Zeiss Contax T* lenses

commanderspike

commanderspike

Carbonite Member
I have an addiction. It began with some really cheap Canon FD lenses but moved suddenly to something much more harmful (for my bank account)

Carl Zeiss Sonnar 135mm T* F2.8 (£145)
Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 28mm F2.8 (£150)

However when you consider what the modern equivalent of these would cost on a digital camera let alone on a video camera, they start to look cheap.

I am also curious to see how their prices goes on over time, surely they can't stay this low forever now people have a modern use for Contax mount lenses and the 2nd hand market begins to dry up.

Though I'm still waiting for my Contax CY adapter before using them on the GH1 I've researched heavily into them and they have had a positive response, on here in the prime lenses thread too. I have seen some pretty amazing photos from the 135mm in particular, which has a beautifully gentle roll off of bokeh and can't wait to see the same, but in moving pictures. :shocked: The photos I've seen these lenses produce have a look which is hard to put your finger on - erm, without trying to sound too much like a crazy tinfoil cap guy: it goes beyond specifications, measurements and science. Zeiss seems to have engineered in some aesthetics which I think are probably the most pleasing of all the lenses available, Leica included... The colour, contrast, sharpness and bokeh just blows me away. (Good examples here)

Now I just think... why buy a modern optically stabilised super zoom ultimate blah blah when for the same price you can get some of the best German optical engineering to have graced Earth coupled with the cutting edge GH1 video mode.

Can't wait to do a new moody video with these lenses, similar to the low light night market one. Lot's of DOF and colourful lighting... but Zeiss style, not Lumix :)
 
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Second hand Japanese copies will always be cheap. The ones that are expensive are the fast ones. 85/1.4, 85/1.2 (special edition), 50/1.4, 28/2 (Floating element), 21/2.8 (check the price on this, then check the images), 35/1.4 (Nice, very very nice), 135/2, 100/2, 180/2, on and on.

If they're German made, it's even more expensive. That means that if you found a cheap one it's probably not German.

When I get the Zeiss ZF test I'm going to compare on the MKii for damned sure. I'm particularly interested in the IR copies m'self!
 
I have a Contax Zeiss set and absolutely love them. 18f4/28f2/35f2.8/50f1.4/85f1.4/135f2.8/200f3.5/28-85f3.4-4 Zoom
see footage I shot with them in the first Cinematography section of my reel. The B and W hand, and girl blowing roses was a stock HVX-200, all others were HPX-170/LetusUltimate/zeiss combo

http://www.vimeo.com/5330741
 
I too think i have a contax zeiss addiction too and i know nothing about lenses or even own a camera yet. what got me hooked was that they just looked so damn refined compared to others. unfortunately being a designer, form tends to outweigh function, sometimes for the worse..ha.

Missed out on a set of 4 mint german primes (28, 35,85,135 all f2.8) MM that went for a steal....literally worked out to be $250AUD each. Didn't know much about them then, read up on them after abit more and absolutely kicking myself for not going that extra mile to get them.

My understanding is that most of the newer models are prodominantly made in japan? Whats confusing me is all the different mounts. would i need different adaptors for say an MM CM ZM..etc? I have my eye on a nice 35 f1.4 but its silver and looks older/different to the black distagon MM ive been seeing. Interested in the 25mm tevidon f1.4 also, is that rated as a good lense? Everyone on ebay seems to use the same photos shot on a g1 to try and flog it. there was also mention that it maybe cheap cctv lense?

So What do i have to look out for when buying older glass? I dont want to have to buy a different adapter for each new/old lense i get. is there a comprehensive list on the net for all the contax zeiss lenses? And is it hard to shave lenses back to get infinity focus?

cheers from someone who doesnt know what he is talking about.
 
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quick question, when the number is 1:4 it means an apperature of 4 correct? so if i were to look for a 1.4 it would read 1:1.4? something to add to my ebay checklist.

and bayonet vs screw mounts?
 
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The 25mm Tevidon is an old c-mount cine lens designed for 16mm cameras, that one can be used on the GH1 with the c-mount adapter (costs £20) but I think this adapter / lens needs to be machined to fit. This one is incredibly valuable and much sought after. £300+

I am after a good c-mount lens, but they're rare and tricky to find. I like the circular bokeh they produce and some can be had at a very low price for the speed and FOV, though anything under 25mm on the GH1 will have black borders.

The black Distagon 28mm F2.8 that I have (designed for 35mm Contax film cameras) is very good - very sharp, goes for £250. The black Biogon is even better... goes for £350 and around £600 in it's current ZF / ZS form.

Go for the Contax Zeiss lenses, not the older less sophisticated Practika Bayonet Jena lenses. These are worth a lot lot less.

And yes you are right on the aperature thing.
 
Dumb question, when looking for Contax Zeiss lenses, what mount should I be looking for? also I noticed there are different types of "versions": Distagon, Sonnar, Plannar, Biogon.... is there an specific one I should be looking for? I also noticed some Contax Yashica...

Sorry if I sound too noobie but I could not find the ContaxZeiss-101 thread. :)
 
i'm new to all this too so your not alone..ha came across this. considering buying it if it has a good listing of lenses

http://www.camerabooks.com/Products...oday-by-Hans-Juergen-Kuc__5226-KUCVOLTWO.aspx

so commanderspike, now i know what c-mounts are. when did bayonet mounts come in? what is the mounting name for your 28mm and 85mm lenses? should we be looking for just zeiss with C/Y mounts? its all so confusing..ha I think i might need to start a flow chart or something. some more questions for ya.

can a G series lens work on the same adapter as the C/Y 35mm lenses?
contax II & III came with bayonet mounts yeah? can they be used on the same adapter as above?

and yeah those Tevidons taht are already machined with adapter fetcha hefty price on ebay..lol.

cheers.
 
Contax Yashica is the mount.

C/Y for short. So if you find a Zeiss lens with a Contax Yashica mount, you can buy an adapter for use on the GH1.

My Zeisss lenses are all Contax Yashica mount.

T* Distagon 28mm 2.8
T* Sonnar 135mm 2.8
T* Planar 85mm 1.4

The name of lens depends on what generation and focal length it is. For example the 28mm Distagon is superseded by the 28mm Biogon. Planars tend to be portrait lenses, i.e. 50mm, 85mm.

The older ones are Jena (named after Carl Zeiss's wife). Ignore those and the older ones without the T* coating.

The Contax Yashica mount Zeiss lenses are designed for Contax 35mm film cameras on the whole. There is a new generation out today. These are ZM,ZF,ZS for the Canon & Nikon digital SLRs, etc.

And of course the GH1 has a smaller sensor size than 35mm film so the crop factor means a 28mm lens is actually giving the same field of view (FOV) as a 56mm lens on a 35mm film camera, or the GH1's 14-140mm kit lens set at 28mm.

That's why the kit lens has to be so wide (14mm) to achieve a 28mm FOV 35mm equivalent.

The Contax Yashica mount is a bayonet style attachment. Bayonet is the rotating lock mechanism of most lens mounts, and is still used today by 99% of lenses, i.e. Canon EFS, Nikon AFD, etc. But in this case bayonet probably is referring to the Practika camera mount. Stay clear of that one.
 
Thanks

Do you know if the Rollier zeiss is the same mount as contax zeiss?

Will these new ZF lens mount on to the same C/Y adaptor or are they a completely different mounts because they are for other slr's?

trying to determine whos allowed to play in my communal pool of lenses and adaptors. Idealy the least number of adaptors the better.

Cheers.
 
Thanks for the crash course commanderspike. I guess I'm going to wait to get a GH1 and check the crop factor with the stock lens before making any lens purchase.
I have only tried DX sensor and most of the tests I have seen comparing GH1 crop factor are against full frame sensor.
 
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