I prefer the FOV of a 25, but for the budget.the 28mm is amazing. An instant hit, it became synonymous with innovation. Give the AC a good follow focus and a . Theyre much cheaper than modern lenses, yet share similar designs and performance. These capable cameras should be solid and well-built, have both the speed and focus to capture fast action and offer professional-level image quality. DaVinci Resolve Quick Tip What Are Power Bins and Why Are They So Useful? 250 g approx. Ron also offers the full mod service for great prices, including focus gears and lens mounts. I was just ahead of the game, so it wasnt necessary on my case. I would jump on it in a heart-beat. Lastly, now that we have a great Contax guide on VLFV, my plan is to concentrate on individual Contax Zeiss reviews, so look out for those in near future. Mar 18, 2014 at 04:52 PM We've selected a group of cameras that are easy to keep with you, and that can adapt to take photos wherever and whenever something memorable happens. These last two are challenging to adapt to EOS because of their. Nothing is free. If you are not great at DIY, make sure to check out our sponsors SimmodLens and FollowFocusGears.com for pretty much all the mods mentioned in the article above. You could use it an any focal length and not really have any compromise relative the prime lenses of the time. This means that not all MM lenses are made in Japan. One thing that the push-pull nature of the zooms helps with, is snap-zooms. Contax Zeiss Survival Guide - REDUSER.net Evin Grant's comprehensive lens database Login or Sign Up Logging in. As they were designed for photography, they have clicked stops, which has to be dealt with, but they all feature non-rotating front elements, which is a very valuable feature these days with vari NDs. We noticed this specifically on a shoot where we mixed Leica Rs and Contaxs, and the Contaxs def gave us about a stop extra in latitude. If you want something ready to use from the get-go, Id say this is not for you. I don't want to feed your addiction or be your pusher or cause a break-up in your marriage or relationship but KEH has a "like new" 21/2.8 Distagon for $1,950.00. You can tell them apart because MM have their last aperture number painted green, and they have a small tab on the mount that doesnt exist on AEs. I always took the 135 with me and some of my favorite photos come from that time. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting sports and action, and recommended the best. Collapse. Really haven't tested it enough, but the color rendering of the 85mm f2.8 really seems to have some special magic. What IS the Ninja-Star? This is another trick to make lens swaps faster, since you wont need to adjust your follow focus back and forth on the rig. For further details, see our Privacy Policy. The screws on the back of the lenses are tiny, and if you strip them, you cant get the new mount into place. It gains the 40MP sensor and AF system from the X-H2 but in a body with a more stills-focused slant. I repeated the technique for the rear caps, this time with only the focal length written on them. I met amazing businesses with folks that really know how to deal with their customers, I did try out mindblowing glass and I was humbled by all the feedback I got when asking questions about what would be my best options in the middle of the process and posting updates of what I was working on. Take or leave it. All of you, thank you. 06-22-2022, 04:47 PM Hey, everybody, I know we have the awesome Contax Zeiss Survival Guide but looking at building a set of Zeiss lenses myself from bargain finds and fixer uppers I've collected, I wondered what anybody's experiences might have been with mixing Zeiss lineups together? After that, B&H and ADORAMA are great choices. It offers the advantage of one of the most sophisticated fully automatic through-the-lens exposure control available during the late seventies. Easy to see which one I loved the most back in 2015. Wide open the 1.4 is great, but the focusing ring just feels very clunky on my copy. That was probably one of the most stressful experiences of my life with lenses. Its really not a huge deal. to use CONTAX RTS glass interchangeably alongside PL glass, such as Contaxs cinema cousins, Super Speeds and Standard Speeds. The 15mm is a gorgeous rectilinear super wide angle, it shares the same optical formula as the Leica Super-Elmar 15mm f/3.5, with different coatings. The 18mm is almost one fourth of the price and half the weight of the 15mm, plus it fits along with the other MMJs in the set. The 15/3.5 took the cake though. I then redesigned and printed new focus gears for these and ordered more Leitax mounts and that was good for another five months. If you like vintage flaring, the AEs are great. Want regular CineD updates about news, reviews, how-tos and more?Sign up to our newsletter and we will give you just that. RED V-RAPTOR 8K VV Lab Test: Rolling Shutter, Dynamic Range and Latitude plus Video! You can unsubscribe at any time via an unsubscribe link included in every newsletter. Standard lens, cant really make a set without a 35mm in it, right? I didnt think too much about them when designing, they just needed to fit around the ring, and our printer was painfully slow (M3D, Im looking at you). Never been an issue for us - and truth be told, if I have a problem with a lens, Id send it to Duclos anywaybut be advised. freelance filmmaker and an anamorphic lens freak TitoFerradans,is exposing us to hisContax Zeiss CineTune-Up Guide. Heres the full line of glass. adapters work fine ($15) (They are conservative and tend to overcompensate by a millimeter or two, so they can make your glass focus past infinity at the tail end, a bit annoying but nothing terrible). This stumps everyone. Caps & gears cool. Almost six months after I wrote this guide, I decided to update it with a quick survey of what lenses to consider - a general overview of the Contax lineup, if you will. Momentum picked up and I saw myself getting ready to DP a webseries pilot. Its also quite similar to the modern 15/2.8 ZF/ZE offered by Zeiss, just a 2/3 stops slower. Look for an MM with serials in the 8's. You have to admit they look sexy. Ive had great success on ebay, but only from premium buyers. It all started when I stumbled upon a post on Craigslist from a guy selling his Contax Zeiss set. The two rivals would go to war over the name Zeiss until the end of the Cold War (it was the longest court case in the history of East Germany). What an amazing amount of learningand research condensed and shared. Nick, awesome thread. After I read stellar reviews about the 28mm f/2.0 Hollywood, I went looking for one. The rubber grip on the focus ring of the lenses is awesome because it prevents the gears from sliding, but its also a pain because it makes the fitting a lot harder. I started with the 28mm. Eventually will spring for 135/2.8. Note: My hunch on the latitude/low con deal is as follows. Not saying the 135/2 isnt worth it the investment, its just much heavier and harder to carry as a walk-around lens. However, I wont argue that having a lens that says Made In West Germany is wicked cool. The price was pretty good and Im the type of person that can buy something just because the price is good. Regards. Collapse. The issue that came up from was the stickers were having a hard time sticking to the material of the lens caps and were peeling off on their own. They are much more closer to a Super/Standard speed look then the modern zeiss glass including the Cp2s. But then work started picking up and I saw that as the perfect opportunity to upgrade. If you wanna follow this path, theres no way to dodge reading the Survival Guide. Both look awesome, and I think people are splitting hairs. Im a fan of DIY, so I decided to install the mounts by myself. If I have a motor on the iris, itll have to be adjusted every time the lens is swapped. The lenses were made in two generations. length (call Peter at RP lens, he can help), but if you can get them on your RED, they are also fantastic budget options. Great help. We're Noct messing around with this review. It doesnt really ever pop up on my 25 2.8, 28 f2, 50 1.4, or 135 2.8. I thought I knew a bit but I just learned so much! The f/2.8 never really impressed me, even though its regarded as one of the best budget 28mm out there. Almost six months after I wrote this guide, I decided to update it with a quick survey of what lenses to consider - a general overview of the Contax lineup, if you will. It's more like the image jumps! I repeated the technique for the rear caps, this time with only the focal length written on them. So I respond to that more. Just the slight gain in speed/compactness? But I now have the 200 and I have to admit, the bokeh is very pleasing and captivating, and I prefer it. Domenic, you are selling your 100 Macro 2.8 right? The 135 mm 2.8 MD lens can keep up with the big boys, some say it is one of the best tele lens of all time. AE lenses also show ninja-star bokeh when stopped down, which is a major turnoff for some folks. The Fujifilm X-T5 is the company's latest classically-styled APS-C mirrorless camera. Besides Leica Rs, also give Nikkors (obviously), Canon FDs, and Minolta Rokkors a good look. Contax Zeiss Survival Guide. You can use the code CINE at check out for a nifty discount! I know a bunch of photo magazines back in the 90's and early 2000's did comprehensive tests and reviews of Contax, I wonder if they lifted the numbers from one of those? The data provided and the newsletter opening statistics will be stored on a personal data basis until you unsubscribe. ----------------------------------------------------------, Oh, just to add I was watching the BBC drama 'Ripper Street' last night when I noticed a couple of shots with fairly extreme ninja star bokeh No technical information on IMDB as to what it was shot on/with sadly but you never knwo. This website or its third-party tools use cookies, which are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the cookie policy. The 21/2.8 was a must. The Hollywood is indeed a star and the image that comes out of it is much more appealing than the 28/2.8. Still on the DIY train, a friend and I had just bought a 3d-printer, so I started making my own focus gears. I get asked lots of questions. This page was generated at 05:50 PM. On my set some were MMJ, others AEG. It looked neat, but from my experiences as 2nd Assistant Camera, I was constantly being asked how fast so-and-so lens was, or whats its minimum focus. I got all my standard 80mm fronts from him, as well as slip-on lens caps. Family moments are precious and sometimes you want to capture that time spent with loved ones or friends in better quality than your phone can manage. Zeiss AE lens information brochure, "The Finest Optics by Zeiss", smc super takumar lenses are often more available and significantly cheaper than the Contax. I remember someone doing a test a when the epic first came with stills lenses and noticed it too. I have no idea why this is so and why they continue to sell this dog which takes until at least 2.8 to get reasonably sharp. I prefer it, cuz theres an honesty there I appreciate. Theyre fully manual focus and aperture -, have solid metal construction, long focus throw, and a great feel overall. Copyright 2007-2022. The two specialty lenses the 15/3.5 super wide and 60/2.8 macro go on the smaller 904 case. Your 50/1.7 is an AE lens, based on it's serial number and lack of green last numbersince made in Japan, it is an AEJ. Thank you to Tito for a captivating read. Page of 320. Your choice if you want them Cine-modded or not. THE CONTAX LENS GUIDE - 2015 EDITION The most up-to-date guide to almost every Contax lens ever made. That said, many still photographers (and DPs) have gotten magic out of these lenses at an F2 or faster. Thoughts? Only correction I did to this photograph was to increase RAW color temperature, that's it. The Minolta MC 2/28 is the oldest and fastest of the bunch, it was introduced in 1975. They dilate quite a bit and fit much more easily. Its a gradual process, guys. remained behind in the ruins of the city of Jena, trapped behind the Iron Curtain. What's the word on that lens? The Contax dont look vintage to me, but they also dont look modern. Thank you, that was very informative! I've noticed these designs are more likely to create punchy, contrasty images, too. At T2 they beat out Supers and Contaxes. If you want something ready to use from the get-go, Id say this is not for you. I paid around $250.00 for my 35-70/3.4 and around $800.00 for my 21/2.8 both in mint condition! One last note on their generations, MMs were mostly made in Japan, so theyre called MMJs, while AEs were made in Germany and named AEGs. The last decision I had to make was between the 18mm f/4 and the 15mm f/3.5. The Standards were w/out a doubt the sharpest wide open. After aperture was made smooth and clickless I still had my 3d printer hanging around, so I printed aperture gears as well. I prefer the C/Ys but since I already own 3 FDs (cheap ones: 28 2.8, 50 1.8 and 135 2.8), I'm leaning towards the latter, although still undecided. Above $2500 cameras tend to become increasingly specialized, making it difficult to select a 'best' option. I won't bore you with the history lesson, but Pentax worked with Zeiss when the Contax series was developed and they came out with a suspiciously similar multi-coated lens at the same time. These terms refer to all lenses 45mm and up (to 500mm). AgThunderbird A7Riii | A7ii infrared mod | Minolta 7 . The Hollywood is indeed a star and the image that comes out of it is much more appealing than the 28/2.8. Or do what I did and find an affordable Standard Prime 16mm T2. Luckily for me, out of the five lenses I only messed up really bad on one (the 85mm, which was also the first one I tried). The Marvelous Mrs. Maisels Cinematography Tips on Filming a Blizzard in June, Useful Tips on Working with LED Walls in Mixed Reality, Creating Full Soundscapes The Huge Impact of Foley and Sound Effects, DJI Inspire 3 Drone Everything You Need to Know, In the Spotlight With FUJIFILM Featuring Anna Andersen and Nilu Amin, In the Spotlight With FUJIFILM Featuring Rachael Porter, In the Spotlight With FUJIFILM Featuring Gina Hackett, In the Spotlight With FUJIFILM Featuring Adriana Bernal Martnez, Im selling all the gears I made for my set on eBay, I made a tutorial on how to make focus gears, but I was warned by my followers on Instagram about the edge the AE had over the MM, he can provide caps with stickers already on them, see here, by Moritz Schierenbeck on VLFVs facebook group. It is smoother one direction than it is the other too which is peculiuar. But dont expect them to have the even performance of a set of Ultraprimes or Masterprimes (where many of the primes are not only similar in size and weight, but also perform similarly at matching T stops!). They focus the right way, have an aperture ring, and the focus rotation on many lenses reaches 180 degrees. Because they focus the right way (ZFs do not, they are Nikon-oriented and focus backwards) and have an aperture ring (ZEs dont have one, as they are EOS-designed and have a digital iris controlled by the camera). To fix that I took the stickers off, added a thin layer of glue, put the stickers back in place and let it all dry overnight. For a little over a year, this was enough. It was the most expensive lens in the set and it shares a lot of the beautiful look of the 28/2 Hollywood. Since the filter threads across the set are wildly different (from 55 to 72mm), standardizing the filter threads to 77mm allows you to own one single set of filters which can quickly switch lenses without the need for tons of step rings. Would I be crazy to say I kinda prefer my 85mm f2.8 to my 85mm f1.4. You have to keep wiggling them slowly, side by side, until they are in place. This page was generated at 05:50 PM. How can i get those lenses from you? B&Hs 9 rating is mint and superb, as is EX+ at Adorama. There are DOZENS of lenses to choose from, that cover all focal lengths from 15mm to 500mm. Otherwise, the transition from AE was meant to be seamless. It was, perhaps, the first standard zoom of truly decent quality throughout its range. Luckily for me, out of the five lenses I only messed up really bad on one (the 85mm, which was also the first one I tried). But if you want SPECIFIC tailored performance, than RPPs, Cookes, or Ultraprimes are probably a better choice (for many times the budget). The last decision I had to make was between the 18mm f/4 and the 15mm f/3.5. Also ZF/ZE's tend to. Then, near the end of last year I decided to round out the set and make it suitable for renting. to use on my Komodo. B) They share very similar designs as the ZF/ZE/CP2 lenses, but for or the price I personally own the 35mm and the 50mm. Though alot of the photography forum guys refer to those tests for 'official' MTF results they're a lot easier to read than Zeiss's graphs and they're all in one place. The f/2.8 never really impressed me, even though its regarded as one of the best budget 28mm out there.
