Major GAS attack in Toronto

[Bill K.]

Well I did it this time !!! 😀

I took advantage of Mr. Gandy's free shipping offer while he's in Japan touring the Cosina Factory.

Ordered the Bessa R w the 35mm 2.5 lens (in basic black)

From what I have read here, and having talked to Frank S. at the last Camera show, this will be a great combo.

Now for the loooooong wait for it to arrive.

The (GAS) pain appears to be getting better. 🙂 🙂

Regards to all and thank you Frank, for your convincing input.

Bill K.

 

[tedwhite]

GAS it up, baby. I didn't have to wait much. Ordered my Bessa R with 35/2.5 on a Thursday. It arrived the following Monday.

But then, Arizona is right next to California.

However, up in ze frozen north, who knows about shipping times. Anyway, I think Mr. Gandy is sleeping off his jet lag. I emailed a new order on Wednesday. Supposedly he got back Thursday. Today is Friday. He's still asleep, I know it. In my email I asked him to let me know the shipping date.

Perhaps I've a bit of GAS also?

Anyway, it's a lovely kit. The lens is wonderful. For a strange and new beast it took no time at all to get the drill down. After all, I'd been playing for a few weeks with a loaner Kiev 4A, a beat to death M2 with a 21/4 Super Angulon mit viewfinder. After those two, learning the Bessa R was made easy.

May the force (the US Postal Service) be with you.

TED

 

[Doug]

Good luck, guys, with your new R packages! That should be pretty sweet, by all accounts.

I've been suffering a touch of GAS myself... Bought a 28mm lens from one RFF member and a CV 28 finder from another. These have not arrived yet, but today I received a 45mm for my "new" Contax G1... What a great deal, lens obviously brand new, only $189 from Central Camera in Chicago. Must be trying to clear out their stock.

 

[tedwhite]

Doug:

Was that the lens (so called normal) that the G1 was supposed to come with? From what I've read about G1's and G2's, it's a very good lens.

Congratulations,

Ted

 

[Doug]

Hi Ted, thanks! Yes, this is the normal lens for the Contax G1 and G2, so maybe that would explain why it could be hard to sell as an accessory... If most G cameras came bundled with it originally. I got my G1 used, together with a 21mm lens though!

I too have heard it's an outstanding lens. Maybe it should not have come with its "instructions" sheet that shows MTF chart, etc, including one with a distortion curve indicating 1% barrel distortion out at the edges! That's a lot, and should be noticeable! 🙁

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Doug, did you get the lens through eBay or their store? I guess I'll have to call them or check them out.

BTW, I have a Contax G modest system (the G1, a 45mm and the 35mm, both Planar). I'm really happy with them. Only I haven't taken them off the shelves in a while... I feel guilty.

Talk about impending GAS attack...

 

[Doug]

LOL, Francisco... Maybe Contax prices are going down now that the system is "orphaned"... I got the lens directly from Central Camera website:
https://www.central-camera.com/sear...Search=fromSearch&btnSearch.x=7&btnSearch.y=9

You'll see that many items are notated "For our SPECIAL PRICE, click on the Add To Cart
and then the View Cart Button." The 45mm went from $349 to $189 when I did that. Do I dare try that with other Contax items there? Ouch! GAS! I can't resist.... 🙁

Um, what's your experience with the 35mm? Somehow it's developed a reputation for softness or something... Maybe like the Voigtlander 2.5/50 in that the reputation isn't quite reflected by reality?

 

[rich815]

Doug, as a long time G2 user let me tell you that the 45 Planar is one amazingly sharp and contrasty lens (see www.contaxg.com for lots of 45mm shots). The 35, while not bad, pales in comparison to the 45 and 28 G lenses (the 28 being the other over-the-top sharp and contrasty lens in the G line-up). Closed to f/5,6 or so the 35 performs very well. Enjoy!

P.S. Be patient with the G1's AF. Takes some getting used to. Do not give up too early. Once you get it down it's all worth it. 🙂

Richard

G2, M3, RA3

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Alright, Doug... Here's my experience with the 35mm Planar:

Nice lens, not as much as the other Planar (the 45). It's not as sharp all around, but then, I haven't really tested it. I simply happen to like it MORE than the 45, but after scanning some shots I made with it, I noticed that you have to close it down to f8 to get edge-to-edge sharpness.

Now... I got mine on eBay, two or three years ago, for the incredible amount of $150. A Seattle photographer was selling it for some reason I can't remember and he priced it that low. I saw it late at night (at 11 maybe) on eBay... but then, the thought of the lens being snatched by the next morning didn't let me sleep, so I got up at 2 AM and purchased it right away via BIN. I got it right on time for my Friday trip to Chicago.

Thanks for the information! I'm heading to the Central Camera website right now!! 🙂 I'd like to have the 90mm Sonnar (if there's something left).

 

[Doug]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Rich and Francisco. It looks like my G1 kit will include just the 21, 28 (coming from an RFF member), and now the 45mm from Central Camera. Someone on Photo.net quickly sold a 35mm for $150, and KEH has had several off and on for $205... or maybe it's the same one flickering on and off! I have been surprised to see long lists of used 90mm Sonnars available, most now gone from KEH, at a couple of sites I'm trying to recall...

My AF difficulties with the G1 are in dim light, and the camera just goes unresponsive. Shutter button does nothing. Turning the main switch off and back on again usually allows some action, as if it needs a fresh start. It could be that the system is just having a hard time seeing anything to focus on...

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Batteries may be the problem here, Doug... Although, in my experience, with the Contax G cameras you never get any warnings: the batteries just die on you.

When you have problems focusing... is the lens wide open or not? The G1 camera has a passive AF system and that may be part of the problem.

However, these are really neat cameras, and they focus quickly. The only beef I have with them is the whirring noise the lenses make. When I tried to shoot street in Costa Rica it was disturbing to see how conspicuous that whirring made me. And this in the middle of a busy downtown, with street vendors and traffic! 🙁

 

[Doug]

Hi Francisco... Lens wide open at f/2.8, dim interior, shutter speed maybe 1/60, ISO 500. The camera came with no batteries, and I had a spare pair of new CR2's that my Bronica also uses, so I put them in. Should be ok... Camera behaves perfectly in daylight.

In the dim light I noticed several times that the camera simply fails to respond to any kind of pressure on the shutter release. I'd been choosing an item to focus on and partly depressing the release button to lock focus, then I'd recompose and press on through. Sometimes I'd not complete the shot, though, and move on to a different subject. That might have preceeded the events of no response. Not only would there be no buzz/whir for focus, but pressing all the way did not release the shutter either.

Also, the half-press is difficult to judge, so sometimes I've released the shutter inadvertently.