Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 135mm f4.5

[Chuck Pere]

This is from a Maximar 9x12cm 135 Tessar..

[Michael Graves]

I have one of these. I rather like it for certain subjects. It is very prone to flare, so be careful of light falling on the lens when shooting. It is precisely as you describe. Kinda sharp, but not exceeding so, getting quite soft at the edges until stopped down to around f16. That aforementioned flare works well for some subjects. I'm not very good at taking notes, so this is the only shot I can find that I know for sure was taken with this lens. It might not be the best example, since I stopped it down in order to mitigate the edge sharpness. But the "character" shows through, I believe.

[TomAlf94]

This is from a Maximar 9x12cm 135 Tessar..

Chuck, I love this image! Can't go wrong with great hazy light! Very nice balance between ray lights and leaves in the dark. Makes up for a very contemplative scene. Thanks a lot for sharing with me!

[TomAlf94]

I have one of these. I rather like it for certain subjects. It is very prone to flare, so be careful of light falling on the lens when shooting. It is precisely as you describe. Kinda sharp, but not exceeding so, getting quite soft at the edges until stopped down to around f16. That aforementioned flare works well for some subjects. I'm not very good at taking notes, so this is the only shot I can find that I know for sure was taken with this lens. It might not be the best example, since I stopped it down in order to mitigate the edge sharpness. But the "character" shows through, I believe.

Hey Michael!

Great exposure over here! It's funny how you realize flaring is gonna be a problem up until it's too late. Sometimes you are just glad it's there, too. Tricky subject to understand, flare is haha. I can definitely see what you mean by character. This is why this lens is catching my eye. I believe it's a nice formula that might benefit from tri-x or even alt processes like dry plates. Thanks for sharing this image with me! Now I kinda really want a copy to play around with!

[rfesk]

I would also consider the older model Symmar lenses from the 1960's. They are a symmetrical design and not as "corrected" as the Symmar-S or Apo-symmars.
That said, I also like Tessar's.

[Dan Fromm]

I would also consider the older model Symmar lenses from the 1960's. They are a symmetrical design and not as "corrected" as the Symmar-S or Apo-symmars.
That said, I also like Tessar's.

Which Symmars, Bob? Older dagor types or old plasmat types?

[rfesk]

I was speaking about the Symmar which is a plasmat. The Symmars (convertibles) that immediately preceded the Symmar-S are a symmetrical design. The even older dagor types are also symmetrical I believe.