Die wunderbare Welt of Late M42 Carl Zeiss Jena Lenses

With some exceptions, VEB Carl Zeiss Jena’s (East Germany) M42 SLR lenses were generally unknown and unavailable in North America before the fall of the Eastern bloc and the rise of easy international internet transactions. Today, many agree that 1960s-80s CZJ 35mm lenses are not only outstanding compared to their contemporary competition from Europe and Japan, but also remain capable of producing unique and pleasing images not necessarily offered by today’s advanced optics.

For the most part, CZJ lenses were never cheap and thus mostly out of reach for the average citizen of the Eastern Bloc. The most widely-produced camera lenses produced by CZJ were in M42 screw mount, in Exakta mount, and for the 6×6 Pentacon. While the single-coated 1950s and 1960s versions of these lenses were fairly outstanding for the SLR technology of the time, the advent of the multicoating in the 1970s only made many of these lenses much better.

When it came to M42 cameras and lenses, Japanese manufacturers like Pentax, Yashica, Chinon, and Fujica dominated the North American market. Perhaps because of the prevailing geopolitics of the time, CZJ lenses only made a limited appearance in the United States between the 1950s and 1980s. While the full lineup of its M42 lenses was never marketed and sold in North America, one could find CZJ lenses in the following places:

Praktina/Praktica SLRs: Certain 1950s and 1960s East German Praktina and Praktica SLRs came bundled with an M42 CZJ 50mm f/2.8 Tessar. As time went on, Praktina disappeared; and Prakticas were sold with cheaper standard lenses from other East German manufacturers like Meyer Optik and Pentacon.

Exakta: A number of the single-coated CZJ lenses were available for the Exakta camera system.

Werra: CZJ made the lenses for the “Werra” compact camera system. The Werra series did not sell very well in North America, and it seems that only the 50mm f/2.8 was readily available.

Pentacon Six: Several CZJ lenses were available for the East German Pentacon Six medium format system.

Carl Zeiss Jena Multicoated Lenses in M42 Mount

The final generation of CZJ multicoated M42 lenses, produced from the mid-1970s through the early 1980s, were not offered directly for sale in North America. It is possible that there was a way to special order these lenses, but that remains unclear. Here is a list of the primary late-model multicoated Zeiss Jena M42 lenses, excluding zooms produced for it by third parties and small batch / experimental lenses.

With the downfall of the M42 lens mount during the mid-to-late 1970s and Praktica’s 1979 adoption of the “B mount,” CZJ ended up producing some multicoated lenses for that system, a mix of remounted versions of their M42 lenses and a few new models. Although it had some promising prototypes floating around, CZJ was essentially out of the 35mm SLR lens business by the mid-1980s.

When we talk about any 35mm SLR lens produced from the 1960s to the 1980s, their strengths do not typically lay in their raw objective optical performance. It was not until the widespread introduction of new types of glass and the addition of aspherical elements during the 1990s that higher-end SLR lenses made a giant leap in performance. However, what is special about certain M42 lenses is that they have compelling and pleasing rendering at close and mid-range distances. The manner by which the lens can separate a subject from its background in a smooth and non-busy way remains a kind of subjective measure of objective optical performance.

Excluding lenses that are super rare and/or cost-prohibitive, building a set of CZJ lenses comes down primarily to personal preferences for certain focal lengths. In my opinion, the magic is with the 35mm f/2.4, the 80mm f/1.8, and the 200mm f/2.8. However, the 50mm f/1.8 and 135mm f/3.5 can substitute for the more expensive 80mm and 200mm. A few words about the line-up.

20mm f/2.8 MC Flektogon: I believe that the 1963 20mm f/4 Flektogon may have been the first widely-available non-mirror-lock-up SLR lens in the 20mm/21mm focal length (Leica and Nikon did not introduce their first 20/21s for a few years later). Nearly all 1960s-80s 20/21 SLR lenses use some variation of the Flektogon’s general optical design. The 2.8 Flektogon is a substantial resdesign of the original lens, but still within the same framework. However, despite the internet hubbub and its current high prices, there is nothing particularly special about the f/2.8 Flektogon lens compared to the contemporary competition. Nearly every manufacturer had a f/2.8 21mm lens by the late 1970s. I find that all of these 1960s-80s 21mm lenses tend to exhibit complicated distortion and need to be stopped down significantly to achieve their peak performance. It was not until the 1990s when 21mm lens performance began to improve dramatically. That being said, the minimum focusing distance of 0.19m is pretty incredible. In my opinion, these lenses cost too much if the 20/21 focal length is something you may only use occasionally.

20mm f/4 Flektogon	20mm f/2.8 Flektogon

28mm f/2.8 MC: CZJ did not produce this lens in-house but rather subcontracted it to a Japanese manufacturer (Cosina? Sigma?). During the 1970s, CZJ did market under its own name a “29mm f/2.8 MC” M42 lens, but it appears to have been a rebadged Pentacon or Meyer Optik product. Because the native East German lenses in this focal length do not have a particularly good reputation, it is probably a good thing that CZJ sent this one out. Because the word is out that these are not “real” CZJ lenses, they remain pretty cheap if you can find one.

35mm f/2.4 MC Flektogon: The f/2.4 Flektogon replaced the earlier 35mm f/2.8. The 2.8 followed the conventional wisdom in the focal length at the time, a large front element with either a Tessar or Planar-type group behind it (for instance, Nikon’s first and second generation 35mm f/2.8 lenses both used this scheme). The 2.4 had a completely new design and its design is unlike contemporary designs from Japan in the 35mm focal length. While much internet hyperbole exists on this lens, it remains pretty special. Its close focusing ability alone (down to almost 1:2 macro) is probably worth the price of admission. With unique rendering and color rendition, better-than-average center sharpness and light fall-off, and good wide-open performance, if you own just one CZJ lens, I would suggest it to be this one. It is really best employed at close-to-mid distances. Watch out for barrel distortion, as it has a significant amount at certain distance/aperture combinations. When the word got out on this lens, it shot up in value and remains expensive.

35mm f/2.8 Flektogon	35mm f/2.4 Flektogon

50mm f/1.8 MC Pancolar: The 1.8 Pancolar updates the older single-coated “Zebra” version of the lens. The Pancolar’s basic lens design had not changed since 1967. The relatively-affordable Pancolar is emblematic of the CZJ character, with an emphasis on center resolution with pleasing effects to the outside of the frame and behind the subject. There is plenty of appreciation for this lens; and if you prefer the 50mm focal length, this is the East German M42 lens to get.

Pre-1967 Pancolar	Post-1967 Pancolar

80mm f/1.8 MC Pancolar: As the story goes, the 80mm was developed to plug a large gap in the CZJ lens line between 50mm and 135mm to replace the older 80mm f/2.8 Biometar (made for the Pentacon Six and often adapted to M42) and the world-famous 75mm f/1.5 Biotar (a lens that can cost thousands of dollars today if you can find one). From its schematics, the 80mm is essentially a type of 50mm lens design. The 80mm was only produced in relatively small quantities and was extremely expensive at the time. Its close focusing distance of only 0.83m is somewhat limiting. That being said, the Pancolar is arguably among the best of CZJ M42 lenses. It is very compact, sharp and useable wide open, renders gently, and does a better job of background separation than the 50mm. That being said, the current high prices demanded for the 80mm reflect more of its rarity than its raw performance. It really should be a $200-300 lens. However, it is one of those lenses you will probably never part with.

80mm f/2.8 Biometar	80mm f/1.8 Pancolar

135mm f/3.5 MC Sonnar: I do not have any direct experience with this lens and do not regularly use the 135mm focal length. The lens has a great reputation and should not disappoint. They are cheap and plentiful in the MC version.

180mm f/2.8 MC Sonnar: This ginormous lens was not designed for the M42 mount at all, but rather for the 6×6 medium format Pentacon Six. With its original design going back to the 1930s, CZJ updated this lens with MC for the 1970s. CZJ designed the 180mm to work also on M42 cameras via an adapter that retained automatic aperture operation. Given the weight and bulk of this lens, it is not ideal at all for handheld 35mm use. Otherwise, it is a stunning lens. One of the best 180mms out there for pure close and mid-range character. While they used to be relatively affordable and plentiful, prices have been creeping up.

200mm f/2.8 MC Sonnar: Perhaps realizing that its 180mm lens designed for medium format was not ideal for compact 35mm cameras, one of CZJ’s last “new” M42 designs was the 200mm f/2.8. This lens is noticeably smaller and lighter than the 180mm and can be used handheld with some effort. This lens is another true winner for close and mid distances. The maximum aperture of f/2.8 makes this lens far more versatile and easier to focus than the host of 200mm f/4 lenses out there. Like the 80mm, the prices currently demanded for the 200mm reflect its rarity rather than its performance, which has long been eclipsed by modern lenses.

180mm f/2.8	200mm f/2.8

Buying Carl Zeiss Jena M42 Lenses

As a coherent lineup in the 35mm format, it is difficult to find a better set than CZJ’s multicoated M42 lenses. With a mix of new and updated designs, it was a shame that these lenses were not generally available in North America. Because the word has been out on these lenses for a long time, and because of the insatiable appetite of the adapted digital crowd for “effects” lenses, the more desirable CZJ lenses are neither cheap nor often easy to find. If looking to purchase a CZJ from abroad through the internet, which is the easiest way to locate one currently, you should assume that the copies that were in the “best condition” have long already been sold. Many of the lenses for sale today are probably either recent discoveries or those that may have been well-used for decades. In addition to actual lens condition, many of these lenses will need a professional once-over, normally including a relubrication, if they have been sitting for decades.