You can unsubscribe at any time via an unsubscribe link included in every newsletter. Great post about contax! Contax Zeiss Survival Guide - REDUSER.net That was probably one of the most stressful experiences of my life with lenses. Im a fan of DIY, so I decided to install the mounts by myself. May be one of the sharpest Contax primes ever made. Its awesome Western Zeiss glass. I say that because Ive encountered many people who get confused and think Contax is weird Japanese junk. check out the. Your 50/1.7 is an AE lens, based on it's serial number and lack of green last numbersince made in Japan, it is an AEJ. Since the filter threads across the set are wildly different (from 55 to 72mm), standardizing the filter threads to 77mm allows you to own one single set of filters which can quickly switch lenses without the need for tons of step rings. I plugged in the focal length in white so theyre easy to read in dark sets. Not saying the 135/2 isnt worth it the investment, its just much heavier and harder to carry as a walk-around lens. This turns the original C/Y mount into a solid EF mount that wont budge for nothing. I started with the 28mm. Theyre fully manual focus and aperture -, have solid metal construction, long focus throw, and a great feel overall. What IS the Ninja-Star? Plus, fitting these is never a one-slip move. Contax / Zeiss Planar 100mm f2 (A7ii + X-T1) - FujiX-Forum The Zeiss ZF is phenomenally sharp and modern, which I found good for general and macro photography but I found unpleasant of for portraiture. I had a feeling Nick was up to making a guide like this. Focal length marked on the rear caps as well. If you want something ready to use from the get-go, Id say this is not for you. Original Contax Zeiss set on the left, Soviet set on the right. B) They share very similar designs as the ZF/ZE/CP2 lenses, but for or the price. Canon FD's are the predecessors to Canon L glass, and have a superb pedigree. I'm liking my 28:2.8 AE. I needed the one extra stop of light though, for consistent f/2 or faster through the main set. Also because Soviet glass was super cheap. This is a guide for people that love handling gear and tweaking little things here and there. Having them separate also gives me versatility on pricing, since the main set can still go out without them for a more accessible price. This will ensure a constant outside diameter, which means you dont have to adjust your follow focus every time you change lenses. Almost six months after I wrote this guide, I decided to update it with a quick survey of what lenses to consider - a general overview of the Contax lineup, if you will. Wide open these are more likely to deliver a strong image that is consistent up and down the aperture. Its also quite similar to the modern 15/2.8 ZF/ZE offered by Zeiss, just a 2/3 stops slower. The questions get dizzying. Want regular CineD updates about news, reviews, how-tos and more?Sign up to our newsletter and we will give you just that. My 21mm CP.2 is probably my favourite lens that I own, lovely, lovely piece of glass. But Leica Rs are certainly more expensive, so take that into consideration if you are on a budget. My custom made front caps with focal length, f-stop and minimum focus distance. Back to the story. reduser.net. The last thing I did was add step rings to normalize all their fronts at 58mm, to make my life easier when swapping NDs and other filters or anamorphic adapters in my case. I almost went for the wrong one with my MM obsession, but I was warned by my followers on Instagram about the edge the AE had over the MM. The Carl Zeiss Distagon 2.8/28 T* enjoys a very good reputation and it is a bit more expensive at around 250. The last thing I did was add step rings to normalize all their fronts at 58mm, to make my life easier when swapping NDs and other filters or anamorphic adapters in my case. If you want something ready to use from the get-go, Id say this is not for you. This wraps the first step in building a set of lenses: getting the glass. Im gonna stop saying these lenses are sharp, because at this point its just standard! I went for the fastest lenses and snuffed out the AEGs I had, in favor of the prettier bokeh of the MMJs. I started using these lenses casually. Are not only the slowest, but frequently the most classic. We've selected a group of cameras that are easy to keep with you, and that can adapt to take photos wherever and whenever something memorable happens. One thing I want to mention here is that I have found the new 50/1.4 ZE and ZF's to be MUCH softer wide open than my Contax 50/1.4. Enjoy! ZF/ZEs only go as far as 135mm. First I measured the slip-on caps I got from SIMMOD and created a Photoshop template with that size. To me, Contax are a GREAT way to affordably get a very real cinematic look from a golden age in Zeiss optics. And. thanks for the info! Theyre killer tools for video, but in order to achieve maximum performance, theres a number of steps and procedures to tackle. For a while I didnt understand the need for 80mm fronts, so Ill share what I learned so others wont live too long unknowing like me! That's what I'm thinking, though no official sources have been cited on the tests, it may have been pulled from articles or done independently, not sure. The 21/2.8 was a must. Heres a very interesting article that summarizes tech papers published on these designs and their differences, pros and cons. Leica has announced a mono-only version of its M11 60MP manual focus rangefinder. The f/2.8 never really impressed me, even though its regarded as one of the best budget 28mm out there. Micro contrast and color reproduction is fantastic as well. Plus, fitting these is never a one-slip move. Sony Information & communications technology Technology . Total newbie question about connecting Zeiss Contax lenses to BMPCC Learned a ton. 1. Lets go back to the 70s. E) They are very easy to cinemod. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I managed to get a bunch of black C/Y adapters, step up rings, and some lens gears from eBay and decently cobbled together a set. The bokeh behaves differently than with Sonnars and Planars and I find these can give the image an interesting look. @ Yean: Same here, my Contaxes shift very little if at all, especially when compared to any modern electronic lens. Zeiss made the jump to MM's in order to enable camera control of the aperture. It was intended to be a cheaper alternative. Are usually 2.8. It was a time when I didnt shoot much, but I went on long bike rides. This is my personal opinion.