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CONTAX Zeiss 35-70/3.4 - macro photos and issues
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 24, 2023 8:21 pm    Post subject: CONTAX Zeiss 35-70/3.4 - macro photos and issues Reply with quote
The Zeiss 35-70/3.4 has a reputation for being one of the best vintage mid-range zooms ever made. A few years ago I've acquired one of these gems for a bargain, on first glance in extraordinary condition.

After testing it I noticed that the front section of the lens had become loose. The play messes with the focus, although the lens is still usable. I suspect one of the nylon sliding bushings is broken, apparently a known issue. There is a thread somewhere in this forum about fixing this but I didn't find a precise disassembly tutorial / a service manual unfortunately, and there are of course no replacement parts available. The lens was thus neglected a bit...

Recently I've used it as a walk-around lens on a short trip around the place where I grew up. It's macro function is outstanding! The results are usable at every aperture, and in most cases there's quite decent bokeh. But most importantly switching to the macro mode is easy and convenient.

Here are some photos at varying apertures, all edited slightly (I do not believe in posting RAW's and so on...)


#1


#2


#3


#4


#5


Of course the lens is also very capable at normal distances:

#6


Considering it's compact size, great feel and beautiful rendering I certainly should fix the defect. Any tips on this?

EDIT: Photos taken with 24MP full-frame Sony A7ii. The one of the yellow butterfly is cropped heavily (about 2x)
EDIT2: I'm sure that the defect (sometimes) affects corner performance. It's very inconsistent and not up to the level praised in reviews


PostPosted: Sun Sep 24, 2023 8:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Love #5! 👍👍


PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2023 4:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This is my favorite landscape lens. I don't know what it would require to repair this lens. When it comes to zooms, they are so complex that if there is a serious issue, I buy another one. Even if I were to pay someone to service it the chances are that it would return to me not performing the same.


PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2023 6:33 pm    Post subject: Re: CONTAX Zeiss 35-70/3.4 - macro photos and issues Reply with quote
marius.zaech wrote:
The Zeiss 35-70/3.4 has a reputation for being one of the best vintage mid-range zooms ever made. A few years ago I've acquired one of these gems for a bargain, on first glance in extraordinary condition.

After testing it I noticed that the front section of the lens had become loose. The play messes with the focus, although the lens is still usable. I suspect one of the nylon sliding bushings is broken, apparently a known issue. There is a thread somewhere in this forum about fixing this but I didn't find a precise disassembly tutorial / a service manual unfortunately, and there are of course no replacement parts available. The lens was thus neglected a bit...

Recently I've used it as a walk-around lens on a short trip around the place where I grew up. It's macro function is outstanding! The results are usable at every aperture, and in most cases there's quite decent bokeh. But most importantly switching to the macro mode is easy and convenient.

Here are some photos at varying apertures, all edited slightly (I do not believe in posting RAW's and so on...)


#1


#2


#3


#4


#5


Of course the lens is also very capable at normal distances:

#6


Considering it's compact size, great feel and beautiful rendering I certainly should fix the defect. Any tips on this?

EDIT: Photos taken with 24MP full-frame Sony A7ii. The one of the yellow butterfly is cropped heavily (about 2x)
EDIT2: I'm sure that the defect (sometimes) affects corner performance. It's very inconsistent and not up to the level praised in reviews


Great shots and an interesting lens. Does anyone know if there’s a patent this is based on?


PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2023 9:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
i do have a mmj distagon 28mm 2.8 and i´ve take it to repair shop because the front group was woblling a little bit (i have hoped a screw might need it to get tighten), but they didnt do anything on it just returned it as before and charging me 20 euros - it was my last time i took a lens to repair to that place -no, i do suspect this lens might suffer from same issue as yours, it it a well used lens but still very capable (my best 28mm)


PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2023 11:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kiddo wrote:
i do have a mmj distagon 28mm 2.8 and i´ve take it to repair shop because the front group was woblling a little bit (i have hoped a screw might need it to get tighten), but they didnt do anything on it just returned it as before and charging me 20 euros - it was my last time i took a lens to repair to that place -no, i do suspect this lens might suffer from same issue as yours, it it a well used lens but still very capable (my best 28mm)


Do you use the lens for landscapes. I have been torn about that lens for a long time. It seems that it suffers from curvature so need to stop it down to f/11 to corner to corner sharpness, but central resolution is insanely high for a lens of its vintage and even by today's modern standards.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2023 4:18 pm    Post subject: Re: CONTAX Zeiss 35-70/3.4 - macro photos and issues Reply with quote
marius.zaech wrote:
The Zeiss 35-70/3.4 has a reputation for being one of the best vintage mid-range zooms ever made. A few years ago I've acquired one of these gems for a bargain, on first glance in extraordinary condition.

After testing it I noticed that the front section of the lens had become loose. The play messes with the focus, although the lens is still usable.


Obviously the CY 3.4/35-70 is a two-group-zoom, which means its mechanical construction should be relatively simple. I have taken apart just a few zooms - they all were four-group-zooms, and nevertheless they were less complicated than I originally had assumed.

If you know how to start opening the thing (some screws under the focusing rubber? ... or from the bayonet side ...? Or even directly from the front??) I would do so. Some months ago I have bought the Nylon tubes suitable for replacing the glider bearings on Canon nFD lenses - it shouldn't be a problem to get the right dimensions aslo for Zeiss CY lenses ...

S


PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2023 7:11 pm    Post subject: Re: CONTAX Zeiss 35-70/3.4 - macro photos and issues Reply with quote
stevemark wrote:
marius.zaech wrote:
The Zeiss 35-70/3.4 has a reputation for being one of the best vintage mid-range zooms ever made. A few years ago I've acquired one of these gems for a bargain, on first glance in extraordinary condition.

After testing it I noticed that the front section of the lens had become loose. The play messes with the focus, although the lens is still usable.


Obviously the CY 3.4/35-70 is a two-group-zoom, which means its mechanical construction should be relatively simple. I have taken apart just a few zooms - they all were four-group-zooms, and nevertheless they were less complicated than I originally had assumed.

If you know how to start opening the thing (some screws under the focusing rubber? ... or from the bayonet side ...? Or even directly from the front??) I would do so. Some months ago I have bought the Nylon tubes suitable for replacing the glider bearings on Canon nFD lenses - it shouldn't be a problem to get the right dimensions aslo for Zeiss CY lenses ...

S


Thanks for the information - that‘s fascinating! I thought it might be (2 groups only) when I read that it doesn‘t have a ring to change the focal length… do you know if there‘s a patent somewhere for this lens?


PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2023 7:56 pm    Post subject: Re: CONTAX Zeiss 35-70/3.4 - macro photos and issues Reply with quote
simple.joy wrote:

Thanks for the information - that‘s fascinating! I thought it might be (2 groups only) when I read that it doesn‘t have a ring to change the focal length… do you know if there‘s a patent somewhere for this lens?


No, I don't know whether there's a patent.

The basic construction however is very similar to the "prototype" of all good vintage 35-70mm lenses, the Canon FD 2.8-3.5/35-70mm. It was the first two-group zoom actually produced (Nikon had a two-group wideangle zoom prototype which never went into production).
The Canon FD really was the breakthrough for wideangle zooms. Minolta successfully could reduce the size (MD 3.5/35-70mm), Nikon made it distortion-free (AiS 3.5/35-70mm), and Zeiss did further improve the detail resolution (3.4/35-70). But basically all these zooms are very, very similar. Konica AR 3.5/35-70 and Yashica 3.5/35-70 belong to the same family too ...

Here's the Zeiss data sheet:
https://www.zeiss.com/content/dam/consumer-products/downloads/historical-products/photography/contax-yashica/en/datasheet-zeiss-vario-sonnar-343570-en.pdf

S


PostPosted: Fri Sep 29, 2023 10:07 pm    Post subject: Re: CONTAX Zeiss 35-70/3.4 - macro photos and issues Reply with quote
stevemark wrote:
simple.joy wrote:

Thanks for the information - that‘s fascinating! I thought it might be (2 groups only) when I read that it doesn‘t have a ring to change the focal length… do you know if there‘s a patent somewhere for this lens?


No, I don't know whether there's a patent.

The basic construction however is very similar to the "prototype" of all good vintage 35-70mm lenses, the Canon FD 2.8-3.5/35-70mm. It was the first two-group zoom actually produced (Nikon had a two-group wideangle zoom prototype which never went into production).
The Canon FD really was the breakthrough for wideangle zooms. Minolta successfully could reduce the size (MD 3.5/35-70mm), Nikon made it distortion-free (AiS 3.5/35-70mm), and Zeiss did further improve the detail resolution (3.4/35-70). But basically all these zooms are very, very similar. Konica AR 3.5/35-70 and Yashica 3.5/35-70 belong to the same family too ...

Here's the Zeiss data sheet:
https://www.zeiss.com/content/dam/consumer-products/downloads/historical-products/photography/contax-yashica/en/datasheet-zeiss-vario-sonnar-343570-en.pdf

S


Thank you very much for the information. Didn't know that Canon was first there. Really interesting solution with the two groups. One of the best zoom lenses I've ever used (an Agfa industrial lens) must be that way as well...
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