Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!
SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

Anyone also uses a Contax (Carl Zeiss) 3,4/35-70mm?
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:10 pm    Post subject: Anyone also uses a Contax (Carl Zeiss) 3,4/35-70mm? Reply with quote
Hello,

I just received my Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar 35-70/3.4 and have two questions for those who have already used it:

When I turn it around its axis, as in: turn the camera between portrait/landscape, it makes noise like an automatic mechanic watch, a very low noise like something's winding inside. Is this normal?

Haven't tested it thoroughly yet, but it seems like at wide open (well, not wide, but 3.4...), I get quite a bit of color aberration (cyan glows) on a high-contrast motive, as soon as it's slightly out of focus. In this case this was the white heater-sidepanel with cutouts in it, so white/dark, and we're talking about the center of the picture.

I don't have an appropriate matte yet, so it's not very easy to focus, and I noticed this when I zoomed into the pictures on the display of my 5DII.

Can anyone relate to this?

Thanks in advance,
Chris


PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Chris wrote:
When I turn it around its axis, as in: turn the camera between portrait/landscape, it makes noise like an automatic mechanic watch, a very low noise like something's winding inside. Is this normal?

welcome
no, the sound is not normal. maybe the lens fall and have moving pieces inside
for aberration show a sample, some purple fringing could appear in high contrast but should not be too apparent


PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The sound is not "unhealty" actually, its sounds like a soft winding mechanism. Plus, it only lasts for a quarter turn, then it stops. Like if I turn the camera upright (portrait) it makes the noise, if I turn it back to landscape and portrait in the other direction, it makes the noise, but then if i turn it further (upside down) it stops. Hm shit, it would suck if I had to send it back...

One more thing: How do you get to the Macro range? If I extend the tube until 35mm, I still can't turn the focus ring past the 0,7m mark. I know there's supposed to be a resistance, but I turned quite forceful and don't want to apply more force actually...

Thanks,
Chris


PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
mine make also a soft winding noise but I had to check it to notice
the lens have to be fully extended at 35 mm to engage the macro, even 1 mm less and it doesn't work


PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Welcome and enjoy your stay!

"Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar 35-70/3.4" ... nice start! Wink

Could you perhaps add the place where you live?


PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 3:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Wow, this is pretty lively, so many responses so quickly! Thanks!

Here's a 100% crop. The fringing seen on the left pic only appears from one "side", i.e. if I am just *slightly* in backfocus, whereas if I'm slightly frontfocussing, there's no fringing (right picture):



The macro is definitely not working I pulled/turned quite a bit now, I feel I'm gonna break the thing if I apply more force. How can that be?

Thanks,
Chris


PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 3:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Mine does not make any strange noise, I checked it a minute ago.
I think your lens is not in normal condition, also the above shots
look a bit soft even they are 100% crops. This lens is quite sharp IMO.


PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sound in Contax lens = not good

Your other symptoms make me think you have a damaged lens unfortunately.


PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oh man, how bad. I was sooooo looking forward to this lens...

Ok, so you're saying this fringing thing is not normal? I should send it back, huh?

Might wanna add the crops are from 3.4/70mm, and of course the pictures are out of focus, the one with the fringing only slightly, the other one a little more I guess.

Thanks,
Chris

Last edited by chris_weinert on Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:53 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the "Berlin". Wink

I do not know the Contax/Zeiss lenses well, but when Orio says it's not good, you can be sure it's not good.

A Zeiss lens should not go "clickertyclack". And it shouldn't be soft either. Sad


PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I can hear slight click when I turn my copy around (MMJ version). But it works perfectly, including the macro mode. I have never seen a soft image coming of it (unless there was a camera shake/motion blur involved). It may show a little bit of CA sometimes but in my experience it is very well controlled in this lens - much better than in Planar when shot wide open, for example.


PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 8:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nope, both is not normal (sounds/softness) - I had a similar case not too long ago and it turned out that a very
small screw inside the helicoid got loose and needed to be fixed again. I would certainly stop trying to make it
worse (i.e using it) and either give it back or have it serviced ASAP.

(I know an excellent lens repair service in Stuttgart in case you need one; or send it directly to Zeiss service)


PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 5:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
So, for all those who will ever face the same problem:

1) The problem with the blocked Macro was a that the rail inside apparently had displaced a little, it was fixed back to its original position and now it's working perfectly.

2) The problem with the noise while turning I was told is normal, as the blade mechanism of the lens is apparently contains a ball bearing which is the source of/reason for the noise.

3) The fringing is gone, although nothing was repaired other than the rail mentioned above. Fine for me. Smile

Again, thanks for your feedback here!

Best,
Chris


PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
nice come back Chris, wish more would do this.
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
Page 1 of 1