Annna T
Active member
First impression with the Kipon adapter
I've finally been able to pick up the Kipon adapter. I got it from Roxsen and while the transactions and mail exchanges with the seller have been agreable, the shipping has lasted very long. In particular, the seller wrote me that the item was shipped on the 22th of March, but the tracking number he gave me later says it was mailed on the 8th of Aprile. The seller thinks that part of the delay was due to the 3-4 days the planes were grounded in Europe due to the Icelandic Vulcano ashes. Well all in all, I ordered and paid for it on the 20th of March and the postman noticed me of its arrival on the 4th of May; so counting from the 22th of March, the mailing and shipping lasted 44 days.
The sender mailed it as a "gift", so there was no VAT to pay; between the 7.6 % VAT and paushal 15.- SFr taken by the shipping company if the VAT is perceived, this avoided me a 17.5% increase of the price. Very nice from Roxsen.
This is the adapter I got : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150411839251&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
The seller says it is a new one with a bigger wheel. I can't tell whether it is much different from the former one, it is the only one I have, but here are my first impression :
1) The adapter can be mounted and dismounted very smoothly. I won't be worried to change often between my two lenses (the 90mm and the 45mm). I wonder whether those who complained about that weren't just unaware of the way you mount and dismount Contax G lenses : you have to seize it with the second rigged ring beneath the aperture ring, not any other part of the lense, especially neitehr with the black part, nor with the other metal ring nearer of the camera body.
2) The adapter itself is two or three milimeters wider than both the lense mount or the camera mount, probably in order to contain the gear mecanism (?), anyway, that put the focusing wheel in a better position for focusing, because it is nearer of your thumb.
3) Also, the focusing little wheel stands at about half a centimer from the body, which makes it easier to handle.
4) You don't need to turn the wheel a lot in order to go from near focus to infinite. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending upon the precision you want. I think that I prefer it that way, because of 5)
5) As has been said of most Contax G adapter : the focusing wheel is not too smooth to handle, but it is bearable. It is almost smooth when moving from near focus to farther focus, but when you are at the furtherst distance there is a rough point to overcome if you want to come back nearer.
6) Since I have M lenses too, after trying the 90mm and 45mm I put the Leica lense on in order to make comparison... and wow.. it is way easier to focuse with the smooth ring of the Leica lenses. First you can adjust set the distance approximately on the ring and then only retouch your focus manually. That isn't possible on the Zeiss lenses, which makes manual focusing quite slower.. but wow.. I liked those Zeiss lenses and I'm happy to be able to use them again.
I'm gratefull to this list for providing welcomed information concerning these adapters.
That said, Kipon is now selling a new ring adapter for the Contax lenses.. Given the slow shipping coming from Hongkong, I guess that it will last for a while before we can get some impression concerning these new adapters..
When I get the time, I'll try to post some pictures, but right now, I'm on a deadline at work and lacking time..
I've finally been able to pick up the Kipon adapter. I got it from Roxsen and while the transactions and mail exchanges with the seller have been agreable, the shipping has lasted very long. In particular, the seller wrote me that the item was shipped on the 22th of March, but the tracking number he gave me later says it was mailed on the 8th of Aprile. The seller thinks that part of the delay was due to the 3-4 days the planes were grounded in Europe due to the Icelandic Vulcano ashes. Well all in all, I ordered and paid for it on the 20th of March and the postman noticed me of its arrival on the 4th of May; so counting from the 22th of March, the mailing and shipping lasted 44 days.
The sender mailed it as a "gift", so there was no VAT to pay; between the 7.6 % VAT and paushal 15.- SFr taken by the shipping company if the VAT is perceived, this avoided me a 17.5% increase of the price. Very nice from Roxsen.
This is the adapter I got : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150411839251&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
The seller says it is a new one with a bigger wheel. I can't tell whether it is much different from the former one, it is the only one I have, but here are my first impression :
1) The adapter can be mounted and dismounted very smoothly. I won't be worried to change often between my two lenses (the 90mm and the 45mm). I wonder whether those who complained about that weren't just unaware of the way you mount and dismount Contax G lenses : you have to seize it with the second rigged ring beneath the aperture ring, not any other part of the lense, especially neitehr with the black part, nor with the other metal ring nearer of the camera body.
2) The adapter itself is two or three milimeters wider than both the lense mount or the camera mount, probably in order to contain the gear mecanism (?), anyway, that put the focusing wheel in a better position for focusing, because it is nearer of your thumb.
3) Also, the focusing little wheel stands at about half a centimer from the body, which makes it easier to handle.
4) You don't need to turn the wheel a lot in order to go from near focus to infinite. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending upon the precision you want. I think that I prefer it that way, because of 5)
5) As has been said of most Contax G adapter : the focusing wheel is not too smooth to handle, but it is bearable. It is almost smooth when moving from near focus to farther focus, but when you are at the furtherst distance there is a rough point to overcome if you want to come back nearer.
6) Since I have M lenses too, after trying the 90mm and 45mm I put the Leica lense on in order to make comparison... and wow.. it is way easier to focuse with the smooth ring of the Leica lenses. First you can adjust set the distance approximately on the ring and then only retouch your focus manually. That isn't possible on the Zeiss lenses, which makes manual focusing quite slower.. but wow.. I liked those Zeiss lenses and I'm happy to be able to use them again.
I'm gratefull to this list for providing welcomed information concerning these adapters.
That said, Kipon is now selling a new ring adapter for the Contax lenses.. Given the slow shipping coming from Hongkong, I guess that it will last for a while before we can get some impression concerning these new adapters..
When I get the time, I'll try to post some pictures, but right now, I'm on a deadline at work and lacking time..
