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Archive 2009Contax N Image Thread
p.14 #1Contax N Image Thread
I will stick to my CY85/1.4 and drool over the photos posted here. My heart is too weak to splurge on the N85. So guys keep me drooling over it 
Just of interests, do anyone remembers the retail prices of these lenses when they are new.
Just of interests, do anyone remembers the retail prices of these lenses when they are new.
May 24, 2010 at 11:40 PM
p.14 #3Contax N Image Thread
woo hooo! got shipment email for my 24-85. faster than i expected 
Jun 06, 2010 at 07:51 AM
p.14 #4Contax N Image Thread
Nice shots mMontag and Thatspeck!
Really like the color in the last one, mMontag.
What polarizer did you use on that shot?
Really like the color in the last one, mMontag.
What polarizer did you use on that shot?
Jun 07, 2010 at 05:26 PM
p.14 #5Contax N Image Thread
Thanks Wayne - No polarizer - but there is a 2 stop Singh Ray Rev. GND - The first one s*cks - I posted it around mid-night and was almost asleep - tried another edit - too bad - I'll replace it soon.
The front range climate has been starving us of the typical good to great sunrise(s)/set(s) for too long - it's either been gray/gray or just dry and clear - now it's pump'in up "photographer clouds".
This late afternoon is look'in like another good one - I'm already packed waiting to go!
The front range climate has been starving us of the typical good to great sunrise(s)/set(s) for too long - it's either been gray/gray or just dry and clear - now it's pump'in up "photographer clouds".
This late afternoon is look'in like another good one - I'm already packed waiting to go!
Jun 07, 2010 at 05:54 PM
p.14 #6Contax N Image Thread
For those with N17-35, would you go with Cokin X-Pro or Z-Pro holders?
Jun 08, 2010 at 02:24 AM
p.14 #7Contax N Image Thread
MWP,
The 17-35 has a 95mm filter ring. I use a standard Lee foundation kit holder and have removed the third tier clip and use a Lee 95mm adapter ring - Singh Ray 4x6 filters (100x150). The adapter ring has inside threads for an 82mm circular filter. With this set-up the lens will not vignette at 19mm with the 4x6's and using a "standard" circular polarized at 23-24mm without vignetting. If I really need the 17mm - I will hand hold over the empty lens. I also use this set-up for my other lenses with an 82mm Lee wide angle adapter.
If you remove the second and third tier clip on the holder you could get out to 18mm and could open up 1-2mm using "slim" circular. I've modified my second tier clip holder to accept two 4x6 filters in the same slot - avoids added reflection between the filters - so I can use a 3 stop plus a 1 or 2 stop - usually for shooting into the sun.
Lee will produce a custom holder for that lens - it's about $200.00 usd - and takes a while to get. They also make a "Kit 100" that friction fits over the rim - I read that the Kit 100 will still vignette at 17mm. If Lee would produce a 95mm wide angle adapter ring - just like their 77 & 82 wide rings - I believe it would be a big advantage.
The 17-35 has a 95mm filter ring. I use a standard Lee foundation kit holder and have removed the third tier clip and use a Lee 95mm adapter ring - Singh Ray 4x6 filters (100x150). The adapter ring has inside threads for an 82mm circular filter. With this set-up the lens will not vignette at 19mm with the 4x6's and using a "standard" circular polarized at 23-24mm without vignetting. If I really need the 17mm - I will hand hold over the empty lens. I also use this set-up for my other lenses with an 82mm Lee wide angle adapter.
If you remove the second and third tier clip on the holder you could get out to 18mm and could open up 1-2mm using "slim" circular. I've modified my second tier clip holder to accept two 4x6 filters in the same slot - avoids added reflection between the filters - so I can use a 3 stop plus a 1 or 2 stop - usually for shooting into the sun.
Lee will produce a custom holder for that lens - it's about $200.00 usd - and takes a while to get. They also make a "Kit 100" that friction fits over the rim - I read that the Kit 100 will still vignette at 17mm. If Lee would produce a 95mm wide angle adapter ring - just like their 77 & 82 wide rings - I believe it would be a big advantage.
Jun 08, 2010 at 08:34 AM
p.14 #8Contax N Image Thread
mMontag wrote:
MWP,
The 17-35 has a 95mm filter ring. I use a standard Lee foundation kit holder and have removed the third tier clip and use a Lee 95mm adapter ring - Singh Ray 4x6 filters (100x150). The adapter ring has inside threads for an 82mm circular filter. With this set-up the lens will not vignette at 19mm with the 4x6's and using a "standard" circular polarized at 23-24mm without vignetting. If I really need the 17mm - I will hand hold over the empty lens. I also use this set-up for my other lenses with an 82mm Lee wide angle adapter.
If...Show more →
Thanks for your reply. And very nice landscapes shots.
To clarify further, is the vignette at 17mm caused by the adapter or the holder? If it is caused by the adapter, then a screw-in 95mm filter should be able to overcome. If it is caused by the holder, then would need to get the Cokin X-Pro with a wider 130mm width. I am trying to determine which filter system I need.
MWP,
The 17-35 has a 95mm filter ring. I use a standard Lee foundation kit holder and have removed the third tier clip and use a Lee 95mm adapter ring - Singh Ray 4x6 filters (100x150). The adapter ring has inside threads for an 82mm circular filter. With this set-up the lens will not vignette at 19mm with the 4x6's and using a "standard" circular polarized at 23-24mm without vignetting. If I really need the 17mm - I will hand hold over the empty lens. I also use this set-up for my other lenses with an 82mm Lee wide angle adapter.
If...Show more →
Thanks for your reply. And very nice landscapes shots.
To clarify further, is the vignette at 17mm caused by the adapter or the holder? If it is caused by the adapter, then a screw-in 95mm filter should be able to overcome. If it is caused by the holder, then would need to get the Cokin X-Pro with a wider 130mm width. I am trying to determine which filter system I need.
Jun 08, 2010 at 11:16 AM
p.14 #9Contax N Image Thread
A screw in polarizer will not vignette at 17mm in my experience, but one filter is the limit, so it is close.
Jun 08, 2010 at 12:03 PM
p.14 #10Contax N Image Thread
I have a standard B+W UV that came with the lens when I purchased it - it does not vignette - and have heard the same of 95mm polarizers. The Lee 95mm adapter ring only will vignette to about 19mm - the 95mm adapter ring could be easily be modified by "squaring" the four inside corners into the retainment lip with a file - you may have to reduce the holder to one track (eliminate the second and third tiers). I'll have to try that - looks easy. Stopping the lens down to f11-13 will also improve the vignette conditions.
The Cokin X-PRO will certainly eliminate vignetting at the disadvantage of cost, weight & size of the larger holder and filters - and I've never heard anything positive on the rendition of the Cokin filters. The Lee, Singh Ray and even the Hi/Tech are said to be much more color neutral.
There is an old post on FM discussing the 17-35 and filters (2008-2009) but I can't find it right now. For what I need and in relation to using other lenses - giving up a few mm and going to hand held if I do need the 17 seemed to be the best solution. I highly recommend the Singh Ray "Reverse" and "Soft" filters and do not use a polarizer wider than 24mm - the sky just gets too blotchy.
When I get some time I'll do a few test shots with the adapter and stop it down - to see the parameters. Maybe get the file out - looks like a 20-30 minute operation.
The Cokin X-PRO will certainly eliminate vignetting at the disadvantage of cost, weight & size of the larger holder and filters - and I've never heard anything positive on the rendition of the Cokin filters. The Lee, Singh Ray and even the Hi/Tech are said to be much more color neutral.
There is an old post on FM discussing the 17-35 and filters (2008-2009) but I can't find it right now. For what I need and in relation to using other lenses - giving up a few mm and going to hand held if I do need the 17 seemed to be the best solution. I highly recommend the Singh Ray "Reverse" and "Soft" filters and do not use a polarizer wider than 24mm - the sky just gets too blotchy.
When I get some time I'll do a few test shots with the adapter and stop it down - to see the parameters. Maybe get the file out - looks like a 20-30 minute operation.
Jun 08, 2010 at 12:10 PM
p.14 #11Contax N Image Thread
Thank you. I have a better idea of what to get now.
Jun 09, 2010 at 01:15 AM
p.14 #12Contax N Image Thread
ManWearPants,
I have used Cokin X-Pro and a custom Lee 'FK102' filter setup on a 17-35N and here is my experience:
The X-Pro is the best off-the-shelf, no mod solution if you want to shoot down to 17mm without hand-holding. The X-Pro filters are much better than the Cokin P-size filters. I have the 3-stop soft & hard grads and I found them to be colour neutral when used individually. When stacking them I noticed some magenta shift in the sky portion of the image. However I have also noticed some colour shift when stacking Lee and Singh Ray but not as much as with the stacked X-Pro's. Long exposures, starting from a few seconds and up, tend to increase the likelihood of colour shift regardless of filter brand. I haven't used the polarizer available for the X-Pro system.
I had Lee make a FK102 holder which slips on to the outside of the lens and is held in place by friction when you tighten the screw that tightens the holder's inner band around the outside of the lens. The '102' refers to the 102mm outside diameter of the 17-35 at the thickest part. Lee cuts the diameter of the FK holder to fit whatever lens it is being built for. The holder has a 0.5mm tolerance which is enough to place a rubber band around the lens to allow for better friction and reduce the possibility of scratching.
I think the FK102 is a better overall solution mainly because it gives you more flexibility when choosing filters. You can use any 4x6 filters which gives you access to ones to which Cokin may not have an equivalent in the X-Pro size. I was able to use up to 3 filters in the holder without vignetting (even at 17mm) because of how the holder sits back from the front of the lens rather than screwing in. For a polarizer, I opted for a 4x4 drop-in that I could place in front of the other filters. The weakness of this holder is that it is less convenient to set up and may not let you be very mobile while shooting. You have to be more careful to make sure it is secure on the lens, otherwise, it could pop off which would be very unfortunate with expensive filters in place.
Regarding filter holder vs hand-holding, I always prefer a holder because I tend to find a composition that I like, do a single setup and take longer exposures. It is also nice to be able to only worry about handling a cable release rather than worrying about how steady I am holding a filter over the course of several seconds or several minutes.
Hope this helps. Sorry for being a little off-topic in an image thread.
Brad
I have used Cokin X-Pro and a custom Lee 'FK102' filter setup on a 17-35N and here is my experience:
The X-Pro is the best off-the-shelf, no mod solution if you want to shoot down to 17mm without hand-holding. The X-Pro filters are much better than the Cokin P-size filters. I have the 3-stop soft & hard grads and I found them to be colour neutral when used individually. When stacking them I noticed some magenta shift in the sky portion of the image. However I have also noticed some colour shift when stacking Lee and Singh Ray but not as much as with the stacked X-Pro's. Long exposures, starting from a few seconds and up, tend to increase the likelihood of colour shift regardless of filter brand. I haven't used the polarizer available for the X-Pro system.
I had Lee make a FK102 holder which slips on to the outside of the lens and is held in place by friction when you tighten the screw that tightens the holder's inner band around the outside of the lens. The '102' refers to the 102mm outside diameter of the 17-35 at the thickest part. Lee cuts the diameter of the FK holder to fit whatever lens it is being built for. The holder has a 0.5mm tolerance which is enough to place a rubber band around the lens to allow for better friction and reduce the possibility of scratching.
I think the FK102 is a better overall solution mainly because it gives you more flexibility when choosing filters. You can use any 4x6 filters which gives you access to ones to which Cokin may not have an equivalent in the X-Pro size. I was able to use up to 3 filters in the holder without vignetting (even at 17mm) because of how the holder sits back from the front of the lens rather than screwing in. For a polarizer, I opted for a 4x4 drop-in that I could place in front of the other filters. The weakness of this holder is that it is less convenient to set up and may not let you be very mobile while shooting. You have to be more careful to make sure it is secure on the lens, otherwise, it could pop off which would be very unfortunate with expensive filters in place.
Regarding filter holder vs hand-holding, I always prefer a holder because I tend to find a composition that I like, do a single setup and take longer exposures. It is also nice to be able to only worry about handling a cable release rather than worrying about how steady I am holding a filter over the course of several seconds or several minutes.
Hope this helps. Sorry for being a little off-topic in an image thread.
Brad
Jun 09, 2010 at 04:49 PM
p.14 #13Contax N Image Thread
Brad K,
Could you use that filter holder with other lenses say with an 82 or 77mm filter ring? Or did you have to carry another holder to use with those lenses?
Also I have tested and noticed that stacking filters in the holder slots with space between them will indeed add a softness and in many conditions added reflection (i.e. pointing into the light source - the sun) - these effects are greatly reduced when stacking filters together - face to face / no space. JMO
Thanks
MM
Could you use that filter holder with other lenses say with an 82 or 77mm filter ring? Or did you have to carry another holder to use with those lenses?
Also I have tested and noticed that stacking filters in the holder slots with space between them will indeed add a softness and in many conditions added reflection (i.e. pointing into the light source - the sun) - these effects are greatly reduced when stacking filters together - face to face / no space. JMO
Thanks
MM
Jun 09, 2010 at 06:27 PM
p.14 #14Contax N Image Thread
Thank you Brad K and nMontag for the information. I think we should start a new thread on filters for N17-35 and not hog this image thread too much.
Jun 09, 2010 at 11:38 PM
Jun 10, 2010 at 08:31 AM
p.14 #18Contax N Image Thread
Anyone interested in a Contax N camera with 4,0/400mm, 2,8/100mm, 1,4/85mm, 2,8/17–35mm, together for 1800 euros? 
If I had the money for it and the conversions...
http://www.tweedehands.nl/foto-camera/digitale-camera/contax/contax-n-n1-mit-4-69088079.html
If I had the money for it and the conversions... http://www.tweedehands.nl/foto-camera/digitale-camera/contax/contax-n-n1-mit-4-69088079.html
Jun 13, 2010 at 04:17 AM
p.14 #19Contax N Image Thread
AhamB wrote:
Anyone interested in a Contax N camera with 4,0/400mm, 2,8/100mm, 1,4/85mm, 2,8/17?5mm, together for 1800 euros? If I had the money for it and the conversions...
http://www.tweedehands.nl/foto-camera/digitale-camera/contax/contax-n-n1-mit-4-69088079.html
I don't understand dutch, can you email the seller if he sells the N85 separately and for how much?
Anyone interested in a Contax N camera with 4,0/400mm, 2,8/100mm, 1,4/85mm, 2,8/17?5mm, together for 1800 euros?
If I had the money for it and the conversions... http://www.tweedehands.nl/foto-camera/digitale-camera/contax/contax-n-n1-mit-4-69088079.html
I don't understand dutch, can you email the seller if he sells the N85 separately and for how much?
Jun 13, 2010 at 11:59 AM
p.14 #20Contax N Image Thread
The ad actually is in German but the site is indeed Dutch. The ad doesn't say anything about only selling the whole set or individual lenses.
You can simply click the blue button on the right to email the person. It's obvious enough (just fill out your email address and the message, then click the button at the bottom to send).
You can simply click the blue button on the right to email the person. It's obvious enough (just fill out your email address and the message, then click the button at the bottom to send).
Jun 13, 2010 at 12:08 PM