Tessar

original Tessar from Zeiss collection image from Uwe Kulick (Image rights) image by Uwe Kulick

The Tessar is a camera lens designed by Paul Rudolph, working for the Carl Zeiss Jena company, in 1902. It is normally used as a standard lens, and versions of it have been fitted to many millions of cameras.

The design consists of four elements in three groups; the front element is positive, bi-convex (with the rear almost flat), the central a negative bi-concave and, following an aperture, at the rear is a cemented doublet of plano-concave and a bi-convex elements. Though often referred to as a "modified Cooke triplet", the Tessar is actually a development of Rudolph's 1899 Unar (4 element in 4 groups) lens, itself a development of Rudolph's 1890 Zeiss Anastigmat (4 elements in 2 groups) lens.

Cross-section of a 50mm f2.8 Tessar, with front element on the left. (for 35mm, M42 fitting) by AWCam (Image rights)

Cut-away diagram of a Tessar image from Uwe Kulick (Image rights)

The original design had a maximum aperture of f/6.3, but the developments in design allowed f/2.8 by 1930.

In addition to production by Carl Zeiss, the Tessar name and design (under license) was used in the production of numerous lenses by Bausch & Lomb (Rochester), Ross (London) and Krauss (Paris).

The Tessar design has been widely copied by nearly all major optics companies.

A very partial list includes:

• Agfa Solinar
• Asahi/Pentax Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4
• Bausch & Lomb Tessar (under license)
• Canon 50mm FL f/3.5, 38mm FLP, 50mm f/2.8 and f/3.5(RF), 35mm f/3.5(RF)
• Dallmeyer Dalmac, Perfac, Serrac
• Ernemann Ernon

Tessar Series 1c Pat Feb 24, 1903 made by Bausch & Lomb image by Nesster (Image rights)

• FED/KMZ Industar
• Ilex Paragon
• Kodak Ektar
• Konica Macro-Hexanon AR 55 mm f/3.5
• Krauss-Zeiss Tessar (under license)
• Leitz Elmar
• Mamiya Press lenses - 100mm f/3.5, 127mm f/4.7, 150mm f/5.6
• Meyer Primotar
• Minolta Rokkor TLR
• Minox Minoxar
• Nikon 45mm GN Nikkor, El-Nikkor 50mm f/4
• Olympus in many of their compact cameras including the Trip 35 (40mm f/2.8) and mju series.
• Plaubel Anticomar
• Rodenstock Ysar, Rogonar
• Ross Xtralux

Tessar on Ikonta image by Mario Groleau (Image rights)

• Ross Tessar (under license)
• Schneider Xenar, Comparon
• Taylor & Hobson Apotal, Ental
• Voigtlander Heliostigmat, Skopar
• Wollensak Raptar
• Yashica Yashinon TLR

Sources

imaging sample, Tessar on Belca Beltica image by Uwe Kulick

Books

• Rudolf Kingslake, A History of the Photographic Lens, Academic Press, 1989

Links

• How to clean or repair a 50mm f2.8 Tessar, by Michel Pollet