projector lens cinema sony a7rii a7rm2 review sharpness bokeh supertele fast cheap
Sony A7rII | Carl Zeiss Jena Visionar 168mm 1.9 | f/1.9
carl zeiss jena visionar 168mm 1.9 projector lens cinema sony a7rii a7rm2 review sharpness bokeh supertele fast cheap
Sony A7rII | Carl Zeiss Jena Visionar 168mm 1.9 | f/1.9

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Review: Carl Zeiss Jena 109mm 1.6 Visionar

Introduction

projection lens projector cinema carl zeiss jena czj row rathenower optische werke kino 109mm 1.6
Carl Zeiss Jena Visionar 109mm 1.6 modified to Canon EF on Sony A7rII

The Visionar 109mm 1.6 is a cinema projector lens from Carl Zeiss Jena which was made in the GDR. These projector lenses are often very fast and cheap, but they also come with a few downsides. This is the first projector lens we will review at this blog, so find out if there is still a place for these today.

Sample Images

projection lens projector cinema carl zeiss jena czj row rathenower optische werke kino 109mm 1.6
Sony A7rII | Carl Zeiss Jena Visionar 109mm 1.6 | f/1.6
projection lens projector cinema carl zeiss jena czj row rathenower optische werke kino 109mm 1.6
Sony A7rII | Carl Zeiss Jena Visionar 109mm 1.6 | f/1.6
projection lens projector cinema carl zeiss jena czj row rathenower optische werke kino 109mm 1.6
Sony A7rII | Carl Zeiss Jena Visionar 109mm 1.6 | f/1.6

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Carl Zeiss Tele-Tessar (ZM) T* 4/85: A Detailed Review

The Carl Zeiss Tele-Tessar T* 4/85 lens was released in late 2008. It is a ZM lens designed for Leica rangefinders, with a very pure long-focus five element three group construction. 85mm lenses may well not suffer from any issues on unmodified Sony sensors, and it’s light and compact for a high quality short tele. It has a reputation for being a wonderfully sharp and contrasty: is it good enough to be a great companion to your Sony, despite being relatively slow? This review may tell you.

Specifications

Diameter 54 mm
Length 85 mm
Filter Thread 43 mm
Weight (w/o adapter) 310 g
Max. Magnification (w/o close focus adapter) 1:9
Close Focusing Distance from the sensor (w/o CFA) 0.9 m
Number of aperture blades 10
Elements/ Groups 5/3
The Carl Zeiss Tele-Tessar T* 4/85 can be purchased via our affiliate links at Amazon.com or else B&H Photo Video. You can get it new on eBay.com here, or you can get it used on eBay.com here.

Image Samples

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Review: Carl Zeiss Jena 35mm 2.4 Flektogon

Introduction

carl zeiss jena flektogon retrofocus m42 prakticar 35mm 2.4 review sony 42mp a7rii a7rm2 a7rm3 sharpness close focus
Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm 2.4 with K&F II M42 adapter on Sony A7rII

The Flektogon 35mm 2.4 is a highly regarded lens from Carl Zeiss Jena in the former German Democratic Rebpulic. It is the predecessor to the Distagon design still used for many modern lenses. But does this oldie still have a place on today’s digital cameras? Let us find out in this review.

Sample Images

carl zeiss jena flektogon retrofocus m42 prakticar 35mm 2.4 review sony 42mp a7rii a7rm2 a7rm3 sharpness close focus
Sony A7rII | Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm 2.4 | f/2.4
carl zeiss jena flektogon retrofocus m42 prakticar 35mm 2.4 review sony 42mp a7rii a7rm2 a7rm3 sharpness close focus
Sony A7rII | Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm 2.4 | f/2.4
carl zeiss jena flektogon retrofocus m42 prakticar 35mm 2.4 review sony 42mp a7rii a7rm2 a7rm3 sharpness close focus
Sony A7rII | Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm 2.4 | f/2.4

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