aus Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8

aus Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8 | S/N: 10823544

aus Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8 Standard Prime Lens - Good Condition | Vintage Export-Variant M42 Screw Mount Lens with Historic Carl Zeiss Tessar "Eagle Eye" Optical Design

Introductory Paragraph The aus Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8 is a historic manual focus standard prime lens produced by Carl Zeiss Jena in the former German Democratic Republic (DDR). Due to trademark restrictions in western markets at the time, these exceptional lenses were engraved with the "aus Jena" (from Jena) designation rather than the full Carl Zeiss company name. Built around the world-famous, ultra-sharp four-element Tessar optical formula, this lens delivers striking center resolution, remarkable micro-contrast, and beautiful color rendition. Outfitted with the universal M42 screw mount, this highly scannable lens is highly prized by analog enthusiasts and digital mirrorless video creators for its compact form factor and signature vintage punch.

Key Features

• Legendary four-element Tessar optical layout, widely nicknamed the "Eagle Eye" for its crisp central details and minimal optical distortion.

• Classic 50mm standard focal length perspective, replicating a natural human field of view for street photography, documentary work, and candid portraiture.

• Fast f/2.8 maximum aperture layout, providing comfortable shallow depth-of-field control and a lovely, organic circular bokeh profile.

• Specular high-grade amber single-coating layer, effectively containing internal reflections while bolstering rich image contrast under tricky light.

• Tactile Auto/Manual aperture override selection pin, allowing effortless manual stop-down exposure tracking when using modern digital system adapters.

• Close 0.35-meter minimum focusing distance path, empowering photographers to isolate intimate close-up subjects against a smoothly blurred background.

• Universal M42 screw thread mount geometry, connecting natively to classic film bodies or easily adapting to modern mirrorless digital sensors.

Condition Report Good condition. Body: Shows standard, honest signs of previous creative use, including light superficial scuffs on the anodized barrel surface and typical minimal bright marks along the raised ridges of the focusing ring. The rear M42 threads are clean, crisp, and screw down evenly. Sensor/Optics: The internal glass elements are clean and clear. The optics are free from internal fungus, heavy haze, optical separation, or deep glass scratches; normal minimal micro-dust is visible under close flashlight inspection but does not alter performance or contrast. Mechanics:Fully operational. The manual focus ring rotates uniformly with a smooth feel across the entire distance scale, the aperture selection ring clicks cleanly into place at every stop, and the aperture blades are dry, entirely free of oil, and close down instantly.

Specialist Note "The 'aus Jena' branding tells a fascinating cold-war story of export restrictions, but underneath the engraving, this is a pure, top-tier Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar through and through. Vintage shooters love this specific variant because the four-element lens formula delivers an unmistakable micro-contrast that makes subjects pop off the screen in a way that modern computer-optimized lenses rarely do. When shot wide open at f/2.8, it renders a gorgeous, painterly background separation that gives film photography and modern digital video clips a completely transparent, premium retro character."

What's Included

• aus Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8 Standard Prime Lens (S/N: 10823544)
  

• Rear M42 Screw Mount Protective Cap
  

Technical Specifications

• Brand: aus Jena (Carl Zeiss Jena)

• Model: Tessar 50mm f/2.8

• Lens Type: Prime Lens

• Lens Mount: M42 Screw Mount

• Focal Length: 50mm

• Maximum Aperture: f/2.8

• Minimum Aperture: f/22

• Focus Type: Manual Focus

• Category: 2. Lenses ▸ Prime Lens

• Battery Type: None Required (Fully Mechanical)