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Contax AX - Provia - Thanks rbelyell and Lucis Pictor
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 5:01 am    Post subject: Contax AX - Provia - Thanks rbelyell and Lucis Pictor Reply with quote
Using and LOVING the Contax AX. Simply a gorgeous thing, I almost
feel like putting it under my pillow at night, or at the very least hanging
from a hook in the ceiling so I can stare at it. Very Happy

Can you tell that I like the AX?

These are quick scans, and keep in mind that my flatbed does NOT do
35mm very well. The quality suffers, compared to the slide on the
lightbox. But even so, the quality of the camera and lenses seems
to make a very decent footprint.

I'm wondering what a dedicated film scanner might do? I wonder if
anyone on the forum owns a dedicated film scanner?

I'll add more as I scan them.

rbelyell did a very "bad" thing by loaning the AX to me. Razz

Contax AX
Zeiss Planar T* 50/1.4





Contax AX
Tamron 28-70 Adaptall 2 for C/Y mount - thanks again, Carsten!
Camera set to Macro Mode, works fine on a zoom lens





Contax AX
Yashica ML 24/2.8
Closest Focus non-Macro Mode


PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Beautiful, as always! I don't think it matters what camera and lens combination you use, you produce the goods every time!!! Smile


PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oh, great, Larry, that you can use the 28-70 on your Contax as well!
Glad to hear (and see!) that.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
DigiChromeEd wrote:
Beautiful, as always! I don't think it matters what camera and lens combination you use, you produce the goods every time!!! Smile


Thanks as always Digi-C-Ed! You always have kind words. I have been
looking at the dedicated scanners, but it seems that there are problems
with almost all of them. Plus....they are pricey, and this is a period in my
life where "pricey" is not good.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
Oh, great, Larry, that you can use the 28-70 on your Contax as well!
Glad to hear (and see!) that.


It's a BLAST on the Contax, Carsten. I really do like the output of that
lens. On original slides with the Tamron 28-70, the crispness even in
the corners is pretty darn good. I dare say "excellent", actually.

Last edited by Laurence on Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:11 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 5:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Beautiful images Shocked

I hope you don't mind, but in my desperate attempts to improve my photography, I may try to mimic them and hopefully develop a technique for these kinds of images.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 6:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nice to try any camera ... I can't imagine better one in your hands than Pentax 645 , that is far better than any 35mm system including this superb camera.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
GrahamNR17 wrote:
Beautiful images Shocked

I hope you don't mind, but in my desperate attempts to improve my photography, I may try to mimic them and hopefully develop a technique for these kinds of images.


Graham, no problem at all! I do the same thing and take away a lot of
ideas from other members' images. I think that is part of what the forum
is all about. Very Happy


PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
Nice to try any camera ... I can't imagine better one in your hands than Pentax 645 , that is far better than any 35mm system including this superb camera.


Thanks Attila. I STILL need to scan a lot of medium format slides. It's
always difficult to find the time for it, though. Mad

For 35mm, the AX is a REALLY good camera. It fits my hands perfectly, and
the controls are within easy reach without even taking my eye off of the
viewfinder. The mechanical excellence rivals Leica and Zeiss, in my
opinion.



PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Larry, #1 and #3 are stunning!


PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Orio wrote:
Larry, #1 and #3 are stunning!


Orio! Haven't "seen" you in a while. Thanks as always for the kind
comments. The Yashica ML 24/2.8 is quite the lens indeed! And I'm
also surprised by the efficacy of the Tamron 28-70. It's not an SP Tamron,
but it sure provides excellent output for a zoom lens. I really like the
focal range.

One of the Zeiss T* lenses I was considering is the 40-80...another nice
focal range, and not as expensive as others, but I assume the quality is
just as good. After all, why would it NOT be good quality, right?


PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
hey larry

the cam is in great hands. re that zeiss zoom--i read it stinks, very poor quality. that quashed my initial interst in it.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 11:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Laurence wrote:

One of the Zeiss T* lenses I was considering is the 40-80...another nice
focal range, and not as expensive as others, but I assume the quality is
just as good. After all, why would it NOT be good quality, right?


Why not judge for yourself in the "Best of Lenses" gallery? Wink
http://forum.mflenses.com/carl-zeiss-vario-sonnar-t-3-5-40-80-contax-cy-t39053,highlight,%2Bcontax.html

-


PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 12:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
rbelyell wrote:
hey larry

the cam is in great hands. re that zeiss zoom--i read it stinks, very poor quality. that quashed my initial interst in it.


The cam - well let's just say it's a thrill. I've only had a few "high end"
cameras in my hands over my lifetime - Leica M3, Leicaflex SL2, the
current Zeiss-Ikon rangefinder, Hasselblad 500C. The Contax AX is
EVERY bit as solid and beautiful as any of those, in my opinion. I just
LOVE stuff that is obviously well built.

Yes, I can understand your reasoning very well...in essence, I might go
so far as to say EVERY Zeiss zoom is a dog, don't you think so too? Cool
Never believe the hype, right? I wonder if Zeiss will EVER make any
decent lenses.

Last edited by Laurence on Thu Sep 29, 2011 12:40 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 12:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Orio wrote:
Laurence wrote:

One of the Zeiss T* lenses I was considering is the 40-80...another nice
focal range, and not as expensive as others, but I assume the quality is
just as good. After all, why would it NOT be good quality, right?


Why not judge for yourself in the "Best of Lenses" gallery? Wink
http://forum.mflenses.com/carl-zeiss-vario-sonnar-t-3-5-40-80-contax-cy-t39053,highlight,%2Bcontax.html

-


Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked

I sure seem to miss a lot of fantastic posts. I need to stay more active on
here, if at all possible. What can I say? Except, not only is the post a fine
representation of your beautiful countryside, but is virtually an
advertisement of the quality of the Vario Sonnar 40-80. Simply gorgeous
work, Orio. But then again, it's what I would expect from you.

Do you still have the Contax AX? Or did you have to let it go? What was
your opinion of the AX?

Larry


PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 12:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
no seriously larry, this particular lens for some reaon is very poorly made. not like a typical zeiss. i am not sure how it gets to use the T* but it seems to have been made under much different QC conditions. i actually bought a similar 'zeiss' zoom about a year ago, thinking i got a 'great' deal, but it was bloody awful, and from what ive read so is the one you mentioned.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 7:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nice macro shots.

I do like the macro mode of the AX as well. It has become my favourite camera. I got mine in combination with the VS 35-135mm which is very versatile and I have nothing to complain. Except weight maybe since the AX isn't a light cam and the Zoom adds quite a bit of additional weight.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 8:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
rbelyell wrote:
no seriously larry, this particular lens for some reaon is very poorly made. not like a typical zeiss. i am not sure how it gets to use the T* but it seems to have been made under much different QC conditions.


Rbelyell, I don't know how you can say that it's poorly built, maybe you had a damaged copy. I had two copies of this lens, still have one, and I have to disagree, it's a beautiful lens, solidly built, the T* coating works perfectly in it, and it renders pictures with a charming colour density.
The focal range is a bit limited for the typical landscape use, but it's perfect in other situations, for instance for studio model photography, where you basically work in the 50 to 90mm range and the 40-80 proves to be a perfect so-called "framing zoom", that is, a zoom whose purpose is not to really change a focal lenght but to provide the small adjustment needed to perfectly frame slightly different situations in the same focal range.

Larry, I still have the AX, it's my best camera, I don't use it often because I'm not much of a film shooter, but when I use it it's a joy, and like you, I think that the size perfectly fits my hand. I'm all for the big cameras Very Happy

Last edited by Orio on Thu Sep 29, 2011 8:22 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 8:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
All excellent shots (and going back years) from you Larry. Have you tried your film/lens combo and skills for a close up shot of a red (or deep maroon) rose as I find this really difficult and was disappointed recently with the results from Fuji Reala film.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
i only said that about te zeiss lens because i was going to buy one myself but what i read about it on the internet gave me second thoughts. but certainly orio's real life experience counts for much more. i guess i should've bought that darned thing! Embarassed


PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 2:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
rbelyell wrote:
i only said that about te zeiss lens because i was going to buy one myself but what i read about it on the internet gave me second thoughts. but certainly orio's real life experience counts for much more. i guess i should've bought that darned thing! Embarassed


I think most people compares it with the 35-70 which is super sharp and has close focus, and for this reason they turn down the 40-80. But the 40-80 does not deserve such bad reputation. It does not have close focus, and it's not "insanely sharp" as the 35-70, but it's surely sharp enough, and has other qualities: it's built like a tank (more solid than the 35-70), it controls flare even better than the 35-70, and it renders images with a beautiful colour saturation, probably the best saturation of all Contax lens range, whereas the images of the 35-70 are amongst the "thinnest", colour wise, of all Contax lenses. I love the way the 40-80 renders images on my Canon digital. It makes it closer to film colours than most other lenses that I have. I never tried the 40-80 on slides, but I'll have to do that one day.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 4:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
IANUS wrote:
Nice macro shots.

I do like the macro mode of the AX as well. It has become my favourite camera. I got mine in combination with the VS 35-135mm which is very versatile and I have nothing to complain. Except weight maybe since the AX isn't a light cam and the Zoom adds quite a bit of additional weight.


IANUS - that gives me a good feeling, that it's your favourite...I was
starting to wonder if maybe I was going "off the deep end of the pool"
and thinking that the AX was somehow not really as good as I felt it
was.

What is the VS 35-135? Sounds like a nice focal length indeed, but I
can't seem to put the "VS" together to figure out the brand. Maybe
Vivitar or something like that?


PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 5:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Orio and reblyell: Interesting dialog. There's more than once that I've
read many reports on the internet about the quality of something, only to
find out that someone actually using a particular item showed me that
it was nowhere near the "bad mouth" opinions given over the net.

I appreciate the discussion, and that the 40-80 must probably be right
up there with the rest of the Zeiss lineup.

reblyell: Darn, it's too bad you couldn't have picked up the 40-80 after
all. I know darn well you would have made it work beautifully.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 5:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Excalibur wrote:
All excellent shots (and going back years) from you Larry. Have you tried your film/lens combo and skills for a close up shot of a red (or deep maroon) rose as I find this really difficult and was disappointed recently with the results from Fuji Reala film.


Excal: I know what you mean with Reala; it has been a problem with the
times that I used Reala, to not only get the deep reds to render well, but
also the deep greens (for me anyway).

I think Provia might be best suited to bring out the deep red/maroon
without being too garish. I shoot Provia a lot, so I'll keep that in mind
and try to come back to this post with examples to see how it does. Or
perhaps you might try another film and see what happens. Would love
to learn what might work well for those colors.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 5:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
On a different note, but that was mentioned on this thread:

It seems that there are no REALLY fantastic dedicated 35mm scanners
that are cheap to buy, at least from what I read. If I had the $2000 to
spend on a high-end Nikon or similar, I guess that would be the only way
to get into a high-rez and color-accurate scanner for enlarging 35mm.

In the meantime, I still use a drum scan service if I have a slide that
is a true keeper and deserving of enlargement. Even the high-rez
requests that I make of the "drug store" Noritsu scanners don't quite cut
the mustard.
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