Just to add fuel to this debate of Zeiss/FSU lenses etc on Nikon rangefinders. I just finished shooting with all my Zeiss lenses and the "mopping" up consists of some Russian lens in LTM (an Orion and a Jupiter 85/2}.
My conclusion from this highly unscientific test - no resolution charts, no "matched" and "tested" bodies - just what I had on hand.
I used a couple of S3's, one Millenium and one older one, two Nikon S and a SP.
The lenses have been accumulated over about 10 years, usually at swapmeets and I bought them because they were cheap or in moments of dementia!
Here is my opinions:
21/4,5 Biogon: Still one of the best 21's made - period! The VC 21 is handier and I can read the aperture/distance on it and it weighs less, so it gets used more, but the Biogon is a stunning performer for black/white.
28f8 Tessar: This an uncoupled and uncoated lens that I picked up in Japan a couple of years ago. Cute lens too! It is very compact and truly a hassle to use. Miniscule numbers and black letters on bright chrome. Its performance is actually quite good. Surprisingly resistant to flare but admittedly it is more of a "conversation piece" than a practical lens. I do like the F32 setting and then the lens opening looks like a pin-hole!
Biogon 35/2,8 Early. This is a massive lens for its speed, heavy and with one of the most scary rear elements ever put on a lens. Good performer and once stopped down to f4 it is sharp enough. Wide open you can see slight softening from the "mis" matched focussing of the Nikon versus Contax. It will flare if you are not careful.
Biogon 35/2,8 Late, postwar with T* coating. This is pretty close to a 35/2,5 Nikkor in performance and not as heavy as the older version. Slight focus shift at f2.8 but it is actually usable as a wide angle on a Nikon.
Planar 35/3,5: Very nice lens. I dont know if it is the glass or the lack of coating on it, but it is very sharp, even at f3.5 and some of the nicest mid tones I have seen in black/white. The slow speed most likely accounts for the lack of focus shift.
Great sunny weather lens and it rivals the Nikkor 35/3.5 in performance.
Jupiter 35/2,8: Yes it does scratch the front plate a bit and occasionally binds in the focus when mounted, but, hey it was $ 40 at a swap. It is an adequate lens, not great and it will flare. On the other hand, it is cheap enough to stick on a beater body until you find a 35/2,5 or 35/1.8.
Sonnar 50/f1.5: Here you can see a bit more of the focus shift, particularly at f1.5 or f2. It does have a very nice out of focus rendition and if most of your stuff is in daylight, it will work fine.
Sonnar 50/f2.0: This is a good lens and with f2 as a maximum aperture, the focus shift is less pronounced. Nice smooth lens and would work well as a standard lens and also as a portrait lens.
Menopta 53/f1.8: This lens I got from Brian Sweeney and he shimmed to Nikon focus. It is very good - better than either of the 50 Sonnars and it rivals even my 50/2 Nikkors! You can get internal flare from the aperture blades, but it only has happened to me a couple of time (and I have shot a lot of film with this lens). Great starter lens if you are going slow and cheap into Nikons. A beater S2 and one of these lenses is not a bad "starting" kit.
Sonnar 85/2.0: I did expect some focus shift and got it too. Particularly in close quarters at f2/2.8. Substantial lens, but comfortable to hold and very good image quality from f4 on and at medium to infinity. No match for a Nikkor 85f2 or a Apo-Lanthar 85f3.5 though. Interesting "central flare" on a couple of shots too.
I also have a 50f2.8 Tessar in LTM fit so that will go with the Orion and the 85 Jupiter later.
One thing that drives me nuts with the Zeiss lenses is the lack of click stops on their aperture rings. I was forever knocking apertures out of line and screwed up exposures. The build quality of these lenses is stunning - this was workmanship of the highest class and it is almost worthwhile to keep one or two for that alone.
I dont see the Zeiss or FSU lenses as replacements for the original Nikkors by any standard, but at least I can nod sagely and say they do work on the Nikon's!
The definite "keepers" of the Zeiss lenses are the 21/4,5 Biogon (nothing like it in Nikon mount or Contax). I would keep the 28f8 as it is an interesting lens and it fits perfectly on my Black Dial S2 with the dead rangefinder. Slim enough that you can slip it into a pocket too. The 35f3.5 Planar is so good that it will remain a user and I will try to do a run against the two 35/3,5 Nikkors that I have (one early and one late). The others are good, but pose no threat to the Nikkors.
I did "learn to like" the Nikon S's again. Squinty little finder but are they ever built to last! For some reason I have three of them and they do have little quirks - the slow speeds tend to vary according to the cameras mood. Occasionally they will decide that when you put it 1/4 sec you are joking and it will decide to to a T setting! All three of them do this intermittently! Not a big deal, but it does give you some strange looking negs. And, no - they have been serviced recently (well two of them have). I also like that 24x34 frame - makes it easy to mark negatives between frames. Great starter Nikon as they are cheap too.
What next: I am loading up 100+ feet (160 actually) of Agfapan 400 S (Surveilance film) and sticking my Millenium 50/1.4 on the black S3 and the 35/1,8 SP 2005 lens on a SP (and the 21/4 VC on a S2, or maybe on one of the Nikon S's).
Goodbye Zeikon Project and it was a blast. At least we got a hot and heavy debate going here! You can see some of the shots from this project by going to my Flickr site and click on The Zeikon Set.
Oh, just to keep webmaster Fred awake - I will do a comparison of the Planar 35/3,5 versus the Nikkor 35f3.5 at some time!
