Overview

The Carl Zeiss Tessar T* 45mm f/2.8 C/Y is a compact pancake lens with a classic 4-element Tessar design. Optically, it delivers excellent center sharpness and contrast, especially at f/8, but corners remain weak even stopped down. It suffers from focus shift and purple fringing wide open. Build quality is decent but not premium, with a plastic aperture ring. Handling is praised for its small size and light weight, making it ideal for walkabout photography. It suits photographers prioritizing portability and classic rendering over ultimate corner sharpness.