Finally found Contax Planar 50mm f1.7 with 8XXXXXX serial

[bleach551]

After watching ebay for a long time, I recently Found a Contax Zeiss planar 50mm F1.7 with a 8XXXXXX serial number. The exact serial Number is 8405867 and it was in like NEW condition. Here is a pic taken with it, excuse the boring subject matter. Photo was taken wide open at F1.7.

[poilu]

congrats bleach, you didn't wait too long
don't forget to show us some video in the 'movie section'

[AhamB]

What's special about the 8XXXXXX serial, if I may ask?

[bleach551]

Poilu,

I promise to post some video as soon as I can find something interesting to post a video of. I don't want to post a boring video of my backyard.

AhamB,

Some people, including some people on this board have speculated that they believed that the Planar 50mm F1.7 went through further improvements in optical resolution in the 8XXXXXX serial numbers from the known improvement in 69XXXXX serial number, which was the change from AE version to MM version. This is only speculation and can't be officially proven. Also because all of my other contax Zeiss lenses have 8XXXXXX serial numbers(etc.. planar 85mm f1.4 (8412198) and distagon 28mm f2.8 (8138552).

[bleach551]

Poilu,

I have uploaded a video of my canon 7d with the Contax Planar 50mm f1.7.
you can check it out here:
http://www.vimeo.com/12886895

[poilu]

nice test bleach, colors are great, keep filming

[bleach551]

Thanks Poilu,

I am still fine tuning the in-camera settings, as well as fine tuning my color correction abilities in Avid Media Composer.I will most likely try some different settings in Sorenson Squeeze also. I am trying to change the settings in Sorenson so that vimeo's encoder will do a better job of properly displaying the footage the way it was when it was exported out of Avid Media Composer.

[egidio]

what a massive rolling shutter, you should use tripod od steadycam, but nice picture quality

[bleach551]

Egidio Thanks,

Yes, "rolling shutter" is one of the biggest consequences, along with Moire and Aliasing, of using a DSLR handheld . I only wanted to show Poilu a sample of what the Contax Planar 50mm f1.7 looked like in the video mode of my 7D. I had a Canon XH-A1 HDV camcorder which I sold for my Canon 7D, and I never had to worry about"rolling shutter", since it had a CCD based sensor. For serious work, it is a "Must" to have some really good stabilization for any CMOS based DSLR, as well as any Video capture device that uses a CMOS sensor, including the "RED" cinema camera.

[bleach551]

I have exchanged the original video with a new video with a clip taken with my Planar 85mm f1.4, the first clip, along with different material taken the same day at the same location. a new link has been included above in the 5th post.

[AhamB]

[bleach551]

AhamB,

I don't know what that was. I have had mulitiple Planar 50mm f1.7, 5 to be exact, 3 with serial numbers from 68xxxxx to 687xxx and unless they produced a few MM's and then went back to producing AE's I don't know what to tell you. The 68xxxxx's I had were all AE's with " black" mounts and "white" 16's. One of the other 2 Planars had a "silver and Black" mount, one of the features on a "MM" but had a "white" 16 and a 67xxxxx serial number. I don't want to accuse anyone of anything wrong, because I only know that "my" planar 50mm f1.7's with 68xxxxx serial numbers were all "AE's" and the general consensus is that the "MM's" were started at around the 69xxxxx serial numbers. Maybe someone vastly more knowledgeable than myself can explain that specific Planar 50mm f1.7 you mentioned.

[aoleg]

I think different s/n were used by German and Japanese factories, so it's incorrect to assume anything without also noting a place of manufacture. I have an MMJ Sonnar 85/2.8 with 66xxxx s/n by the way.

[bleach551]

All of my Planars were made in Japan. I would agree that for different lenses, etc..85mm Planar f1.4, 50mm Planar f1.4, the MM conversion may have happened at different serial numbers , but , based on what I beleive you are saying, there will be a Japanese 50mm f1.7 6014565 and a German 50mm f1.7 6014565 . Or, are you saying that , at some point, the German manufacturer of the Planar 50mm f1.7 started lets say for example 6678456 with the "MM" production and stopped at lets say 6899999 for the 6900000 's "MM's" to be produced in Japan. Or, finally, are you saying that the Planar 50mm f1.7 was produced in some kind of alternating sequence between the Germans and Japanese. According to the auction for the lens that has been mentioned with the serial #6798301

http://forum.mflenses.com/sold-carl-zeiss-planar-t-50mm-f-1-7-mmj-contax-yashica-t30043,highlight,planar+50mm.html

it was not German but Japanese, but stated to be an"MMJ". All of my Japanese 50mm f1.7 Planars with serial #'s 68xxxxx to 687xxxx were all "AE"s .

AhamB,

where did you see , or see stated that it had a "green" 16? The only things I see, or that makes me beleive it could be an MMJ, is that says it is a "MMJ" and it has the silver and black mount, which I stated my Planar with the 67xxxxx serial # had and it was an "AE" with a "white" 16.

[aoleg]

I think that German and Japanese factories could have either a) switched from AE to MM at different times, or b) switched at about the same time for a given lens, but due to manufacturing capacities may have used different serial numbers at the time of the switch (I would guess they made more lenses in Japan than in Germany). I think that b) is more likely.

[bleach551]

Aoleg,

I believe your Hypothesis, (b), sounds highly likely. All of my purchase decisions about which Planar 50mm f1.7 to buy were based on the belief of an "MM" conversion at around the 69xxxxx serial number. Yours and AhamB's posts has caused to me rethink that belief. I don't know if that belief is true , maybe, maybe not. However, I will keep reading more info. wherever I can find it to get a much better understanding of when this "MM" conversion process actually took place. I still question that Planar that has been mentioned, but I will "leave that one alone". BTW, I have sold the Planar that I have went on and on about in this topic for an Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2.0 SLI, the one with the silver metal focusing ring. I do this alot, when I see a hard to find lens that I really wanted I would sacrifice one I already had to purchase it, and repurchase the lens I had sold at a later date, hince the reason I have had 5 Planar 50mm f1.7's. I will post pictures when it arrives.

[AhamB]

[bleach551]

AhamB,

I apologize If those comments came across as rude. I looked at them recently again and realized that they could have been seen that way. It was a bad day when I made those comment. I had recently sold a lens on Ebay, a Distagon 28mm f2.8, in order to buy another lens, A Planar 50mm F1.4. Upon checking my Paypal account , It showed that the funds from that transaction had been placed on "hold" for up to 21 days!! for some reason. I have a %100 feedback rating and have had no cases or returns. Apparently It is some new policy with Paypal, and A lot of other good ebayers have had the same problem recently. So a word of caution to anyone going to or currently selling ebay, this could potentially happen to you.

I sold My Planar 50mm f1.7 for the Voigtlander ultron 40mm f2.0 as I mentioned in a previuos post. I will buy a Planar 50mm F1.4 once my paypal funds have been released. A friend let me try his and the bokeh was similiar to that of my favorite lens , the Planar 85mm f1.4 MMJ.
Although in reviews and forums all over the internet, which declare the the F1.7 sharper, the planar 50mm f1.4 I used looked as sharp, with better contrast, saturation, and better bokeh than the Planar 50mm f1.7 I had and sold.

[AhamB]

[bleach551]

AhamB,

I am glad you didn't take those comments the wrong way. I did like the images from the Distagon, but once you use The Planar 85mm F1.4 and Planar 50mm f1.7 with such shallow depth of field, the Distagon"s bokeh just didn't give me that same "joy" and "pleasure" to use. I think If I didn't own the Planar 85mm F1.4, the Planar 50mm f1.7, that I recently sold, and the Helios 58mm f2.0 I would have "loved" the Distagon. One of the reasons I sold the Distagon 28mm f2.8 was to buy a Planar 50mm f1.4, which seemed to have the same bokeh as my Planar 85mm f1.4 with a wider FOV. I think you would love the Planar f1.4 much better than the Planar 1.7 as I do. The Distagon just seemed like the "redheaded Stepchild" to all of my other lenses. No offense to redheaded stepchildren".

BTW, I used the Fotodiox C/Y to Eos Adapter. I just don't think it makes much difference with the crop sensor cameras like the 7D, 1.6X crop. I think it is more critical with the canon 5D MKII , which has "clearance"
issues with some Contax Lenses, one being the Planar 50mm f1.7. I too was thinking of purchasing the HappyHK adapter, because of its excellent reviews by most 5D MKII owners. but the Fotodiox gave me a very"tight" fit for my lenses, and execellent sharpness corner to corner for only $22 US.

[AhamB]

I see now that you have a 7D... I have a 5D so 28mm has a more interesting FoV then.

Btw, another pre 69xxxxx MM lens: Click here to see on Ebay

[bleach551]

AhamB,

Thanks for the Link. I was looking at these two:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160453457517&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

and this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130407008671&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

I Was going to buy the first one with the money from the sell Of the Distagon, But Paypal has put a hold on those funds until a Maximum of 21 days!! or until the buyer of the lens leaves positive feedback. It some kind of new policy at Paypal now, I have a %100 feedback score and no returns or cases against me and 35 feedbacks. I have heard of Ebayers with 440 feedbacks with a %100 feedback score having this problem as well. Go Figure?

PS. The happyhk adapter might be a better choice than the Fotodiox for the 5D

[AhamB]

Those look really good.

That paypal/ebay situation really sucks. The buyer of your distagon probably is still waiting to receive the lens -- otherwise you could just ask him to provide feedback?

[bleach551]

I bought my planar 85mm F1.4 MMj with an 84xxxxx serial # from the first links seller for $568 US and the lens was in Mint++/Like New condition. If your ever want to find the best quality contax zeiss lenses for the best price on Ebay, you have to get it from him.

The ebay thing sucks big time!! The buyer of the lens , fortunately he lives in the US, and the Priority Mail shipping option will take only 2-3 days for him to get it. That should be Monday. So hopefully my funds will be released then.

[bleach551]

AhamB,

I almost forgot to give you a link to some videos I made with the Canon 7D Planar 85mm f1.4 and Planar 50mm f1.7 combo:

http://www.vimeo.com/12963927

Links to photos taken with contax Planar 50mm f1.4, there may be some new Zeiss 50mm 1.4 photos mixed in also.

http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=planar+50mm+f1.4&m=text#page=19