Set Carl Zeiss Jena Zebra – 6 lenses [#40]

Set Carl Zeiss Jena Zebra – 6 lenses is a vintage manual-focus prime package built around six classic East German lenses: Flektogon 25mm f/4, Flektogon 35mm f/2.8, Pancolar 50mm f/1.8, Flektogon 65mm f/2.8, Biometar 80mm f/2.8 and Biometar 120mm f/2.8. This CamCam configuration is prepared in Canon EF mount, covers Full Frame and uses standardized 77 mm fronts. The set combines compact 35mm-format wide and normal lenses with longer optics derived from medium-format systems, creating a broad range from environmental coverage to portrait and telephoto work.

Six focal lengths from 25mm to 120mm

The 25mm Flektogon gives the widest perspective in the set and works well for interiors, establishing shots and environmental compositions. The 35mm Flektogon provides a more moderate wide-angle view, while the 50mm Pancolar moves into a classic normal perspective with the fastest aperture in the set at f/1.8. The 65mm Flektogon bridges the gap toward portrait work, and the 80mm and 120mm Biometars provide progressively stronger compression for close-ups, portraits and tighter framing.

Classic Zebra-era Carl Zeiss Jena design

The “Zebra” name refers to the characteristic black-and-silver housing style used across many Carl Zeiss Jena lenses from the mid-1960s into the early 1970s. The ribbed aluminium focusing and aperture rings created the striped appearance that gave the lenses their nickname. The designation is primarily about the mechanical and cosmetic generation rather than a separate optical coating technology, but it has become strongly associated with this period of Zeiss Jena production.

Close-focusing Flektogon wide angles

The 25mm and 35mm Flektogons are especially useful for wide-angle compositions that need a strong foreground element. Versions from this family are known for unusually close focusing for their focal lengths, making them practical for interiors, tabletop details and dramatic near-to-far framing. This ability to work close to the subject gives the wider lenses a distinctive visual flexibility that is especially useful in handheld and small-location cinematography.

50mm Pancolar f/1.8 for the fastest standard option

The Pancolar 50mm f/1.8 is the fastest lens in the package and provides a familiar standard field of view. It is a useful choice for dialogue, medium shots, practical-light interiors and scenes that need shallower depth of field than the slower wide lenses can provide. Wide open, the lens can show a softer, more organic rendering, while stopping down increases contrast and definition without losing the vintage character of the set.

65mm Flektogon and Biometars with medium-format heritage

The 65mm Flektogon was originally developed as a wide-angle lens for 6×6 medium-format systems, while the 80mm and 120mm Biometars also belong to the Pentacon Six family. Adapted to a full-frame 35mm sensor, these lenses use only the central part of their larger image circle, giving them generous coverage and a different perspective on their original optical roles. The 80mm becomes a short portrait lens and the 120mm a compact telephoto option, while the 65mm behaves more like a slightly long normal focal length.

Manual-focus operation in a production-friendly EF configuration

All six lenses are fully manual, with direct mechanical focus and aperture control. This makes them suitable for follow-focus systems, lens motors and repeatable manual focus work without autofocus or focus-by-wire behaviour. In this CamCam configuration, the Canon EF mount and standardized 77 mm fronts make the set easier to combine with modern cinema cameras, screw-in filters and other front-mounted accessories while preserving the original vintage optics.

Rent the Carl Zeiss Jena Zebra 6-Lens Set at CamCam Rental

At CamCam Rental this six-lens package offers a broad Carl Zeiss Jena vintage range in a practical EF-mount configuration with full-frame coverage and unified 77 mm fronts. The set can be combined with matte boxes, follow-focus systems, filtration and compatible cinema cameras depending on the production. If you are looking for a package that combines Flektogon wide angles, a fast Pancolar and the smoother compression of medium-format Biometars, our team can help prepare a setup around the planned visual style. Availability can be checked directly on our website, and reservations can be placed online.