Carl Zeiss Jena's Pancolar 55mm f/1.4 — a scarce, fast East German M42 standard prime.
The Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 55mm f/1.4 is an East German fast standard prime made in M42 mount from the late 1960s. It was the fastest of the Pancolar standards from the Jena works and was produced in relatively small numbers, making it one of the scarcer and more valuable Carl Zeiss Jena lenses.
This is a manual-focus M42 screw-mount lens with a 55mm focal length and a bright f/1.4 maximum aperture. Focus and aperture are set by hand on the barrel and it is an all-metal fast standard prime. Detailed element figures are not asserted here beyond the verified focal length and aperture, in line with the accuracy standard.
The slightly-long 55mm with a fast f/1.4 aperture suits portraits, low-light and general work, giving shallow depth of field for subject isolation and a smooth rendering. It is noted for characterful out-of-focus areas and a glow wide open that sharpens stopped down, giving the classic Zeiss Jena look at a fast aperture.
Used copies are scarce and among the most valuable CZJ standards, commanding high prices. Inspect the larger elements for haze, fungus and cleaning marks, confirm the aperture blades are clean and oil-free, and check the aperture-ring and focus feel. Watch for possible thoriated-glass yellowing. An M42 adapter makes it a prized fast standard on mirrorless.