p.11 #1 · Sony FE 100-400/4.5-5.6 GM vs Contax 100-300/4.5-5.6
Samuli Vahonen wrote:
I gave up and I'll keep shooting with Leica 180APO and Leica 80-200 and maybe also Contax 80-200 until Loxia 100-300 comes out
I lied Finally got Contax Vario-Sonnar 100-300! After waiting 4+ years to buy one locally, so I can personally inspect the lens before purchase for the rear lens group separation issue. My local camera store finally got copy and it did not have any issues, and lens is also otherwise in excellent condition.
Since this thread (2017 spring) I did buy Sony Alpha-mount (SLR mount) 70-400, great lens technically, I have zero complaints from technical standpoint @ f/8-16, but rendering style is quite bland and flat compared to Zeiss Loxia 85 & APO-Sonnar 135 and Leica APO-Elmarit-R 180 primes (even Contax 80-200 beats Sony in rendering style even technically clearly worse performer than Sony). And large distance boke quality is pretty crappy as well (similar boke quality issues what FE-mount 100-400 has), shoots nice boke when birdsize subject, but I have zero use as I don't shoot birds.
I can't wait to try the lens in real use, but I have to wait 5-6 months for winter to pass first. I will not risk the rear element separation by using lens for winter landcapes, as it will always cause thermal stress for lens and risk for condensation, which both might increase risk of rear group separation.
p.11 #3 · Sony FE 100-400/4.5-5.6 GM vs Contax 100-300/4.5-5.6
PEKA62 wrote:
Congrats Samuli. Looking forward to some nice forest studies and tree portraits with it.
What is the S/N and what did you pay for it?
Thanks - 8400xxx and 495EUR. I don't think the local store was aware of pricing or then prices have dropped a lot in few years, I have not checked current prices.
I did test the lens indoors (<5m distances) and this lens may have some use in addition to landscapes; subject separation and boke rendering seem both really good for a slow zoom. But I will figure that out in 2019 summer, indoor testing (or any urban shooting) does not give much indication about the true nature of boke in complex evergreen forest scenarios.
p.11 #4 · Sony FE 100-400/4.5-5.6 GM vs Contax 100-300/4.5-5.6
Samuli Vahonen wrote:
Thanks - 8400xxx and 495EUR. I don't think the local store was aware of pricing or then prices have dropped a lot in few years, I have not checked current prices.
Samuli
From what I saw a few months ago (before giving up and going with a VS 80-200/4), that's a good price for a clean copy with no
issues. Copies with rear element "haze" (which I interpreted/feared to be the seeds of separation) often go for that much and more.
p.11 #5 · Sony FE 100-400/4.5-5.6 GM vs Contax 100-300/4.5-5.6
Samuli Vahonen wrote:
Thanks - 8400xxx and 495EUR. I don't think the local store was aware of pricing or then prices have dropped a lot in few years, I have not checked current prices.
I did test the lens indoors (<5m distances) and this lens may have some use in addition to landscapes; subject separation and boke rendering seem both really good for a slow zoom. But I will figure that out in 2019 summer, indoor testing (or any urban shooting) does not give much indication about the true nature of boke in complex evergreen forest scenarios.
Samuli
That sounds like a good price for the CY 100-300. Congrats! Looking forward to more images from the forests and lakes in Finland.
p.11 #9 · Sony FE 100-400/4.5-5.6 GM vs Contax 100-300/4.5-5.6
I sold mine when the 100-400 GM came out and now regret. It was a centered copy without the haze issue. Tried my luck buying it back but after three attempts, I gave up. The 100-400 is neck and neck in resolution but the Zeiss seems to win on contrast especially at the micro level. I may try my luck one more time!
p.11 #15 · Sony FE 100-400/4.5-5.6 GM vs Contax 100-300/4.5-5.6
Will try this route sending my dear lens to Japan, wish me luck
Will let you know how it will end, worth a try I guess..
EPatten wrote:
I guess unless someone has already owned a Contax Zeiss 100-300mm for many years, it wouldn’t be worth the risk and efforts for regluing the rear element and fixing the hazy problem. No good buying a new used one with hazy.
Here’s a link about regluing the rear element: http://lens-cla.blogspot.com/2014/07/contax-carl-zeiss-vario-sonnar-100.html
😉
p.11 #16 · Sony FE 100-400/4.5-5.6 GM vs Contax 100-300/4.5-5.6
I'm really highly interested in the results you get and in what condition the lens comes back.
Please report here if it's worth the hassle and (if you don't mind) what you paid for all of that.
p.11 #17 · Sony FE 100-400/4.5-5.6 GM vs Contax 100-300/4.5-5.6
PEKA62 wrote:
I'm really highly interested in the results you get and in what condition the lens comes back.
Please report here if it's worth the hassle and (if you don't mind) what you paid for all of that.
Same here. It would be great if re-gluing, would bring back all the clarity a good copy has. Keep us posted.
I totally regret selling a great copy of this lens. No haze and well-centered at all focus lengths. Never found a good one again...
p.11 #18 · Sony FE 100-400/4.5-5.6 GM vs Contax 100-300/4.5-5.6
I managed to score a like-new copy a few months ago with no haze separation issue, along with the Mutar II. I absolutely love this lens, and the results are just outstanding, but it hasn't gotten much use in the winter. Looking forward to using it next spring!
p.11 #19 · Sony FE 100-400/4.5-5.6 GM vs Contax 100-300/4.5-5.6
jwhatts wrote:
I managed to score a like-new copy a few months ago with no haze separation issue, along with the Mutar II. I absolutely love this lens, and the results are just outstanding, but it hasn't gotten much use in the winter. Looking forward to using it next spring!
p.11 #20 · Sony FE 100-400/4.5-5.6 GM vs Contax 100-300/4.5-5.6
PEKA62 wrote:
I'm really highly interested in the results you get and in what condition the lens comes back.
Please report here if it's worth the hassle and (if you don't mind) what you paid for all of that.
Well, cheap is definitely not, considering that it's USD 150 for the work and likely around USD 100 for shipping back and forth, so quite a lot of money to put at risk, I just bit the bullet as there was another user here reporting doing the same and getting his lens back perfectly fixed. And anyway the alternative would be just to keep the lens as a nice placeholder on my desk..
I originally paid the lens less than USD 300 and it seemed good until the "separation event", so if everything goes well it will be an overall USD 550 good copy back to life, which would be still quite acceptable to me, considering the current prices for sound exemplaries.
Finally got Contax Vario-Sonnar 100-300! After waiting 4+ years to buy one locally, so I can personally inspect the lens before purchase for the rear lens group separation issue. My local camera store finally got copy and it did not have any issues, and lens is also otherwise in excellent condition.
