Yashica fx-3 super 2000 and Contax Zeiss c/y Mount lenses

[hap]

I have 2 MMJ lenses. Want to know if other flavors like AEJ, AEG, MM will also be compatible. Any incompatible versions. Very confusing and lens prices are not similar and some may have optical and coatings and aprrture blades.
thanks

 

[das]

They will all work fine. MM just means that the lens can use P and S mode with post 159 cameras.

 

[Bill Jones]

I have 2 MMJ lenses. Want to know if other flavors like AEJ, AEG, MM will also be compatible. Any incompatible versions. Very confusing and lens prices are not similar and some may have optical and coatings and aprrture blades.
thanks

The AE means works manual and aperture priority. The MM means it works in M, A, S and P modes. The G means made in Germany and the J means made in Japan. The lenses are not marked AEG, MMG, AEJ or MMJ. The country of origin is marked as "MADE IN XXX". The MM lenses have the smallest f-stop colored green the AE and manual lenses have all the f-stops colored white. To fully use S and P modes set the f-stop to the minimum (green) stop. If you eat to limit the f-stop range set the f-stop to the smallest stop you want to use and the camera will select stops between that and the lens max f-stop. Eg with stop set to f-8 in S or P mode range of stops is f1.4 to f8 for an f 1.4 lens.

Bill

 

[hap]

Hi Bill
thanks for response. The Yashica is fully manual and mechanical with exception of meter. I don’t have Contax dlr.

I’ve read that overtime Zeiss made some changes for lenses of same min aperture and FL. Prices MMJ higher than other similar variations. I’m shooting film and I would not necessarily notice difference.
keith

 

[Bill Jones]

Hi Bill
thanks for response. The Yashica is fully manual and mechanical with exception of meter. I don’t have Contax dlr.

I’ve read that overtime Zeiss made some changes for lenses of same min aperture and FL. Prices MMJ higher than other similar variations. I’m shooting film and I would not necessarily notice difference.
keith

Keith,

The AEG lenses are generally the oldest and the MMJ the newest. I use a 28/2.0, 35/1.4, an 85/1.4, a 135/2.0, a 70-210 f3.5 and an 85/1.2 all of which I have owned for over 40 years. They are all AEG because that's what was made then. They have been my core SLR lenses and now I use them on a Sony A7R m4. The age and aperture features don't affect picture quality. Get a good lens regardless of them and you'll have a set-up capable of great pics.

 

[hap]

Bill
What is the difference between MM and MMJ lenses?

I have a vario sonnar which is an MM

 

[hap]

Ive heard that MM lenses have an extra lug or pin for Program shooting.?

I don't have a path to adapting my Contax lenses to my Nikon FF DLSR. Maybe I will have to seriously consider a mirrorless camera like Nikon Z....this would make it easy to keep my legacy lenses if I wished.

 

[splitimageview]

Yes as mentioned above, MM lenses enable shutter priority and program modes (on bodies that support those) in addition to aperture priority and manual. AE lenses only allow aperture priority and manual.

"MMJ" refers to an MM lens made in Japan. There were a few MM models made in Germany ("MMG".)

MM lenses (most) can be converted to Nikon F mount via Leitax (and other clones.) This is a replacement bayonet; the process can be reversed.

However this bayonet conversion isn't auto aperture when used on Nikon cameras.

Mirrorless adaptation is cheap/simple.

 

[Bill Jones]

Ive heard that MM lenses have an extra lug or pin for Program shooting.?

I don't have a path to adapting my Contax lenses to my Nikon FF DLSR. Maybe I will have to seriously consider a mirrorless camera like Nikon Z....this would make it easy to keep my legacy lenses if I wished.

Hap,

I believe the future is mirrorless and as it's an easier conversion for legacy lenses I went mirrorless 12 years ago. In that case it does not matter what flavor of C/Y Zeiss lenses you use. They all the same.

As mentioned above the MM shows the lens has f-stops that can be set by the Contax SLR body in S or P modes. The AE lens' iris does not. The codes AEG, MMJ etc were used by the Japanese used camera stores in magazine ads 20-40 years ago when Japanese customers were paying a premium for German lenses.

The MM lenses have a tab located at the 4 o'clock position when mounted the camera and looking at it from the front. This contacts the newer camera bodies and lets them "know" an MM lens is mounted, so that the camera can operate in S and P modes.

Bill

 

[wlewisiii]

Just so I understand, this is only on the "Contax" branded lenses, not the Yashica branded lenses?

 

[Bill Jones]

Just so I understand, this is only on the "Contax" branded lenses, not the Yashica branded lenses?

Yashica lenses that are CY mount are fully interchangeable with Zeiss CY mount lenses. I am not sure however that any of them are MM mount equivalents. However this is a moot point if you are mounting them via an adapter.

Bill

 

[wlewisiii]

I'm curious from the perspective of buying a Contax film body because I'm that kind of fool 😉 (I have my Nikon D810 & Leica for digital).

 

[santino]

Yashica lenses that are CY mount are fully interchangeable with Zeiss CY mount lenses. I am not sure however that any of them are MM mount equivalents. However this is a moot point if you are mounting them via an adapter.

Bill

I know that there were MM lenses by Sigma…

 

[Bill Jones]

I'm curious from the perspective of buying a Contax film body because I'm that kind of fool 😉 (I have my Nikon D810 & Leica for digital).

I would recommend a Contax S2 or S2b. Both are fully mechanical but have built in meters. The S2 is a spot meter and the S2b center weighted. Either one of course would work without batteries and have no electronic circuits to worry about. Also since the S2 & S2b don't have S or P modes there is no need for an MM lens.

To Santino's point there were a number of 3rd party lens makers who made CY lenses, some in MM if that's important.

Bill

 

[wlewisiii]

I would recommend a Contax S2 or S2b. Both are fully mechanical but have built in meters. The S2 is a spot meter and the S2b center weighted. Either one of course would work without batteries and have no electronic circuits to worry about. Also since the S2 & S2b don't have S or P modes there is no need for an MM lens.

To Santino's point there were a number of 3rd party lens makers who made CY lenses, some in MM if that's important.

Bill

Fair points. I was considering the 139Q mostly - it's got an aperture priority mode that will work with any of the C/Y lenses and honestly, that's the most automation that I find really necessary (more can be useful, mind) but I'll look into the S2 & S2b as well. Thank you for the pointer!

 

[hap]

Yes as mentioned above, MM lenses enable shutter priority and program modes (on bodies that support those) in addition to aperture priority and manual. AE lenses only allow aperture priority and manual.

"MMJ" refers to an MM lens made in Japan. There were a few MM models made in Germany ("MMG".)

MM lenses (most) can be converted to Nikon F mount via Leitax (and other clones.) This is a replacement bayonet; the process can be reversed.

However this bayonet conversion isn't auto aperture when used on Nikon cameras.

Mirrorless adaptation is cheap/simple.

I should have said that there is no simple way to adapt the c/y lens to F mount...or to retain all the functionality.

 

[splitimageview]

Just so I understand, this is only on the "Contax" branded lenses, not the Yashica branded lenses?

The "AE" and "MM" nomenclature isn't used for Yashica lenses. I'm not positive but I think Yashica lenses are only aperture priority/manual, they won't support program/shutter priority on MultiMode ("MM") Contax bodies.

However there are Yashica bodies that support program exposure without requiring MM lenses: Review: The Yashica FX-103 Program – davidde.com (article courtesy of @das )

 

[splitimageview]

Fair points. I was considering the 139Q mostly - it's got an aperture priority mode that will work with any of the C/Y lenses and honestly, that's the most automation that I find really necessary (more can be useful, mind) but I'll look into the S2 & S2b as well. Thank you for the pointer!

The S2 and S2b are good on paper, however they are less impressive (for the prices they demand) than I anticipated. Build quality is not up to other Contaxes such as the RTS II, III, ST, and RX, IMHO.

A good condition 139Q is small and light with an excellent viewfinder, and fun to use. However they all end up with disintegrating coverings. A 139 may look like it's been sorely neglected but it may actually be in fine shape, just needs a new set of clothes.

The 159 has a rubberized covering and doesn't have this problem. It's the same size and has a 1/4000 shutter, also a red LED readout of the aperture in the viewfinder which I like a lot.

My personal favorite Contax body is the ST, a very solidly built camera, much heavier than the 139/159. If you've ever handled a Contax G2 the heft and build quality feel similar. Part of the extra weight is due to the built-in motor, and because of the four AAA batteries. Really like the red LED viewfinder readouts, visible in virtually any light, and the excellent viewfinder. Many of these come with the P-7 battery holder which adds more weight and size and AA battery compatibility. I prefer the plain ST without this battery pack.

 

[hap]

Fair points. I was considering the 139Q mostly - it's got an aperture priority mode that will work with any of the C/Y lenses and honestly, that's the most automation that I find really necessary (more can be useful, mind) but I'll look into the S2 & S2b as well. Thank you for the pointer!

The S2 and S2b are good on paper, however they are less impressive (for the prices they demand) than I anticipated. Build quality is not up to other Contaxes such as the RTS II, III, ST, and RX, IMHO.

A good condition 139Q is small and light with an excellent viewfinder, and fun to use. However they all end up with disintegrating coverings. A 139 may look like it's been sorely neglected but it may actually be in fine shape, just needs a new set of clothes.

The 159 has a rubberized covering and doesn't have this problem. It's the same size and has a 1/4000 shutter, also a red LED readout of the aperture in the viewfinder which I like a lot.

My personal favorite Contax body is the ST, a very solidly built camera, much heavier than the 139/159. If you've ever handled a Contax G2 the heft and build quality feel similar. Part of the extra weight is due to the built-in motor, and because of the four AAA batteries. Really like the red LED viewfinder readouts, visible in virtually any light, and the excellent viewfinder. Many of these come with the P-7 battery holder which adds more weight and size and AA battery compatibility. I prefer the plain ST without this battery pack.

the Contax lenses on their own are quite heavy , being mostly metal. For the time being I can be appeased by the all manual FX-3 2000 super.

 

[splitimageview]

I don't find them particularly heavy. They are similar weights to Nikkors.

50/1.4 CY - 290g; Nikkor 50/1.4 AIS, - 250g.

50/1.7 Planar: 195g, Nikkor 50/1.8 AIS: 175g

85/2.8 Sonnar: 260g; Nikkor 85/2 AIS: 313g

35/2.8 Distagon: 240g Nikkor 35/2.8: 235g

60/2.8 Makro Planar C: 270g Micro Nikkor 55/2.8 290g

If you want heavy, try Leica R lenses!