A Zeiss lens carries value in its own right, so you do not need the camera to sell one. We identify the design and mount from the engraving on the barrel — Planar, Sonnar, Tessar, Biogon, Distagon and others — then assess the glass for haze, fungus, separation and coating condition.
Single lenses or a whole outfit, any classic mount. Written valuation. Free insured postage. Paid in 72 hours.
This page is for the glass. Many people inherit or accumulate Carl Zeiss lenses without the matching body, or want to sell the lenses separately from a camera they are keeping, and that is entirely straightforward: a Zeiss lens is assessed on its own merits. Zeiss lens names describe the optical design rather than a single product, so the same name can appear across different mounts and eras — which is why we identify both the design and the mount before valuing anything.
The name engraved on the front ring tells us the optical family. You do not need to know which you have — a clear photo of the ring is enough — but here is what the common names mean.
A symmetrical double-Gauss design known for even performance across the frame; widely used as a standard lens on many systems.
A compact design associated with fast apertures and a distinctive rendering; found on rangefinders and longer focal lengths.
A long-lived four-element design, compact and sharp, fitted to many cameras from modest to premium over the decades.
A wide-angle design known for low distortion, used on rangefinder and technical cameras where the rear element can sit close to the film.
A retrofocus wide-angle design that leaves room for a reflex mirror, so it appears on SLR and medium-format systems.
Tele-Tessar, Mutar converters and more. If the name on your lens is not listed here, send a photo and we will place it.
The same Zeiss design can be found in several mounts, so the fitting matters as much as the name. The mount is usually clear from the rear of the lens, and often marked on the barrel.
| Mount | Typical system | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Contax rangefinder | Zeiss Ikon Contax | Pre-war and post-war rangefinder lenses such as the Sonnar |
| C/Y bayonet | Contax / Yashica SLR | Manual-focus Zeiss lenses for the SLR era |
| Contax G | Contax G1 / G2 | Dedicated autofocus rangefinder lenses |
| Hasselblad | V-system | Medium-format Zeiss lenses with leaf shutters |
| Rollei | Rollei SLR / fixed-lens TLR | Zeiss optics supplied to Rollei cameras |
We do not describe any particular lens as automatically rare or valuable — that depends on the specific example, its version and its optical condition. What we can say is that we identify each lens precisely before valuing it, and we are just as happy to receive one lens as a full set.
With a lens, the glass is almost everything. We inspect each element and record what we find in writing:
A fine internal misting that lowers contrast. Sometimes cleanable, sometimes not, and its extent is described precisely rather than waved away.
A branching growth inside the lens that can etch coatings if left untreated. We note its presence, extent and location on the elements.
Where the cement bonding two elements starts to break down — often a coloured edge or a bubble. Recorded because it affects both image and value.
Coating marks and cleaning scratches on the front and rear glass, plus a smooth focusing helical and clean, snappy aperture blades free of oil.
Please note that photographs can help identify the lens and its condition, but a physical inspection may be needed before a final valuation or offer — haze, fungus and separation are hard to judge fully from images. And please do not attempt invasive cleaning or repair before valuation; original condition can be useful to assess, and home cleaning of internal elements often does more harm than good.
If you are selling the camera as well as the lenses, our Contax cameras and Hasselblad cameras pages cover the bodies, and the broader sell vintage cameras & lenses guide explains how we handle mixed outfits.
Fair Vintage is an independent vintage and collectables buyer and is not affiliated with, authorised by or endorsed by Carl Zeiss AG. Names such as Planar, Sonnar, Tessar, Biogon and Distagon are used here only to describe the lenses we buy.
Tell us roughly what you have — "a couple of Zeiss lenses in Contax mount" is plenty. We email a free prepaid, tracked and insured label the same working day.
Cap each lens front and rear, wrap each separately, include any hood, case and box, and use a sturdy box. Your parcel is insured to £5,000 from the first courier scan.
We email a unique parcel code and your opening time. Your parcel is opened on camera and photographed before a specialist identifies each lens.
Each lens itemised — design, mount, condition and figure, in pounds. Accept what you want to sell; the rest comes back free. Payment within 72 hours, or we add 3%.
If your question isn't here, call us on 01234 815116 or email support@fairvintage.co.uk. We respond within one working day.
Get your free label →We buy Zeiss lenses across the classic designs — Planar, Sonnar, Tessar, Biogon, Distagon and others — in a range of mounts including Contax rangefinder and C/Y, the Contax G bayonet, Hasselblad, Rollei and Zeiss Ikon fittings. Both West German (Oberkochen) and East German (Jena) Zeiss lenses are of interest. Tell us the name, focal length, aperture and mount engraved on the barrel, or send a photo of the front ring and we will identify it.
Yes — standalone lenses are exactly what this page is for. A Zeiss lens can carry value in its own right, and lenses without a body are very much worth sending. If you also have the camera, that is welcome too, but you do not need it. For a Zeiss lens fitted to a Contax body, our Contax cameras page covers the bodies; here we focus on the glass itself.
They are the three faults that most affect a vintage lens. Haze is a fine misting inside the glass; fungus is a branching growth that can etch the coatings if left; and separation is where the cement between elements begins to break down, often seen as a coloured edge or bubble. All three influence the valuation, and we describe exactly what we find rather than glossing over it — but none automatically rules a lens out. Photographs help, but a physical inspection may be needed before a final valuation or offer.
Yes. Carl Zeiss supplied lenses for several systems, and we buy across them — Zeiss lenses in Hasselblad fit, Contax rangefinder, C/Y and G mounts, and Rollei fittings among others. If you are selling the camera as well, see our Hasselblad cameras and Contax cameras pages; if it is the lenses you want to move, they are welcome on their own, and extra or duplicate lenses are always worth including.
No. Please do not try to open the lens, wipe the internal elements or remove fungus yourself — you risk marking the delicate coatings and lowering the value rather than raising it. A light dusting of the outer glass is fine, but nothing more. Do not attempt invasive cleaning or repair before valuation; original condition can be useful to assess. Send the lens with any caps, hood, case or box you have.
Request your free label today. Each lens identified by design and mount, assessed on the glass — haze, fungus, separation and coatings. Written valuation. Paid within 72 hours — or we add 3%.
Also see: Vintage cameras & lenses · Sell Contax cameras · Sell Hasselblad cameras