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Zeiss Contax G M-mount Lenses

M

matmcdermott

Guest
I used to have a 35/2.0 and found it to be a great lens. Somehow more painterly than the Leica equivalent, but very nice. Same with the 45/2.0, though I never owned one, just borrowed one for a bit while testing out the Contax G system.

OT: Looking at the photos on that site reminded me of what a nice looking camera the Hexar RF limited is.
 

Ocean

Senior Subscriber Member
I still use a set of Contax G lenses with my G2. There are wonderful lenses! If my G2 gives up, I will convert them to M mount for my Leica M6.

But if you are shooting M8, I think Zeiss zm lenses maybe better choices since Zeiss did make changes of optical design of 21/2,8, 28/2,8, and 35/2,0 for more 'digital friendly uses.'

Kind regards,
 

Hacker

New member
I received the black 90mm lens yesterday. It is so much lighter than say the Nikkor 8.5cm f/2 or the Zeiss ZM 85mm f/2. Will take some shots this weekend. The test results after the conversion are here:



 

cam

Active member
One more comment, Dirk's response to email is fast, and his communication and attention to detail is high. Recommended! :thumbs:
i second that! he's great to deal with!

though i am a bit miffed (and grateful for the warning) that these lenses won't work with my Epson :cry:
 

monza

Active member
I think they are being perhaps a bit too cautious with the Epson; if you sent your RD-1 to Japan, I bet he could make it work. :)
 

Woody Campbell

Workshop Member
I've got a converted G2 version of the CZ Hologon. It has a very distinctive look. If you search Hologon on this forum you'll find samples from me and others.

The G2 was one of my favorite cameras - I've been trying for a long time without success to find the equivalent in digital in terms of form factor, outstanding lenses and autofocus.

I agree that the modern cz lenses are probably as good or better than the legacy G2 lenses - but it's hard to tell without a side-by-side comparison.
 

monza

Active member
There is the new ZM 85/4 Tele Tessar, but it's a stop slower, and it's not a Sonnar. :) But I'm not sure if it is shipping yet. A converted 90/2.8 is cheaper than the Tele Tessar, also. I'd rather have a set of Contax G conversions than Cosina-built ZMs.
 

woodyspedden

New member
To me this is great news. I have the 21, 28, 35, 45, and 90mm lenses and would love to have them all converted to M mount. In particular the 45mm lens is one of the best "normals" ever and the 21 is superb. I would have to think long and hard about spending the cash on the 35, 28 and 90 as I already have great lenses in those focal lengths. The G2 lenses were so good and got so little publicity that there have been super bargains ever since they came out. The fact that the G2 got only decent reviews as a rangefinder body didn't help.

But I will have mine converted, do some experiments and keep the ones that, for me, make sense. I will sell off the others.

Stay tuned for potential bargains

Woody
 

Hacker

New member
I've got a converted G2 version of the CZ Hologon. It has a very distinctive look. If you search Hologon on this forum you'll find samples from me and others.

The G2 was one of my favorite cameras - I've been trying for a long time without success to find the equivalent in digital in terms of form factor, outstanding lenses and autofocus.

I agree that the modern cz lenses are probably as good or better than the legacy G2 lenses - but it's hard to tell without a side-by-side comparison.
Woody, I wanted to trade my Leica 28mm Elmarit ASPH for the Hologon, then send it for conversion. But it is not coupled :(. Otherwise, I think the ZM15 would be better? I have the WATE, but it has not been used. I think it is too big, VF and all.
 

monza

Active member
That black 90/2.8 Sonnar is a handsome lens. Much better looking that the half-black conversion of the regular G lens.
 

Woody Campbell

Workshop Member
Woody, I wanted to trade my Leica 28mm Elmarit ASPH for the Hologon, then send it for conversion. But it is not coupled :(. Otherwise, I think the ZM15 would be better? I have the WATE, but it has not been used. I think it is too big, VF and all.
At 16 mm focus isn't much of an issue for the Hologon. I pretty much leave it at infinity. I don't think that I've every had an exposure spoiled by poor focus.

The Hologon has a very different character than zm15: the hologon design is not retrofocus, not even by a little bit. This means that the exit pupil is actually only 16mm from the sensor - this results in severe light fall off at the edges of the frame (mitigated in the case of the M8 by the cropped sensor) and significant color shifts - which are actually quite difficult to correct. But it is perfectly rectilinear and very sharp center to edge. Here is a file from the Moab trip that illustrates the extreme depth of field, color shifts and light fall off. I like this lens a great deal - I use it a lot - but it's not a substitute for a general purpose wide angle lens.

View attachment 12263
 
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