Exa and Tessar 4.5/40mm

[tunalegs]

I loaded the Exa with Agfa Precisa and mounted that mysteriously arcane Carl Zeiss 4.5/40mm Tessar...

A wide angle with a 4.5 max aperture makes for a very dim focusing screen on an overcast day. All photos were shot at f5.6 or wide open.














Hum. I can't get the photos to post all at the same size because the new flickr is super buggy and won't work right. Who'd have seen that coming? :bang:

As one might expect with a Tessar of f/4.5 the sharpness and contrast are excellent. The copies here do not do the slides justice. There is some faint vignetting with this lens but it is not objectionable in my opinion.

The angle of view is wider than I had imagined it would be for a 40mm lens, but maybe this is because many 35mm lenses are actually a tad longer than 35mm, so the actual difference in angle of view is minimal. The 40mm Tessar was available for the Exakta as the wide angle until the Flektogon came out. It was available for a while longer as a budget alternative, but they're pretty uncommon today.

 

[Ranchu]

Thank you for these rare samples, it has a very outer limits/otherworldly rendering. I've been curious about it!

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

I do know what you mean about a dim viewfinder with these older wide angles. I don't have the 40mm Tessar but I do have one of the other wide angles made in Exakta mount, a Jsogon 40mm f/4.5 (although mine is the M42 version) and it's ludicrously dark to view through. I've enjoy your posts about using or fixing some of these unusual old German cameras, and this is no exception, thanks.
Cheers,
Brett

 

[Ranchu]

Can I see the camera/lens too, please?

🙂

 

[Steve M.]

Flickr sucks. I went to Photobucket way back when. No problems, very simple site to post to. Your shots are exactly what I would expect from those old Exa Tessars. Sharp! People talk about modern computer designed lenses, modern coatings, all that stuff, but those old Tessars can't be beat. To my eyes, a 40mm is a wide lens too. I had a 40 M Rokkor and the IQ was really, really good, but it was just too wide for me.

That shot of the chairs would be nice on the wall. Bouncy color. Some photographers might complain about the slight darkness in tone on the edges, but as a painter I can tell you that's exactly what you want. Keeps your eyes within the frame.

 

[citizen99]

Nice results. I love the exploration of such unusual combinations.

Just had a film back from processing. Wonder how I'll get on with the Flickr issue ... 🙁.

 

[tunalegs]

Here's the camera and lens. The glass is tiny, like on an 8mm movie lens.

 

[Ranchu]

Cool, thank you. What a truly arcane looking device!

 

[hipsterdufus]

Beautiful results. Definitely a keeper. Also, you have a great eye for composition/color.

 

[tunalegs]

Thanks. I'll attach a couple more photos. I didn't get them to copy as well as the others, but I may as well put them up here.

It's a slow combination since this lens only has a fully manual aperture (which means stopping down by sight) but it's less annoying if you're using a slow camera with a waist level finder so you can eye both the framing and the f-stops at the same time - I'm sure using it with an eye level finder would be annoying. I've seen preset versions of this lens but always for silly money.

 

[Ranchu]

http://tokyocamerastyle.com/post/59833378114/totem-pole-photo-gallery-shinjuku-canon-f1-with

 

[tunalegs]

Nice one. The Canon gives a better idea of how tiny this lens is than the small and oddly proportioned Exa does.

 

[maddoc]

I like this one a lot !!!

I loaded the Exa with Agfa Precisa and mounted that mysteriously arcane Carl Zeiss 4.5/40mm Tessar...

A wide angle with a 4.5 max aperture makes for a very dim focusing screen on an overcast day. All photos were shot at f5.6 or wide open.

 

[raid]

Very nice looking images. I may have the same camera and lens.

 

[farlymac]

Here's the camera and lens. The glass is tiny, like on an 8mm movie lens.

There is something about that lens that makes that Exa look gorgeous! And the photos it produces are great too. Also to mention, the skill of the user is top notch.

PF

 

[tunalegs]

Thank you for the compliments.

I think the exa looks better proportioned with small lenses. It's a camera that's easily overwhelmed by more "modern" lenses.