Contax or Voigtlander

[eric mac]

I recently obtained a Zeiss 50 for Contax RF mount. I intended to use it with an adaptor on my M cameras, but it just didn't work for me. The pictures that were in focus were great but others were obviously out of focus. Anyway I ended up with a Kiev to try this lens again. I am still blown away by this lens. The problem is I already have Leica and Nikon S sytem stuff and probably don't need a 3rd system. If I am able to dump my Contax G stuff, I will probably get a Contax Rf system.

Should I get an older Contax I,II, etc or go with the newer Voigtlander Contax clone. The kiev I have is well still a Kiev and probably doesn't measure up to a Contax.

Eric

 

[dexdog]

I have both older Contax RFs, both pre-war and post-war, as well as a Voigtlander R2C that has the Contax mount, and accepts all Contax RF lenses. You probably can't go wrong with any of the above, but a recently overhauled Contax II or IIa is a real pleasure to use, and will probably be a little cheaper than a Voigtlander R2C.

 

[Socke]

Hm, I think I'd go Brians way. The Sonnar on a Nikon S should be a nice combination.

 

[JoeFriday]

Eric, where did you get the adapter? from the HK seller? I'm surprised that it wasn't working for you.. mine works exactly as it should

of the options you mentioned, getting a Contax is probably the cheaper/easier way.. those Voigtlander SC systems sure are interesting.. but very limited, and not exactly dirt cheap.. considering the price of those, you could nearly pay for a ZF 50/2, which likely would produce images indistinguishable from the Sonnar

 

[eric mac]

couple of pics

couple of pics

I bought and returned the adaptor from a guy in South America. I know he was a little mad, but he still stood behind his product and gave me a refund based on these photos.

These photos were taken wide open F1.5, so I know camera shake wasn't an issue. I shot some pics the following week with my 40 Nokton just be sure and those were in focus.

Eric

 

[VinceC]

Advantage of the R2C is that you've got a pretty modern, very useable camera. Disadvantages are the Contax RF mount is even more orphaned than the Nikon S mount. Nikon has shown enough respect for its history to reissue a couple of S-mount cameras. Zeiss hasn't even offered an adapter to mount its classic lenses onto the Ikon. On the other hand, original Contax lenses are a very good buy for the quality, as are the Soviet lenses.

Still, getting involved in yet a third camera mount system does create problems.

My personal opinion -- very personal, very opinionated -- is that the classic Nikkor 5cm f/1.4 of the 1950s surpasses the Sonnar 5cm/1.5 in speed and flare-control and sharpness. I'd been shooting a Sonnar for some months -- on both a Kiev and a Nikon S2 -- when I got a classic Nikkor. I was hand-printing my work then and immediately saw the difference. Most other people love their Sonnars, so I suspect my lens, an early postwar version, is a less than stellar sample. It does produce really wonderful tones.

 

[eric mac]

Set point

Set point

Brian

Thanks for your insight on this issue. I gather from what you are saying that the adaptors are set to a "sweet spot" as far as focussing is concerned. Obviously at smaller aperatures, the DOF takes care of the focussing differences, but I like to play around in wide open or down a stop shots.

In regards to the Nikkor 1.4, my experience is that it has that 60's acid trip dreaminess to it wide open which at this point in my life is just bad flashbacks 😎 .I guess I am a little enamored by the Sonnar lens and intend to do a good side by side comparison with the handful of 50 I have like one of the other folks on this board has done.

Lastly I hope that Brian has solved my interface problem of getting squeezed on my postings 🙂

Thanks
Eric

 

[VinceC]

My gallery has a few shots of the Nikkor wide open. One is dreamy in a groovy way.

I do like the Sonnar quite a lot. I spent a year using it to shoot Kodachromes with a Nikon S2, blissfully unaware of the weird focus issue, and I don't recall losing many shots at all because of focus problems.