What happens when you stick a Nikon 50mm lens on a Contax?

[Will]

Hello guys,

I just receive my contax to M adapter, but I am interested in a nikon mount 50mm lens.

What happens when you stick a Nikon 50mm on a Contax?

Will it be alright to shoot (close to infinity) at f/3.5 or above?

Cheers




Will

 

[furcafe]

Your lens & camera will explode. 😀

But seriously, do a search of the archives. Brian Sweeney has posted on this subject. If you're actually shooting @ infinity, even f/1.4 would probably be useable.

 

[Will]

Your lens & camera will explode. 😀

But seriously, do a search of the archives. Brian Sweeney has posted on this subject. If you're actually shooting @ infinity, even f/1.4 would probably be useable.

Talk about dangerous combination! 😀

I did a search and read most of it.

Hi Will,

how is the adapter ? Focusing smooth ?

Thanks,

Roland.

Roland,

Not as smooth as a Contax IIa or IIIa, never tried any Kiev 4, so I can't compare. I have no lens yet, can't get the real feeling/handling yet.

Those contaxes were smooth as silk with a f/2 sonnar.

You get OOF photos. That's simple. Just don't do it and get a Zeiss Sonnar 50mm for your Contax.

Read this : http://www.cameraquest.com/NRF-Contax.htm

I wanted a f/1.5 sonnar, but I want one of those CV heliar too, still thinking on this. Is the heliar worth it? Does it carries the characteristic from the LF heliars?

From the various samples in RFF, I came to love the sonnar's character on film. The only other sonnar I got is a 180mm in P6 mount, a lovely beast.

PM Sent.

I've shimmed a Nikon S2 to properly focus Contax lenses: added 0.5mm to the cameras mount. I set up a target at 8ft, set the camera helical to 8ft, then adjusted the shims until the focus was good at the film plane, using a 15x loupe with the camera on "t". Then I recalibrated the RF to indicate the target was in focus. Used a real optics table. First time it ever saw a camera. This is what gave me the idea to start re-shimming J-3's for the Leica standard. It is the same difference (my opinion) as the Contax lens on the Nikon camera.

The first shot is with the Sonnar; the 2nd two are with a 'C'ontax version of the Nikkor 13.5cm F3.5, shot wide-open and close-up. I can also use the Sonnar 5cm F1.5 wide-open and close-up on this camera. This S2 cannot be used with "regular" Nikon S-Mount lenses and focus properly anymore.

You would do the reverse for a Nikkor lens on a Contax camera: reduce the shim to bring it a bit closer to the film plane.

Thanks a lot for the info and the PM, Brain.

This issue is gonna be bad! 😀

I am using a contax adapter on a M2, with other adapters and lens (switar, nokton, and leitz when I fix the DR).

I don't have a spare body to use the RF to compensate for the slimed lens or helicord. My other camera is a 7s,which serve is a rear lens cap for the f/0.95, it also occasionally serve as a camera body for that lens. It's a fun lens to use, it would get it again, but I would get everything else first.


Guys,

Slightly off topic. Is the Contax & Nikon RF mount with it's register of 34.85mm measure from the helicord copper ring's contact surface (the copper surface inside the helicord; see attachement and photos from cameraquest.com)?

http://www.graphics.cornell.edu/~westin/misc/mounts-by-register.html

http://www.cameraquest.com/adapter.htm

Cheers





Will

 

[erikhaugsby]

The DOF difference up to 50mm really isn't very noticeable, especially if stopped beyond f/2.8. However, once you start using 75-90-135s, the focusing error can be immense, and very pronounced if using fast lenses wide open. 135s are pretty much useless in this respect, and 90s only if stopped to ~f/16 (or so I've heard).