Dead market for Zeiss Contax lenses

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Archive 2008 · Dead market for Zeiss Contax lenses

trumpet_guy
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p.2 #1 · Dead market for Zeiss Contax lenses

The CZ 35-70/3.4 is an excellent landscape lens, and quite a deal these days.
I've posted this before, but I can't get over how great this 5D + CZ35-70 shot looks
on a 12"x18" print. This lens delivers.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Jan 02, 2009 at 03:45 AM

Lotusm50
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p.2 #2 · Dead market for Zeiss Contax lenses

trumpet_guy wrote:
The CZ 35-70/3.4 is an excellent landscape lens, and quite a deal these days.
I've posted this before, but I can't get over how great this 5D + CZ35-70 shot looks
on a 12"x18" print. This lens delivers.

Well, if someone is looking for a copy of this lens, let me know. I don't use mine at all.

Jan 02, 2009 at 12:01 PM

jcolwell
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p.2 #3 · Dead market for Zeiss Contax lenses

I sold my 35-70/3.4 because I rarely used it. I use primes when I'm planning to shoot landscapes, and I generally get fine results from Canon L zooms when that's all I have with me.

Jan 02, 2009 at 12:28 PM

David Clapp
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p.2 #4 · Dead market for Zeiss Contax lenses

Total opposite to you, I will never be parted from it. I think its on the camera 70% of the time, actually now its 100% because I cant get the thing off!!

Its the sharpest and most versatile medium tele I have ever seen, but I think the best aspect is literally no CA, which goes a little unmentioned. Sharp edge to edge from f5.6 to f16, cant do that with any Canon zooms I know of.

if there was I would happily shoot Canon zooms.

Jan 02, 2009 at 01:39 PM

tootalew
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p.2 #5 · Dead market for Zeiss Contax lenses

Nothing new to me, I have been selling my c/y lenses and replacing with rokkor. I can't give away my 135mm sonnar.

Jan 02, 2009 at 03:48 PM

Lotusm50
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p.2 #6 · Dead market for Zeiss Contax lenses

David Clapp wrote:
Its the sharpest and most versatile medium tele I have ever seen, but I think the best aspect is literally no CA, which goes a little unmentioned. Sharp edge to edge from f5.6 to f16, cant do that with any Canon zooms I know of.

Jan 02, 2009 at 07:14 PM

trumpet_guy
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p.2 #7 · Dead market for Zeiss Contax lenses

35-70/3.4 vs. EF 24-70L at wide and long ends:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/699929/

I do find that the CZ sharpens up at the corners at f/8
vs. f/5.6

Jan 02, 2009 at 07:48 PM

you2
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p.2 #8 · Dead market for Zeiss Contax lenses

trumpet_guy wrote:
35-70/3.4 vs. EF 24-70L at wide and long ends:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/699929/

I do find that the CZ sharpens up at the corners at f/8
vs. f/5.6

---

Well there is a whole lot more than sharpness when comparing tot he 24-70. There are also the issues of weight, speed and 24 vs 35. For me - I'm not a fan of the 24-70 class of lenses due to weight. Also, most of the time 28-35 is wide enough for my taste. However, I rather have 35f2 or 28f2 lens. Unfortunately canon does not offer a quality lens at that speed.

The zx 35f2 looks tempting. Sort of would prefer it to be auto focus since the lighter bodies are sucky @ manual focus.

Jan 02, 2009 at 07:59 PM

jcolwell
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p.2 #9 · Dead market for Zeiss Contax lenses

you2 wrote:
... I'm not a fan of the 24-70 class of lenses due to weight.

Sure, the 24-70L is heavy, but I'm often in the position that the 24-70L on a 5D is the lightest of three lens/camera combos that I'm carrying and shooting.

Jan 02, 2009 at 11:44 PM

jonboring
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p.2 #10 · Dead market for Zeiss Contax lenses

Lotusm50, did you check out the MTF's for the 35-70? They look pretty darn good to me.
I would say the CZ 35-70 is exceptionally sharp between 35 - 50 stopped down to F8. It isn't quite as sharp as the ZF35/2 but close, is as good or better than the CZ35/2.8 and holds its own with the CZ50's stopped down. I find it to be a great landscape lens. I don't shoot 35mm or longer very often so this lens is great to throw in the bag with my wide primes for those times that I do need to go long. I've got one lens that can cover those focal lengths should I need it.

That said, I would like to own the ZF35 because it is so exceptionally sharp (waiting for the ZE). Obviously the ZF is sharper than the CZ zoom wide open but because it is a 2.0 and not a 2.8, I wonder how it would compare with the 35-70 at F8? Is the ZF35 pass its sweet spot and the 35-70 just getting there?

Jan 03, 2009 at 06:50 PM

veroman
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p.2 #11 · Dead market for Zeiss Contax lenses

cdnguyen wrote:
I trying to sell a new old stock Zeiss Contax mount 80-200mm lens in FM forum and so far receive ZERO inquiry. I wonder if the fad is over. This Zeiss lens is no slouch. I planned to use it on my 5D but decided to stick to all Leica R lenses. Is the market dead ?
Thanks
Charles

No, it's not dead. But like all markets, things have slowed down a bit and prices are being reduced.

The problem with selling the Contax 80-200 in particular is that the Canon 70-200 f/4 non-IS can be had for just a little more money on the used market, and it's nearly as good. "Nearly," however, does not mean it's "just as good." It isn't. The Ziess glow is pretty evident in the 80-200, but with Canon's 70-200, one gets auto-focus.

For some, the trade-off between Contax optical quality and Canon's AF is in favor of the AF. And I can't blame them. Given the small size of most viewfinders, precise manual focusing is pretty difficult with DSLRs. Even when a manual focus lens is only ever-so-slightly off, the resulting softness negates the reason for purchasing the quality MF lens in the first place. I ended up getting new focusing screens for both my 5D and 1Ds II so that I can could be spot-on with my Contax 35-70 and other MF lenses.

Anyway, if you can wait it out, you'll eventually sell the 80-200. It's a great lens. Someone who's all set up for manual focusing ... maybe somebody with a newer Live View camera? ... will pick it up.

- Steve

Jan 03, 2009 at 09:14 PM

veroman
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p.2 #12 · Dead market for Zeiss Contax lenses

Lotusm50 wrote:
David Clapp wrote:
Its the sharpest and most versatile medium tele I have ever seen, but I think the best aspect is literally no CA, which goes a little unmentioned. Sharp edge to edge from f5.6 to f16, cant do that with any Canon zooms I know of.

if there was I would happily shoot Canon zooms.

How do you define "versatile"? Hard for me to consider a 2X 35-70 manual focus zoom as versatile. Most of the negative comments about this lens is that it isn't exceptionally versatile -- it doesn't go wide enough or long enough. I consider my N 24-85 AF zoom way more versatile (and frankly, just a sharp).

If yours is "Sharp edge to edge from f5.6 to f16" you have an exceptional copy. I can accept that around the middle of the focal length range (say, 50mm), but probably not at 70mm and certainly not at 35mm. It really needs f8 to be acceptably sharp (and it might not be for some at the 35mm length). Still, it's better than the Canon zooms in that range.

Like Mr. Colwell, I generally use primes for landscapes, and find the ZF primes I'm using superior in nearly every way to this zoom. Essentially, I find 35-70 c/y zoom to be neither here nor there. Not really versatile enough for a walk-around zoom lens, and generally not as good as good quality primes (which are sharper into the corners at much larger apertures, as well as being brighter/faster). That said, the 35-70 zoom is certainly an exceptional value at current prices and will make many people very happy.

If one is used to using quality primes ... ie the Canon 50mm f/1.4, the Zeiss 50mm f/1.7MM, the Canon 35mm f/1.4L, etc. ... having the added "versatility" of the Zeiss Contax 35-70 f/3.4 while STILL retaining prime-like quality is quite a benefit if not a blessing.

I find that having that slight extra range gives me a better and faster shooting experience with little to no loss in image quality compared to primes and CONSIDERABLE improvement in image quality compared to all other zooms I've used that cover the same range, including Canon's 24-70 and 28-70 and Nikon's 35-70 f/2.8. No switching lenses. No having to move myself backward or forward a few steps or losing the shot completely because there was no room to move forward or backward!

My Zeiss Contax 35-70 comes into its own at f/4 and gets a bit better by f/8. I see little to no difference in sharpness from that point on. The edge-to-edge sharpness is exceptional, the color rendition is unmatched, the contrast is perfect, and the already mentioned CA is practically non-existent. All this, plus the damn thing is compact and light! It's perfect for street shooting.

I've used mine with my 5D and 1Ds II. Since owning it, I've usually accompanied it with the 16-35 and the 70-200 f/2.8 IS.

- Steve

Jan 03, 2009 at 09:31 PM

veroman
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p.2 #13 · Dead market for Zeiss Contax lenses

Wow ....

- Steve

Jan 03, 2009 at 09:32 PM


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