Contax Mirotar 1000mm f/5.6 vintage lens tested by Map Camera

The Japanese retailer Map Camera recently conducted field tests on the rare Contax Mirotar 1000mm f/5.6, a massive catadioptric mirror lens manufactured in West Germany during the 1970s. The lens is exceptionally scarce, with estimates suggesting only between 22 and 28 units were ever produced on a made-to-order basis.

Weighing approximately 16.5 kg (36.4 pounds) and measuring over 41 centimeters in length, the manual-focus lens requires heavy-duty support. When tested using an adapter on a Sony α7R V, the lens demonstrated high contrast and sharp focus characteristic of Carl Zeiss optics, despite some age-related fogging in the glass.

Technically, the lens produces a distinct “ring bokeh” and a cinematic, painterly aesthetic. While its size and weight make it difficult to handle, it offers extreme reach, functioning as a 1500mm equivalent lens when used in APS-C crop mode. One unit previously sold at the Leitz Photographica Auction for approximately €19,200.