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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Contax Zeiss Survival Guide

Jason Walker said:
eczgJQY.jpg

Just wanted to add the lens gears from http://www.ebay.com/usr/helicoptersean are solid and well made. He made me a set for my Contax and shipped them out quick.
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Thanks! This looks ideal for me, since the cinelens conversions is a bit out of my price league.
 
Hi Friends , i do have the set of zeiss con tax lens except for 28 mm f2, looking to buy a good copy.
yesterday i took a few pictures from zeiss con tax 100 mm with canon t2i


i love zeiss contax lenses
i am thinking of rehousing them

i am trying to post the picture here but i couldn't can anybody tell me please
thanks
 
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HARITHA D said:
Hi Friends , i do have the set of zeiss con tax lens except for 28 mm f2, looking to buy a good copy.
yesterday i took a few pictures from zeiss con tax 100 mm with canon t2i


i love zeiss contax lenses
i am thinking of rehousing them

i am trying to post the picture here but i couldn't can anybody tell me please
thanks
Click to expand...

use a site like http://imgur.com/ then copy the bbcode message boards & forums, then paste it in your post.
[h=2][/h]
 
Jason Walker said:
hh7F39m.jpg

eczgJQY.jpg

mFHE6uQ.jpg

Just wanted to add the lens gears from http://www.ebay.com/usr/helicoptersean are solid and well made. He made me a set for my Contax and shipped them out quick.
Click to expand...


I have an email in to him about gears for a few of my Contax lenses without gears. Maybe once enough get them the full set will be covered making it a little easier to have them done.
 
@ Jason - those mods look great!!!!

DAVID BARKAN said:
Out of curiosity: Here in Brazil no one cares about them... I keep talking about my lenses to people, and by people I mean professionals, and they don't really care or don't understand what I'm talking about... it's crazy. Better for me. =)
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Haha. Yeah, I think the cats out of the bag here, certainly "Contax" is making a come-back now that owner operators are realizing these are full frame Zeiss lenses from the 80's and 90's, during same period as Standards/Supers...but in general...its still a niche thing. The "general" marketplace isn't aware and probably doesn't care. This is def boutique lens shopping. You have to love character and be willing to mine for gold if you want to jump into Contax (or Leica or Rokkor or FD for that matter). It takes a certain personality to be honest, which I find oddly comforting. It's seems pretty clear many of us on this thread are excited about similar characteristics and qualities in lenses. If not, we'd all be buying L glass (nothing wrong with that, again it's all about style and taste and what you like..there is room for everyone and everything!).

Uli Plank said:
I have a question to my fellow Zeiss C/Y fans regarding the "Hollywood" vs. 28mm f2.8: are you observing the same as me, i.e. the Hollywood being better at 2.8 than the smaller 28mm? Or do I have a lemon?

Other than the 25mm the 28mm f2.8 is normally regarded as a very sharp lens.
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Been on a shoot all week, but wil try and check my two. My 28 2.8MM is a late 8 serial, and is killer, but let me see. Also bear in mind that many of the landscape photographers that love the 2.8 are often shooting stopped down. That's where it's reputation comes from more. That said, my 2.8 has lovely even performance which I like. And very contrasty. But every time I put on my Hollywood, I sort of fall in love. I haven't pixel peeped them to death though, but let me check them at 2.8 and see how off they are, just to give you peace of mind.

Roy Rossovich said:
Just ordered my 35mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.4 plus all the gears for my set from Sean, only missing a 50mm now and I have a full set. So in love with the look my 28mm f/2 produces I never want to put another lens on, don't even need to grade the material it feels sometimes.
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Haha. Love your enthusiasm. Agreed, Hollywood is a dream lens! Dripping with character.

Roy Rossovich said:
Uli, I was out with my 28 the other day, the f/2 version and felt it had a very pleasing sharpness, just where it was focused too, I really like the softness of everything else not in focus but at the same time I really love shooting with open apertures. I haven't tried the 2.8 version but everyone here says it's sharper throughout and edge to edge and all that. for me I don't mind softer corners :)
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My Hollywood focuses to infinity fine FYI. Is it your adapter perhaps? Sometimes those go BEYOND infinity, so that's why it could look soft. The cheaper adapters do that (they play it safe), so you have to ease back on the focus and bring it back to infinity. Try that, that could be what's going on.
 
28mm f/2 sharpness

28mm f/2 sharpness

Nick Morrison said:
My Hollywood focuses to infinity fine FYI. Is it your adapter perhaps? Sometimes those go BEYOND infinity, so that's why it could look soft. The cheaper adapters do that (they play it safe), so you have to ease back on the focus and bring it back to infinity. Try that, that could be what's going on.
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I have a leitax adapter on it and I think it is sharp just much lower contrast then I am used to even though I love it. when i pull the contrast and sharpness up in RCX or photoshop then its no problem. I've been shooting Nikon G lenses for a while now and they are so contrasty and sharp it's hard to compare old lenses to them. Though I must say I love the sharpness of the 135mm 2.8.

straight from camera.

link to fullres http://www.flickr.com/photos/94610253@N05/12644090024/
 

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Nice shot, would love to see that in motion. Rocked the hell out of the 85mm f1.4 for CU interview talking heads this morning. F2 for tack sharp and then hit the magic 1.4 button for the old wrinkly lady. Genius :)
 
Nick Morrison said:
Been on a shoot all week, but wil try and check my two. My 28 2.8MM is a late 8 serial, and is killer, but let me see. Also bear in mind that many of the landscape photographers that love the 2.8 are often shooting stopped down. That's where it's reputation comes from more. That said, my 2.8 has lovely even performance which I like. And very contrasty. But every time I put on my Hollywood, I sort of fall in love. I haven't pixel peeped them to death though, but let me check them at 2.8 and see how off they are, just to give you peace of mind.
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Mine is a 68xxxxx and I think you are right. Stopped down to 8 it's tack sharp, I only saw some difference at 2.8 where it seems a tad softer in the corners. So I think you are right about the good reputation by landscape photography. No need to test for my peace of mind ;-)
 
I shot this about a month ago using the 25mmg, 50mmg f1.4, 85mm f1.4, 135mm and 200mm. Two man crew, all natural light except for a small LED key light on top of the camera. One shotgun mic for sound. Mostly handheld. There are a couple of dodgy focus pulls in there, but I was shooting wide open most of the time.


link for iPad users http://vimeo.com/87207196


Every year Tamil Hindu devotees gather all over South East Asia to celebrate Thaipusam, one of the oldest and most bizarre, colorful and spectacular religious rituals still in existence.
 
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Roy Rossovich said:
Last nights shoot with my new 35mm and 85mm 1.4 AE's. Very pleased, shot the entire evening with club light, ISO 800 50 FPS 360 degree shutter and f/2 so I could pull out the ninja stars.
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Roy, nice shot!

Very happy you like your new lenses!

You will soon discover how nice that 35 I sold you is WFO ! !

Not to dismiss the 85, it's just that the 35 is magical... ;)

Mark my word, you'll use it A LOT, believe me!

Share more samples!!!
 
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