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Contax Vario-Sonnar 35-70: wow!
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 10:06 pm    Post subject: Contax Vario-Sonnar 35-70: wow! Reply with quote

I expected this lens to be good.
But mostly I bought it because it is lightweight and it can do 1:2.5 macro.
And I also wanted to try a Contax zoom.

The results where impressive.
I now have 8 Zeiss lenses. I think this one has the best 3D rendering.
Wonderful colors and contrast.

I had just taken my first shots with the Planar 2/135.
I changed lens and took a photo. The result was noticeably better!
I think this says it all. Perhaps I had trouble focusing the Planar with a moving subject, but ...

I will upload here some high-res images.

Here is the first photo I took. 70mm @ f3.4 (wide open)
1a. Whole frame


1b. 100% crop of the center


One more:
2. 70mm @ f/3.4


PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 10:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Impressive!


PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 10:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's a fantastic lens and the one I shall use as my walkaround lens when I travel to New York nexy year Smile So sharp!


PostPosted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 1:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

im
so
envious
Very Happy Smile Confused Sad Evil or Very Mad


PostPosted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 2:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ManualFocus-G wrote:
It's a fantastic lens and the one I shall use as my walkaround lens }......................So sharp!


The only zoom that I should have.


PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 9:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is probably my favorite C/Y lens. I love the bokeh is produces in macro mode and the sharpness and contrast rival the c/y primes.


PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 10:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Omar wrote:
Very nice! So sharp wide open it's almost too sharp. Is this better than the Vario sonnar 28-80 in terms of sharpness and overall rendering?


The advantage over the 28-85mm is the lighter weight and a bit less distortion at the wide end. Both lenses are excellent.


PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 10:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Omar wrote:
Very nice! So sharp wide open it's almost too sharp. Is this better than the Vario sonnar 28-80 in terms of sharpness and overall rendering?


Sharper than 28-85, yes, definitely. The 35-70 is one of the sharpest Contax lenses.
Overall rendering, I don't know. The 28-85 images look very nice to my eye.


PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 8:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I love this lens, was my first Zeiss and have never looked back.


PostPosted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 4:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ManualFocus-G wrote:

The advantage over the 28-85mm is the lighter weight and a bit less distortion at the wide end. Both lenses are excellent.


Precisely. To be picky, the 35-70 vignettes more on the wide end than the humongous 28-85, and has a nice macro mode that the 28-85 doesn't. It's also a lot lighter and smaller - you have to hold the two lenses in both hands to really appreciate its diminutive size compared to the larger lens.


PostPosted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Omar wrote:
Thank you guys for the answer. I need to get me one of these...so many lenses that I want... Very Happy


Sometime (mostly) you want it, not because of you need it Very Happy


PostPosted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 8:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I managed to get this lens in like new condition for 220€ and after a first walk with it, I must say, that I'm really impressed. Very sharp picture taker.
That will absolutly stay with me!

Klaus


PostPosted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 9:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Congratulations Klaus! I've been using mine for street photography this weekend and will put some up later Smile


PostPosted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 10:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

exaklaus wrote:
I managed to get this lens in like new condition for 220€ and after a first walk with it, I must say, that I'm really impressed. Very sharp picture taker.
That will absolutly stay with me!

Klaus

Really good price!
Where did you get it from?


PostPosted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 11:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Click here to see on Ebay.de

Klaus


PostPosted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 11:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Congrats ! Nice that you got this lens. Very Happy


I saw the auction and thought to make a bit by myself. But I have in the meantime to much lenses so I have renounced. Hopefully I will not think that this was a mistake if you will show here the first images. Laughing Laughing Laughing


PostPosted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 6:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

and what about the vario-sonnar 3.5-4.5/28-70mm ?


PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 8:42 pm    Post subject: Vario-Sonnar 35-70 Reply with quote

Hi guys, I am new to the forum, what a pleasure to read about MF lenses ! I had this and other CZ lenses for a Contax RX, which I still use. I wanted to try all of them on my Canon 5D MkII, but did not want to order an expensive adapter in case there was a problem. So with minimal outlay I managed to find a cheap one, about 20 euros or so. The Vario-Sonnar works well and I was amazed at the results, few pics included. The 50 mm Planar 1.4 and 28 mm Distagon 2.8 lenses however don't seem to work....is the Leitax converter the best option ? Any other suggestions ? Apologies if these topics have been covered recently


PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 8:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been using a distagon 2.8/28 on a 5dIII recently with a 10 euros adapter and everything worked just fine. What it's wrong with yours?


PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 8:21 am    Post subject: Re: Vario-Sonnar 35-70 Reply with quote

zeissfan wrote:
Hi guys, I am new to the forum, what a pleasure to read about MF lenses ! I had this and other CZ lenses for a Contax RX, which I still use. I wanted to try all of them on my Canon 5D MkII, but did not want to order an expensive adapter in case there was a problem. So with minimal outlay I managed to find a cheap one, about 20 euros or so. The Vario-Sonnar works well and I was amazed at the results, few pics included. The 50 mm Planar 1.4 and 28 mm Distagon 2.8 lenses however don't seem to work....is the Leitax converter the best option ? Any other suggestions ? Apologies if these topics have been covered recently


Hello Zeissfan and welcome aboard. Very Happy

Your pictures didn't show because of antispam measures.
Now that I quoted your message, your future posts will have pictures appear without problem.

Great IQ for sure.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 2:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow wow wow, much more than I can expect before clicking to your thread Surprised

Congrats, this lens can replace few primes for sure.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 4:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This lens has the reputation of being one of the best zooms ever, beats many primes, the biggest downsize for me is it's size.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 13, 2015 1:39 am    Post subject: May be common knowledge but . . . Reply with quote

Seems fitting to add to a newly revived thread because I'm just returning to the forum after a long absence.

This may be common knowledge but in case it is not . . .

Zeiss kindly continue to maintain a download center of datasheets and info for historical kit:

http://www.zeiss.com/camera-lenses/en_de/service/download_center.html

Germane to this conversation are the sheets for the Vario-Sonnar zooms under 'Contax-Yashica' that include MTF charts. Whilst the 35-70 is very good indeed, the 28-85 is better, especially at wider apertures.

Even more detailed evidence is available at the venerable Photodo site:

http://www.photodo.com/browse-lenses

Filter for Manufacturer/Contax and navigate to the 'Images' tab for a lens to see even more detailed MTF charts -- well for most if not all lenses.

All that said, I own both a 28-70 and a 35-70 and find I use the former more than the latter because I prefer the way it handles. The surprise is that despite clearly inferior MTF results, I also like the way it renders; perhaps I simply have poor eyes. For the record, I bought and returned a 28-85 many years ago. Optically excellent of course but so cumbersome I considered it a tripod only lens.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 13, 2015 1:59 am    Post subject: Re: May be common knowledge but . . . Reply with quote

scottgee1 wrote:
Seems fitting to add to a newly revived thread because I'm just returning to the forum after a long absence.

This may be common knowledge but in case it is not . . .

Zeiss kindly continue to maintain a download center of datasheets and info for historical kit:

http://www.zeiss.com/camera-lenses/en_de/service/download_center.html

Germane to this conversation are the sheets for the Vario-Sonnar zooms under 'Contax-Yashica' that include MTF charts. Whilst the 35-70 is very good indeed, the 28-85 is better, especially at wider apertures.

Even more detailed evidence is available at the venerable Photodo site:

http://www.photodo.com/browse-lenses

Filter for Manufacturer/Contax and navigate to the 'Images' tab for a lens to see even more detailed MTF charts -- well for most if not all lenses.

All that said, I own both a 28-70 and a 35-70 and find I use the former more than the latter because I prefer the way it handles. The surprise is that despite clearly inferior MTF results, I also like the way it renders; perhaps I simply have poor eyes. For the record, I bought and returned a 28-85 many years ago. Optically excellent of course but so cumbersome I considered it a tripod only lens.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 13, 2015 6:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The 28-85 is a true Zeiss Gem, but very huge & heavy...the Yashica ML 28-85 is not that far from it, but does have a macro mode,
and is lighter, comes with a 67mm filter thread...and a rare lens, usually all few years comes one on ebay into mint condition.

Sadly, the 28-85 ML Yashica is like the Contax Zeiss Original just a Push-Pull Design, not a 2-way Zoom like the Contax 28-70/3.5-4.5
for example, which was especially built and the so called "Kitzoom" for the Contax Aria back into 1998. I remember quite well these days,
and when the Aria Brochure came out. The Yashica ML 28-50/3.5 onto the other hand, introduced in ca. 79, is like the Contax Zeiss 28-70
also a coventional Zoom Design...not a Push-Pull Zoom, too....but it's built like a tank, mechanically better than the Contax Zeiss 28-70.