The Reissued Zeiss 58mm F2 Biotar Lens Has Beautiful Bokeh

Following the trend that Leica’s been doing, the Zeiss 58mm f2 Biotar is an ode to the company’s past.

This has to be one of the more exciting things I’ve read in a while! Today, Zeiss is resurrecting a part of its past. The Zeiss Jena Biotar 58mm f2 is a beautiful lens from way back in the day. It boasted a smooth aperture, small size, and came in the unusual Exacta mount. Of course, the new Zeiss Jena Biotar 58mm f2 2021 differs from its ages-old predecessor, but it’s an incredibly exciting move and a major deviation away from the modern. The modern Zeiss lens has always been about absolute perfection. Lots of marketing is done involving their MTF charts and all. Admittedly, they’ve been pretty quiet for a while too. Long did I think that the German company did an Irish goodbye to the photo industry save the ZX1. But this new addition is very intriguing.

Zeiss Jena Biotar 58mm f2 2021 Specs

  • 17 aperture blades
  • A unique aperture ring that only clicks depending on how fast you turn the ring.
  • Soap bubble style bokeh
  • All-metal exterior
  • Weather sealing throughout the unit
  • Sony FE, Leica L, and Canon RF mounts with lens and exposure communication
  • Manual focus
  • Black paint exterior on top of silver aluminum designed to look better with age. You can surely call this patina. 
  • Two inches long
  • Vintage optical design and coatings
  • $8,000 USD price point

We talked about the original Jena Biotar a few times on this site. And on eBay the prices vary quite a bit.

This is a pretty exciting offering from Zeiss. For a while, I was sort of wondering about the company’s future in the photo world. They’re still a powerhouse in the cinema world. But in the photo world, they commanded respect, but couldn’t necessarily command the sales. Luckily, their products still hold their value on the second-hand market. So there’s surely still the appreciation for their products. But we’re excited to see how this one goes for Zeiss.

Editor’s Note: This is an April Fool’s Joke. Don’t take it that seriously.