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Archive 2007 · Contax 80-200 F4 VARIO SONNAR

jwboring
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Contax 80-200 F4 VARIO SONNAR

I recently acquired the Contax 35-70 zoom to use with my Canon 20D & 5D and am amazed with the results. The sharpness and richness of the images are nothing like anything I've ever achieve before. Can I expect the same results with the Contax 80-200 F4 VARIO SONNAR? I am shooting mostly landscapes with a slow shutter at F8-11.

Thanks,

Jeff

Feb 14, 2007 at 08:17 PM

marcwilson
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Contax 80-200 F4 VARIO SONNAR

Jeff,

I remember asking this question some time ago..most users reported that as the canons really shone at the longer focal lengths I would not see the advantages of using a zeiss as I would at the shorter lengths...but of course using the zeiss you would, I assume, get the same look as with your 35-70 and certainly that same feel of use...manual focus, size, weight, etc.

Marc

Feb 15, 2007 at 03:26 AM

jonboring
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Contax 80-200 F4 VARIO SONNAR

hey folks ... could it be just a coincidence that 2 Boring's could find their way to FM Alt or is there something more to this ? hey gang, meet my twin brother jeff who i finally convinced to start following this alternative forum.

Has anyone ever shot this lens? KEH has them for $200 ... you can't get a decent Canon for that. I picked up a CZ135 for $200 and it isn't quite a 135L but for $200 it went in my bag.

Feb 15, 2007 at 09:00 AM

Pham Minh Son
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Contax 80-200 F4 VARIO SONNAR

Hi Jeff,
I was saying to myself how could there be two Boring on the Alternative forum? Welcome to the alternative forum Jeff.

The Contax 80-200 mm F4 is not the lens that will give you the edge that you are getting from the 35-70 F3.4. The lens to get is the Contax Vario-Sonnar T* 100-300. It is very light and the image quality is extremely good. It was the last one they made and discontinued immediately. Thus you will not see this lens around much but if you need help let me know. There are at least two other FMers here who have this lens, Woody is one of them.

Son

Feb 15, 2007 at 09:14 AM

Pham Minh Son
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Contax 80-200 F4 VARIO SONNAR

Other lens that I recommend you to get are:
1. CZ Distagon T* 21 mm F2.8
2. CZ Vario-Sonnar T* 17-35 mm N series
3. CZ Vario-Sonnar T* 24-85 mm N series
4. CZ Planar T* 1.2/85 Jahre

I will post some lens testing comparison on the CZ VS 24-85 versus the Leica 35-70 mm F2.8 later on when I get the chance to post images on my website.

-son

Feb 15, 2007 at 09:26 AM

jwboring
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Contax 80-200 F4 VARIO SONNAR

Thanks Son! Where might I find the 100-300 you speak so highly of? And more importantly, how much would I likely pay? If it going to be $1000 or more then that's out of my league right now. Is there another tele zoom that's not quite as good for less money? Perhaps I should go with a couple of fixed length lens for now?

Again, thanks for all you help,

Jeff

Feb 15, 2007 at 09:40 AM

Pham Minh Son
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Contax 80-200 F4 VARIO SONNAR

hi Jeff,
the manual focus CZ VS 100-300 usually goes above $1K but this one can be had in your range http://www.keh.com/OnLineStore/ProductDetail.aspx The N series is also rare to see available and only one is available on the link.

I will locate one of the CZ VS 100-300 at the best price for you and you decide.

Son

Feb 15, 2007 at 09:47 AM

Pham Minh Son
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Contax 80-200 F4 VARIO SONNAR

Jeff,
I found one of the CZ VS 100-300 at a very good price with info to get it down to your price range. Just click on the link in your PM.

-Son

Feb 15, 2007 at 09:55 AM

ambystoma
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Contax 80-200 F4 VARIO SONNAR

Several years ago I film tested the canon 70-200mm F4L, 80-200mm vario sonnar, 100-300mm vario sonnar and the 100-300mm F5.6L canon.

The 70-200mm F4L was good, but the 80-200mm vario sonnar had vastly superior flare control, had better edge sharpness. The 70-200mm F4L was better at F4 and F5.6, but from F8-F16 the vario sonnar was demonstrably superior. And the 80-200 vario sonnar had much better performance in the middle to closeup distance performance. If you value landscape performance and flare control the 80-200mm sonnar is the lens for you.

Now the canon 100-300mm F5.6L is an older, discontinued, EOS lens. Its construction is a little plasticky. But the image quality is first rate, bar none. It is sharper, center to edge at any focal length and aperture compared to the 100-300mm vario sonnar. And it is one of the few eos lenses I have ever shot that actually has flare control comparable to a contax lens. It also focuses ridiculously close at 300mm and has superb closeup performance. It is a real tragedy that canon never redid this lens with USM motor and better construction. The image quality of the 100-300mm F5.6L is a revelation. Please, canon, resurrect this lens.

My tests of these lenses were with film on EOS bodies, I can't imagine that the same wouldn't be found when shot on a digital sensor.

Feb 15, 2007 at 11:04 AM

thedruid
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Contax 80-200 F4 VARIO SONNAR

Well I had the CZ 80-200, Leica 80-200 and the Canon EF 70-200L all F4 zooms and on my 5D the CZ was the least sharpest of the three, contrasty yes. The Leica has it's signature color which I like but I could not get consistantly sharp results with it. So I went back to a EF 70-200 F4-IS which has so far given outstanding results

Feb 15, 2007 at 05:52 PM

kosmoskatten
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Contax 80-200 F4 VARIO SONNAR

I have had the 80-200/4 Vario Sonnar and I was very pleased with it, except for the zoom push-pull mechanism, I much prefer the twist zooms. However the 80-200/4 was light, compact and very good optically - but not across the whole range and not at the far end unless stopped down well.

I also had a good copy of the Canon 70-200/4L lens and I had no real complaints with it, except I don't like zoom and autofocus in combination... I think I might have chosen one today (not the IS, though as I prefer to travel light) if I had to choose one although I didn't use them side by side and cannot compare them on a fair basis. But the Canon is cheap - and definitely good enough.

The Leica I did fiddle with and I liked the Zoom mechanism on it, but it was too expensive considering what I already had at the time. Apparently it was actually made by Zeiss (!) for Leica, it is however a Solms designed but not Solms produced lens.

Feb 16, 2007 at 03:09 AM

jwboring
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Contax 80-200 F4 VARIO SONNAR

It sounds like there are at least 2 affordable lens that I could try - CZ 80-200 & the Canon 70-200 4L. Thanks for all the help. This gives me more than enough to go on.

Feb 16, 2007 at 09:43 AM


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