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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

If you're going for the extremes, you might want to see if that 'new-n-box' Contax M500mm is still in that Store I found in Kyoto! Alternatively, put the 300mm and Mutar 2x on an APS-C sensor camera with a $10 'dumb' adapter and you'll see the equiv. of 300 x 2 x 1.5 = 900mm...
 
Sammi Kim said:
Thanks Nick! Would you say the II is better than the I ? Or is it just different to each lens? Looks like I might be getting all three lol
Click to expand...

I don't think the II or I are "better" - each has a custom design meant to work optimally with different sets of lenses. There's a chart somewhere from Zeiss listing which lenses work best with which Mutar...

best
 
Nick Morrison said:
IThere's a chart somewhere from Zeiss listing which lenses work best with which Mutar...

best
Click to expand...

And here's that doc!

iss.com/content/dam/Photography/new/pdf/en/downloadcenter/contax_yashica/mutari-ii_2x_e.pdf
 
The Mutar III 1.4x works with the Zeiss Contax
2/100
2/135
2.8/135
2.8/180
4/200
2.8/300
4/300
4/80-200
4.5/500
 
Tommaso Alvisi said:
Craig, it's technically impossible unfortunately but there are some lens techs which rehouse Contax lenses...
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I see there is an EF to PL adapter plate readily available so why not a Lietax EF modified Contax to PL via that plate?
 
Craig J Marshall said:
I see there is an EF to PL adapter plate readily available so why not a Lietax EF modified Contax to PL via that plate?
Click to expand...

Craig I believe there are PL to EOS adapters...but not sure if other way around (EOS to PL). The flange length I believe makes that difficult. However lens techs doing rehouses (GL, Allstar) have managed to overcome that, however those mods are usually quite expensive...
 
So I noticed all my contax glass have either 55mm or 67mm front filter threads.
Is this true across the lineup? Sorry if this has been covered already.
 
Sammi Kim said:
So I noticed all my contax glass have either 55mm or 67mm front filter threads.
Is this true across the lineup? Sorry if this has been covered already.
Click to expand...

55mm and 67mm are pretty common, but other filter sizes exist too.

As Ben said, the 21mm is an 82mm. The 28-85 is an 82mm. The 135 f2 is a 72mm. 35-135 is an 82 (I believe). 18mm doesn't have a filter thread. So...there's a variety...especially once you start looking at the longer or more exotic glass...

Either way...we use the Cordvision 77mm Step up rings to bring them all to a uniform 77mm/80OD standard...if that helps.

best
 
Right! thanks guys. I was looking at getting some brass step up rings, just wanted to know for future reference. Cordvision looks awesome but I guess you don't really need it unless you're using other cinema gear
 
http://toothwalker.org/optics/lenshood.html

Some of the Contax primes and zooms I bought out of Europe arrived with genuine Contax metal lens hoods. After reading a technical discussion (now linked above) on the complex maths which goes into a well designed lens hood to capture all available light yet avoid any hint of flare or vignetting, I've come to appreciate why the genuine article was so expensive. I now have an almost complete collection of genuine Contax lens hoods.
 
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One of the disadvantages of using lens hoods is if you want to shoot through optical filters. Round, screw-on filters are usually fine but I use a range of 4x4" glass filters with my matte box but as many will have noted, Contax zooms don't work with a matte box and this is one of the reasons I avoided until recently, zoom lenses.

However, with much of my professional work involving international travel, I've become a recent convert to the convenience and quality of the Contax zooms. Consequently, my matte box stays at home but I have a love affair with Schneider Optics Polarisers and their 'Digicon' series of 4x4" glass filters and as the latter are not available as screw-ons, another solution was necessary.

Fortunately, the solution was relatively simple and remarkably cost effective too. For around $25, I bought a 'clip-on' rotatable fibre housing which takes two standard 4x4" filters. It comes with a custom metal 86mm screw ring which can be adapted to almost any lens using the standard step-up rings. The holder, similar to the larger Cokin series, takes two thin acrylic filters or one thin and one standard, thick 4x4" glass filter. Thin acrylic filters are quite common now in packs of cheap 'disposable' neutral grads and/or NDs. I have some but they're really there for emergency use only as I prefer the optical quality of the Schneider Schott glass.

Of course, apart from it's other attributes, a matte box is probably the ultimate lens hood so without one on the rails and instead, a set of filters clipped onto the front of your lens, light leak and flair can be very problematic. I've solved this problem by clamping a 'magic-arm' onto the rails with the big top barn door from the matte box clamped to the other end of the magic arm. This can be quickly adjusted to keep incident light off the filters so improving contrast greatly.

Much of my work is performed alone, outdoors in bright daylight so being able backpack my entire rig into a remote location and set up there is essential. My Contax collection now weighs in at over 15kg so lens selection is important for remote travel and the three zooms I own now get quite a workout.

PS: I mentioned earlier the 'Digicon' filters from Schneider Optics. I'm surprised these are not more popular because unlike the more common 'lowcon' style of filter, the Digicons simply reduce highlights and lift blacks by the a corresponding amount without inducing any softening of the image and are available in five grades with the most 'severe' approaching a true log gamma. I like to 'compress' the light before it hits the sensor (like the Contax lenses already do to a point) and 'expand' back out in post. I find this approach goes some way to improving my camera's dynamic range as well as protecting from highlight burnout.
 
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Which Contax zooms?

Which Contax zooms?

Craig, which three Contax zooms? (I have the 28-85 and 100-300.) Your daylight exterior work makes me more confident I can do some solo stuff with the zooms during travel. Manual focus is ok and no real issues? Do you have focus gears, de-clicked aperture, etc? Thanks!
 
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