Carl Zeiss Jena ddr Sonnar f 3.5 / 135mm (ZEBRA) USER REVIEW
We are here again with a manual lens inspection. This time we will examine the carl zeiss jena ddr sonnar 135mm f3.5 lens. First of all, it should be noted that the ‘carl zeiss jena ddr sonnar f3.5 / 135mm’ is very old and hence a manual lens. We will examine the model, which is referred to as the ‘Zebra version’. The upper part of the focus ring and the diaphragm ring are nicknamed as zebras, as they have a zebra-shaped pattern. It has a filter diameter of 52 millimeters. It has aperture values between Min f3.5 aperture and Max f22.
Carl Zeiss 135 mm F3.5 Specifications
| Lens Name | Carl zeiss jena ddr sonnar f3.5 / 135mm |
| Max- min aperture | f3.5 – f 22 |
| Building materials | Metal |
| Weight | 430g |
| Length | 9cm-12cm |
| Optical Element | 3 groups- 4 elements |
| Minimum focus distance | 1m |
| Number of diaphragm leaves | 6 |
| Anti-shake | no |
| Filter diameter | 49mm |
| Made in | japon |
Carl Zeiss 135 mm f3.5 Lens Other 135mm Separating Differences
The firm produced cz 135mm f3.5 zebra in several versions. Some of them have a sonar sign in front of them, while in a worthy version there is only the letter S. It is obvious that the letter S symbolizes ‘sonnar‘.
Carl zeiss jena ddr sonnar f3.5 / 135mm lens’s sharpness is great. It really makes you feel directly among the 135-millimeter lenses you’ve ever encountered. Even the f3.5 aperture is very sharp. The colors are very super vivid. It has great colors and contrast, but the downside of our lens is the reverse light. Insufficient in reverse light. It can create disasters in reverse light. It is necessary to pay attention to this.
Unlike other 135-millimeter lenses, Carl Zeiss can focus up to approximately 1 meter. Thus, it can be used as a macro lens. While it is already preferred with its sharpness, it can also be preferred with its macro capability. It is also incredible that it eliminates the background especially in large apertures when shooting macro. It becomes inedible in full-frame cameras.
Generally produced as m42 mount; but it is also possible to find other coats. Of course, the most useful is that it is m 42 compatible. Since it is compatible with the m42, it can be used on all such machines, Canon, Nikon and Sony. The mirror of the machine does not hit the lens in the m42 mounts.
The sharpening ring is very light. It slips like oil. When you turn the focus ring, the lens starts to stretch from the front. When we focus forever, it grows about 2.7 cm from its shortest form. The front members do not rotate during this elongation. It is advantageous not to rotate for filter installation.
Carl Zeiss Jena DDR Sonnar F3.5 / 135mm lens is made of metal. Zebra rings are aluminum and other parts are iron. It feels solid. It can fit in the palm in its shortest length. Below I added the comparison with canon 75-300mm.
Carl Zeiss 135 mm f3.5 Sharpness and Colors
The power of solving close and medium distance detail is very high. You can get super sharpness and detail. To be able to draw a very sharp image up to 20-25 meters. Net after 25 meters; But I felt as if there was a loss while filming the distant view. There is a bluish coating on the front and back of our lens, but it is not exactly what it is covered with.
I can say that it is a great lens that can be used for portrait shots. I would definitely recommend it to those who are considering buying. Although its bokeh does not seem characteristic to me, it is very good to make the background blur. It has a 6-leaf diaphragm. If the number of leaves was 8-10, he could give full circular bokeh and make portraits more beautiful. Diaphragm ring in snap style. You have the chance to divide 1 full diaphragm into 3 parts.
Other Features of Carl Zeiss 135mm F3.5
Carl zeiss jena ddr sonnar f3.5 / 135 mm lens is Full Frame compatible. Full-frame cameras have an invisible light vignetting on f3.5. F8 to F8. Observing the vignette on Crop machines is even more difficult. It’s perfectly clean. It gives you approximately 202 mm (216mm in Canon) on machines with crop sensors, which is a reasonable value for tele. More may not be enough to attract hand.
Unfortunately, the CA problem encountered with old manual lenses is also available on our lens. Although it is not difficult to eliminate the CA problem with digital technology, I am not sorry to encounter it.
It creates vaguely vignetting on full frame machines with f3.5 diaphragm. These corner blackings give a different effect especially in portrait shots. It is almost impossible to observe vignettes after f5.6.
One final note: When I review these old lenses, I would like to remind you that one copy does not hold another. Our impact can only be evaluated in general. For example, while the sharpness of the lens I examined is incredible, the sharpness of the copy that you get may not be as good as mine. I recommend that you take this into account when purchasing or purchasing manual lenses.
As a result
Carl Zeiss lenses are in general very good quality. Carl zeiss jena ddr sonnar 135mm f3.5 lens also gives very sharp photos. The sharpness I mentioned is also the clearest aperture, f3.5. The lens that I can definitely recommend to those who want to buy and use. For example, I keep the lens I bought a long time ago.
