Recommendation for 35mm Lens or wider "Classic Contax"

[mob81]

Those Zeiss 35mm Biogon for contax are hard to find and once find something it's expensive and not 100 working condition!

I thought may be a Voigtlander 35mm or 21mm would do it but didn't find any one that has use it to confirm it's picture quality.

Any experience with CV 35mm or wider for Classic Contax



Thanks

 

[Vics]

I use a w-Nikkor 3.5 cm F2.5 on my IIIa and it's great. The Color Skopar CV 35 has a good reputation.
Vic

 

[MISH]

i have the cv 35 and 28 and find both to be outstanding lenses and also own the 25 in LTM camera quest still has them all for sale even the 21. if you can afford it they are all a excelent deal for the money . i am suprised that there are still any left as production ended quite a while ago

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Which model Contax do you have? Are you going to use the lens wide-open, or stopped down?

 

[sevo]

The Jupiter-12 is the pre-war Biogon, plus coating. However the allowable production tolerances on wides are particularly tight, and the majority of the J-12es around don't meet the specs. Those dating from the seventies and eighties are almost generally flawed.

 

[sevo]

Which model Contax do you have? Are you going to use the lens wide-open, or stopped down?

Right, warning time, the Contax IIa/IIIa cannot take the pre war Biogon including the Jupiter-12, as Zeiss shifted the shutter forward to downsize the body. It seems to be fairly touch and go, though, at the point where mine clears the blinds the DOF would permit it to reach infinity from maybe f/8 on, so it might still be a option for close up/indoors if you're disciplined enough not to damage the shutter accidentally.

As to wide open - the Nikkor 1.8/35 will be way outside the tolerance range for the Nikon/Contax mount difference, and would be rather pointless to stop down to f/4, but that one is hardly a cheaper Biogon substitute. All other wides are f/2.5 or slower, with a sweet spot not before f/5.6, and should do on the Contax, at least unless there should be yet another old Biogon copy among the more obscure Japanese Contax/Nikon mount wides.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The Voigtlander lenses are also made to the Nikon S-Mount standard, and will be a bit off on the Contax. Stopping down helps. I've shimmed one J-12 for the S-Mount by increasing the shim slightly.

 

[tic]

I have the CV 21/4 CS. C = Contax, S=Nikon S. As I understand it the wider lenses get the "CS" designation, the others "S", to show that they do indeed work with Contax RF. While the mechanical feel of the lens is not as good as the Leica M-mount 15/4.5 that I also have, the optics are, in my humble opinion, very good.

Having said that, I would of course have liked to have the Zeiss 21/4.5 for historical reasons, but it was not to be found at a reasonable price.

Some samples from my lens on my Contax IIIa (Ektar 100 film) below:

 

[D.O'K.]

I'd recommend the CV 25mm f4--if you can find one. Excellent optically (especially if you like high contrast in B+W) and pretty well made. Sold with a very bright viewfinder too.

The only drawback (for me) is the very long turn needed to focus: about 270 degrees from closest distance to infinity.

Regards,
D.

 

[Elmar Lang]

Hello,

besides the Soviet Jupiter (that can be a very good lens, when properly mounted/checked), there is a rather "philological" choice, besides the old Biogon. I mean the Carl Zeiss Jena Biometar 35 f:2,8 (made in the early DDR).

It's a fine lens that works ok., in my opinion.

Best wishes,

E.L.

 

[mob81]

Thanks a lot guys....many informative opinion. I just acquired a nikkor 85mm for contax from the bay. And I can't stop my self from using the contax iiia even after buying the leica m2!!!
The voigtlander 21mm seems like a good choice and pretty sharp. However, I'll continue the hunt for a post war biogon for few days more and then by the voigtlander if I couldn't find the biogon.

Much appreciate it guys.....thanks

 

[Vickko]

umm, was your Nikkor 85 for Contax? If not, you are going to have problems with focusing it on the Contax iiia.

 

[mob81]

Yes it is..it has the 'C' on the lens barrel!!!!
It will arrive tomorrow.

Vickko The nikkor you mentioned is for contax post war without shimming?

 

[MISH]

I have the CV 21/4 CS. C = Contax, S=Nikon S. As I understand it the wider lenses get the "CS" designation, the others "S", to show that they do indeed work with Contax RF. While the mechanical feel of the lens is not as good as the Leica M-mount 15/4.5 that I also have, the optics are, in my humble opinion, very good.

Having said that, I would of course have liked to have the Zeiss 21/4.5 for historical reasons, but it was not to be found at a reasonable price.

Some samples from my lens on my Contax IIIa (Ektar 100 film) below:

[tic thanks for providing the fine examples.... I am very curious about where the first picture was taken

 

[mob81]

"I hope tic won't mind" From his Gallery he wrote "Stockholm Public Library"

just wanted to help!

 

[Vickko]

Yes, "C" on the barrel means it is for Contax. You will be fine.

Doesn't matter whether for pre-war or post-war.

Vick

Yes it is..it has the 'C' on the lens barrel!!!!
It will arrive tomorrow.

Vickko The nikkor you mentioned is for contax post war without shimming?

 

[mob81]

Yes, "C" on the barrel means it is for Contax. You will be fine.

Doesn't matter whether for pre-war or post-war.

Vick

Thanks vickko.
I heard many good things about the nikkor 85 "I searched for sonnar but the nikkor was a great deal"

I thought most 35mm pre war won't fit the post war contaxes!?

 

[David Murphy]

These lenses will also work on either a pre- or post-war Contax:

Orthometar 3.5cm F4.5, Planar 3.5cm F3.5, Biotar 4cm F2 (I think), Biometer 35mm F2.8, Biogon 35mm F2.8, Herar 3.5cm F3.5, Biogon 21mm F4.5, Topogon 25mm F4

Some of these are pretty rare, but they all show up for sale at times - even at not crazy prices if one is lucky!

 

[tic]

Some info on that Stockholm library can be found on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_Public_Library

Its a great place for wide angle lenses. 🙂