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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

@ Paul: If you are looking for an alternative and 21mm is enough, go for the Olympus f3.5. It's light, tiny and pretty sharp. Of course, it'll need some grading to match Contaxes.

I posted about it in detail somewhere back in this thread, since I never could decide to pay the insane price for a 21mm Distagon.
 
Uli Plank said:
@ Paul: If you are looking for an alternative and 21mm is enough, go for the Olympus f3.5. It's light, tiny and pretty sharp. Of course, it'll need some grading to match Contaxes.

I posted about it in detail somewhere back in this thread, since I never could decide to pay the insane price for a 21mm Distagon.
Click to expand...

Don't forget the Rokkor 21!
 
The Rokkor is beautiful, but bigger, quite a bit heavier and needs to be stopped down to 5.6 or even 8 to get good corner sharpness. The Oly is sharper in the corners until 5.6.
 
what lens to buy

what lens to buy

Hi, first of all thanks for this great thread!!! quite a read but got allot of got information from it!

I got a couple of contax zeiss lenses at a great price and been addicted since, I use them mainly with the sony F5/F55.

Currently i own:

28mm 2.8
50mm 1.4
135mm 2.8

28-85mm
80-200mm

I love them all and was very surprised by the zoom lenses! i am now thinking about getting the 35 and 85 both at 2.8 to get a more complete set of primes but i was wondering wil this be an upgrade next to the zooms that overlap these primes or is the difference so small between the zoom and prime (aside from the speed of course) that i would be better of saving up and get the 1.4 versions?

thnx!
 
sander van de kerkhof said:
Hi, first of all thanks for this great thread!!! quite a read but got allot of got information from it!

I got a couple of contax zeiss lenses at a great price and been addicted since, I use them mainly with the sony F5/F55.

Currently i own:

28mm 2.8
50mm 1.4
135mm 2.8

28-85mm
80-200mm

I love them all and was very surprised by the zoom lenses! i am now thinking about getting the 35 and 85 both at 2.8 to get a more complete set of primes but i was wondering wil this be an upgrade next to the zooms that overlap these primes or is the difference so small between the zoom and prime (aside from the speed of course) that i would be better of saving up and get the 1.4 versions?

thnx!
Click to expand...

Hey Sander, those zooms are shockingly good right? We use them all the time.

I would go for the 1.4s. The 28-85 is so strong, you wont notice much of a bump with the 2.8 primes...besides the small amount of extra light. But a set of 1.4 primes and the zooms are two great options to have, side by side. The 2.8 primes are awesome for their tiny (and consistent) size though, nice for gimbal work!

So glad you're enjoying the glass!!

Hope this helps!
 
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thnx

thnx

Hey Nick, Thanks for your reply, this confirmed what i was thinking.

I was shocked to see the 28-85 preform to be honest and i like the push pull thing for run and gun work.
maybe if i find a good 35mm 2.8 cheap i will pick it up just for gimbal work like you said but i got my eyes on the f1,4's now.

Truly an addiction these lenses!!

I have a nation commercial shoot coming up and i'm definitely going to convince the director to let me shoot on these lenses!
 
sander van de kerkhof said:
Hey Nick, Thanks for your reply, this confirmed what i was thinking.

I was shocked to see the 28-85 preform to be honest and i like the push pull thing for run and gun work.
maybe if i find a good 35mm 2.8 cheap i will pick it up just for gimbal work like you said but i got my eyes on the f1,4's now.

Truly an addiction these lenses!!

I have a nation commercial shoot coming up and i'm definitely going to convince the director to let me shoot on these lenses!
Click to expand...

Cool! Let us know how it goes! Yeah the 28-85 is superb!!
 
These lenses have definitely given my work a different quality. A still from a video shot a few days ago, this shot using the 60mm Makro f/2.8

macro.jpg
 
Arthur Woo said:
These lenses have definitely given my work a different quality. A still from a video shot a few days ago, this shot using the 60mm Makro f/2.8

macro.jpg
Click to expand...

F**king great.

Loved this photo when you posted it on FB Aurthur. Awesome, awesome job!!!
 
soren k jensen said:
Any guesses? Will Contax cover Vista Vision?
Click to expand...

Vista Vision is basically FULL FRAME. So YES!!!!!

For those that haven't heard, at least one model of Weapon will be VISTA VISION (meaning 5D/A7/ "Full Frame" sized)! This is VERY exciting.

Equally exciting is all your CONTAX GLASS WILL COVER!!!

Exciting times. Exciting times!!
 
I have never seen any image circle data from the contax lenses, but as 37.72 mm X 24.92 mm is a tad wider than 24 x 36, I am just speculating on vignette etc. But anyway I can't afford to own, so.... :-)
 
soren k jensen said:
I have never seen any image circle data from the contax lenses, but as 37.72 mm X 24.92 mm is a tad wider than 24 x 36, I am just speculating on vignette etc. But anyway I can't afford to own, so.... :-)
Click to expand...

Yeah but I believe the usable area of Vista Vision is smaller, see this post:

http://www.reduser.net/forum/showth...-of-a-Weapon&p=1486842&viewfull=1#post1486842

Vista Vision, as far as I can tell, was designed to make use of readily available full frame glass. Much as Weapon Vista Vision I'm sure will too!

My guess is theres a 99% chance all full frame glass cover Weapon VV fine.
 
Does anyone have thoughts on the quality of the 70-210 3.3 zoom ? I have a set of Zeiss superspeeds and am wondering if the coating on these lenses would closely match their look.

Thank You in advance
 
Been crazy busy shooting..but here are a couple of frame grabs from a shoot I'm currently on. 2 light setup (4 bank 4 foot kinos). Sometimes less is more and can yield great results! Actors are Tony Goldwyn and Joshua Sasse

5K WS
Zeiss Contax 35mm, 50mm and 100mm



 
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Sunshades

Sunshades

Any suggestions on clip on, clamp on, screw in sunshades? I use step up rings on all my Contax lenses, so I can use 82 mm filters. (Except the 18 which has no threads). I prefer to leave my mattebow at home as I do fast doc shooting.
Any suggestion for a smart solution? (18, 21, 28, 35, 50, 85, 60, 28-85, 80-200).
 
soren k jensen said:
Any suggestions on clip on, clamp on, screw in sunshades? I use step up rings on all my Contax lenses, so I can use 82 mm filters. (Except the 18 which has no threads). I prefer to leave my mattebow at home as I do fast doc shooting.
Any suggestion for a smart solution? (18, 21, 28, 35, 50, 85, 60, 28-85, 80-200).
Click to expand...

Yes, reach out to Schneider. We have three custom 77mm clamp on shades from them. They will custom adapt their 82mm clamp on shade to 77mm if you ask them.

You can also have RP or Duclos delrin the front of the 18mm to accept the clamp on shade.

Bear in mind the 80OD/77mm thread shade would obviously vignette on Full Frame, but so far has worked great for us on smaller s35 formats and even 5K on MX.

Best.
 
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