Contax Zeiss Survival Guide

[Nick Morrison]

It sounds like fun.
Really like the texture shots in the church.
Cheers
B.

Thanks Brice...Leica R's with Glimmerglass...Dana Dolly...and cut out gobos to create the lattice pattern of church on her face...on Epic....shot 5K

 

[DAVID BARKAN]

Hi David, might try the rings this e-bay seller has: helicoptersean

What he has advertised are gears he has made for others. If you want them for another lens, he will make them. I was not ready to commit to full cine-mod, so his rings have worked well for me. Tom

Thanks, but I think I may go for a full CineMod from Steve Gal at Duall Camera NY. I've known him for a while, and I know the guys at Duall Camera are pretty amazing with lenses. Plus, he has a waaaay better deal then RPLens or Duclos. And even if I went for a DIY route, in the end the price would be near the same and I wouldn't get the lenses declicked.

Think I'll be buying some from KEH and a couple from Adorama. Let's see... Can't decide if I should go ahead and get a full set now, or just go for a smaller kit+zoom and get the rest later on.

 

[Nick Morrison]

Thanks, but I think I may go for a full CineMod from Steve Gal at Duall Camera NY. I've known him for a while, and I know the guys at Duall Camera are pretty amazing with lenses. Plus, he has a waaaay better deal then RPLens or Duclos. And even if I went for a DIY route, in the end the price would be near the same and I wouldn't get the lenses declicked.

Think I'll be buying some from KEH and a couple from Adorama. Let's see... Can't decide if I should go ahead and get a full set now, or just go for a smaller kit+zoom and get the rest later on.

Steve Gall at DUALL is a very cool dude. I'm dropping off some lenses for him to fix sometime soon.

I need my 135 f2 tweaked, and I want my 18 f4 to get his special "treatment" to solve the 86/70 adapter.

His focus gears are white FYI. It's his signature. Kinda cool.

 

[DAVID BARKAN]

Steve Gall at DUALL is a very cool dude. I'm dropping off some lenses for him to fix sometime soon.

I need my 135 f2 tweaked, and I want my 18 f4 to get his special "treatment" to solve the 86/70 adapter.

His focus gears are white FYI. It's his signature. Kinda cool.

He's very cool indeed, back when the Red One came out, he picked up of the first units... and he introduced me to this guy that knew worlds about the camera. So everything I know about Red, about any digital cinema cameras really, is thanks to him. =)

What do you think Nick? I'm doing all this research but, I'm not sure what do start with... I have a ~5k budget for this.
18mm Distagon f/4
25mm Distagon f/ 2.8
35mm Distagon f/2.8
28-85mm Vario-Sonnar f/3.3-4
50mm Planar f/1.7
60mm Makro-Planar f/2.8
85mm Planar f/1.4
135mm Sonnar f/2.8

Or this one:
21mm Distagon f/2.8
28mm Distagon f/2
35mm Distagon f/1.4
35-70mm Vario-Sonnar f/3.4
80-200mm Vario-Sonnar f/4

 

[Uli Plank]

I'm not Nick, but here are my two cents:

If you can get a 21mm for a reasonable price, go route 2. The 25mm is not the greatest lens they ever made and the 18 is slow. The 35-70mm zoom is as good as most primes.

But I'd add the 60mm macro to it. Not very expensive and so beautiful, not only for macro.

 

[Nick Morrison]

He's very cool indeed, back when the Red One came out, he picked up of the first units... and he introduced me to this guy that knew worlds about the camera. So everything I know about Red, about any digital cinema cameras really, is thanks to him. =)

What do you think Nick? I'm doing all this research but, I'm not sure what do start with... I have a ~5k budget for this.
18mm Distagon f/4
25mm Distagon f/ 2.8
35mm Distagon f/2.8
28-85mm Vario-Sonnar f/3.3-4
50mm Planar f/1.7
60mm Makro-Planar f/2.8
85mm Planar f/1.4
135mm Sonnar f/2.8

Or this one:
21mm Distagon f/2.8
28mm Distagon f/2
35mm Distagon f/1.4
35-70mm Vario-Sonnar f/3.4
80-200mm Vario-Sonnar f/4

How about:

21 2.8 MM $2k
28 2.8 MM $400
35 2.8 MM $400
50 1.4 MM $400
60 2.8 MM $600
85 1.4 MM $750
135 2.8 MM $300
80-200 MM $300

That should put you close to 5k. If you need an ultrawide, probably just get the 11-16 2.8.

You can always upgrade the 35 to the 1.4 later.

The zooms are great, but I think it's important to at least have a consistent 2.8 set across the board. This way you are 2.8 from 21 to 135.

I suggest MM only because the 28 MM and 135 MM are improved over AE, this is optically probably the strongest starter kit.

If you need a zoom after this, get the 28-85...super useful.

 

[DAVID BARKAN]

How about:

21 2.8 MM $2k
28 2.8 MM $400
35 2.8 MM $400
50 1.4 MM $400
60 2.8 MM $600
85 1.4 MM $750
135 2.8 MM $300
80-200 MM $300

That should put you close to 5k. If you need an ultrawide, probably just get the 11-16 2.8.

You can always upgrade the 35 to the 1.4 later.

The zooms are great, but I think it's important to at least have a consistent 2.8 set across the board. This way you are 2.8 from 21 to 135.

I suggest MM only because the 28 MM and 135 MM are improved over AE, this is optically probably the strongest starter kit.

If you need a zoom after this, get the 28-85...super useful.

Things is, I have 5K including the cinemod, which should come close to 1.2K for 8 lenses, and I def need a zoom, always useful in documentaries and interviews.

 

[DAVID BARKAN]

I'm not Nick, but here are my two cents:

If you can get a 21mm for a reasonable price, go route 2. The 25mm is not the greatest lens they ever made and the 18 is slow. The 35-70mm zoom is as good as most primes.

But I'd add the 60mm macro to it. Not very expensive and so beautiful, not only for macro.

That's what I was going for with the 2nd option, thinking about long term investment by getting the cream of the crop.

 

[Nick Morrison]

That's what I was going for with the 2nd option, thinking about long term investment by getting the cream of the crop.

PS Uli is right about the 60, it IS beautiful. One of favorite lenses ever. See below:

60 2.8 Macro

60 2.8 Macro

 

[DAVID BARKAN]

PS Uli is right about the 60, it IS beautiful. One of favorite lenses ever.:

The 60mm has always been in my list... maybe I'll get the second option, with the 35mm f/2.8 that way I can get the 60mm... oh boy... Tough decisions! haha

 

[David W. Jones]

Steve Gall at DUALL is a very cool dude. I'm dropping off some lenses for him to fix sometime soon..

They used to service all of my Eclair film cameras back in the day.

 

[Brice Ansel]

Leica R's with Glimmerglass...Dana Dolly...and cut out gobos to create the lattice pattern of church on her face...on Epic....shot 5K

Leica R of course! I think the glimmerglass tricked me on that one.


And to come back to the topic around the 60, yes you absolutely need this lense in your kit.
Beautifull render and great quality build at least for the 60 AEG I own.


60 S Planar@F2.8 TUNGSTEN+BULB -No sharpeness aply

60 S Planar@F2.8 TUNGSTEN+BULB -No sharpeness aply

60 AE @ F8 2K WS 7:1

Cheers
B.

 

[DAVID BARKAN]

They used to service all of my Eclair film cameras back in the day.

Not to mention all the work they do with Super8 stuff.

 

[Ben Scott]

Thanks all re BAFTA

Some ninja star stills from that shoot

 

[DAVID BARKAN]

Thanks all re BAFTA

Some ninja star stills from that shoot

That looks lovely... not sure why people complain so much about the Ninja stars... they look so interesting. Which 50mm is it? The 1.7 or 1.4?

 

[Nick Morrison]

That looks lovely... not sure why people complain so much about the Ninja stars... they look so interesting. Which 50mm is it? The 1.7 or 1.4?

True that. As Brice once said, you could make a whole "graphic" themed piece exploiting the character-laden Ninja Stars.

 

[Daniel Reed]

...I want my 18 f4 to get his special "treatment" to solve the 86/70 adapter.

oh?!
...front rehousing to add a 77mm ring? I'm very curious, do tell :shocked:

 

[Nick Morrison]

oh?!
...front rehousing to add a 77mm ring? I'm very curious, do tell :shocked:

He says he uses Delrin somehow. Won't give you threads, but will give you a 80OD which I guess is good enough!

 

[Ben Scott]

That looks lovely... not sure why people complain so much about the Ninja stars... they look so interesting. Which 50mm is it? The 1.7 or 1.4?

That was a 1.4 but oddly enough I got rid and now have a modded 1.7. Really should have kept hold of it as it had something special that 'perceived sharpness' can't make up for.

 

[DAVID BARKAN]

Have any of you guys bought lenses from eBay that came from Japan? Does it have to go through Customs? If so, what's the Tax? I never bought anything from abroad to be delivered in the US, only here in Brazil and down here Customs is harsh...

I'm looking at the 21mm from there... not sure I can find local for a good deal. Besides BH, Adorama, KEH, where else can I look?