Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Log in
  • 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

Aaron Lochert said:
If you're going to do it all yourself, you can go a cheaper route:

Shoot 35 has cheaper step up rings with 80mm front OD from filter thread sizes 58-82mm. £6.00 a piece, about $8. The only thing I'm not certain is if they also have 77mm filter threads (personally not something I need).
http://www.shoot35.com/product-p/shoot-cinebox-rings.htm

Then you can get the Cordvision caps for $16 each.
http://www.cordvision.com/product/80mm-standard-cine-lens-cap/

Or these for $13, but the reviews are kinda steering me away.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/125302-REG/Kaiser_206980_80mm_Push_On_Lens_Cap.html

Or Duclos for $20.
https://www.ducloslenses.com/products/80mm-duclos-cap

Then go with FollowFocusGears for your gear rings at $35 a piece.
https://followfocusgears.com/search?q=zeiss+contax

With declicking at $60 each, then you've got a price of ~$120 per lens.
Click to expand...


Thinking about taking this route. I just ordered the 28mm F2.8, 35mm F2.8, and the 85mm F2.8. To my knowledge these have 55mm fronts, so I would need to get 55mm-58mm step up adapters for them to work with the Shoot 35 58mm-80mm adapters. Is my thinking correct? The goal is to get them to the standard 80mm front outer diameter.
 
Rodrigo Etcheto said:
Great thread, thanks to everyone who contributed to this. I've got a 28mm f2, 35 1.4 and 50 1.4 on the way to me now.

What diffusion filters are people using that look good with the Contax Zeiss? I see the Hollywood Black Magic looks nice, and the Black Pro Mist.

Has anyone tried the Tiffen Pearlescent or Satin? Any others I should be thinking about? Mainly I'm looking at avoiding the harsh, clinical feel of too much resolution, which the lenses already take care of. But a little diffusion should come in handy too
Click to expand...

I find Pearlescent and Satin to be too misty/heavy, but that's just me.

Another great subtle one is Digital FX.
 
Marcus Guider said:
Thinking about taking this route. I just ordered the 28mm F2.8, 35mm F2.8, and the 85mm F2.8. To my knowledge these have 55mm fronts, so I would need to get 55mm-58mm step up adapters for them to work with the Shoot 35 58mm-80mm adapters. Is my thinking correct? The goal is to get them to the standard 80mm front outer diameter.
Click to expand...

Cordvision has fronts that accommodate all Contax Primes - you don't have to limit yourself to the 55mm fronts, by any means. There are so many great primes with various threads, I'd hate to see you limit your options.
 
Hey Nick, I was wondering if you could post some pics of your RP modded Contax Zooms (35-70, 28-85, 35-135, etc.)?

I'm considering getting them modded myself, so I was curious how they look and work for you? Are the focus gears significantly wider? Are they still your go-to zooms in a studio setting?
 
Tony Yang said:
Hey Nick, I was wondering if you could post some pics of your RP modded Contax Zooms (35-70, 28-85, 35-135, etc.)?

I'm considering getting them modded myself, so I was curious how they look and work for you? Are the focus gears significantly wider? Are they still your go-to zooms in a studio setting?
Click to expand...

Hey Tony, the mods are nothing crazy - standard declick, leitax, fronts, etc. They also all have focus gears, but truth be told - we never use them with a follow focus. They are too easy to use just pulling/pushing.

To be clear, the 28-85 and 35-135 are great lenses, but their variable F-Stop makes them NOT ideal for studio work, in our humble opinion. We light our sets a lot, even the "dark ones", so we're often good at an F4. Meaning, the 35-70 and 80-200 are our goto Studio zooms, for "regular" jobs. They hold focus believe it a not, and there's no shift in exposure. We have several copies of each zoom, all modded. Love them!
 
Nick Morrison said:
Cordvision has fronts that accommodate all Contax Primes - you don't have to limit yourself to the 55mm fronts, by any means. There are so many great primes with various threads, I'd hate to see you limit your options.
Click to expand...

Thanks Nick!

Do you happen to know the filter size for the Zeiss 50mm 1.7 MMJ, and the 85mm F2.8 MMJ? I haven't received my lenses yet, and can't seem to find those specs online. I'm going the Cordvision route and would like to put my order in before the lenses are delivered.

Marcus
 
Marcus Guider said:
Thanks Nick!

Do you happen to know the filter size for the Zeiss 50mm 1.7 MMJ, and the 85mm F2.8 MMJ? I haven't received my lenses yet, and can't seem to find those specs online. I'm going the Cordvision route and would like to put my order in before the lenses are delivered.

Marcus
Click to expand...

Both have a filter size of 55mm.

50mm f/1.7 specs: https://www.keh.com/shop/contax-50mm-f-1-7-planar-t-c-y-mount-lens-55.html
85mm f/2.8 specs: https://www.zeissimages.com/mtf/cy/Sonnar2.8_85mm_e.pdf (I also own one myself)
 
So I'm about to send my lenses to Peter at RP lens to get de-clicked and add Leitax mounts + focus rings. I'm planning on getting Cine-rings from Cordvision though.

I was reading through the forum and people were saying in the past that RP Lens had the snuggest caps and they were better than the Arriflex ones from Duclos. However I've been emailing Peter and it seems like he's switched over to Arriflex caps as well.

Anybody know how they compare to Cordvision caps? Are the Cordvision cine caps still a more snug fit than Arriflex?

These ones to be specific: http://www.cordvision.com/product/cine-ring-with-cordvision-cap-combo/
Versus: https://www.ducloslenses.com/collections/front-caps/products/80mm-arri-cap
 
Last edited:
So I already posted something about my soft 50 1.4 earlier but I did a quick test comparing my 50 1.4 with my 35 1.4. The difference between the two lenses is pretty big in terms of contrast, color and highlight glow. The 50 is a MM type lens (8090989) and the 35 is a AE type lens (6593250). The 35 is razor sharp at 1.4, never had a lens this sharp at 1.4. So should I replace my 50 for an AE type and wil it be different in terms of contrast, color and highlight glowing than the MM type 50 and more matching to my 35 AE type lens?

To see the difference between the two lenses I attached these images:

This is the 35 1.4 AE 6593250;
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5nh1sbbp1tctqlx/GN5A2123-2.jpg?dl=0

This is the 50 1.4 MM 8090989
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wc17yvk6e481sri/GN5A2124-2.jpg?dl=0

Thanks in advance!
 
Last edited:
Tony Yang said:
RP Lens will actually do interior lens cleanings in addition to regular servicing. Duclos won't do interior cleanings, but will probably take care of stiff focus rings and what not.

Nippon Photoclinic in NYC is a licensed Contax lens cleaner and I'm shipping a 50mm f/1.4 to them that has a slight haze.
Click to expand...

Just what I needed, thanks!
 
Rick Griemink said:
So I already posted something about my soft 50 1.4 earlier but I did a quick test comparing my 50 1.4 with my 35 1.4. The difference between the two lenses is pretty big in terms of contrast, color and highlight glow. The 50 is a MM type lens (8090989) and the 35 is a AE type lens (6593250). The 35 is razor sharp at 1.4, never had a lens this sharp at 1.4. So should I replace my 50 for an AE type and wil it be different in terms of contrast, color and highlight glowing than the MM type 50 and more matching to my 35 AE type lens?

To see the difference between the two lenses I attached these images:

This is the 35 1.4 AE 6593250;
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5nh1sbbp1tctqlx/GN5A2123-2.jpg?dl=0

This is the 50 1.4 MM 8090989
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wc17yvk6e481sri/GN5A2124-2.jpg?dl=0

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Your 50mm doesn't seem "soft" to me. But it definitely has some low contrast, hazy, highlight blooming effect going on.

Here's my two MMJ's. Default settings in Lightroom. Fuji X-T1.

Sharpness:

35 1.4 @1.4
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xcntq0stub8pa31/DSCF9245.jpg?dl=0

50 1.4 @1.4
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yltluyhyn3i4f80/DSCF9246.jpg?dl=0

Highlight blooming:

35 1.4 @1.4
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bm92q57asvi8r6c/DSCF9253.jpg?dl=0

50 1.4 @1.4
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xsy62krcvq4u0dl/DSCF9254.jpg?dl=0

As you can see they feel much more cut from the same cloth. The 35mm is sharper, but the 50mm isn't too far behind. Which works for me as it's more forgiving on skin in closeups. But it definitely doesn't have that hazy look that yours does.
 
Hey guys, out of curiosity, how do you store all your PRECIOUS contax lenses? I have them sitting in a shoebox in my cupboard for the time being, but I really want to store them in the best way to reduce risk of fungus or haze developing. What solutions do you guys use?
 
@Rick: Your 50mm might need some cleaning.

@Patrick: Best thing are waterproof boxes, like Pelican (or copies) with desiccant bags added. You'll need to dry them regularly, though.
 
Patrick Monaghan said:
Hey guys, out of curiosity, how do you store all your PRECIOUS contax lenses? I have them sitting in a shoebox in my cupboard for the time being, but I really want to store them in the best way to reduce risk of fungus or haze developing. What solutions do you guys use?
Click to expand...
As others have pointed out, a good strategy is to start with an airtight case (or dry box) like pelican, with working seals (the seals need to be replaced as they do wear out after a while).

Then you need to add a hydrosorbent to make sure all humidity/moisture is absorbed. I use these as they can be re-used over and over for years.
http://www.silicagel.com.au/products/Hydrosorbent-Silica-Gel-Dehumidifier-40-grams.html

Then ensure the case is stored somewhere that doesn't get too hot (ideally maximum +22 degrees celsius).
 
Patrick Monaghan said:
Im going to purchase some of the Cordvision Cine Rings for my new lenses, but the suggested Adorama lens caps are no longer available. Any one have a good alternative they can recommend??
Click to expand...

Sorry to ask again, but I would also love more information on caps since Peter at RP Lens has switched over to Arriflex as well.

Is there a consensus on Arriflex vs. Duclos vs. Cordvision caps? Are the Arriflex caps really not as snug as Cordvision Pro caps?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top