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Optical difference between German and Japanese Contax lenses
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:15 pm    Post subject: Optical difference between German and Japanese Contax lenses Reply with quote
So I was reading this article and was wondering how much difference there is between Japanese and German made Contax lenses. Seeing as there are two versions, MM and AE, and some of them are made in Japan and others in Germany, I was wondering which ones are better. Also, would anyone have a list of different serial numbers?


PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Orio have a few from both he say they have no difference. These lenses are top of the line I doubt anybody can make better lenses with significant differences. Take any of them and enjoy! Laughing

I have Japanese 180mm and 135mm, 35mm 1.4,85mm 1.4, 85mm f2.8 , 50mm f1.4 all German, I sold 200mm was German too , all are stunning.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ok thanks, I'm asking because I'd like to pick one up. Probably going for the Distagon 35mm f/2.8, seeing how I'm considering swapping the 40D for a 5Dc and the 28mm isn't really mountable on a 5D.

Also looking into getting the 135mm f/2.8 Sonnar. Is there a big difference with the CZJ 135mm f/3.5 I have now? Haven't had too much luck finding side-by-side comparisons online.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Between lenses produced in both Germany and Japan I never have seen any real difference in terms of optical quality.
The German lenses tend to cost more now in the used market and that is a real value since people will in fact to continue to pay a premium.
The Lens you mention ... Distagon 2.8/35 was only ever a Japan lens as far as I know.

One thing you will find with the later MM lenses is they have a different aperture shape.
The glass and Coatings are perform remarkably uniform from the first run of lenses to the last.
Maybe the last had a bit more sharpness and maybe the first had a bit smoother bokeh.
IQ in general would be difficult to tell apart if you did not know you were looking at different lenses output.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have used both the AE and MM versions of the Distagon 28/2.8 on my 5D with no problem, just make sure you have a decent quality adapter. I noticed that the MM version was sharper in the corners at larger apertures.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Another question would be: How big is the difference between Carl Zeiss and Carl Zeiss Jena?
(For everyone who don't know the difference - Carl Zeiss was splittet after WWII into Carl Zeiss (in West-Germany) and "Carl Zeiss Jena" (G.D.R./East-Germany))
Rollei-factories in Singapur made also Carl Zeiss lenses, right? How do they differ drom each other?


PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 1:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Depend by lens, in general western made Contax lenses are better a lot than Jena made ones , but some Jena made ones good as than western made or even better. Biotar 75mm f1.5 , Pancolar 80mm f1.8 they are better than western made lenses in my opinion. Several others are close, 180mm, 200mm, 135mm, Sonnars , 55mm f1.4, 50mm f1.8 Pancolars , Biotar 50mm f2 etc
In general western lenses has better coating, better contrast , and way better built quality.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 1:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I confirm that in my experience there is no difference in build quality between German and Japanese lenses in the Contax SLR line.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 9:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
ManualFocus-G wrote:
I have used both the AE and MM versions of the Distagon 28/2.8 on my 5D with no problem, just make sure you have a decent quality adapter. I noticed that the MM version was sharper in the corners at larger apertures.


Ok thanks! Good to know! What would you consider a quality adapter? So far I've only gotten the cheapest adapters yet fro Canon EF mount (M42, OM, F and T2). Except for the OM mount adapter, they're all really snug and fit well. Could you maybe point me in the right direction for a good C/Y->EF adapter?


PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 10:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
ManualFocus-G wrote:
I noticed that the MM version was sharper in the corners at larger apertures.


Let me point out that this depends on the MM, not on the country.
Some MM lenses, amongst them the 2.8/28, have been optically improved when the production switched from AE to MM.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 10:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The problem with adapters is that they are only available for a short period before disappearing and being replaced with a new model. My best adapters are black in colour and look a bit like these:

Click here to see on Ebay


PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 10:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
What I've heard is that there are only three Contax lenses that have been confirmed by Zeiss to have received optical improvements in their MM versions, namely the 25/2.8, 28/2.8 and 135/2.8. I've heard from different users that the wide open corner performance of the 28/2.8 MM is better than that of the AE. Don't remember any testimonies about the 25 or 135.

My Distagon 28/2.8 works without problems on my 5D with 3 different adapters (cheap and more expensive).


PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 10:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
AhamB wrote:
What I've heard is that there are only three Contax lenses that have been confirmed by Zeiss to have received optical improvements in their MM versions, namely the 25/2.8, 28/2.8 and 135/2.8. I've heard from different users that the wide open corner performance of the 28/2.8 MM is better than that of the AE. Don't remember any testimonies about the 25 or 135.
My Distagon 28/2.8 works without problems on my 5D with 3 different adapters (cheap and more expensive).


Yes, those are the only three lenses that have been confirmed by Zeiss.
There are rumours on others, but I find most of them unfounded.
I have found, however, a couple of other lenses that show a definite improvement at some point in their history.
The most striking is the 1.7/50 Planar. The versions with serial number beginning with 8 are visibly sharper than the
versions with serials 5x, 6x and 7x
I have had a copy of all of them, and I currently have two copies of 8x, so I am pretty sure of what I am saying.
Note that this change does not coincide with the switch to MM, which was considerably earlier (somewhere around SN 69x)


PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 1:01 pm    Post subject: Rollei zeiss singapore for Alpa Reply with quote
The auto-alpa-color (=Distagon?) 35mm 2,8 and the auto-alpa-color (=tele tessar?) 135mm f4 are marked "made in singapore", no text referring to zeiss or rollei. Five digit serial no. starting with 25.

p.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 1:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
ManualFocus-G wrote:
The problem with adapters is that they are only available for a short period before disappearing and being replaced with a new model. My best adapters are black in colour and look a bit like these:

Click here to see on Ebay


50 bucks for an adapter?! Wooow! I've bought my adapters from 3 to 15$ and I thought 15$ was quite a lot... I'll probably just pick up a cheap adapter first.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
ForenSeil wrote:
Another question would be: How big is the difference between Carl Zeiss and Carl Zeiss Jena?
(For everyone who don't know the difference - Carl Zeiss was splittet after WWII into Carl Zeiss (in West-Germany) and "Carl Zeiss Jena" (G.D.R./East-Germany))
Rollei-factories in Singapur made also Carl Zeiss lenses, right? How do they differ drom each other?


Never heard of any lens made in Singapore designated with "Carl Zeiss" marking, would like to hear more. I suppose the factory in Singapore that made lenses in the 1970's was owned by Rollei and lenses designed by Carl Zeiss with trademarks like Planar, Sonnar. Tessar were also used and made by them. So far as I have seen, for those QBM mount lenses made in Germany by Carl Zeiss were marked " Carl Zeiss ", those made by Rollei marked by "Made by Rollei", either in Germany or Singapore, even the lens carries the same trademark name of Planar, Sonnar or Tessar...


PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 6:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I confirm that Singapore Rollei lenses are not branded Carl Zeiss.
Rollei lenses that are branded Carl Zeiss and marked "Made in West Germany" have been produced by Zeiss in Oberkochen.
Rollei lenses that are marked "Made in West Germany" but branded Rollei have been made by Rollei in Rollei facility in Braunschweig.
Rollei Singapore lenses are branded Rollei and marked "Made in Singapore", and they have been made -at least so I read somewhere on the net - in a Mamiya facility.
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