I bet if you order that, you get the lens and then call them to complain... "Oh, you mean you wanted the lens's elements in the body? We were just selling the barrel, but we forgot to mention that on the site..."
Hotbuys has not deleted Contax from their website in years. I called them two years ago when the Contax CY lens craze began, and they didn't really have any of the lenses listed on their website.
What is the difference (other than focal length) between the CZ 21mm in question and this 28mm one on ebay selling for much less? I'm sure that I'm missing something very obvious, but my curiosity is killing me! Please no snarky replies.
The CZ 28/2.8 listed on eBay is a design that dates back to the early 1970"s. The CZ 28/2.8 is a great lens, it is many folks first entry in the Distagon world. It is a simple lens design, all the lements are locked together.
A 28mm lens is not a difficult lens to design and build. Hence, they are very affordable. The CZ21/2.8 Distagon is a much more complicated lens design, it has a floating element, thereby more expensive to manufacture. New, it retailed for about 5 or 6 times the cost of their 28/2.8.
Since they are no longer manufactured, they are simply more scarce. It was probably Contax's last lens released, hence not as many out there, while there are boatloads of 28/2.8's on the market as that one was in production for 30 years.
Add to that, this lens has an aura or mystique to it. It is just not an ordinary ultra-wide lens, it is the best 21mm lens designed for a 35mm SLR ever. Razor sharp, produces 3D-like image quality. Akin to the fabled Canon 200/1.8L.
If the CZ21/2.8 Dist was put back in production identicle as before, I doubt it could be done for less than $2800.
I have actually bought from HotBuys without major problems. Once we'd gotten past the stage where they were offering me Contax 21mm lenses with plastic mounts at the price advertised, or 20% more for a metal one, the prices were fair, and they shipped to the UK.
With regard to the earlier posts on the original 17-40L v CZ21 review, I'll be running an update on that in 2007. The samples from 17-40's I've been seeing in the last 12 months seem to be better than those doing the rounds five years ago when the test was published.
Does the eBay 28mm Distagon have the same "Razor sharp, produces 3D-like image" quality at 28mm that the 21mm version has at 21mm? I currently own a 17-40, and I would be quite interested if the 28mm version was considerably sharper than my current wide lens.
> ...Don't know why some list crazy high prices for their CZ 21.
I am asking a high price because...
1) the lens is increasingly rarely for sale
2) mine is in beautiful condition
3) it took me many months to find a good one
4) it comes with the (apparently not so - thanks for info cad3) rare Contax hood
5) a local used dealer is asking an even higher price
6) I am not keen to sell but will if someone wants it badly enough
Edited by brainiac on Jan 16, 2007 at 10:17 PM GMT
cad3 wrote:
This is meant with no offence; but the last dozen CZ 21's I've seen have the ultra rare Contax hood. Mine came w/ this ultra rare hood.
Now perhaps it is simple luck of the draw; but I'm beginning to think that this hood might not be so rare (as compared to the CZ 21) after all...
Rare? Find the GB-103 for the Contax N 17-35. That's rare. The hood for the CZ 21 is not, in my book, rare. They can always be found on the bs forum with a WTB. Some are advertised as NIB! Sellers may say it's rare to support their price. Expensive, yes. Rare, no.
Edited by tom in mpls on Jan 16, 2007 at 08:20 PM GMT
I've tried all f-stops on the Canons, not just wide open. Around f8 seems to be best.
Also tried 16-35 and 24 f1.4 L, not just 17-40.
Most of the time I don't notice how bad the edges of frame are.
However the other week I had probably the worst case scenario.
Was doing this studio shoot of black products against a white cyc.
Products filling the frame.
I wanted to get a bit of distortion by using a wide lens, up close.
I wanted to get the most resolution possible, so I wanted to really fill the frame to the edge.
On the 20D, the image was fine to the edge. On the 5D the edges were so soft (very similar to that photo linked earlier in the thread) I had to overshoot by a huge amount and then crop the image in post.
At first I thought is was because I didn't have enough depth of field to cover, but this wasn't it. The edges (on full frame) are just lousy on Canon wides.
The Canon 135mm f2.0 is great to the edge.
Thanks for the advice on the lenses. I think I might investigate those cheaper lenses (Leica 19mm and 28mm Zeiss) to dip my toe in the water before I go all the way.
jonboring wrote:
I only tried one CZ21 and it worked perfectly with stunning results. The adaptor came from Pham Minh Son. You do need the thinner adaptor for infinity focus and the Contax lenses do sometimes need to be sent back to the factory for callibration. Many users here have reported stunning results once their lens was callibrated. My CZ21 was callibrated a year or so before I purchased it.
I got a (relatively) beat up one (some paint chips, some tiny cleaning marks on the front element) from a Japanese auction site for an amazing price, threw a $25 chinese adapter on it and it worked absolutely perfectly. Easily the most impressive lens I have ever used. I can post samples if anyone wants to see them (again).
Most members here would agree that I was very lucky.
Makes you wonder why the hell I sold it. Well, I had no choice (financial issues) and I miss it every single day. As far as i can tell from the prices dicussed in this thread, cad3 got one hell of a deal on a great CZ21 lens/adapter/hood/caps combo. (Chris, please remember me if/when you ever decide to let it go )
MarkM6 wrote:
Dayummmmmm.... How much was it back when?
Its listed price is JPY 198,000. Grab the exchange rate to the JPY from here: http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/data/EXJPUS.txt and calculate away. For example, Only Zeiss, published in December 1993, which is the earliest published material by Kyocera in my possesion, includes the CZ21. At that month's exchange rate, the lens would have cost US$ 1801.
Not bad, considering that, currently, the average selling price for it used in Japan is JPY 230,000. The average price for it new is JPY 312,500. Oh, and the current exchange rate is about US$ 1 = JPY 120.79.
The original UK price was around £1300 new.
I purchased my copy unboxed, but in essentially mint condition from Ffordes about 3 years ago for £800. I seem to be about the only person here who actually bought one to use on Contax cameras!
This was of course before the supremacy of Zeiss lenses was discovered by the poor, struggling Canon users
cogitech wrote:
Makes you wonder why the hell I sold it. Well, I had no choice (financial issues) and I miss it every single day. As far as i can tell from the prices dicussed in this thread, cad3 got one hell of a deal on a great CZ21 lens/adapter/hood/caps combo. (Chris, please remember me if/when you ever decide to let it go )
No worries Paul. You'll be the first one I contact should that day ever come. On this, you have my word.
deshojo wrote:
The original UK price was around £1300 new.
I purchased my copy unboxed, but in essentially mint condition from Ffordes about 3 years ago for £800. I seem to be about the only person here who actually bought one to use on Contax cameras!
The original US price was around $1500 new.
I purchased my copy unboxed, but in essentially mint condition from KEH about 4 years ago for $1150. I seem to be about the only person here who actually bought one to use on Contax cameras, and I didn't even own a Contax camera at the time. This lens made me return to film! I do remember when the RTS was introduced, and wanted one desparately.
For the price of the D21, KEH kindly included the W-1 and its metal cap. I look at the current prices with amusement and horror.
Please no snarky replies.
)