pics with 21mm biogon?

[motosacto]

Anyone here actually shoot with the 21mm/4.5 Biogon on a Contax ii, iia, iii, or iiia? What do you think? Have any pics available on the web?

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

My avatar was shot with a 21mm f4.5 Biogon on a Contax IIa.

Wayne

 

[VinceC]

I've used one of these for about 15 years in Contax mount but mounted on Nikon RF cameras. I'm not that fond of the 20/21mm focal length, preferring 28mm and 24/25mm.

It's incredibly sharp, perhaps too contrasty (if that's possible) and has noticeable light falloff on the corners. Minimum focus distance: 3 feet. F-stops from 4.5 to f/22 with no clickstops. I don't know much about Zeiss serial numbers, so I don't know what year my example is from. It's a very heavy lens -- heavy chrome and brass -- so I don't carry it with me all that often.

Below are a few examples from last year before I got my CV 25mm lens.

 

[motosacto]

I've used one of these for about 15 years in Contax mount but mounted on Nikon RF cameras. I'm not that fond of the 20/21mm focal length, preferring 28mm and 24/25mm.

It's incredibly sharp, perhaps too contrasty (if that's possible) and has noticeable light falloff on the corners. Minimum focus distance: 3 feet. F-stops from 4.5 to f/22 with no clickstops. I don't know much about Zeiss serial numbers, so I don't know what year my example is from. It's a very heavy lens -- heavy chrome and brass -- so I don't carry it with me all that often.

Below are a few examples from last year before I got my CV 25mm lens.

Vince,

Thanks for the info! Can you tell me what viewfinder(s) you use for the 21 and 25?

--Mark

 

[ZeissFan]

These are all postwar lenses -- mid- to late-1950s. All are made in West Germany.

This lens did not exist before World War II.

The version for the Contarex is more or less the same lens in a Contarex mount and is to be used with an external viewfinder and with the Contarex mirror locked up.

 

[VinceC]

With the 21mm Biogon, I use a fairly recent Leica/Leitz 21mm brightline viewfinder that I bought about 12 years ago. My CV 25mm/4 (Nikon/Contax version) came with an excellent brightline 25mm finder.

 

[flipflop]

I have a 21mm 2.8 Contax G lens...Its a nice one!

 

[steamer]

Vince, really like the look of those biogon photos

 

[micromontenegro]

I use it a lot. One example:

 

[micromontenegro]

 

[VinceC]

If I'm not mistaken, the Biogon was the first 21mm lens.

 

[climbing_vine]

My avatar was shot with a 21mm f4.5 Biogon on a Contax IIa.

And well-shot it was. Somehow seems a little more "there" than the usual "Hey, here's a bolt of lightning" pictures. Though a rendition that small will change one's perception of it, of course.

 

[dexdog]

Mauna Kea volcano, Hawaii, at approximately 12,000 ft MSL. Nice clear day above the clouds. Contax II, 21mm Biogon, Velvia 50. Oh, I forgot to add that the mountain in the distance that is partially shrouded in clouds is Mauna Loa volcano.

 

[motosacto]

Cool shots--what about viewfinders?

Cool shots--what about viewfinders?

So what viewfinders did you use for the various posted shots?

 

[dexdog]

I prefer to use the 21mm ZI finder for the Contax, although I have also used the Contax 440 finder that has framelines for the 21, 35, 50, 85 and 135 focal lengths.

 

[micromontenegro]

I use the 440 when I carry several lenses, and the 426 when I use the 21mm exclusively, which is quite usual.