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

Contax Vario-Sonnar: 28-85 or 35-135
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 8:19 am    Post subject: Contax Vario-Sonnar: 28-85 or 35-135 Reply with quote
I am considering to get a Contax zoom.
I have seen some on eBay, in very good condition.

Both the 28-85 and the 35-135 are an attractive focal length for me.
In terms of optical quality, which one would you prefer?
Are they comparable with the Contax primes at, say, f/5.6 ?


PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 9:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Here's a useful review on the 35-135: http://www.pebbleplace.com/Personal/Contax_35-135_Vario_Sonnar.html

From different reviews I get the impression that the 28-85 is sharper, but the Vario-Sonnar 35-70/3.4 is the only one that really has the reputation to be as sharp or even sharper as equivalent primes.

Some good info on the 28-85 here: http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/863800/
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/920342/


PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
AhamB wrote:
Here's a useful review on the 35-135: http://www.pebbleplace.com/Personal/Contax_35-135_Vario_Sonnar.html

From different reviews I get the impression that the 28-85 is sharper, but the Vario-Sonnar 35-70/3.4 is the only one that really has the reputation to be as sharp or even sharper as equivalent primes.


Actually, the 28-85 too is as sharp, or more, than some equivalent Contax primes, and it is considered to be very close to the 35-70, image-quality wise.
The drawback of the 28-85 is the weight, and the distortion on the wide end - but both drawbacks are also true for the 35-135.

So which one to choose depends on your shooting habits.
Some use more tele, some use more wide.
Since I assume you are going to use it for landscape mostly, then I would say the 28-85 mm is more useful, because the difference in focal lenghts 28mm and 35mm is big (in many landscapes 35mm will not cover wide enough), while the difference in focal lenghts 85mm and 135mm is less important (if you take a good shot with 85mm focal, you can crop it to 135mm equivalent with no meaningful image quality loss).
-


PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 12:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Be aware of the 82mm filter on both these lenses -- if you want to use any reasonable quality CPL on them you'll pay dearly for it.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 1:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you guys Smile

Now, I am between the 28-85 and the 35-70.
I am leaning towards the 35-70.
The 35-70 is just 475 g. and does macro at 1:2.5, which I find very interesting.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 1:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Excuse my ignorance, but for the 28-85mm, are we talking the contax T*
as seen on ebay HERE, or the yashica that predates it as seen on ebay HERE???


PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
martyn_bannister wrote:
Excuse my ignorance, but for the 28-85mm, are we talking the contax T*
as seen on ebay HERE, or the yashica that predates it as seen on ebay HERE???


It is the first one


PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 2:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
nkanellopoulos wrote:
martyn_bannister wrote:
Excuse my ignorance, but for the 28-85mm, are we talking the contax T*
as seen on ebay HERE, or the yashica that predates it as seen on ebay HERE???


It is the first one


Ah. Many thanks for clearing up my confusion Shocked


PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 2:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
nkanellopoulos wrote:
Thank you guys Smile

Now, I am between the 28-85 and the 35-70.
I am leaning towards the 35-70.
The 35-70 is just 475 g. and does macro at 1:2.5, which I find very interesting.


Yes it's 475g, but you'll have to carry a 28mm prime or something like it if you want to go wider, which will add weight. Smile

I think there's certainly a lot to like about the 28-85 and it doesn't have the restricted focal range of the 35-70. I read the Contax N 24-85 is even better, but becomes a bit expensive with the extra cost of Conurus conversion (which does buy you AF and auto aperture though), not to mention the few months of waiting time.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 3:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have the 35-70 VS, and it's everything that is said about it. Simply outstanding. I chose it because 35-70 fits in well with my photo interests, rather than because it was lighter, but if I want to cover the 28mm base too, I simply pop a Yashica 28 ML in the bag. It's light enough to be hardly noticeable, and it's a spiffing little lens that can trade punches with its CZ cousin.

Incidentally, I have the YML 28-85 alluded to earlier, and it's my other favourite zoom.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 4:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
35-70/3.4 is an outstanding lens. The macro function while not 1:1 is still quite useful and I really like it as a walk around lens.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 7:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
An eBay seller says this about the 35-70:
Quote:
there have been numerous reports on mirror clearance issues with this lens on Canon EOS 5D and 5D MkII due to a larger mirror box

Has anyone used this lens on a 5D ?
Are there mirror issues ?


PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 10:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
nkanellopoulos wrote:
An eBay seller says this about the 35-70:
Quote:
there have been numerous reports on mirror clearance issues with this lens on Canon EOS 5D and 5D MkII due to a larger mirror box

Has anyone used this lens on a 5D ?


Yes, here

nkanellopoulos wrote:
Are there mirror issues ?


No issue for me. At least not with my copies of cameras and lens.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 2:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have the 28-85 and I am shocked how good this lens is, its one of my top five primes Laughing
I dont carry any of the other c/yzeiss zooms to compare, I dont feel the need to purchase the others any longer.
Going to the 85mm sounded better to me than just 70mm for a long end on these zooms?


PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 4:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I picked the 28-85 because it was available for a bit less than the 35-70 (due to all the forum chat I suppose, as originally the 28-85 was the more expensive one).


PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 10:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
nkanellopoulos wrote:
Has anyone used this lens on a 5D ?
Are there mirror issues ?


I had one copy with no mirror issues at all, but my last copy locks up the mirror (doesn't come down) every single shot on my 5Dmk1. The aperture lever also gets stuck on 60-70mm focal lengths. There is some obvious deviations between different copies here. My first copy focused way beyond infinity and the 2nd one didn't comfortably make it to inifinity.

I'm returning my current copy, will probably try one a third time if I find one at a reasonable right price. Rolling Eyes


PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 11:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Make sure you get a decent adapter for the 5D. If it's even just a little too thin, the mirror will hit the glass / mount / levers etc.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 11:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have two different adapters and my first copy of the 35-70 worked fine on the thinnest one, whereas my second copy didn't work on the this adapter nor on a thicker adapter. There are significant deviations in the lens, not the adapter (in my case anyway).


PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
That's interesting to know, there must have been two versions then...


PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
AhamB wrote:
There are significant deviations in the lens, not the adapter (in my case anyway).

I've had a similar experience. When I got my 10D several years ago, there seemed to be only two EOS-CY adaptors widely available, the Cameraquest adaptor, and that made by Bob Shell. I bought the Shell adaptor, which he said was made to highest tolerances in conjunction with advice from Zeiss. I think I paid about $150. It works on all my CZ lenses except the 180mm Sonnar, where I simply can't get enough torque to mount it without risking (i) blood spillage and (ii) being unable to get it off. I later bought one of the cheaper far eastern imports, which works with the Sonnar and other lenses.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 1:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
alex wrote:
except the 180mm Sonnar, where I simply can't get enough torque to mount it without risking (i) blood spillage and (ii) being unable to get it off.


LoL, that doesn't sound good. Laughing
I have cheap Canon-Nikon adapter that doesn't have any texture/ridges on the outside, just a sharp edge. Not pleasant for my hands to mount/unmount it (replaced now of course).

ManualFocus-G wrote:
That's interesting to know, there must have been two versions then...

It looks like it's just a difference in how the lenses are assembled. With my 2nd copy the aperture lever was simply sticking out quite a lot farther than on my first copy. The shroud/tube in which the rear element moves was also positioned a bit farther to the back on the 2nd copy, which is why my 5D's mirror was hitting it.


PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 1:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hello,

I didn't want to open a new thread, my only question is that are there any mirror clearance problems with Canon 5D mkI and CZ 28-85mm?


PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 6:02 pm    Post subject: mirror clearance Reply with quote
Perhaps not useful to you, but I am using this vario sonnar on my 5ii without problems.

I believe the 5i is reputed to be even more tolerant of close fitting rear elements.

p.


PostPosted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 5:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the response! One more question: is the distortion at the wide that bad? It seems to be on par with kit zooms.


PostPosted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 8:52 am    Post subject: distortion Reply with quote
I do not measure such matters, but according to the Zeiss datasheet, distortion is at is maximum of -3,5% at between 15 and 20mm. from the center at the 28mm setting. Presumably measured as they usually do, with a real specimen, not calculated.

p.
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2