Which Carl Zeiss C/Y lenses are the best?

[Hujinn]

I'm Nikon F4 shooter but i hear by so many people that C/Y lenses are the best in terms of sharpness, contrast, color warmth and build quality. I want to use them with Contax AX so much. It is really cool to have AF with MF lenses. As I understand this camera is so similar to my Nikon F4.

1) Can you recommend buying Contax / Yashica body or just use best C/Y lenses adapted to my Nikon F4?

2) Which lenses are the best for landscape and portrait photography?

3) Can you recommend Contax AX? The only reason why i'm asking is the feeling that if it breaks it will breaks forever. Because it is very unusual camera and it will be impossible to find details / master to repair it.

 

[jeremy north]

I'm Nikon F4 shooter but i hear by so many people that C/Y lenses are the best in terms of sharpness, contrast, color warmth and build quality. I want to use them with Contax AX so much. It is really cool to have AF with MF lenses. As I understand this camera is so similar to my Nikon F4.

1) Can you recommend buying Contax / Yashica body or just use best C/Y lenses adapted to my Nikon F4?

2) Which lenses are the best for landscape and portrait photography?

3) Can you recommend Contax AX? The only reason why i'm asking is the feeling that if it breaks it will breaks forever. Because it is very unusual camera and it will be impossible to find details / master to repair it.

I have a lot of Zeiss C/Y lenses and they are all superb in every way from image results to build quality. No one makes lenses better than these. I'd suggest the 85/1.4, the 50/1.4 and the 28/2.8 which are stunning and would give you the range you're looking for.

I don't think they can be adapted to a Nikon body as the Nikon flange distance is longer than the Contax.

If you want to know more about the Contax AX you should check out the Classic Lenses Podcast. Simon Forster has one and speaks highly of it.

My suggestion would be to buy a Yashica camera as they are very cheap but with great functionality. That will leave you a lot more to spend on the lenses. If you are worried about electronic failure, there are a few all mechanical bodies, the best of which is the Contax S2. If you're looking for a good value Contax body with electronics then the RTS or RTSII are rock solid, the RX has more features, or the little 139 is probably the cheapest but is exactly the same camera under the skin as the Yashica FX-D.

 

[Gesture]

The 139 is a nice camera, part of the later film era compact SLR trend. Think Nikon FM, Pentax-ME, etc.

 

[AgBrP]

Contax AX: have owned two, and both suddenly stopped working after only a few rolls. They simply became completely unresponsive. My local camera repairman gave up on the first one, which I then sold for parts.. I haven’t tried to give him the second one, because I might try to find someone specialising in repairing this particular model. I think I might just have been unlucky, but of course it is a camera with a lot of electronics. I would very much like having a working AX because I love the design and the possibility of getting autofocus with completely manual focus lenses.

 

[Gesture]

Contax tried some neat stuff like this camera and the one with vacuum holding the film as flat as possible.

 

[photopeteralfa]

I'm Nikon F4 shooter but i hear by so many people that C/Y lenses are the best in terms of sharpness, contrast, color warmth and build quality. I want to use them with Contax AX so much. It is really cool to have AF with MF lenses. As I understand this camera is so similar to my Nikon F4.

1) Can you recommend buying Contax / Yashica body or just use best C/Y lenses adapted to my Nikon F4?

2) Which lenses are the best for landscape and portrait photography?

3) Can you recommend Contax AX? The only reason why i'm asking is the feeling that if it breaks it will breaks forever. Because it is very unusual camera and it will be impossible to find details / master to repair it.

For body my recommendation is to start with the adapter C/Y to Nikon and if you want try the Contax body you can try to get yourself a deal, some sellers may give you a heavy discount on the body if you buy it with a lens

For landscape 18mm -180mm + zooms 28-85mm 35-70mm 35-135mm 80-200mm 100-300mm

For portrait 35mm & 85mm f1,4 and 135mm

 

[photopeteralfa]

some links for Contax Lenses

Nick Morrison start in 2012 Contax Zeiss Survival Guide

http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?92044-Contax-Zeiss-Survival-Guide

Pebble Place

DATABASES | Using Contax C/Y Lenses on Canon dSLRs

The Contax C/Y Canon Database lists all the Contax C/Y lenses and shows which Contax C/Y lenses will work with Canon dSLRs via a third party lens adapter.

www.pebbleplace.com

phillipreeve.net

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In-Depth Review of the Zeiss Sonnar 3.5/100 on the Sony a7r with extensive technical analysis and many full resolution sample images.

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Media Division video

 

[John Crowe]

I have always regretted selling my Contax Zeiss 85mm f1.4 T*. I was disappointed that it was softer than a 50/1.4 AIS wide open, but I have come to learn that pretty much all fast portrait lenses are very soft wide open and that it is likely a built in trait to provide smoother bokeh. However by f2 it is the sharpest lens I have ever owned, beating out the 200/2 AI, at least until f2.8. Often regret selling the 200/2 AI as well, but I could not justify putting up with the weight.

I would treat going back to film as a chance to re-think how you do things and not worry about going with manual focus. If you chose to go the Contax/Zeiss route I would avoid the AX and go for a simpler Contax body, for the reasons you list.

 

[photopeteralfa]

Contax lenses

 

[DocetLector]

The best lens I ever had for my C/Y system (and I had a lot of them using this system for more than 15 years) is missing on your list. It was the Distagon 28mm/ 2.0.

Very rare on ebay and still very pricey ( $ 900-1100 ).

The 18/4, 21/2.8, 60/2.8, 85/1.4, 100/2.8, 180/2.8 and 28-85/3.3-4.0 were also outstanding lenses, the 200/2 and 2.8/300 got phantastic reviews but were out of my reach because of the price tag.