85 mm tele tessar and 90 mm Contax G sonnar

[AndySig]

The above mentioned lenses are on the table in front of me as I type. Both are very good performers but the design must be radically different as the sonnar is significantly shorter despite an extra 5 mm of focal length. Does anybody know why Zeiss didn't make the ZM 85 mm as an f2.8 sonnar? I'm sure it would have been an excellent compact lens. 85 mm is also a handy compromise between 75 and 90 mm. I know that there was the super expensive 85 mm which now seems to be discontinued. I can't help but think that Zeiss missed a trick here.

 

[kmallick]

Zeiss made the 85mm f/2 Sonnar that is now discontinued. I am not sure if they did have any role in making the Rollei 80mm f/2.8 Sonnar LTM lens that was introduced during the time of Rollei 35 RF camera. I have that lens and its wonderful, but not very compact either. I agree with you that 85mm is a good focal length, although indistinguishable from 90mm. But since the Zeiss Ikon ZM has the framelines for 85mm, it makes sense to use one.