contax zeiss survival guide

Just the slight gain in speed/compactness? At T2 they beat out Supers and Contaxes. I'm only saying that because the guys on the photography forums use these charts to compare numbers with other lenses they all refer to that page as the 'source'. Focal length marked on the rear caps as well. Its regarded as one of the best 21mm ever made, and to this day they still use the same formula for the 21mm f/2.8 ZF/ZE primes. This page was generated at 05:50 PM. That was probably one of the most stressful experiences of my life with lenses. All of you, thank you. Lastly, just for curiositys sake, Carl Zeiss has a specific nomenclature for his lens designs and you can see some of them written on the ID ring of these Contax Zeiss lenses. For that reason I had to make a super tall focus gear that would not slip off when travelling from infinity to minimum focus. Are not only the slowest, but frequently the most classic. In my experience, the gears never fit on the first try. Contax Zeiss Survival Guide. Its a gradual process, guys. 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. So Contax = Western Zeiss. Contax Zeiss Survival Guide : r/SonyAlpha - Reddit DxO PureRAW 3 aims to come to their rescue without totally reinventing your workflow! This page was generated at 05:50 PM. Show. Because the Contax lenses are noticeably more low-con than even Leica Rs their contemporaries, you will notice more latitude in your image. To me, Contax are a GREAT way to affordably get a very real cinematic look from a golden age in Zeiss optics. RED V-RAPTOR 8K VV Lab Test: Rolling Shutter, Dynamic Range and Latitude plus Video! Sometimes you have to go with what you can get your hands on. In Contax, that corresponds to all lenses 35mm and wider (down to 15mm). On almost all shoots weve done with Contax lenses, where we have used other glass, be it Leica Rs or Canon EOS, every time the DP has noticed that the waveforms jump. I own them both. If I have a motor on the iris, itll have to be adjusted every time the lens is swapped. Look for an MM with serials in the 8's. Give the AC a good follow focus and a . Only thing I can add to those going the Contax Zeiss route, is that it is important to understand that because of the age of this lenses, despite their . Theyre killer tools for video, but in order to achieve maximum performance, theres a number of steps and procedures to tackle. This stumps everyone. These are way more common in AE, but I was lucky enough to find a MM coming straight from Japan. As photography slowly shifted from rangefinder to SLR, Contax was. So far I had been using adapters on them, and they sucked. Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* (C/Y) 35-70mm f3.4: A review Well done mate. Zeisss quality control was extremely demanding. Building this set was a great experience throughout. After aperture was made smooth and clickless I still had my 3d printer hanging around, so I printed aperture gears as well. If youre not a DIY spirited person or you dont like getting things from a million different places -, I worked with Ron at SIMMOD so he can provide caps with stickers already on them. You NEVER SEE it wide open, because the blades arent engaged. I went for the fastest lenses and snuffed out the AEGs I had, in favor of the prettier bokeh of the MMJs. This is a guide for people that love handling gear and tweaking little things here and there. What an amazing amount of learningand research condensed and shared. Nick, awesome thread. All content, design, and layout are Copyright 19982023 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved. I started with the 28mm. Favorite Zeiss Lens? : GH5 - Reddit The price was pretty good and Im the type of person that can buy something just because the price is good. Live with it. Last point on the focus gears: the same way you always want to have a constant outside diameter, you want to place them on the lenses at the same distance from the mount. That meant getting a few more lenses and upgrading various aspects I had neglected so far. You can spot an MM if the last number on your aperture ring is. This makes life easier when grabbing gear to go out and renting it as well. You can also tell their place of manufacture based on whats written on the lens! But it's a lens meant for stills and cheap as hell compared to cine glass. Are usually 2.8. And. My copy has some fungus in it and other copies might be better. 28mm comparison: 28/2.8 on the left, 28/2.0 Hollywood on the right. AE lenses also show ninja-star bokeh when stopped down, which is a major turnoff for some folks. It was the most expensive lens in the set and it shares a lot of the beautiful look of the 28/2 Hollywood. If anyone wants seven of the best Zeiss lenses ever made, PM me. Would I be crazy to say I kinda prefer my 85mm f2.8 to my 85mm f1.4. or Sign Up Log in with Search in titles onlySearch in Lens Tests only Search Advanced Search Forums Groups New Posts Today's Posts Member List Forum Shooting RED Plus, fitting these is never a one-slip move. My custom made front caps with focal length, f-stop and minimum focus distance. I'm not too sure where they got their findings, but apparently this was a series of tests possibly published on Zeiss's website. length (call Peter at RP lens, he can help), but if you can get them on your RED, they are also fantastic budget options. The Contax 25mm 2.8 is good, but you may want to consider the 28mm 2.8 which is cheaper, and "technically" better. Informative and equally hilarious in parts :) I'm sure it will prove a resource for many many people over the years. All times are GMT-8. I like to add 0.3mm to the measurement to give me a little wiggle room after printing. That information was usually written in the lens case, and the focal length was on a sticker attached to the lens cap. I have no idea why this is so and why they continue to sell this dog which takes until at least 2.8 to get reasonably sharp. @Yean: I'm 99 % sure it's the adapter then. So I figured I would write up a little CONTAX SURVIVAL GUIDE that tries to answer them all at once Contax Zeiss should be on your radar for a couple of reasons. We've been taking a look at what it offers and what it's like to shoot with. I needed a proper case! This website or its third-party tools use cookies, which are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the cookie policy. It was the most expensive lens in the set and it shares a lot of the beautiful look of the 28/2 Hollywood. The 35-70 doesn't move when the camera tilts. Sony Information & communications technology Technology . I will leave you with a few beautiful videos that will definitely help you make up your mind! They cover full frame, are super easy to adapt to many other mounts and never lose their value. Like ZF/ZEs, they have fantastic barrel rotations (often 180 degrees or more). The last decision I had to make was between the 18mm f/4 and the 15mm f/3.5. In my experience, ALL AEs have the Ninja-Star. Page of 320. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting sports and action, and recommended the best. For further details, see our Privacy Policy. These I ordered from MOO, because they offered me more variety at a much lower price. Its been there for quite a while and I have checked up on it countless times to help me make decisions. Ron also offers the full mod service for great prices, including focus gears and lens mounts. The bokeh behaves differently than with Sonnars and Planars and I find these can give the image an interesting look. Landmine Media, LLC. This is another trick to make lens swaps faster, since you wont need to adjust your follow focus back and forth on the rig. On the 918 I keep the main six lenses of the set plus variable NDs and other filters. Copyright 2007-2022. Next up was the 35mm, two stops faster at f/1.4. If you do have a printer, I made a tutorial on how to make focus gears! Then, near the end of last year I decided to round out the set and make it suitable for renting. We noticed this specifically on a shoot where we mixed Leica Rs and Contaxs, and the Contaxs def gave us about a stop extra in latitude. And. Theyre much cheaper than modern lenses, yet share similar designs and performance. The mount is exactly the same, and barring a couple of exceptionsALL the lens designs are the same. These lenses thread the fine line between organic and sharp, a line as thin as depth of field on an 85/1.2 wide open, only second to Leica. Pm for pics. There is a bit of breathing when rack-focusing. The tab and the last stop in green that mark MM lenses. So all you do is get a Cine Ring with the rear thread of your lens and thats gonna make it standard! I personally own the 35mm and the 50mm. All I ever had so far was a Canon backpack and that is not a safe way to transport this grade of gear everywhere. When the AE's flare, they generally flare white, evenly, and when overwhelmed by a direct source, can reveal a touch of green ghosting. i want contax set for ef mount how can i buy? are considered to be the best removable adapters ($90). It was released in 1932. I started using these lenses casually. Heres a very interesting article that summarizes tech papers published on these designs and their differences, pros and cons. I got all my standard 80mm fronts from him, as well as slip-on lens caps. Another trick is to heat them up with a blow dryer or even your house heater. Landmine Media, LLC. Super Speeds and Standards for cinema. Time. I started using these lenses casually. The Carl Zeiss Distagon 2.8/28 T* enjoys a very good reputation and it is a bit more expensive at around 250. I prefer the FOV of a 25, but for the budget.the 28mm is amazing. Impressive performance and also the fastest 35mm I ever owned. 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. The process turned out alright and the gears worked great, but later on I learned some useful tricks. For further details, see our Privacy Policy. This turns the original C/Y mount into a solid EF mount that wont budge for nothing. Next came the 60mm f/2.8 Macro. I needed the one extra stop of light though, for consistent f/2 or faster through the main set. ONLY "RTS". You can either build a $1500 set or a $10000 set and youll always impress with the results. 77mm front. Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom impress in a lot of ways, but their noise reduction lags the competition and their lens corrections lack a real-world basis. Its really not a huge deal. Be patient, use heat and sandpaper, and youll get there. Collapse. All times are GMT-8. remained behind in the ruins of the city of Jena, trapped behind the Iron Curtain. Next up was the 35mm, two stops faster at f/1.4. I know I stopped mentioning how sharp these lenses are, but the 60mm is worth highlighting. :) Thanks buddy. I'm not that far from NYC, and head down every so often. Its also quite similar to the modern 15/2.8 ZF/ZE offered by Zeiss, just a 2/3 stops slower. Its also a big change in size and weight, almost doubling its predecessor. Also ZF/ZE's tend to. Introduction to Contax Zeiss + Cine Tune-Up Guide If I know Im not gonna need either the 15 and the 60, I just dont take their case with me. It all started when I stumbled upon a post on Craigslist from a guy selling his Contax Zeiss set. How to Cine-Mod old Contax Zeiss Lenses from eBay on a Budget But if you guys love circular bokeh and find this bit of personality too intrusive, then do yourself a favor and skip it and get the MMs. One last note on their generations, MMs were mostly made in Japan, so theyre called MMJs, while AEs were made in Germany and named AEGs. Contax Zeiss. Page of 321. The downside of such magnification is that the focus ring travels a lot, pretty much doubling the physical length of the lens. Contax Zeiss lenses are the gems for sharp yet vintage glass. This is an endeavor Ive been working on and off for the last two years and now I can see the finish line. I already talked about the mount replacements and focus gears, so Im left with standard fronts and de-clicking. Happy with 35-70(macro too) 3.4 & 85 1.4 on a6300(with speed booster). Contax RTS Series SLR Camera Models - MIR Slowly I fell in love with them. The Contax dont look vintage to me, but they also dont look modern. For those not wanting to go the 'pro' Cine-Mod route, you can do it yourself with decent results. comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment . Because they focus the right way (ZFs do not, they are Nikon-oriented and focus backwards) and have an aperture ring (ZEs dont have one, as they are EOS-designed and have a digital iris controlled by the camera). Just to be clear (think you left that part out, haha). Generally speaking, these fall into 3 lens types, categorized by how fast and complex they are. There are DOZENS of lenses to choose from, that cover all focal lengths from 15mm to 500mm. To fit the barrel of the lens, use a caliper and be precise about it. This is another trick to make lens swaps faster, since you wont need to adjust your follow focus back and forth on the rig. Heres a very interesting article by Edward T. that summarizes tech papers published on these designs and their differences, pros and cons. I won't bore you with the history lesson, but Pentax worked with Zeiss when the Contax series was developed and they came out with a suspiciously similar multi-coated lens at the same time. These capable cameras should be solid and well-built, have both speed and focus for capturing fast action and offer professional-level image quality. Some folks consider several of the Zeiss Contax Yashica lenses to be very similar to the real Super Speed. One thing that the push-pull nature of the zooms helps with, is snap-zooms. I'll definitely look into my adapter. By giving you that extra latitude in the blacks and highlights, they were letting photographers dial in how much black and contrast they wanted later in the dark roomwhen they were printing. Or buy Supers. Here are some things I got from it: Contax Zeiss lenses were designed for 35mm full frame, which means theyll cover all the way up to Vistavision sensors on modern cameras and anything smaller. Contax Zeiss Survival Guide In reply to Giovanni_1968 Nov 30, 2021 While this site is targeted to adapting Zeiss Contax lenses for video, it also seems to be the go-to guide for the rest of us with respect to these lenses. There are MMG lenses out there I was weary of that for quite a while, since its not mentioned clearly anywhere. Theres a lot of discussion whether the 135mm f/2.0 has a clear advantage over the f/2.8, especially when you take into account the price difference. In mint condition, comes with lens hood. Landmine Media, LLC. DPReview TV: Nikon 58mm F0.95 Noct Review! This page was generated at 05:50 PM. 06-22-2022, 04:47 PM Hey, everybody, I know we have the awesome Contax Zeiss Survival Guide but looking at building a set of Zeiss lenses myself from bargain finds and fixer uppers I've collected, I wondered what anybody's experiences might have been with mixing Zeiss lineups together? makes SPECTACULAR permanent mounts for $75 (Duclos uses these, nuff said). check out the. It's very, very sharp. Originally launched in 1932 as a rangefinder system to compete with - you guessed it. Mar 18, 2014 at 04:52 PM Contax / Zeiss 100mm f3.5 Sonnar c/y need info | FujiX-Forum They are also a little sloppy on the mount, which can be alarming. The 15/3.5 took the cake though. But if you want SPECIFIC tailored performance, than RPPs, Cookes, or Ultraprimes are probably a better choice (for many times the budget). My favorite lens switched to the 85/1.4 after that, though. freelance filmmaker and an anamorphic lens freak TitoFerradans,is exposing us to hisContax Zeiss CineTune-Up Guide. AE lenses were made between 1975 and 1984. Thank you, that was very informative! ----------------------------------------------------------. Because Contax is actually one of the most storied names in photography. X. X. WOW! I havent tested these much yet, and I ended up not doing standard outside diameters. Would love to check out the Hollywood, but $$. Tito Ferradans spent the last six years researching, writing and making videos about the anamorphic format and how to achieve it without breaking the bank on low-budget productions. (Heres where I beleive the Leica Rs have a clear advantage, their 19mm is a 2.8which is pretty amazing). Im sure that approach had similar benefits with cinema lenses and Hasselblads. That said, many still photographers (and DPs) have gotten magic out of these lenses at an F2 or faster. You could use it an any focal length and not really have any compromise relative the prime lenses of the time. So I sand the inside down a bit and try again. What's the word on that lens? And they all have a very wide focus throw compared to other still lenses. D) They are very easy to adapt to EOS mount. That was probably one of the most stressful experiences of my life with lenses. People (me included) didn't like the poor performance of the Canon EF wide lenses and the 21mm and 28mm 2.8 Contax lenses filled the gap. All times are GMT-8. Standard lens, cant really make a set without a 35mm in it, right? The Hollywood is indeed a star and the image that comes out of it is much more appealing than the 28/2.8. Badass thread, been looking around for a guide like this. After that, B&H and ADORAMA are great choices. By the 1960s, competition from the Japanese led to the eventual shuttering of both subsidiaries - even as the larger Zeisss stayed in business. If I have a motor on the iris, itll have to be adjusted every time the lens is swapped. Whats the best camera for around $2000? AE vs MM? Really haven't tested it enough, but the color rendering of the 85mm f2.8 really seems to have some special magic. These have even less elements (5?). The data provided and the newsletter opening statistics will be stored on a personal data basis until you unsubscribe. They are made in Spain, cost about 60 euros each and you install them on the back of the lenses using the provided screws. Conveniently for me as I was finishing the set, SIMMOD Lens came into the picture, with very competitive prices, impressive customer service and super high-quality products. . They dilate quite a bit and fit much more easily. What IS the Ninja-Star? These lenses thread the fine line between organic and sharp, a line as thin as depth of field on an 85/1.2 wide open, only second to Leica. If youre not a DIY spirited person or you dont like getting things from a million different places -, I worked with Ron at SIMMOD so he can provide caps with stickers already on them. In my previous buyers guide Ive shown you how to build a Zeiss Jena Mini-Cine set for $1000, but if you have a bit more money to spend then ContaxZeiss is the way togo! That's where my obsession started. Contax Zeiss should be on your radar for a couple of reasons. Contax Zeiss Survival Guide - REDUSER.net Optically, Ive read numerous reports that show BOTH lines are very sharp, but frequently the Contax equivalent is deemed a tad sharper (stopped down). check out the. Out of curiousity, what is the purpose of having both the 35 f2.8 and the 35-70? When designing your focus gears, keep the number of teeth constant for all the lenses. Yes, its one step slower than the its siblings, but it definitely crushes them with razor sharp focus and a beautiful transition into bokeh. You know, like a cine lens! It also has built-in color filters which I freaked out when I realized how to turn them. The Hasselblad we threw up also seemed to have an uncannily similar T* coating too. They are much more closer to a Super/Standard speed look then the modern zeiss glass including the Cp2s. These last two are challenging to adapt to EOS because of their. Though alot of the photography forum guys refer to those tests for 'official' MTF results they're a lot easier to read than Zeiss's graphs and they're all in one place. You have to admit they look sexy. ZEISS lenses for mFT? - Digital Photography Review Standard lens, cant really make a set without a 35mm in it, right? All Time Today Last Week Last Month. After I read stellar reviews about the 28mm f/2.0 Hollywood, I went looking for one. Theyre killer tools for video, but in order to achieve maximum performance, theres a number of steps and procedures to tackle. Does not come with any adapter. 2023 All rights reserved. Eastern Zeiss instead consolidated all their smaller name brands into PENTACON. As many of you knowI have been a strong proponent of Contax Glass on REDUSER for a while now. Time. I would take Contax Zeiss over Canon "Cine Primes," Zeiss Compact Primes, or the new "Superspeeds" any day. Enjoy our Full Show Coverage, Winners of the First AI Film Festival Showcasing the Latest Tools in AI Filmmaking. This one was only made in Japan and it doesnt exist in AE, just MM. Copyright 2023 Vintage Lenses For Video. Whenever I started thinking the Soviet lenses were sharp, Id pop one of the Contax on the camera and stare in awe. I was just ahead of the game, so it wasnt necessary on my case. I still dont know when to use them, though! First I measured the slip-on caps I got from SIMMOD and created a Photoshop template with that size. The rubber grip on the focus ring of the lenses is awesome because it prevents the gears from sliding, but its also a pain because it makes the fitting a lot harder. You can either build a $1500 set or a $10000 set and youll always impress with the results. Contax rangefinder - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia smc super takumar lenses are often more available and significantly cheaper than the Contax. Anyone have/had one? Impressive performance and also the fastest 35mm I ever owned. This is a guide for people that love handling gear and tweaking little things here and there. If you want to get in the same room and do a test to compare the 50/1.4 to a ZE/ZF, I'd be more than willing; just shoot me a line. The Canon EOS R10 is compact, mid-level 24MP APS-C mirrorless camera built around Canon's RF mount. Each page with eight stickers cost me about $10. The only differences are minor ones in the coating and aperture shape which I'll go into below. Can't Attend? Canon FD's are the predecessors to Canon L glass, and have a superb pedigree. I went for the fastest lenses and snuffed out the AEGs I had, in favor of the prettier bokeh of the MMJs. The issue that came up from was the stickers were having a hard time sticking to the material of the lens caps and were peeling off on their own. Yupthey go as far 500mm. After aperture was made smooth and clickless I still had my 3d printer hanging around, so I printed aperture gears as well. I get asked lots of questions. Ive had great success on ebay, but only from premium buyers. Thats when I learned of Leitax and their mount replacements. Last point on the focus gears: the same way you always want to have a constant outside diameter, you want to place them on the lenses at the same distance from the mount. You have a wide range of lenses to pick from and equally different price tags. This one was only made in Japan and it doesnt exist in AE, just MM. Back to the story. Its also a big change in size and weight, almost doubling its predecessor. ----------------------------------------------------------, Oh, just to add I was watching the BBC drama 'Ripper Street' last night when I noticed a couple of shots with fairly extreme ninja star bokeh No technical information on IMDB as to what it was shot on/with sadly but you never knwo. It had five lenses: 28/2.8, 35/2.8, 50/1.4, 85/1.4 and 135/2.8. These have less elements (6?). Also the low-con coating does give you more latitude. While this site is targeted to adapting Zeiss Contax lenses for video, it also seems to be the go-to guide for the rest of us with respect to these lenses. 18mm is way too close to 21mm, plus lots of reviews mention its not-impressive performance. I repeated the technique for the rear caps, this time with only the focal length written on them. After I got the five Contax I went to look for more info and found the Contax Zeiss Survival Guide at REDUser. VLFV family also gets 10% off any order you make with this companies, just add a promo code VLFV (SimmodLens) or VINTAGE (FollowFocusGears.com) on checkout. The f/2.8 never really impressed me, even though its regarded as one of the best budget 28mm out there. Mirrorless Camera of the Year 2022 & Other Camera Candidates, Adobe Firefly for Video Announced Bringing Generative AI to Creative Cloud, CineD NAB 2023 Best of Show Awards go to DJI, frame.io, FUJIFILM, LumenArc and ZHIYUN, CineD at NAB 2023 - Visit our Booth, Win Prizes. Also almost twice as big and heavy as the previous one. Another major advantage to the Contaxs is the sheer SIZE of the lineup. Fast continuous shooting, reliable autofocus and great battery life are just three of the most important factors. The 135mm f/2.8 was a great lens. Also almost twice as big and heavy as the previous one. http://www.ebay.com/itm/EX-Modified-item3a8193c812, If this is your first visit, be sure to Contax Zeiss Survival Guide - REDUSER.net The 50 should be among the easiest to get right because the optical path is among the simplest. THE CONTAX LENS GUIDE - 2015 EDITION The most up-to-date guide to almost every Contax lens ever made. It also has built-in color filters which I freaked out when I realized how to turn them. Search. And needed a new line of lenses for 35mm still photography. As mentioned before, the 50mm F1.7 is no slouch and it sure isn't! Thats NOT to say all the designs are the same. I was not impressed, so I decided to make my own. Speaking of good prices, many links in this post will take you directly to eBay searches of each specific lens! But dont expect them to have the even performance of a set of Ultraprimes or Masterprimes (where many of the primes are not only similar in size and weight, but also perform similarly at matching T stops!). I prefer the C/Ys but since I already own 3 FDs (cheap ones: 28 2.8, 50 1.8 and 135 2.8), I'm leaning towards the latter, although still undecided. In fact, i'm almost considering selling my 85mm f1.4 for that reason. X. X. The focusing ring on my 85mm AE is much smoother than my 85mm f1.4.

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