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Archive 2008 · CZ Contax Sonnar 3.5/100

cogitech
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · CZ Contax Sonnar 3.5/100

you2 wrote:
No matter how hard you try I doubt you will get much from the 100f3.5 @ f2.

No arguing that

...but

a) I already have plenty of faster glass if I need it
b) I don't use 100mm or greater indoors much
c) I got the 100/3.5 for much less than a 100/2 costs
d) the 100/3.5 is 286g and the size of a 50mm lens.

Simply put; this will be one more outdoor portrait option for me and gets me closer to my goal of having at least 3 different "lens signatures" to choose from at my major focal length categories. (UW, 28-ish, 50-ish, 90-ish and 135-ish).

Edited on Jan 21, 2008 at 02:34 PM

Jan 21, 2008 at 02:30 PM

Orio
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · CZ Contax Sonnar 3.5/100

you2 wrote:
While I very much like the 100f3.5 and stopped down the below might be true

First I want to say that sharp isn't everything in a lens.
But having that said:
I have both lenses and the 3.5/100 Sonnar is clearly sharper wide open than my 2/100 Planar.
I can support my statement with sample pictures - just not immediately now as I am under much work pressure.

Jan 21, 2008 at 02:46 PM

rico
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · CZ Contax Sonnar 3.5/100

Like Orio, I have both lenses, and they fully represent the glory of CZ C/Y.

Neither has a serious weakness, but their strengths are complementary. The P100 offers speed, even illumination, awesome linearity, and build quality. The S100 has the edge for central sharpness, portability, bokeh, and is just darned cute. Both have superb DOF scales: always unusual for teles, and almost extinct for modern designs (even CZ). You would think long-throw focus was breaking people's wrists!

Edited on Jan 21, 2008 at 09:26 PM

Jan 21, 2008 at 09:25 PM

Jannik Peters
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · CZ Contax Sonnar 3.5/100

I just finished my review of the Contax Sonnar 3.5/100. I think, that this lens has great capabilities:

http://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-zeiss-sonnar-t-100mm-f3-5-aej-cy/

Feb 07, 2016 at 12:51 PM

rico
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · CZ Contax Sonnar 3.5/100

8-year old thread revived, and the S100 is still great. Good manual-focus lenses are a lifetime investment.

Feb 07, 2016 at 02:19 PM

Jannik Peters
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · CZ Contax Sonnar 3.5/100

Yes, indeed! Although I have the uncomfortable addiction to buy and sell lenses. I think the S100 will be a keeper for a long time, it really convinced me.

I decided to use an existing thread, isn't that usual on FM? In German forums, people sometimes get angry if there are two or more threads about the same subject

Feb 08, 2016 at 06:38 AM

philip_pj
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · CZ Contax Sonnar 3.5/100

I used it as a compact versatile travel lens for years, then started in on portraits wide open with it, on the a7r. I love the stylish rendering it imparts to people, it draws so evenly and the bokeh is consistently excellent. Great from near to infinity, great color signature, skin tones, a fine character lens. I often see 'runs' of keeper images, 4-5 in a row, a sure sign. We may never see these kinds of lenses again. Good for street too, good reach, focus is very apparent, just drops in fast.

Feb 08, 2016 at 08:23 AM

Jannik Peters
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · CZ Contax Sonnar 3.5/100

philip_pj wrote:
We may never see these kinds of lenses again.

Wow, that's a real praise for that lens! I didn't use it for portraits so far, I really have to give it a try. The colors and the contrast are very well balanced and neutral in my optinion. They never distracted me but were able to shine when I wanted them to.

I had that "run of keepers" yesterday, when I was doing some portrait work on a birthday with my Loxia 2/50. The Pop is really there and I like the way it renders people. Unfortunately, the bokeh can be very distracting. The Sonnar could have been perfect for that purpose.

What do you mean when you say "drops in fast"?

Feb 08, 2016 at 08:54 AM

Peire
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · CZ Contax Sonnar 3.5/100

The Sonnar 100/3.5 is one of the few most "Zeissy" lenses in the C/Y lineup.I would probably use it more often,but the C/Y 85/2.8 Sonnar better fits my ens arrangement (24-35-50-85-135) and is at least as good.

Like the Voigtlander Apo Lanthar 90/3.5,the S100 C/Y seems to be too slow theoretically,but it's perfectly usable wo and needs no further stopping down to get decent pictures,even with 3D.

Feb 08, 2016 at 09:31 AM

Ulff
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · CZ Contax Sonnar 3.5/100

I'm a happy user of the Sonnar, too. It's not my favorite lens in that range when I focus specifically on that focal length. But it's the lens in that range that is most often in my bag, especially when I intend to use foremost wide angle lenses and want to bring one tele lens just in case. The Sonnar shines regarding size and weight and there's no compromise in IQ against other lenses I use, only in aperture.
http://www.paintingwithlight.de/FilesEx/cy100_01.jpg
(100 3.5 @ f5.6)

Feb 08, 2016 at 09:46 AM

Samuli Vahonen
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · CZ Contax Sonnar 3.5/100

rico wrote:
8-year old thread revived, and the S100 is still great. Good manual-focus lenses are a lifetime investment.

+1 !!!!!

This is THE ONLY lens I'm able to shoot regularly wide open and it fills my criterias for boke quality. For every other lens I have ever owned I almost always close down 1-1.5 stops to get boke on level I require it to be.

Seems that I don't have much samples online, posted these already 2014, sorry for repost:

Oh so nice boke; structured but still smooth... even background on these photos is made from forest undergrowth (multilayered crisscrossed very complex structure - if boke tends to have issues, this background 100% sure reveals it) Sonnar 100 still renders it so nice.

Samuli

Feb 08, 2016 at 02:30 PM

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