Carl Zeiss Tessar T* 45mm, Pancake

The Carl Zeiss Tessar T 45mm f/2.8* (C/Y Mount) is a remarkably compact pancake prime made for the Contax/Yashica 35mm SLR system.

At 45mm, it sits just slightly wider than the traditional 50mm standard lens, giving you a natural perspective that's easy to use for everyday photography, street shooting, travel and general walkaround work.

The real appeal here is its size. At roughly 18mm long and around 90g, it turns a compatible Contax or Yashica SLR into a much smaller setup than you'd normally expect from a 35mm interchangeable-lens camera.

Inside is the classic Tessar optical formula of four elements in three groups, paired with Zeiss's T* multi-coating. It's a simple, compact design that fits the character of the lens perfectly.

For someone who enjoys slowing down, manually focusing and carrying as little as possible, this is a particularly interesting little Zeiss lens.

Best for

• Everyday photography
• Street photography
• Travel
• Walkaround shooting
• 35mm film photography
• Compact camera setups
• Manual-focus photography
• Contax/Yashica users
• Adapted mirrorless photography
• Vintage Zeiss collectors

What to expect

The 45mm focal length gives a very natural-looking perspective on 35mm film or a full-frame digital camera. It's close to the familiar 50mm field of view, but just a little wider.

Its f/2.8 aperture isn't designed to compete with a fast f/1.4 or f/1.7 standard prime. The trade-off is an unusually small lens that's easy to carry.

Focusing is entirely manual, with a closest focusing distance of approximately 60cm. It's not intended for close-up or macro work, but works well for general everyday subjects.

At around 90g, it's also by far the lightest of the three C/Y Zeiss lenses we've just worked through. If compactness is the priority, that's the point of this one.