Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 58 mm f/ 2 Lens

The Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 58 mm  f/ 2is a standard fast prime lens for 35 mm SLR cameras with the M42 screw mount. There was a bayonet version for Exakta cameras.

It was this lens whose optical scheme  was copied, and then different variants of the Gelios-44 lens were put into production in the USSR. But this  lens is a bit sharper and has  less characteristic spherical aberrations wide open.

The bokeh of the Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 58 mm f/ 2 has a characteristic twirling with the aperture wide open.

In general, the lens renders very flexible, and, at the same time, sharp image.   Back, side and scattered light is not well handled, the use of a hood is recommended. There are chromatic aberrations discernible in contrast images.

The variants with multi-blade iris and instant-return apertures were produced. The aperture had the different number of blades: 17,12,10, 8.

The Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 58 mm f/ 2 is fit as an everyday kit lens. It is not bad as a portrait lens as well as an effects lens.

Many photographers, manual optics fan, finally substitute it for their Gelios-44 cameras.

• Review of the Lens Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 58 mm f / 2 with the test images (Russian)

• Disassembling of the lens mount by Exacta (views: 1064)

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