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I tried the M with R adapter and EVF


stuny

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Chris,

 

This is the one

 

*Mint* Contax Vario-Sonnar T* 28-85mm f/3.3-4.0 MMJ 28-85/F3.3-4.0 jp10255 0067215004322 | eBay

 

I just put in Contax 28-85 as a search and a few came up plus the usual Tokina rubbish and sheepskin bags.

 

Wilson

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A quick word of warning to anyone considering a Contax mid range zoom lens. If these have suffered rough treatment at some time, the one touch zoom can go out of adjustment. The collar rotates for focus and trombones for zoom. Normally I don't like this but it seems to work well on these lenses, when in proper adjustment. However the lens should stay perfectly in focus when you zoom. If the lens focus alters when you zoom there is a problem. It is a VERY skilled job to get this put right. I think in the UK, Malcolm Taylor is about the only person who can now do this and you might have to budget for an extended stay in Oswestry. I would only buy such a lens from a local eBay seller with a return agreed if the zoom was not in adjustment. I would think Malcolm would now be charging around £100+ for a rebuild, which might make the purchase price uneconomic.

 

Malcolm did my 35-70 a few years ago, when it had this issue. Contax UK's service agent (Photopia-Johnsons) tried and failed to get it right plus scratched the front element into the bargain. I blagged Contax UK, for whom I was a beta tester at the time, into giving me an ex-demo 28-85 in compensation and then sold the 35-70 after Malcolm had repaired it properly, including re-polishing and re-coating the front element.

 

Wilson

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Chris,

 

This is the one

 

*Mint* Contax Vario-Sonnar T* 28-85mm f/3.3-4.0 MMJ 28-85/F3.3-4.0 jp10255 0067215004322 | eBay

 

I just put in Contax 28-85 as a search and a few came up plus the usual Tokina rubbish and sheepskin bags.

 

Wilson

 

I'd been searching on Zeiss.... Do you have an opinion on these? Looks like an interesting option also for anyone looking for a zoom...

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Chris,

 

I think the Contax 28-85 is about as good as a manual focus zoom gets. The later N auto focus series 24-85 did not have as good a reputation and was the cause of a lot of friction between Zeiss and Kyocera, due to the very high proportion of rejects by the Zeiss inspectors.

 

The 35-70 Contax may be I suspect, nearly identical to the Leica one, as they were both made by Kyocera. Why design a new lens, when the existing one is first class and highly thought of.

 

The one to avoid is the 28-70 lens. This is an inferior product and was generally sold as a kit lens with the "cheap" Aria body.

 

Wilson

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The 35-70 Contax may be I suspect, nearly identical to the Leica one, as they were both made by Kyocera. Why design a new lens, when the existing one is first class and highly thought of.

 

I would not make this assumption. It might be true but it depends on who designed the lens(es) and what the licencing agreements were.

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I would not make this assumption. It might be true but it depends on who designed the lens(es) and what the licencing agreements were.

 

Doug,

 

You are correct - they are definitely different lenses. The Leica one (left diagram) is 8 elements and two ring operation against the Zeiss 10 elements and single ring operation (right diagram). Looking at the MTF's at 50mm, the Leica lens looks a bit superior to the Zeiss. At 35mm they are about equal and at 70mm, the Zeiss might be a touch better. You pays your money and takes your choice. In real life the MTF's for both lenses are excellent, so in the end, I would guess it comes down to if you prefer one touch or two touch operation

 

Wilson

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And f/3.4 vs f/4 no?

 

Well the Zeiss is quoted as f3.4 to f4 and the Leica as a straight f4. I would not read much into this as Leica may only quote the minimum figure. However as shown by the element diagrams, they are definitely different lenses.

 

Wilson

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Also, I remember reading in Leica literature that the 35-70 f4.0 has one aspherical element surface. I've no idea why they didn't label the lens ASPH. 'Seems it would only have helped sales.

 

Brent

 

... probably they would prefer to keep the "prestige" ASPH name for the 35-70 2,8 which was surely on development when the last 35-70 f4 entered : the 2,8 was announced only 1 year after and was a "in house" lens much more than the f4, which came from Kyocera/Zeiss...

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Interesting thread. Thanks for the reports.

 

My questions on focus peaking relate to its utility wrt nature photography with long lenses. Think about fast moving, uncooperative models that don't get out of bed for less than 10,000 meal worms.

 

- Does the front button have to be pressed for focus peaking to work? Can it be set to work whenever the camera is awake?

 

- Does focus peaking work on eyes? What about the eyes of a speckled eastern spine-bill?

 

- There will already be some latency with the EVF. Is there any additional latency with focus peaking?

 

- Will focus peaking suck battery power? Is this why it's activated separately?

 

- User reports suggest that the way focus peaking represents contrasts in the scene is affected by the len's working aperture. True?

 

- Is there graduation in the brightness of the red lines, to indicate where within the depth of focus an object is?

 

- Is the optimal focus point of focus peaking set to the middle of the depth of focus, or 1/3rd into the depth of focus?

 

- Will focus peaking be of any real use with long lenses?

 

If Leica would like to send me an M240 for evaluation I'll write up a report, complete with some red outlined pics of my most beautiful models. Nude. :)

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My questions on focus peaking relate to its utility wrt nature photography with long lenses. Think about fast moving, uncooperative models that don't get out of bed for less than 10,000 meal worms.

 

I believe that Rick's needs and mine coincide to a very high degree (substituting a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher for a speckled eastern spine-bill).

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I can only partly answer one of the questions: If I recall properly, focus peaking moves as one rotates the focus collar.

 

Ha! That's handy. If it didn't, it would be called 'Focus-History' :)

 

When are we likely to see the first M-240s being delivered? Or at least reviewed by some forum members?

 

Perhaps some are already testing them. C'mon fellas, 'Loose lips sell Ms."

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Adobe is working on the M with R lenses: the release 4.3 of Lightroom supports some R lenses :

  • Elmarit-R 19 mm f/2.8
  • Elmarit-R 28 mm f/2.8
  • Summilux-R 35 mm f/1.4
  • Summicron-R 35 mm f/2
  • Summilux-R 50 mm f/1.4
  • Summicron-R 50 mm f/2
  • Macro-Elmarit-R 60 mm f/2.8
  • Summilux-R 80 mm f/1.4
  • Apo-Summicron-R 90 mm f/2 Asph.
  • Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R 100 mm f/2.8
  • Apo-Summicron-R 180 mm f/2
  • Apo-Elmarit-R 180 mm f/2.8
  • Apo-Telyt-R 280 mm f/2.8
  • Apo-Telyt-R 280 mm f/4
  • Apo-Telyt-R 400 mm f/2,8
  • Apo-Telyt-R 400 mm f/4
  • Apo-Telyt-R 560 mm f/4
  • Apo-Telyt-R 560 mm f/5.6
  • Apo-Telyt-R 800 mm f/5.6
  • Vario-Elmar-R 21-35 mm f/3.5-4 Asph.
  • Vario-Elmarit-R 28-90 mm f/2.8-4.5 Asph.
  • Vario-Elmar-R 35-70 mm f/4
  • Vario-Apo-Elmarit-R 70-180 mm f/2.8
  • Vario-Elmar-R 80-200 mm f/4

(source: Adobe)

 

This is not exactly the list published by Leica for the menu of the new M. The Super-Elmarit-R 15 mm f/2, the Apo-Telyt-R 180 mm f/3.4 and the Vario-Elmar-R 28-70 mm f/3.5-4.5 are missing (for the next release?). The Sumicron-R 90 f/2 is missing too but we have the Apo-Summicron-R 90 mm f/2 Asph. And we have the modular Apo-Telyt :)

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