About a year ago, the captivating images of a modified Zeiss Contaflex Pro Tessar 4/115 lens caught my eye, sparking an instant desire for its unique aesthetic. While the visual appeal is enough for some collectors, my aim was to actually use this lens, and its siblings – the 3.2/35 and 3.2/85 – on a modern camera. The crucial question was: could these vintage beauties deliver quality results? The short answer is a resounding YES. In my experience, these lenses offer exceptional value and distinctive character, especially considering you can acquire and adapt them for around 60 Euros To Dollars.
Adapted Contaflex Pro Tessar lens on a M42 helicoid, showcasing the lens mount and elements
Adapted Contaflex Pro Tessar lens mounted on an M42 focusing helicoid, highlighting the adapted lens mount with the rear element and the Pro Tessar 4/115 front element. The image playfully uses reflections.
Like any lens enthusiast, my initial fascination led me to a quick search on Google and eBay. Within minutes, I stumbled upon a bargain: a 3.2/35 lens bundled with a 4/115 for a mere 30 EUR. The seller mentioned a non-functional focusing mechanism, hence the attractive price. Thinking it wouldn’t be an issue to work around with a focusing helicoid, I made the purchase. It was only later that I discovered these were just front lens elements – “halves” of lenses, requiring a specific adaptation approach. This realization marked the beginning of a slightly more complex, but ultimately rewarding, lens adaptation journey. The initial 30 euros, plus another 15 euros for a compatible camera body, kept the total project cost well within our target range of around 60 euros to dollars, proving that vintage lens quality doesn’t have to break the bank.
The Contaflex system, starting with the Contaflex III in 1956, employed a unique two-part lens and shutter system. The camera body housed the rear lens element, focusing helicoid, diaphragm, and shutter. Only the front lens elements were interchangeable. My initial purchase was just these front elements, rendering them unusable without the corresponding camera body component. Fortunately, at the time, numerous Contaflex camera bodies were available, often sold cheaply “as-is” due to shutter issues common in cameras of that age. I managed to acquire a Contaflex III (or possibly IV) for an additional 15 EUR. This model choice is crucial for simpler adaptation. Contaflex I and II models lack interchangeable front elements, and later models pose more adaptation challenges, based on my research and online guides, including a detailed (though intricate) guide by Leo Roos.
Contaflex Pro Tessar 4/115 front lens element, showcasing its vintage design
Close-up view of the Contaflex Pro Tessar 4/115 front element, emphasizing its optical components and classic construction.
To adapt these lenses for modern cameras, the rear lens component needs to be extracted from the Contaflex body. In my case, this process was surprisingly straightforward, primarily requiring a screwdriver. The lens/mount assembly at the rear of the camera can be unscrewed. While specific details from a year ago are hazy (regrettably, I didn’t document the process with photos), the key steps are still clear.
After detaching the mount, which includes the shutter and rear lens element (let’s call it the “mount”), the next hurdle is shutter removal. Fortunately, in my Contaflex III, this was relatively simple. The rear lens element was accessible without further disassembly of the mount, easily unscrewed using a spanner wrench.
Rear view of the adapted lens mount, showing the accessible rear lens element
Detailed rear view of the lens adapter, clearly showing the accessible rear lens element even after the macro inversion ring has been attached. The rear element is designed for easy removal with a spanner wrench, providing access to the shutter leaves.
With the rear lens element removed, setting the aperture to its widest opening on the mount provides access to the shutter leaves. Using pliers, these leaves can be carefully pulled out. While not the most refined method, it’s quick, easy, and avoids disassembling the complex lens/shutter mechanism. Care must be taken not to damage the aperture blades during this step.
The subsequent step involves attaching the Contaflex mount to a focusing helicoid. I opted for the simplest solution: adhesive. An M42 to M46 macro reverse ring was chosen, fitting into my M42 helicoid and reasonably well into the Contaflex mount. (An M42 to M52 ring might be even better, fitting over the mount’s exterior). A snug fit of the chosen ring is vital for centering the mount on the macro ring and ensuring it sits flush against the mount without obstruction. In my case, some filing was necessary to achieve a perfect fit, as illustrated in the image.
Next, the macro ring was glued to the mount using two-component epoxy, carefully avoiding any adhesive seepage into the mount assembly’s openings. Once the glue cured, the adapter/lens was ready. Attaching an M42 helicoid and an M42-NEX adapter completed the setup, and I was ready to shoot.
Macro inversion ring glued to the lens mount, demonstrating a simple adaptation technique
Close-up view showcasing the macro inversion ring securely glued to the lens mount, illustrating a straightforward DIY lens adaptation method.
If this simplified approach isn’t to your liking, Leo Roos’ more intricate method, previously mentioned, offers an alternative. Exploring images taken with the adapted 4/115 Pro Tessar, as showcased by Roos and others, further emphasizes the lens’s potential. For German speakers, Dieter’s (Ulganapi’s) guide on the German Digicamclub provides another valuable resource. Additionally, a blog post on dirtcheapvintagelens offers a review and sample images.
Once adapted, you unlock a range of intriguing lenses. The Contaflex mount typically comes with a Pro Tessar 1:2.8/50 front element, interchangeable with several other common front elements:
- 4/35 and 3.2/35 (two distinct versions of the 3.2/35 exist)
- 4/85 and 3.2/85
- 4/115
- 1:1 Macro 50mm (f/5.6)
For those deeply interested in the Contaflex lens system, even more specialized front elements exist:
- Steritar (for 3D stereo images, ensure compatibility with Contaflex III, IV, etc. mounts – version “813” or B is recommended)
- Close-up Steritar (for stereo macro photography)
- Monocular 8x30B (effectively a 400mm telescope lens that attaches as a front element)
My Zeiss Pro Tessar lens family, showcasing various focal lengths and adaptations
A collection of Pro Tessar lenses including the 2.8/50, mount adapter, smaller 3.2/35, larger 3.2/35, 3.2/85, and 4/115, visually representing the diverse options within the Contaflex lens system.
Performance:
Based on my experience with the adapted 4/115, 3.2/85, and 3.2/35 lenses on a Sony A7 camera (my 2.8/50 element is unfortunately unusable), several key characteristics stand out:
- Beautiful Colors: The lenses produce richly saturated, pleasing colors straight out of the camera, often requiring minimal post-processing. The color rendition varies slightly between wide-open and stopped-down apertures, maintaining a charming “vintage” aesthetic in both scenarios.
- Impressive Contrast: Despite their age, these lenses exhibit surprisingly good (micro) contrast, often eliminating the need for contrast adjustments in post.
- Dreamy Wide-Open Look: When shot at wider apertures and closer focusing distances, they deliver a beautifully soft, dreamy image quality.
- Center Sharpness: Center sharpness is excellent even wide open, becoming exceptionally sharp when slightly stopped down, particularly at close range.
- Unique Bokeh: The bokeh is distinctly vintage and can range from beautifully smooth to characterful, depending on the subject distance and lens.
- Minimal Chromatic Aberration (CA): In my testing, CA is virtually absent in normal-sized images. Some lateral CA might be visible near image borders at 100% magnification, especially in high-contrast areas like tree branches against the sky, but it’s remarkably well-controlled for vintage lenses.
- Edge Sharpness Limitations: These are not lenses for corner-to-corner sharpness on full-frame sensors. Optimal edge performance requires stopping down significantly, making them less ideal for landscape or architectural photography unless used on APS-C or smaller sensors, or stopped down to f/11 or beyond.
- Portrait and Bokeh Potential: These qualities make them excellent candidates for portraits (people, flowers, insects) and city bokeh shots. They also exhibit a pleasing three-dimensional rendering.
Samples
The following images were captured around my hometown and are presented unprocessed unless specifically noted. Shot in RAW format, they were imported into Lightroom and exported with only basic exposure adjustments (using the exposure slider only), no sharpening, clarity, contrast, or color manipulations. Minor cropping was applied to some for tilt correction or improved composition. Butterfly images are heavily cropped (near 100% view) to demonstrate lens sharpness, again with no sharpening or clarity adjustments.
3.2/35 (small, older version):
DSC04394
Image sample taken with the 3.2/35 lens, showcasing its performance in a real-world scenario.
Open aperture image taken with the 3.2/35 lens, demonstrating shallow depth of field
Image captured wide open with the 3.2/35 lens, illustrating the lens’s bokeh and shallow depth of field characteristics.
Stopped down aperture image with the 3.2/35 lens, showing increased depth of field
Image taken with the 3.2/35 lens at a smaller aperture, demonstrating the increased depth of field and sharpness as the lens is stopped down.
DSC04332
Another image sample from the 3.2/35 lens, highlighting its overall image quality and rendering.
Open aperture shot with the 3.2/35 lens, emphasizing the lens's performance at its widest aperture
Image taken at the 3.2/35 lens’s maximum aperture, showcasing its capabilities when shooting wide open.
Strongly Cropped Samples (3.2/35):
DSC04399 – Strongly cropped image to show sharpness
Heavily cropped image from the 3.2/35 lens, specifically cropped to demonstrate the sharpness and detail captured by the lens even under magnification.
Wide open, strongly cropped image with the 3.2/35 lens
Wide-open aperture, strongly cropped image from the 3.2/35 lens, demonstrating sharpness even when used at its widest aperture and magnified significantly.
DSC04400 – Strongly cropped image from the 3.2/35 lens
Another strongly cropped image from the 3.2/35 lens, further illustrating its sharpness and resolving power.
DSC04424 – Strongly cropped image to highlight sharpness of the 3.2/35 lens
A final strongly cropped image example from the 3.2/35 lens, emphasizing the lens’s ability to retain detail even under extreme magnification.
3.2/35 (large, newer version):
DSC04386 – Image sample from the larger 3.2/35 lens version
Image sample taken with the larger, newer version of the 3.2/35 lens, showcasing its rendering characteristics.
DSC04370 – Image captured with the newer 3.2/35 lens
Another image captured using the newer 3.2/35 lens, demonstrating its performance in a different scene.
DSC04326 – Sample image from the newer 3.2/35 lens version
Image sample from the larger 3.2/35 lens, highlighting its image quality and characteristics.
DSC04377 – Image taken with the large 3.2/35 lens
Another image sample from the newer 3.2/35 lens, showcasing its rendering style and image properties.
DSC04385 – Sample image from the large 3.2/35 version
Yet another sample image from the larger 3.2/35 lens version, displaying its image quality and rendering style.
DSC04479 – Image sample from the newer 3.2/35 lens version
A further image sample from the newer 3.2/35 lens, showing its image characteristics and rendering style in a different context.
Strongly Cropped Samples (large 3.2/35) – Aperture Series:
Open aperture, strongly cropped image from the large 3.2/35 lens
Strongly cropped image from the larger 3.2/35 lens taken at its widest aperture, demonstrating sharpness and detail even when magnified significantly.
Open aperture (f/3.2), strongly cropped image from the large 3.2/35 lens
Strongly cropped image from the larger 3.2/35 lens, captured at f/3.2, demonstrating sharpness and detail under high magnification.
Two stops down aperture, strongly cropped image from the large 3.2/35 lens
Strongly cropped image from the larger 3.2/35 lens, taken two stops down from wide open, showcasing the effect of stopping down on sharpness and depth of field.
3.2/85:
DSC03370 – Image sample from the 3.2/85 lens
Image sample taken with the 3.2/85 lens, demonstrating its rendering and image quality.
Stopped down (close) image with the 3.2/85 lens, showing sharpness at close focus
Image taken with the 3.2/85 lens stopped down and at close focus, demonstrating sharpness and detail in close-up scenarios.
DSC04477 – Image sample from the 3.2/85 lens
Another image sample from the 3.2/85 lens, showcasing its rendering and image characteristics.
DSC03385 – Image taken with the 3.2/85 lens
Another image captured using the 3.2/85 lens, demonstrating its image quality in a different scene.
DSC04449 – Image sample from the 3.2/85 lens
Yet another image sample from the 3.2/85 lens, highlighting its rendering style and image properties.
Stopped down (infinity) image with the 3.2/85 lens, showing sharpness at distance
Image taken with the 3.2/85 lens stopped down and focused at infinity, demonstrating sharpness and detail at longer distances.
Open (close) image with the 3.2/85 lens, showcasing shallow depth of field at close focus
Image captured wide open with the 3.2/85 lens and focused closely, illustrating the lens’s shallow depth of field and bokeh characteristics in close-up scenarios.
DSC03376 – Image sample from the 3.2/85 lens
A final image sample from the 3.2/85 lens, demonstrating its rendering style and overall image quality.
4/115:
DSC04294 – Image sample from the 4/115 lens
Image sample taken with the 4/115 lens, showcasing its rendering and image quality.
DSC04463 – Image captured with the 4/115 lens
Another image captured using the 4/115 lens, demonstrating its image quality in a different scene.
DSC04466 – Image sample from the 4/115 lens
Another image sample from the 4/115 lens, highlighting its rendering style and image properties.
DSC04467 – Image sample from the 4/115 lens
Yet another image sample from the 4/115 lens, displaying its image quality and rendering style.
Processed Samples (all 4/115):
Funky bokeh, no bokeh fringing, processed image from the 4/115 lens
Processed image from the 4/115 lens, showcasing its funky bokeh and the absence of bokeh fringing, demonstrating post-processing potential.
Funky bokeh, no fringing, processed image from the 4/115 lens
Another processed image from the 4/15 lens, further emphasizing its unique bokeh and lack of fringing, demonstrating creative post-processing possibilities.
DSC05091 – Processed image from the 4/115 lens
Processed image from the 4/115 lens, showing the lens’s adaptability to different post-processing styles and its potential for enhanced visual appeal.
Grüne-Schwerter – Processed image from the 4/115 lens
Another processed image from the 4/115 lens, demonstrating the lens’s response to post-processing and its capacity for creating visually striking images.
Beautiful bokeh, processed image from the 4/115 lens
Processed image from the 4/115 lens, highlighting its beautiful bokeh characteristics even further through post-processing enhancements.
Efeu – Beautiful bokeh, processed image from the 4/115 lens
Another processed image from the 4/115 lens, again emphasizing its beautiful bokeh and its ability to create aesthetically pleasing background blur through post-processing.
Just a little lens flare, processed image from the 4/115 lens
Processed image from the 4/115 lens, showing a controlled lens flare effect, indicating the lens’s behavior in challenging lighting conditions.
DSC04471 – Processed image from the 4/115 lens
A final processed image from the 4/115 lens, showcasing its versatility and capacity for producing high-quality images with post-processing adjustments.
A known limitation of the Pro Tessars is corner-to-corner sharpness on full-frame cameras. The extreme corners remain soft, regardless of aperture. Also, while generally well-controlled, lens flare can occur when shooting directly into strong light sources, as illustrated in the church tower image example.
Final Words
Hopefully, this exploration has demonstrated that Zeiss Contaflex lenses are genuinely worthy of the Zeiss name, even by today’s standards. They offer beautiful, vibrant colors, excellent center sharpness, pleasing contrast and micro-contrast, near-apochromatic performance, and all at a remarkably affordable price – especially within the realm of Zeiss optics. For around the cost of 60 euros to dollars, you can unlock a set of lenses that deliver a unique vintage charm and impressive image quality, making them a fantastic option for budget-conscious photographers seeking character and quality in their images.
