Carl Zeiss Jena DDR Tessar 50mm F2.8 Cine Mod Prime Portrait Lens | Canon EF!

🎬 Carl Zeiss Jena DDR Tessar 50mm F2.8 Cine Mod – Canon EF Full Frame

A classic Carl Zeiss Jena DDR Tessar 50mm F2.8 professionally prepared by TerPhoto for cinematography, filmmaking and professional video production. This vintage manual-focus prime has been adapted and precisely adjusted for Canon EF mount, while retaining the distinctive optical character of the original East German Tessar.

The cine modification includes a de-clicked aperture for smooth, stepless exposure adjustment during filming and two follow-focus gears installed on the focus and aperture controls. This allows precise operation with standard cinema follow-focus systems and makes the lens much more practical for use in a camera rig.

The lens has been fully cleaned, adjusted and re-lubricated. Focus and aperture mechanisms have been serviced for reliable manual operation. A large 80mm OD cine lens hood gives the compact vintage lens a more production-friendly front profile and helps control stray light.

The lens provides full-frame sensor coverage, making it suitable for full-frame Canon EF cameras and compatible cinema-camera setups using EF mount. On full frame, 50mm delivers a natural standard perspective that works especially well for portraits, interviews, narrative filmmaking, close details, music videos and character-driven commercial work.

Glass condition: The optics are in good vintage condition. Very minor age-related wear may be present on the glass, which is typical for a lens of this age and will not affect the final image. The photographs show the actual condition of the lens. The exterior displays normal vintage cosmetic wear consistent with its age and previous use.

The Tessar is one of the most historically important Zeiss optical designs. The original Tessar formula was created by Paul Rudolph for Carl Zeiss in Jena in 1902, using the famous four-element, three-group construction. The Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm F2.8 family was produced in numerous versions for decades; references document production of the broader 50/2.8 family from 1947 through 1990, including M42 and several other mounts.

This cine-mod is based on the later Carl Zeiss Jena DDR Tessar 2.8/50, an East German 35mm still-photography lens. Its classic optical construction uses 4 elements in 3 groups, with the later M42-type versions commonly featuring five aperture blades, a 49mm filter thread and approximately 35cm minimum focusing distance. The original vintage lens has now been transformed into a much more production-ready manual cinema lens while preserving the Tessar rendering that makes these lenses interesting to modern filmmakers.

⚙️ Technical Specifications

• Lens Mount - Canon EF
• Focal Length - 50mm
• Maximum Aperture - F2.8
• Minimum Aperture - F22
• Aperture Blades - 5
• Minimum Focusing Distance - 0.35m
• Filter Size - 49mm
• Focus Type - Manual
• Serial Number - Various

🎥 Why Choose This Lens?

The Tessar 50mm F2.8 is an excellent option for filmmakers who want genuine vintage Zeiss character rather than the highly corrected look of a modern digital-era lens. Its classic four-element Tessar construction provides a distinctive old-school rendering while 50mm gives a versatile natural perspective on a full-frame camera. The Canon EF adaptation makes the lens practical for many DSLR and cinema-camera workflows, while the de-clicked aperture and dual follow-focus gears turn the original photographic lens into a much more useful filmmaking tool. It is particularly attractive for narrative filmmaking, portraits, interviews, music videos and productions where organic vintage character is part of the visual language.

📦 This Offer Includes

✔ Carl Zeiss Jena DDR Tessar 50mm F2.8 Cine-Mod Lens
✔ Canon EF Mount Adaptation
✔ 2x Follow Focus Gears – Focus & Aperture
✔ 80mm OD Cine Lens Hood
✔ Front Lens Cap
✔ Rear Lens Cap