The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

nex7 and zeiss lens

danlindberg

Well-known member
I need some advice. I am thinking of a nex 7 as a all-purpose-family-cam and I have two interesting lenses that would be nice to try.
Zeiss Planar t* 50mm f/1.7 (contax/yashica)
Zeiss Tessar t* 45mm f/2.8 pancake (contax/yashica)

These two lenses sits brandnew in their original box, never used, but I guess they are 25-30 years old atleast.

The advice is if anyone knows how difficult it is to manually focus through the VF of the nex 7?

And also if there is a 'quality' adapter for the contax/yashica mount to a nex 7?

Thanks!

Ps.I also have Contax G45 and a G90, but I guess that is more of a hassle to convert to manual focus....
 

kanzlr

Member
it should be similar to the 5N where it is pretty easy and accurate.
yes, Novoflex makes the best quality adapters, they are in the €120,-- range.
Kipon are rather nice as well (I have their Leica-R adapter) and are around € 80,--

Then there are various cheaper ones down to € 15,--
 

kanzlr

Member
re Novoflex: I only handled their M adapter, but it was superbly made. The only reason I went with the Voigtländer one was the release button, which felt a bit nicer on the latter one, but the Novoflex is still superb.
 
M

MarcoVenturiniAutieri

Guest
I currently use, often, the 45/2.8 C/Y on NEX-5.
I use a very very good Novoflex adapter.
Focusing: the only difficulty is grabbing the focusing ring. The pancake lens is so small!
 

danlindberg

Well-known member
Thanks! Great that you think it is OK to focus. What I understand is that the 50/1.7 is a pretty decent lens while the 45/2.8 is so-so...

I have several products from novoflex and like them a lot, so thanks for pointing me in that direction!
 

Terry

New member
Thanks! Great that you think it is OK to focus. What I understand is that the 50/1.7 is a pretty decent lens while the 45/2.8 is so-so...

I have several products from novoflex and like them a lot, so thanks for pointing me in that direction!
It will probably be quite a while before you get your hands on a NEX 7. Flooding in Thailand has shut down production and delayed deliveries.
 

alphaman

New member
... while the 45/2.8 is so-so...
I think you're being a little unkind to the Contax 45mm; the description "so-so" is a bit harsh.

I'd say that the 50/1.7 is the better of the two, but the 45mm would be perfectly acceptable. Bear in mind that this is a Zeiss design and I really don't think they would sell a poor lens.

The 50/1.7 is probably best described as outstanding and the 45 as being very good.

Before you think I'm an offended Contax fan, I'm not but I do think that there is a tendency for people to be too critical nowerdays.
 

docmoore

Subscriber and Workshop Member
I think you're being a little unkind to the Contax 45mm; the description "so-so" is a bit harsh.

I'd say that the 50/1.7 is the better of the two, but the 45mm would be perfectly acceptable. Bear in mind that this is a Zeiss design and I really don't think they would sell a poor lens.

The 50/1.7 is probably best described as outstanding and the 45 as being very good.

Before you think I'm an offended Contax fan, I'm not but I do think that there is a tendency for people to be too critical nowerdays.
Depends on how you view lenses...the drawing of the Zeiss 45 pancake lens is wonderful...I would prefer it to the better corrected, sharper 50. Think older Tessar lenses ... I imagine the 50 will be sharper and more clinical.

Here are a couple of images from the Nikon 45 P ... similar design:

http://robertemoorephoto.com/p1012362935#h18258ac3

http://robertemoorephoto.com/p1012362935#hd0edbac

Focus ring is an acquired skill however.

Bob
 

danlindberg

Well-known member
Well, I have never tried either, so I would not know performance myself. It is only what I have read from others. But, it is ofcourse great if it is a nice lens :)
The tiny size is really appealing to me.
Pitty about availability on the nex7! Looks like a very interesting body.
 

monza

Active member
The Kipon adapter for Contax G is quite good.

There are many Contax/Yashica adapters for reasonable prices, and the C/Y lenses work great on NEX. Novoflex makes great adapters but they are very pricey. I have used the 50/1.7 Planar on NEX, but not the 45/2.8 Tessar. If I had to pick one I'd go with the Planar as it's not only faster, but I really like the Planar 'look.'
 

philip_pj

New member
The 45/2.8 Tessar is one of the forgotten lenses in the Contax lineup, so it's good to read docmoore's comments on it. As a 'photographic' lens, I am sure it is a beauty and at 90 grams (no miss-type there) it makes for a tiny cam/lens combo. The Tessar's MTF looks like it should be a very bright contrasty lens, with soft small detail rendition. Probably has that CY image depth, not many lack that characteristic.

The 50/1.7 is loved for its 'modern' performance and affordable entree into the Contax experience. Zeiss put a lot into this series and I don't think there are many dogs in there, apart from the longer tele primes perhaps. Many images I see from the 50/1.7 are perhaps overly sharp, gritty in fact, with often disturbed bokeh - some of which can be handled in post.

Both the 50mm Contax Planars (f1.4 too) have a lot of distortion, relatively speaking, much more so than the better performing 35-70/3.4 at 50mm - different intended purposes of course (fast general purpose primes versus landscape lens par excellence), but something to be aware of. The Tessar is under 1%, by comparison.

Finding such quality lenses NIB is a grand find, Dan. All the best with them.
 
Top