NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

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Archive 2010 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

Edgars Kalnins
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p.1 #1 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

Hi, I am of half mind to switch over to NEX. two main reasons: I could easily use inexpensive canon FD f1.2 primes, which require difficult mods and do not achieve infinity on canon FF. Second: I can use the famous Zeiss ZM line, small and in wide end as good or better than SLR ones. Now, for the FD primes I could get a NEX camera as a sort of alternative to mods without leaving my current setup. The second reason is more tempting, but I want to be sure I am not loosing a lot in quality. I have heard that M mount wides and contax G wider than 35mm do not perform well on NEX. Anyone can confirm that? my main attraction with NEX would be ZM Biogons like 25/2.8, 35/2 and possibly the contax G 21mm.I am currently using crop camera anyway - 30D as FF is still too expensive for me.

Sep 04, 2010 at 08:00 PM

wyan
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p.1 #2 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

My ZM 25/2.8 glues on NEX-5. I can heartily recommend this combo. It is very portable, versatile, and capable. A few shots with this combo, stratight RAW to JPG converted by LR3.2 (Well, this is the best I can do since I never post process before. Shots are better viewed with IE browser than Firefox).

This image is copyrighted by the owner

The tilt-LCD of NEX comes handy sometimes. The third shot was taken at ground level, the fourth at way above eye level (it would be much better had I turned the camera left-ward a bit, sigh).

Sep 08, 2010 at 11:11 PM

wyan
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p.1 #3 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

Forgot to mention, I was happy with ZM 35/2 on NEX as well. But honestly I haven't used it ever since I mounted ZM 25/2.8.

Sep 08, 2010 at 11:42 PM

Edgars Kalnins
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p.1 #4 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

Wonderful pictures, Wyan, I think the best I have seen from ZM on NEX! And that is exactly the lens I would like together with the 35mm biogon. The only thing that keeps me from going this way is this: I plan to by a cheap Canon 1Ds Mk1. I have come to believe that FF sensor will make my current ZF lenses "shine"

. maybe I have fooled myself. But I believe that FF is better, so I will play a bit with ZF on FF and see if that makes me happy. at the same time I will look out for a used ZM 25. In my opinion, it is just a question of time before there EVF cameras become FF. It will still leave the problem of using rangefinder wide angle lenses on FF sensor, but even that will eventually be sorted in an inexpensive way (currently the only solution is M9).
Thank you for you encouraging post!

Sep 08, 2010 at 11:45 PM

Edgars Kalnins
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p.1 #5 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

I like the first pic very much, but the most I like the 4th - sun at the top, shadows indoors, lots of action and depth!

Sep 08, 2010 at 11:49 PM

charles.K
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p.1 #6 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

Excellent shots wyan! The atmosphere and feel of the shots really appeal to me

My favs are #1, 2 and 3.
Edgars, the ZM 25/2.8 is a brilliant lens. Very much in the typical lineup of zeiss. It is one of corner post lenses for the M9 for me, as for landscapes, I love the zeiss rendering. I am not so convinced of the ZM 35/2, but I know the ZM 35/2.8 is excellent lens in every way. How they integrate with NEX 5, I am only interpolating from the M9.

Sep 08, 2010 at 11:55 PM

denoir
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p.1 #7 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

Very fine shots wyan! I would have never guessed they were taken with a NEX-5.

Sep 09, 2010 at 12:00 AM

Edgars Kalnins
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p.1 #8 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

Thanks, Charles, for joining in!
I like to change my lenses every so often (for better ones). there was time I contemplated Sony because of their Zeiss, but there seems to be a cloud of doubt hanging over them right now - whether they draw like zeiss or more like minolta or whatnot. So I am not convinced. ZM line has always appealed to me, but digital RF are sooo expensive. NEX might be a nice intro to this line. I am, in fact, prepared for it, as I have contax G 45 and 90 already (would cover these focal lengths) and would only need to get the wide end from ZM.

Sep 09, 2010 at 12:05 AM

wyan
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p.1 #9 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

Thanks for the compliments. The action at the fourth shot would've been intense had I included the old guy pointing at the old lady. It was hard to see everything clear when I held the camera above my head.

As for image quality, most probably it is not as good as zeiss on full frame, but still adequate. I used to have 5D2 with CY primes (including the famed Distagon 35/1.4) but I am not looking back -- the weight was too much for me. YMMV.

That said, I do miss a viewfinder or autofocus. I have missed a lot of actions due to the lack of them. I guess photography is really about making the right shot at the right moment and right place, or regret it otherwise.

I hope that a qualitied EVF is under production and Zeiss is developing a autofocus ZM 25/2.8 counterpart for NEX somewhere secretly.

Sep 09, 2010 at 12:09 AM

wyan
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p.1 #10 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

BTW, I have a ZEISS IKON ZM camera. Also waiting for a cheap digital rangefinder.

Sep 09, 2010 at 12:13 AM

charles.K
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p.1 #11 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

Seriously, the feedback I have had from suppliers that sell Zeiss and Leica gear rave about the NEX 5 and its IQ. If you already have the lenses, the step is small and not a large investment.

Sep 09, 2010 at 12:15 AM

sirimiri
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p.1 #12 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

wyan wrote:
Also waiting for a cheap digital rangefinder.

You and a couple million of us.

Sep 09, 2010 at 12:23 AM

charles.K
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p.1 #13 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

sirimiri wrote:
wyan wrote:
Also waiting for a cheap digital rangefinder.

You and a couple million of us.

Sep 09, 2010 at 12:25 AM

rico
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p.1 #14 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

Great shots, wyan. I have an Elmarit 28 ASPH that's dying to jump onto the NEX bandwagon, but I'm holding out for FF. Sony must surely have this in the pipeline...

Sep 09, 2010 at 04:12 AM

Lotusm50
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p.1 #15 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

sirimiri wrote:
wyan wrote:
Also waiting for a cheap digital rangefinder.

You and a couple million of us.

"A couple million" probably isn't too far off. Why don't the manufacturers realize this? We tell them enough times. Someone should be able to do this for a lot less than the $7000 price of an M9. Sony (w/ rangefinder experience of Konica/Minolta and potentially Zeiss) should be able to drop one on the market for $2000 (but would try to sell it for $2500-3000 -- still less than half the cost of the Leica).

Sep 09, 2010 at 04:44 AM

sebboh
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p.1 #16 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

Lotusm50 wrote:
"A couple million" probably isn't too far off. Why don't the manufacturers realize this? We tell them enough times. Someone should be able to do this for a lot less than the $7000 price of an M9. Sony (w/ rangefinder experience of Konica/Minolta and potentially Zeiss) should be able to drop one on the market for $2000 (but would try to sell it for $2500-3000 -- still less than half the cost of the Leica).

i think a couple million probably is a little too high actually and i think you could probably only sell that many if the price was under $1000. i feel like spending time on photography forums gives a very distorted view of what most people want and just how far on the fringes we on this forum are.

to be honest i much prefer manual focus 99% of the time and love small discreet cameras, yet i still don't really want a digital rangefinder. the rangefinder mechanism is big, expensive to manufacture, imprecise, and limited in application (no real telephoto, close focus, or ultrawide). i would rather have a FF sensor in a NEX sized body with the same basic controls as a leica and a high quality evf where the rangefinder viewfinder would be. focus would be a little slower than a rangefinder but more accurate and you would be able to see dof and shoot all the things you can't with a rangefinder. also, eliminating the rangefinder from the design would save around $500.

having said all that, the NEX is pretty sweet as is with rangefinder and pen f glass. the only real issue for me is no fast wide angles that i can afford.

Sep 09, 2010 at 05:09 AM

douglasf13
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p.1 #17 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

Since NEX is an all new mount, and the lenses and LA-EA1 only support an APS-C image circle, I would guess that the NEX cameras ARE "fullframe"...it's just that "fullframe" means Aps-c, rather than 35mm, in this case. Part of the case for 35mm sensors in both DSLRs and the M9 relates to using legacy glass. NEX is starting fresh. I'm betting Sony goes the SLT route for 35mm sensors and leaves NEX with Aps-c.

Sep 09, 2010 at 06:18 AM

singletrack
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p.1 #18 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

great pics wyan! Do you have a 21mm ZM working on the NEX? am thinking of getting the 21 for a wider angle FL on the NEX. I heard there may be issues with corner colour shift/sharpness with wider than 25mm. Thanks!

Sep 11, 2010 at 04:49 PM

Edgars Kalnins
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p.1 #19 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

douglasf13 wrote:
Since NEX is an all new mount, and the lenses and LA-EA1 only support an APS-C image circle, I would guess that the NEX cameras ARE "fullframe"...it's just that "fullframe" means Aps-c, rather than 35mm, in this case. Part of the case for 35mm sensors in both DSLRs and the M9 relates to using legacy glass. NEX is starting fresh. I'm betting Sony goes the SLT route for 35mm sensors and leaves NEX with Aps-c.
I hope someone makes a FF EVF soon. As handy as these small cameras are, they still loose in quality to FF (which again losses to MF

).
I am waiting for the day, when it will be possible to put a FF sensor inside the old film cameras. that would be cool. A bit like Kodak did when they build their first DSLR on Nikon film camera base.

Sep 11, 2010 at 06:56 PM

wyan
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p.1 #20 · NEX with Zeiss ZM and Contax G

singletrack wrote:
great pics wyan! Do you have a 21mm ZM working on the NEX? am thinking of getting the 21 for a wider angle FL on the NEX. I heard there may be issues with corner colour shift/sharpness with wider than 25mm. Thanks!

Unfortunately, I don't have one. My own experience with zeiss lenses and NEX combo is limited to ZM 25, 35 and Contax G 90, and the experience has been great.

I do come across a very few photos taken with ZM21+NEX, even ZM15+NEX (with center ND filter on), and there doesn't seem to be any color shift issue. Big surprise I have to say. Contax G biogon 21, on the other hand, was reported to have the issue. Still, we need more samples to get an definite conclusion.

If any of your local gear sellers has the lens, do check out yourself. That is the only safe way right now.

Sep 12, 2010 at 03:53 PM

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