Manual Focus Lenses

Helios 40 85mm f/1.5 vs. Carl Zeiss Contax Planar 85mm f1.4

A very detailed test from Orio Menoni between two excellent lens, you can read genuine forum thread here.

The total filesize of the TIFs after RAW processing was near to 900 Mb. As this was insane, I had to make some reduction choices. So I converted the files to 8bit depth and I converted them into 98% JPGs, which means unfortunately some compression but the quality rate is still near 100% and the gain in filesize is huge (from 509Mb to the current 49Mb)

A hidden diamond ! Most people know MC version of Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 135mm is very sharp good lens, but much less people know oldest version like this zebra at least good as or better than MC version.
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Carl Zeiss Jena II 28mm f2.8 Macro Japanse version

This lens made by Sigma under name of Carl Zeiss Jena II 28mm f2.8 Macro, surprisingly good lens I believe better than similar East German lenses like Pentacon 29mm f2.8. Easy to catch the right focus, well built quality lens. This lens has eye catch looking I like it very much even if I know this is not a genuine CZJ lens. Before communism was end in East Germany and in CCCP their sold their valuable brand name likes Carl Zeiss Jena and Helios etc to Japanese third party makers. I suppose Carl Zeiss (West German company ) wasn't happy at all :( This lenses are very rare if missing part of your collection don't hesitate much.

Carl Zeiss - A History Of A Most Respected Name In Optics.

From its inception through to the middle 19th century, lens making was a craft that was essentially passed on from generation to generation. Innovations had typically resulted from trial and error experimentation; this was a costly and time consuming process that could not factor in all of the possible variables in lens making materials and design. It would be left up to one who could employ scientific methods of study, and then devise the mathematical formulas to characterize the physics of optics to make the next important technological leaps possible. It would then be asked of a chemist to invent and manufacture those raw materials necessary to make the new designs possible. And it would be one man to bring this combination together to create a concern of unrivaled accomplishment.