Contax Yashica Lenses

[Coach Rosie]

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I have several lovely Zeiss lenses that I used to use on my Contax 139 and ST, including an 85mm 1.4. I now have a Leica M9 and heard that you can buy an adaptor that makes it possible to use C/Y lenses. Has anyone out there tried to do so? If so, how did it work out? They are really great lenses and I hate to see them go to waste.

 

Thanks!

[tobey bilek]

How are you going to focus?

[giordano]

Less tersely: no adapter can couple the CY lenses' focusing to the Leica rangefinder. So you'll be reduced to setting the distance to the subject on the lens's rudimentary distance scale, which is no big deal with (say) a 35mm lens at f/8 but impossible with an 85mm at f/1.4.

[adan]

Your lenses don't have to go to waste - but the M9 is not the best path. As mentioned, you lose any focusing capability except the focus ring, DoF (small apertures), and luck - on a rangefinder body. Your odds of getting a focused picture with the 85 using f/1.4 on an M9 are virtually zilch.

 

The realistic option is an adapter to a digital SLR. The easiest route is the Canon EOS SLRs, although there may be pathways to Nikon or Sony cameras as well. You do lose auto-stopdown - if you're shooting at f/8, you're focusing at f/8.

 

CONTAX C/Y LENSES ON CANON dSLRs --- COMPATIBILITY DATABASE

 

It might be noted that Zeiss now makes the 85 f/1.4 and other prime lenses from the Kyocera/Contax era in full-functioning mounts for Canon EOS, Pentax and Nikon cameras - as well as making AF versions directly for Sony. Of course, that doesn't help you "save" your old C/Y lenses.

 

Camera Mounts

 

Lenses

[darylgo]

I did this with Nikkors on the M9, an 8mm fisheye seemed a natural for this combination. The results were poor and I didn't bother to determine the reason.

[iangee]

Despite doom ridden warnings in this forum I bought a new C/Y-LM adaptor on ebay ( I forget the name of the company; it says Japan and was only £20-£30 but is quite well made) which enables me to occasionally use on the M9 a couple of lenses I kept. I had previously sold my superb Zeiss lenses as they really need more accurate focussing than the scale. I do however use a Yashica macro lens via the adaptor for close up work and the scale on the lens is remarkably accurate when used with a tape measure and of course I generally stop well down anyway. I also use a Russian Arsat 35mm shift lens, again using the scale. In both cases, the viewfinder is virtually useless, but as the camera is invariably used on a tripod it is perfectly feasible to check the taken image and reposition the camera to suit before taking a second exposure.

Ian

[vladik]

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I have several lovely Zeiss lenses that I used to use on my Contax 139 and ST, including an 85mm 1.4. I now have a Leica M9 and heard that you can buy an adaptor that makes it possible to use C/Y lenses. Has anyone out there tried to do so? If so, how did it work out? They are really great lenses and I hate to see them go to waste.

 

Thanks!

If I were you I would get a Ricoh GXR with A12 Mount plus adaptor for your Zeiss lenses. This way you gain a backup body for your M9 and M mount lenses and an ability to use your Zeiss lenses. Focusing is not a problem once you get use to it. I have no problem to focus 1.4/50 Lux on GXR. At times I prefer to take out GXR to M9 for casual walk around photography.

[Coach Rosie]

Thanks so much for all the great advice.

 

It's not an expensive piece. But then again, if it doesn't work too well, why bother???

[kanzlr]

If I were you I would get a Ricoh GXR with A12 Mount plus adaptor for your Zeiss lenses. This way you gain a backup body for your M9 and M mount lenses and an ability to use your Zeiss lenses. Focusing is not a problem once you get use to it. I have no problem to focus 1.4/50 Lux on GXR. At times I prefer to take out GXR to M9 for casual walk around photography.

 

+1

I use the GXR for M, R and Contax lenses. Works perfectly.