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jip

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Hey guys,

 

As you may know I am using the Contax 645 lenses with the S I've made a Flickr group for the adapter+lenses so if you have any photos taken with the Contax 645 lenses on your S feel free to post them.

 

For now I have posted all my photos taken with Contax 645 lenses and the S in the group

 

For now there are results from the following lenses: 

 

Distagon T* 3,5/35mm

Distagon T* 2,8/45mm

Sonnar T* 2,8/140mm

Sonnar T* 4,0/210mm

 

https://www.flickr.com/groups/leica-s-adapter-contax645/pool/with/24874710096/

 

One fun thing:

The Contax lens aperture blades stop down much faster than the Leica S lenses, meaning if you are shooting at F16 and you release the shutter there is less shutter lag than with the native Leica lenses. (Leica should learn, and improve their lenses because the lag seriously sucks...) 

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I see Jip's images but they don't seem to be part of the group.

 

Very helpful, especially the many images of the Contax 45mm, which I've been considering for a while to replace my somewhat ponderous and far pricier Elmarit-S. I have fond memories of the more subdued Zeiss colours and period feeling from the 35mm Contax Zeiss lenses, and the 45 seems plenty sharp even wide open. The architectural photos at the end also seem to have good geometry.

 

How do the Contax 645 lenses handle for manual focus? I don't much like the haptics of S lenses for MF. Most of my lenses feel too loose and light, except the 45mm, which has a very resistant focus ring.

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  • 2 weeks later...

There are plenty photos posted in the group now? Can you guys see them?

 

I think build quality the Contax lenses are great especially for the money one pays for them. All lenses with AF motors and clutches (like the S lenses and Contax 645 lenses) feel a bit too easy manual focussing...

 

 

The performance is great though, not equal to the S lenses... but no lenses are... but I do like the quality of the files a lot and the zeiss lenses have a nice look! :)

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Still not showing in the group ... lists 46 photos but only the most recent can be seen and when you return to the group 7 other photos are there ... must be a broken link?

 

Could be that I am not signed in ... and will not if that is required. 

 

Going to your photo stream and using the TAG Leica S - C Adapter brings them up ...

 

Two of my favorites are with the 210/4  

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jipvankuijk/24533565149/

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jipvankuijk/24533590869/

 

 

Bob

Edited by docmoore
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How do the Contax 645 lenses handle for manual focus? I don't much like the haptics of S lenses for MF. Most of my lenses feel too loose and light, except the 45mm, which has a very resistant focus ring.

Alan, I have two Contax lenses for my recently acquired S (006). I also have the 70mm Summarit, my only Leica lens for this body.Frankly, I bought into the Zeiss family because of the extraordinary price differential between the Leica and Zeiss iterations. 

Anticipating this purchase, I also bought the split focus screen which has made manual fine-tuning very easy - along with the briliant S view finder.

In terms of haptics, I find the Zeiss lenses very agreeable to use. The 120mm focuses very quickly and easily, being neither too loose or stiff. But then, it is a manual lens, so there is no resistance from a motor. Likewise, the 35mm focuses swiftly and accurately, though you do feel that you are moving more lens guts. In this respect, the haptics are similar to MF of my 70mm Summarit .

All in all, I am very pleased with the Zeiss lenses. I am thrilled that Leica makes this family of lenses available. Mine cost less than 25% than the Leica alternatives, and they were not the cheapest available. True, you have to spend for the adapter, but they are regularly available for about $1k, and that admits you to a set of world class glass.

And the frugal part of me is also not blind to the considerable depreciation of Leica S lenses. A new Summarit S 70mm retails for approximately $4300. Samples sell on Ebay for well under $2000. I have seen the $7500 Summarit 120mm go for less than a third that price. Were money no object, I would populate my lens quiver with Leica. But I feel that the Zeiss lenses are extraordinary alternatives at bargain basement prices. 

For example: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CONTAX-Carl-Zeiss-Sonnar-210mm-f-4-T-Lens-for-Contax-645-MINT-from-Japan-302-/162012595679?hash=item25b8b405df:g:fyUAAOSweW5VaKgn.

Hope this helps.

David

Edited by Deliberate1
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The 210 mm sonnar is a amazing lens! I do feel I need to fine tune the focus manually though, I use AF to get quick approximate focus and then finetune... especially when close to the subject (normal I think with such shallow depth of field) Maybe also why leica hasn't released anything longer than 180mm simply because they have a hard time to have the lens focus accurately. 

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I don't think so. I have the HC300 via adapter and it focuses as accurately as any other Leica or HC lens on the S. Haven't tried any of the Contax lenses on the S yet, even though I have previous experience of a number of these (incl. the 350) on a Contax 645 with a Sinar back, and even there I did not experience any focus accuracy issues (speed wasn't to write home about, of course, but accuracy was fine).

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