Zeiss, a familiar brand name in the world of film, is known for its world-class sharpness and German-engineered reliability. Zeiss has been a staple in the film industry for over a hundred and seventy years, meaning it has some great stories to tell. One of those stories is the tale of a rather obscure lens, the Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm. This lens was specifically designed by Zeiss and commissioned by NASA for use on the Apollo missions to the moon. It was crafted with the largest possible aperture in mind, as wide as f/0.7.
These lenses were developed to operate in the extremely low-light conditions of space and on the surface of the moon, explaining why NASA commissioned a lens with such a wide aperture.
However, the story of this lens did not end with the Apollo program.
The Apollo program could be considered the start of this story because the next person to seek out this lens was none other than Stanley Kubrick. The now world-famous director had the lens commissioned for use in his historical film, Barry Lyndon, which he used in scenes lit entirely by candlelight.
The journey of these lenses is an amazing one and is a testament to the ingenuity that goes into the art of cinema. The fact that a piece of technology could be used on missions to the furthest reaches of space and then on sets in Hollywood is truly remarkable.
Sadly, only ten of these lenses were ever made in the history of their production. However, if someone is interested in using a lens like the one mentioned, there are some compatible options, such as Zeiss's very own ZE Series, specifically their 50mm, which boasts an f/1.4 aperture and great travel, not to mention Zeiss's signature sharpness.
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