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 p.5 #14 · Sony FE 100-400/4.5-5.6 GM vs Contax 100-300/4.5-5.6 | |
Samuli Vahonen wrote:
There seems to be issue with this lens, that rear lens elements get "hazy". In eBay there are exactly 6 of these in sale, 100% of them have issues. Quotes from those listings:
"There are tiny bubbles in the rear lens."
"There is haze."
"There is thin haze(Degradation of the balsam affixing the lens) on inside of the rear lens(Half of the surface area)."
"There are a few something like fungus."
"The rear of lens has heavy haze ."
There was one last week (or beginning of this week) from Germany, which was serviced recently by Zeiss (had even MTF-measurements with it). It was 900EUR, while these haze-versions from Japan are 400-600EUR, and the listing specially mentioned that it's OK, not like all other listings. I think I'm no longer interested buying this lens, all sellers might not be telling (or recognizing) haze, fungus etc. issues typical to this lens. I have followed situation randomly last 3 years, and it's common to have this haze problem. So be careful examining the lens before buying.
I gave up idea of Contax 100-300 due to this haze issue, and keep using Leica APO-Elmarit-R 180mm as my long lens. I hoped Sony 100-400 to solve lack of long zoom for me, so much that I pre-ordered one. But it seems to have ugly boke on large distances, which is important for me. So sad as stuff in focus plane looks so good on this lens. I don't shoot birds etc. at close distances, where boke seems to be OK. Also I don't shoot anything moving so all fancy AF, OSS etc. provides no additional value for me.
I recently got new kind of adapters, which have sturdy tripod leg connection, for all of my C/Y lenses. Example eBay list of new kind of adapter, pay attention to tripod foot, not brand&model, they sell same stuff under various brands and you can only trust listing photos, not brand&model:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tripod-CY-CONTAX-Yashica-Lens-to-Sony-NEX-E-mount-Adapter-NEX7-NEX6-NEX5-NEX3-/141869996246
After getting them I added flocking material to inside of the adapter before taking them to use. I do this to all adapters as I love shooting backlight, and the painted black metal always has reflections - specially important for all SLR-lens mount adapters.
Also Metabones is good, but it's about 5-8 times more expensive, you can buy via their website, their partners, but also there seems to be one in eBay as well:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Metabones-Adapter-Contax-Yashica-an-Sony-E-Mount-T-black-/272769081832
Benefit of metabones is that it has directly Arca/Swiss compatible tripod foot. For others I need to install small Arca/Swiss-plate.
The "older model" tripod foot adapters like this should be avoided (again attention to photos, ignore brand&model):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Contax-Yashica-C-Y-Lens-to-Sony-E-Mount-NEX-VG10-NEX3-NEX5-NEX-C3-Adapter-Tripod-/162527087376
All of them over the time have issues with tripod skrews getting loose. If you get one, then disassemple it and use quality skrew glue (e.g. Locktite threadlocking products) for the skrews. Also this model is less sturdy, and I would feel REALLY uncomfortable using 900EUR heavy lens on this kind of tiny tripod foot, it's aluminium and can snap easily. I left this kind of adapters to some lightweight lenses like 1.7/50 (also there it can be problem, because camera weights multiple times light lens weights => I would advice to not carry camera on tripod, even for short distances, with this kind of crappy adapters).
Samuli...Show more →
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PEKA62 wrote:
I bought one for cheap about a year ago with such a hazy rear element, believing it could be cleaned.
I sent it to a special lab here where they do all kind of repairs and services on old cameras and lenses.
The problem is, that the rear element is made out of two lenses that are glued together. The haze comes from the glue between the lenses. I was told, it is not possible to separate the lenses for cleaning without destroying them.
I was also told, this is a well known problem with that lens, and the only way to repair it is replacing the double rear element with a new one. Unfortunately there are no more spare parts available.
So beware buying such a lens with 'some haze' on the rear element, it can not be repaired or cleaned.
It's just junk....Show more →
Samuli and PEKA62,
Fantastic advice worth $1,000. Every time I see a new photograph by Ronny Olsson taken with the C/Y 100-300
I rush to e-bay to get one for myself. Something was always holding me back when I would read the accompanying description.
Just a few days ago I missed one C/Y 100-300 lens offered in Germany that really seemed to be perfect but I was now quick enough.
But what now gentlemen?
I do mainly landscapes, and never ever sports, birds, supersonic airplanes, and things like these.
Thank you again.
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One of both is always the case, but in 99% of the time the caffeine booster :P
