WTB: Zeiss Contax Lenses. Anyone have leads?

[Domenic Barbero]

Really looking to invest very soon in some zeiss contax lenses. Need in a couple weeks. Would love to have the 35mm 1.4 the 25mm 2.8 and the 100 macro 2.8. If anyone has leads please contact me. Like i said looking to buy immediately.

 

[Steve Das]

Patience. One by One.
They are easy to find on ebay.

Only buy ones that offer a return policy.
Set up a testing process and then go to it.

Are the wides kinda over-priced ?
You could just go for just the zoom since
it's said to be just as sharp as the primes.
Then slowly add the primes to your collection.
A way to test the waters.

 

[Domenic Barbero]

i can get those three lenses on ebay for less than 3k which is fine. My only concern is that most of them are international, id love to buy from somebody state side. who actually has some good things to say. from what ive heard those three lenses i mentioned are the best of the crop. I have a canon 70-200 2.8 which i like, but really want some good primes.

 

[Willis Chung]

i have a set with 2 stolen ones, im ready to get rid of:

21mm f/2.8
28mm f/2
35mm f/1.4
60mm (makro) f/2.8
85mm f/1.4
180mm f/2.8
28-70mm f/3.3-f/4.5

all made in west germany except for the 21mm and the zoom.
love to get rid of them as a set,

 

[Domenic Barbero]

willis, PM'd you

 

[Domenic Barbero]

and the word "stolen" mildly freaks me out. elaborate?

 

[Daniel Soderberg]

I got a 28mm 2.8 which is supposed to be better than the 25/2.8 if you're interested.

 

[Domenic Barbero]

Daniel, i REALLY want the 35. the 28 might be a little too close in focal length to whats gonna be my main lens. Thanks though

 

[Paul Schneider]

i can get those three lenses on ebay for less than 3k which is fine. My only concern is that most of them are international, id love to buy from somebody state side. who actually has some good things to say. from what ive heard those three lenses i mentioned are the best of the crop. I have a canon 70-200 2.8 which i like, but really want some good primes.

I assembled a complete set of mint Contax lenses one by one through ebay and other online sources. Many of them came from overseas...Hong Kong, Japan, Spain. If you are careful and make sure they offer plenty of pics as well as a return policy I don't think you'll have a problem. Many of the more distant lenses actually arrived faster than the US vendors. Several of them even came with original packaging and I suspect they have literally sat on a shelf unused the last 20 years.

As I was searching I was very careful to check serial #'s and tried to assemble a set that was manufactured within a few years of each other. In my case I went for the more recent versions manufactured in Japan. All were made in the 90's and the quality of the build and image is impeccable. During this time I also took note of the various mount styles (they differ) and ordered a set of Leitax Contax>Canon mounts for them all. The Leitax are the only way to go. They have the exact right flange depth and screw on using the contax holes and screws...making for a solid, semi permanent solution.

Once assembled the lenses were sent off to Duclos for declicking, remounting, 80mm fronts and lens gears. That took about a week and a half and really made the lenses ready to rock.
In tests these lenses have compared very favorably to Zeiss Superspeeds and Cooke Pancros and seem to have a slightly less contrasty look than the current Zeiss ZE/ZF's, perhaps this is due to the older coatings.

I did an interview with Mike Seymour (FXGUIDE/RC PODCAST) along with Matt Duclos about two weeks ago in LA outlining the whole process and the benefits of using Contax (or Leica R) lenses for the indie shooter. It should be out pretty soon.

The whole set (21 2.8, 35 1.4, 50 1.4, 85 1.4, 135 2.8), including mounts and duclos conversion cost me just about $7K, which in the world of lenses is a steal. Don't be afraid of the international, just make sure you do your homework.

 

[Paul Schneider]

Daniel, i REALLY want the 35. the 28 might be a little too close in focal length to whats gonna be my main lens. Thanks though

The 25 and 28 are both great lenses, but my thinking is that in the wider-medium range you'll really want the fastest glass possible. Those are the lenses you tend to shoot indoors with and the f2 on the 28 doesn't seem like much but it could really make all the difference it's a significant amount of light sensitivity. On the longer end...135 for example...I went with a 2.8 because I know I'll almost never be shooting it indoors and a goodly portion of my outdoor shooting will be during the day.

 

[Nick Morrison]

Daniel, i REALLY want the 35. the 28 might be a little too close in focal length to whats gonna be my main lens. Thanks though

P.S. beyond the 25 2.8 and the 28 2.8, you should also consider the Contax 28 f2 (known as the "Hollywood" because its derived from a cinema design). I ADORE this lens, and like it just as much as the 35 1.4 and consider it a must have. Its shockingly good on portraits up close and the bokeh is unbelievable.