Carl Zeiss Jena Review — Chris Weatherly

This past year I started collecting a set of Carl Zeiss Jena lenses thanks to a review I ran across over at Vintage Lenses for Video. Alan did a great job of breaking down the technical specs of these lenses, and I highly recommend checking it out.

After using these lenses for a a bit, I thought I would offer my thoughts. This review is more about the aesthetic and real world use of these lenses. I really like the look I get from the Jena glass, but there are always challenges when adapting stills lenses for cinematic use.

COST

The main reason I started collecting a set of Jenas is because I was tired of the glass I’ve been using over the past few years. On bigger budgeted projects I’ll rent cine glass, but on smaller budgets I just use what I have. Most of my lenses are Canon L. They are good lenses, but very sharp and stale. I decided I wanted to find an affordable set of lenses that have a vintage vibe. So the Jenas were a perfect solution. They are affordable and look great.

I’ve put nearly $1,500 into modifying five lenses, and for me that’s a great deal. From a cost perspective these lenses are a no brainer. Of course the major cost is buying the lenses and the additional cost includes lenses adapters, follow focus gears (I use followfocusgears.com) and step up rings.

I de-clicked the lenses myself to save on costs. De-clicking is not as scary as it seems. I encourage people to try de-clicking a lens themselves. There are a ton of tutorials out there so check one out and see if it’s something you can do yourself. It will save you a lot of money. Check out the video below, and you can get more info on cine-modding lenses from this older post I did when modding Carl Zeiss ZF glass here.

This is a cine-mod tutorial I did a few years back for Carl Zeiss ZF lenses. Most of the information is relevant to cine-modding Jenas.. I will say that Jena lenses are a bit more complex than modern lenses, but the key is to take your time, be patient, and take pics as you disassemble your lens for reference.

MATCHING SET - RED MC

To create a matched set (a consistent look across all focal lengths) I stuck with the Red MC Jenas. MC simply means multi-coat. Multi-coating reduces flare and ghosting and improves contrast on a lens. In theory all red MC lenses have the same multi-coating as any other lens despite its focal length. This, in turn, creates a consistent “look”.

I will say my Carl Zeiss Biometar 80mm Red MC has a little more of a red tint than any of the other lenses in my collection. However, it’s nothing that can’t be fixed in post.

LOOK

I really like the aesthetic I get from Jena lenses. They are vintage, but not over the top vintage. So you get some of those imperfections, which creates more character in your image. I used my set of Jenas on a short film I directed and DP’ed this past summer. You can check it out below. It’s no scientific lens test, but a great real world test of what these lenses look like. The film was shot on a RED Gemini using a full range of Jena’s including 20mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 80mm.

BUYING

I purchased all five of my Carl Zeiss Jenas from E-bay. Be sure to purchase from a reputable seller. I had to return my first 20mm due to the aperture ring not working. Since these lenses were not originally sold in the U.S. you will probably be purchasing them from sources in Europe. So be sure the seller will cover return postage in case you have to make a return.