w/nw Tessars

[msbarnes]

From any format/brand (Rolleiflex, Rollei 35, Leica Elmars, and etc.)

Show me your images from this oftentimes underrated design..


Untitled by Michael_Sergio_Barnes, on Flickr
Rollei 35


Untitled by Michael_Sergio_Barnes, on Flickr
Rolleiflex T


Untitled by Michael_Sergio_Barnes, on Flickr
Rolleiflex MX-EVS

 

[jonmanjiro]

1938 Contax mount uncoated Carl Zeiss Tessar 50mm f2.8


Kimono kids by jonmanjiro, on Flickr


秋 by jonmanjiro, on Flickr


2007 Elmar-M 50mm F2.8 II


Smoking by jonmanjiro, on Flickr


Elmar bokeh by jonmanjiro, on Flickr

 

[tuanvinh2000]

75 tessar rollei mx

 

[Godfrey]

Ricoh GXR-M + Zeiss Tessar 38mm f/2.8
(1938 uncoated lens from RoBoT II)
ISO 800 @ f/4 @ 1/80 sec​

 

[Jamie Pillers]

From any format/brand (Rolleiflex, Rollei 35, Leica Elmars, and etc.)

Show me your images from this oftentimes underrated design..

Similar questions I just posted in the new Sonnar thread:
What defines a Tessar design? Is there a list of Tessar design lenses anywhere? And are there any Tessar design lenses being made today? Thanks.

 

[dubya]

It was copied by many with several "improvements" and variations along the way. Most good prime lenses available today date back to some very old lens designs.

A google image search for "Tessar lens designs" is interesting:

https://www.google.com/search?q=tessar+lens+designs&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=xyrNUbPtNaK3iwKx3IG4CQ&ved=0CDwQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=685

I see the Olympus OM, Pentax K and Canon EF "pancake" lenses seem to be Tessar designs. I'll bet there's alot more.

W

 

[msbarnes]

Similar questions I just posted in the new Sonnar thread:
What defines a Tessar design? Is there a list of Tessar design lenses anywhere? And are there any Tessar design lenses being made today? Thanks.

The Tessar is a Zeiss design. It is 4 elements in 3 groups which is relatively simple and hence it can produce good contrast without the need for coatings. Most people tend to prefer the Planar design or Sonnar design (for TLR's and the Rollei 35) because they are faster and sharper at wide apertures

There are tons of Tessar lenses and clones....fitted on a bunch of Japanese and German TLRs and folders....The Agfa Solinar and Schneider Xenar lenses come to mind. In 35mm, there is the Zeiss Tessar for Contax rangefinders and the Leica Elmars for Leica LTM/M, and some fitted on point and shoots...the Yashica T4 and the Olympus Epic come to mind. A lot of compact 40mm-45mm lenses on many SLRs are Tessar designs.

There are probably a bunch more LF tessars and maybe some telephoto tessars...I think the Leica 90mm elmar (f4, right?) is a Tessar lens.

which reminds me,


Untitled by Michael_Sergio_Barnes, on Flickr

Olympus Epic

 

[petronius]

Carl Zeiss Tessar 2,8cm/8 (1935) on a Kiev 4A:

 

[petronius]

The Tessar 2,8/50mm of the Contaflex Super B:

 

[Brian Legge]

Super Speedex (Solinar lens)

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I like the Tessar for portraits. These were all done when I was in art school, back in 1995, with a pre-war Rolleiflex Automat. It has an uncoated 75mm f3.5 Tessar.

 

[Dayrell bishop]

ikonta 533/16

ikonta 533/16

 

[Bingley]

Carl Zeiss Tessar on a Rolleiflex Automat:

Benz by bingley0522, on Flickr

 

[Bingley]

Carl Zeiss Tessar on a Rollei 35:


Ford by bingley0522, on Flickr

 

[Jamie Pillers]

I like the Tessar for portraits. These were all done when I was in art school, back in 1995, with a pre-war Rolleiflex Automat. It has an uncoated 75mm f3.5 Tessar.

Chris, these are BEAUTIFUL! Thanks for posting them.

 

[Jamie Pillers]

The Tessar is a Zeiss design. It is 4 elements in 3 groups which is relatively simple and hence it can produce good contrast without the need for coatings. Most people tend to prefer the Planar design or Sonnar design (for TLR's and the Rollei 35) because they are faster and sharper at wide apertures

There are tons of Tessar lenses and clones....fitted on a bunch of Japanese and German TLRs and folders....The Agfa Solinar and Schneider Xenar lenses come to mind. In 35mm, there is the Zeiss Tessar for Contax rangefinders and the Leica Elmars for Leica LTM/M, and some fitted on point and shoots...the Yashica T4 and the Olympus Epic come to mind. A lot of compact 40mm-45mm lenses on many SLRs are Tessar designs.

There are probably a bunch more LF tessars and maybe some telephoto tessars...I think the Leica 90mm elmar (f4, right?) is a Tessar lens.

which reminds me,


Untitled by Michael_Sergio_Barnes, on Flickr

Olympus Epic

Michael, thanks for the response. Do you know if there are any Tessar type lenses being built today? The Tessar and Sonnar designs create such beautiful, full-of-character images. It seems like there would be a market for this kind of thing today, given how so many of the lenses we're offered today have been designed to perfection and have left character behind.

 

[raid]

Taken with the vintage 5cm 2.8 for the Contax

 

[raid]

Taken with a more modern 50/2.8 adapted from M42 to LTM.

 

[raid]

Tessar 50 3.5

 

[kermaier]

I think there are a few Japanese LTM lenses that are Tessar types as well, if I'm not mistaken:
Canon 50/3.5
Canon 50/2.8
Nikkor 50/3.5
Any others?
::Ari