Some toughts about Tessar design

[Kristopher]

I want to share my opinion about the Tessar design and want to hear yours.

I got my Rolleiflex a couple months ago. I felt in love with this slow speed lens. Yes, it performs best at f/8. Yes, there is some softness in the corners at all apertures. And yes there is some vignetting wide open. But tonal rendition is exeptionnal and out of focus is the most creamy bokeh I have ever seen. I took a look in flick to find other exemples of this lens capabilities and I am really stunned.

I may appear weird and the following comment is certainely non-scientific and applies in some way to Leica Elmar design too. When I look to pictures taken with a Tessar, I have always the feeling that there is no lens between the photog and the subject. There is such a proximity between the subject and the film that one may wonder if having only 4 pieces of glass in the lense is the answer to all theses wonders.

Since Zeiss is going into classic designs for its zm lenses, I wonder why they don't put a Tessar in their line-up. It would offer some competition to the current 2.8 Elmar wich seems to be the only 4 elements lens available. If they do, I will certainly be the first one to get an Ikon and a Tessar. Moreover, it would probably be really cheap.

Tessar strong points are certainly not about sharpness distorision, and other pseudo-scientific explanations of the goodness of a lens, but its certainly one of the best friend that an artist can adopt.

Kristopher

 

[richard_l]

I may appear weird and the following comment is certainely non-scientific and applies in some way to Leica Elmar design too. When I look to pictures taken with a Tessar, I have always the feeling that there is no lens between the photog and the subject. There is such a proximity between the subject and the film that one may wonder if having only 4 pieces of glass in the lense is the answer to all theses wonders.

I feel exactly the same way. My experience is with the 40mm Tessar in the Rollei 35 and the 35mm Tessar in the Yashica T4. The Elmar 50mm/3.5 and the new Elmar-M 50mm/2.8 impress me similarly.

Richard

 

[Letien]

I feel exactly the same way. My experience is with the 40mm Tessar in the Rollei 35 and the 35mm Tessar in the Yashica T4. The Elmar 50mm/3.5 and the new Elmar-M 50mm/2.8 impress me similarly.

Richard

I heard that the current Elmar 50/2.8 is in fact an elmarit design. Is it really has only 4 elements?
I always love the simple construction of tessar design. Less glass surface, smaller lens diameter. Who need a lens with sharp corners unless for landscape? Most leica user aren't.

 

[mfunnell]

I heard that the current Elmar 50/2.8 is in fact an elmarit design. Is it really has only 4 elements?

Four elements, three groups, according to the data sheet you can download here:

http://www.leica-camera.us/photography/m_system/lenses/468.html

I have this lens, but have only started to learn its best use. I've been experimenting, so neglecting the 50s but have resolved to correct that. I even shot a few frames with the M3/Elmar combination this morning.

...Mike

 

[richard_l]

I heard that the current Elmar 50/2.8 is in fact an elmarit design. Is it really has only 4 elements?
I always love the simple construction of tessar design. Less glass surface, smaller lens diameter. Who need a lens with sharp corners unless for landscape? Most leica user aren't.

Actually, the current Elmar 50 is quite sharp in the corners at f/4, so it works fine for landscapes. Moreover, the almost total lack of distortion (at any aperture) makes it good for architecture and cityscapes.

Richard

 

[mfogiel]

The Tessar is a very fine lens, provided you stop it down a bit. The 3D effect you get is very pronounced. AFAIK this design excels in middle range shots, like a group of people portrait. Apparently one of the best lenses of this type is the ... Nikkor 45P, which actually has initiated my quest for a small HQ camera - I wanted to get it for my Nikon D40 to have a compact DSLR. I ended up buying the FM3A with it, and once I've compared the results in B&W, I gave my D40 to a nephew... but I've kept the lens, and the FM3A 🙂

 

[Bavaricus]

I heard that the current Elmar 50/2.8 is in fact an elmarit design. Is it really has only 4 elements?
I always love the simple construction of tessar design. Less glass surface, smaller lens diameter. Who need a lens with sharp corners unless for landscape? Most leica user aren't.

Almost every xxx hides the formula of the lenses behind nice names. Elmar is for Speed 2.8, Elmarit for Speed 4 Summicron for Speed 2 ans so on. Zeiss in the beginning called the lenses after the lens formula. And the Tessar IS a variant of a triplet made of 4 Lenses in 3 Groups. Sonnar is also a triplet variant with one element of 3 grouted lenses.

I had a 2.8/45 Tessar for my Contax. It has it's own look. Very creamy, and sharp. It depends on your taste what you like more. I prefer the Sonnar ... Try a soviet Jupiter-8!