I'm thinking of selling my mint Contax 35 1.4 for the Autofocus of the 35L. Will I regret it? I love everything about the Contax, the colour and bokeh. But I'm just too slow at MF for it to be a good social lens. Should I save up and get the 35L alongside the Contax, or would this leave one redundant lens?
Half of me knows this is stupid to ask, as at the end of the day, its my decision to make. But I'd like to know if anyone else had this predicament and what they ended up doing. I know a few guys here have come from the 35L to the 35f2 ZE and maybe even the 35 f1.4 ZE. Am I giving up the Zeiss magic or is the 35L close enough?
Or keep my Contax and get a Canon 35 f/2? I suppose the point of having a social lens is that it is also small and easier to lug about... a 35 f/1.4 might be a bit expensive to take to the pub for example?
I'll see how I get on with the Contax when my new 5D2 comes. If I have any nightmares with mirror slap, focus issues with the EG-S screen etc compared to my 1Ds2 which I am coming from, I'll think about it.
R.Young wrote:
Or keep my Contax and get a Canon 35 f/2? I suppose the point of having a social lens is that it is also small and easier to lug about... a 35 f/1.4 might be a bit expensive to take to the pub for example?
That's not a bad option. 35 f/2 is very compact and easy to take out and about.
Do you have focus screen EG-S for your 5D II manual focus? That is very important step to use Manual lens, I install Canon S-type screen for my D700 and it turns out a sea change for my manual experience. For 35, 50mm focal length with f1.4, I can put my subject anywhere in the frame and focus by eyes. This is the beauty of manual fast glass. It is incredible fast to shoot even with moving kids (small movement or predictable movement) as long as they are not running around fast. By putting at aperture smaller than f2.8, I get nearly 100% focused shots from 35mm and 50mm Zeiss 1.4 and 80% of my shots are family type with my two kids
at wide open, my rate drop to about 50%, 25-35% for 35mm (Which is difficult manual lens) still not bad to me, but I gained freedom to compose by using manual this way. Even with Nikon 51 point AF to choose, I will feel very busy to select the AF point if say eyes are not in the center, not too say if your subject is moving and only center 9 point is strong enough to focus right at low light.
It need some practices, I improved a lot comparing I first use this technique but it works surprisingly good for me, I can't go back to my AF lens. and it may works for you as well.
BTW, I have 20/20 eyes That is important too
Edit--keep rate for 35mm
I got pretty good at MF but I think I have shot less and less recently due to various reasons. I hope the EG-S will be better than the EC-CIV I have in my 1DS2. I also hope that the smaller, lighter 5D2 will encourage me to take my camera to work each day and shoot more whenever I get the chance.
I wouldnt sell the CY given what some people are able to do with them photographically. I'd rather alter the mirror/mount - even if I'd need a shop to do the work. I've seen no photographic reasons to switch to the ZE35/1.4.
I have no experience of the 1DS2 and EC-CIV, but 5D2 and EG-S coupled with a 35/1.4 works just great enabling (as been said) focus anywhere in the screen. I'd say I get a higher hit-rate than what's mention above using "it" wideopen. In my case the "it" is a Samyang (hush!) 35/1.4. Close quarters that is, but that's how a 35 is used anyway isnt it?
Enabling focus anywhere in the screen is exactly why I wouldnt go for the 35L - even though I'm a great fan of the L-series. For a lens like the Canon marvel 70-200/F2.8L II IS it's another story, then the centerish AF is what tends to be useful. Maybe the 5D3 will alter that bringing some AF handling improvements from e.g. the 7D - but I doubt it will be very useful for a lens like a 35/1.4.
Anyways, if you still want to get rid of the CY, I'll be here willing to help
thats what i did .. picked up the 35/2 for when i need AF to go with my rollei zeiss 35/1.4 .. would be too expensive for me to have both the zeiss 35/1.4 and 35L. 35/2 doesnt have same look as 35L but still a pretty nice lens.
Jan 30, 2012 at 11:17 PM
Lars Johnsson Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
wfrank wrote:
I wouldnt sell the CY given what some people are able to do with them photographically. I'd rather alter the mirror/mount - even if I'd need a shop to do the work. I've seen no photographic reasons to switch to the ZE35/1.4.
I have no experience of the 1DS2 and EC-CIV, but 5D2 and EG-S coupled with a 35/1.4 works just great enabling (as been said) focus anywhere in the screen. I'd say I get a higher hit-rate than what's mention above using "it" wideopen. In my case the "it" is a Samyang (hush!) 35/1.4. Close quarters that is, but that's how a 35 is used anyway isnt it?
Enabling focus anywhere in the screen is exactly why I wouldnt go for the 35L - even though I'm a great fan of the L-series. For a lens like the Canon marvel 70-200/F2.8L II IS it's another story, then the centerish AF is what tends to be useful. Maybe the 5D3 will alter that bringing some AF handling improvements from e.g. the 7D - but I doubt it will be very useful for a lens like a 35/1.4.
Anyways, if you still want to get rid of the CY, I'll be here willing to help ...Show more →
He can use an S focusing screen in the 1DsII also. And a lot of other focusing screens options that doesn't exiat with the 5DII. The 1 series body also have a better viewfinder than the 5D
I would hold off getting a 35L till I see what Canon does this year, the 35LII rumors seem to be heating up, as is the 24-70LII(IS?).
And if you like the Contax 35, hold on to it till you don't use it any more.
Aha! Saw this thread and thought my mac was playing up, showing a really old version of the thread!
Anyway, I still have my Contax 35 1.4, and am now looking at getting the Sigma 35 1.4 if the reviews show it as being as good as it seems to be by Lensrentals.com for when I need AF.
Great shot of the GT6 (a car my dad incidentally owns, in almost the same colour!)
