Rare Black Engraved! The King of Standards Planar 50mm F1.4 AEJ Old Lens

Contax Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm F1.4 AEJ

This is a Yashima Contax mount lens. It can be easily converted to αE mount or other mirrorless cameras.

Released in 1975, it is known as the king of standard lenses. It is bright, high-resolution, and has smooth, soft, and deep-colored bokeh, but it lacks the quirks often found in old lenses, and I feel it produces a textbook-like image.

This model is the AEJ, an early model manufactured by the renowned Japanese company Tomioka Optical. It is a type that is less prone to clouding due to balsam deterioration in the rear element. It is a model that allows you to enjoy the shuriken bokeh where the bokeh takes on the shape of a shuriken (throwing star) when slightly stopped down.

This lens is from the very first production run, with serial numbers in the 58- range. There is an urban legend that there are some lenses with exceptionally good rendering in this range, and they are priced high at specialty stores, but I personally believe that condition is key. Furthermore, some lenses have black lettering for the country of origin instead of white, and these black-engraved models are highly prized.

I have prepared some sample photos taken with this lens.

This one is also full of color. It was taken in the evening, almost night, and the vibrant colors of the flowers stand out. The rendering is typical of a thick, rich old lens, including the background bokeh.

The black-engraved model looks almost perfect when held up to normal light, but upon closer inspection, there are traces of fungus removal on the rear element. It's not clouding, so the rendering is good as seen in the sample photos, but it's not a pristine or excellent condition lens because of this. However, it is a black-engraved model and is being offered at a slightly lower price, so please consider it.

Condition: 58- range, black-engraved, working
Appearance: No noticeable scratches, minor wear from use, please refer to the photos
Optics: No fungus or clouding, traces of fungus removal on the rear element
Operation: Tested and confirmed to work with α7
Accessories: Front and rear caps

Stored in a dehumidifier





9014

*Please note that the evaluation is subjective. This is a used item, so please understand.
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