Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 2.8cm f/8 for Contax Rangefinder

The Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 2.8cm f/8 is a particularly compact wide-angle lens developed in the 1930s for Contax rangefinder cameras. Its 28mm focal length provides a wider field of view than a standard lens. The optical design consists of four elements in three groups, based on Carl Zeiss’s well-known Tessar formula.

The lens has a fixed maximum aperture of f/8 and is not coupled to the camera’s rangefinder. Focusing therefore relies on estimating the subject distance and using the distance scale on the lens. It is an interesting historical lens for collectors of early Contax cameras and Zeiss equipment.