11.2444. Planar 85mm f1.4 with T* coating. Made by Carl Zeiss Oberkochen. A medium-telephoto lens for the Contarex, Zeiss’s high-end SLR system. Manufactured in 1974.

Highly regarded for its strong sense of depth and beautifully soft bokeh, yet produced in extremely small numbers—only about 400 examples are said to have been made. It is also rumored to have been a special-order lens intended for professional use. Features a distinctive three-blade aperture. Black barrel. Filter size is 67mm. A rare item.

This item was previously sold by our shop and has now returned to us. It has been carefully used by its owner and remains in the same fine condition as when it was last sold.
A small scratch of approximately 3 mm can be seen near the front end of the lens barrel, and there is slight evidence of use on the helicoid ring. Other than this, no noticeable damage is present.

All functions operate correctly, and the helicoid extends smoothly. The optics are clear, with no fungus, haze, or scratches, and the lens shows excellent clarity. Actual shooting tests also produced very good results.

Although the sample images are from the previous time this lens was sold, we have posted them in our test-shot gallery. We vividly remember being struck by its extraordinary rendering the moment we reviewed the images on a Mac monitor after shooting. Wide open, the image has a softly diffused character with a refined, almost elegant quality. It would be especially well suited for portrait photography.

A practical Zeiss lens hood, along with front and rear caps, is included.