Zeiss 85mm f/4 Tele-Tessar T* ZM, whose got one?

[kivis]

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Does it pull up Leica's 90mm frameline? Anyone using this lens?

[jaapv]

Yep - a good lens I use it on the Monochrom.

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[MarkP]

I also have one. It does bring up the 90mm frameline but of course at 85mm there is a fair bit more image included.

 

I don't know why but it is very underrated.

 

It is light and fairly compact. It is annoying that the otherwise excellent bayonet-mount hood does not secure onto the lens when fitted backwards for transport.

 

Lovely tonal range and contrast (but not overly contrasty) especially with B&W (and the Monochrom as Jaap mentioned). Excellent resolution & sharpness, but not quite up to the 90 Macro-Elmar which I also have.

 

Being a little wider than 90mm it pairs nicely with a 35mm lens.

Edited July 15, 2014 by MarkP

[jaapv]

That loose hood is indeed an annoyance. I guess the small front element makes it look "cheap"....

I would rate it on the same level as the Elmarit-M 90.

[kivis]

Got a chrome one and put a spare 43mm lens hood on it. Really nice.

[wilfredo]

Anyone care to post some shots with this lens on the MM?

[Washington]

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I have one but it has a Leica four tab mount built in. Great lens! Picture, well OK:

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[edwardkaraa]

My experience with the tele-Tessar is that it is very good lens, but not excellent. Especially in terms of resolution it doesn't reach the heights of the Sonnar 85 or 90 AA. This said, it is very small and light, easy to focus, has a gentle pleasant rendering, and no aberrations. If the f/4 max aperture isn't a problem, I highly recommend it.

[wilfredo]

I have one but it has a Leica four tab mount built in. Great lens! Picture, well OK:

 

 

Thanks for posting this. I can see what I call "that 3D quality" Zeiss lenses are known for. I'm wondering how it handles as a portrait lens? Especially on the MM which is my primary camera? I'm considering a Voiglander 75mm f/2.5 for the value.

[edwardkaraa]

Thanks for posting this. I can see what I call "that 3D quality" Zeiss lenses are known for. I'm wondering how it handles as a portrait lens? Especially on the MM which is my primary camera? I'm considering a Voiglander 75mm f/2.5 for the value.

 

The tele-tessar is especially good for portraits due to the gentle attractive rendering and not over the top resolution. In comparison, my sonnar 85 is super sharp and can produce very nice OOF highlights but I feel it is too sharp for portraits.

[MarkP]

M240, 4.0/85 ZM Tele-Tessar

 

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[edwardkaraa]

On the M9:

 

 

L1001385 by edward karaa, on Flickr

 

M9 - Tele-Tessar 85 by edward karaa, on Flickr

 

M9 Tele-Tessar 85 ZM by edward karaa, on Flickr

[kivis]

She is a beauty.

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[stephengv]

Any updates regarding this lens? anymore sample shots? I'm really considering this lens. 

[stephengv]

I s the f4 Limiting? I plan to use this to supplement my 21 CV Skopar, 35mm cron ASPH and 50mm Cron. And I intend to use it for Landscape and occasional portraits. 

 

Thanks. 

[tobey bilek]

I s the f4 Limiting? I plan to use this to supplement my 21 CV Skopar, 35mm cron ASPH and 50mm Cron. And I intend to use it for Landscape and occasional portraits. 

 

Thanks. 

 

My favorite 90 is the 4.0 Macro Elmar.   Not limiting for my style portraits or landscapes or travel.  It is also a first class lens with resolution up there with APO lenses.

 

If you go for shallow depth or night photos,  buy a faster, larger, heavier lens.  My fast lenses sit unused most of the time   

[bocaburger]

Absolute best bang for the buck in a rangefinder 90 I ever came across is the CV APO-Lanthar f/3.5.  It was only made in LTM, but with an adapter it's great on an M.

[stephengv]

Thanks for the reply, Yes i'm planning this as my travel lens. Anyone shoots with this lens? 

[stephengv]

anyone?

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[FrozenInTime]

I sold my ZM85/4 for a second hand Leica 90/4 Macro ( without the macro bits )  

 

The new cost of the Leica 90 Macro is scandalous for a simple 4 element lens, which is why first went for the Zeiss.

I was happy with the performance of the Zeiss, but I perceived the smaller size of the Leica 90/4 would be beneficial, so when a used one was offered at a good price, I traded up.

I certainly have been carrying it far more often than the Zeiss.

 

The 28/2.8, 50/2.8 and 90/4 have worked out well for me as a compact travel set.