Contax rangefinders

[mike_smith2]

Am I right in thinking that the Contax G1 & G2 use a breach lock

mounting that is different to the Zeiss Distagon range of lenses? My

research indicates that the Planar range have been designed for the

range finder cameras and an adapter is needed to use Distagons on the

rangefinder bodies.

 

I have some Distagon lenses which I use with a Canon 1D, but I find

the camera too heavy for hiking and landscape work and am not

enamoured by the 1.3 crop factor limiting wide angle lenses. A 1Ds

would be equally heavy, hence am thinking about going back to film

and am looking for a decent lightweight "film box" - Is the Contax

Aria well rated? This would mate with the Distagon lenses.

 

Any other views?

 

Mike Smith UK

[franka t.l.]

The Aria ia actually a very good body for the C/Y mount lens, although not really build tough as per the posh models; but then its never mean to be. Its metering was also among the best and most useful ones I've seen for any of the comparative bodies. So if you already own the C/Y mount Distagons. the Aria made a no brainer.

[anthony_armstrong]

Planar refers to the optical formula of the lens not the type of mounting.

 

The Planar formula was devised by Carl Zeiss sometime around the 1890s but, because it was a 6 element design there was too much light loss & reflection that reduced contrast, at the 12 glass-air surfaces and it was upstaged by their Tessar design with half the number of glass-air surfaces.

 

When they invented lens coatings that got around the air-glass problem then the symmetrical Planar design, with its inherently better corrections for aberrations, became a viable design - and particularly superior to the Tessar at the wide apertures (f2.8 is the maximum for the 4 element, 3 group, Tessar design)

 

The Planar formula has appeared in lenses with many different mounts, as has the Distagon design. It sounds from your description that your Distagons have the Contax/Yashica SLR mount and, if you want to keep using those very fine lenses then the Contax Aria is a great choice.

 

I didn't realise that there was any adapter that allowed the Contax SLR lenses to be used on the G series rangefinder. Could you post a link?

[vdp]

I own and use the Aria, and have done so for years. It is a very fine camera and a great choice for those lenses.

[mike_elek]

To add to what Anthony has written, the Planar was used on Hasselblad, Rolleiflex, Contax (as a 35mm lens) and Contarex cameras -- long before the G series was ever on the drawing board.

 

Many Japanese camera makers "borrowed" the Planar design, and most "standard" lenses today are based on the Planar. Carl Zeiss AG refers to the Planar as the most plagiarized lens design in history. So plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery, at least when it comes to a successful lens design.

 

You can read more information about the various Zeiss designs on the www.zeiss.de Web site.

[marbing]

Zeiss lens mount designations are a confusing 'alphabet soup' of acronyms. From your question, it appears as though you have a Zeiss SLR lens which (through an adapter) you are using on your Canon bodies but you find the Canon body to be too heavy and wish for something lighter that will use the same lenses. So, you ask, can the smaller Contax G series rangefinders use the larger Contax SLR lenses?

 

First, lets get the mount designations clarified.

 

The Contax SLR mount for MANUAL focus Zeiss lenses is referred to as the 'C/Y' mount (For Contax/Yashica...since both SLR brands were capable of using the same lenses)

The Contax G1 and G2 rangefinder cameras is for their AUTOfocus lensesis (understandably) called the 'G' mount.

The two mounts are NOT directly compatible...but then neither were your Canon EOS mount and the Zeiss manual focus lenses...to begin with. To mount your Zeiss lenses on the Canon you used a mount adapter. There IS a mount adapter that will allow you to use SOME of the Contax C/Y mount manual focus lenses on the Contax G series cameras.

 

from http://contaxg.com/contaxuser/lenses.html

 

------------------------------------------------------------

 

"Mount Adapter GA-1

 

This accessory allows the G1 and G2 to accept lenses made for Contax SLR cameras. Sounds great, right? Maybe -- but there are a number of limitations in using it.

 

The adapter provides a dial that adjusts the camera viewfinder for lenses in the range 28mm to 85mm. Beyond this range, the finder will not show the lens' coverage. The finder's parallax compensation works (within limits; see below), but you must set the camera to the correct distance with its manual focusing wheel.

 

Lenses do not autofocus -- the correct distance must be set on the lens' focusing ring. If the external diameter of the lens is less than 66mm, you can use the camera's AF system to measure the distance, read it out on the top LCD, and set it on the focusing ring. Contax SLR lenses small enough to allow the AF measurement system to function are:

 

28mm f/2 and f/2.8 Distagon

35mm f/2.8 Distagon

45mm f/2.8 Tessar

50mm f/1.4 and f/1.7 Planar

(The above allow parallax compensation down to 1 meter)

60mm f/2.8 Makro-Planar

85mm f/2.8 Sonnar

(The above allow parallax compensation down to 3 meters.)

If the lens (or an attached hood, filter, etc.) is 66mm in diameter or more, the AF system will not work because its sensor windows will be blocked.

 

When using the GA-1, Contax recommends setting all lenses to apertures of f/4 or smaller to protect against manual-focusing errors."

 

------------------------------------------------------------

 

Note that the names Distagon and Planar (among others) are designations for the lens design rather than the mount.

[francois_gauthier]

The Zeiss lenses fitting Canon DSLR with an adapter are manual focus YC for Yashica and Contax 'traditionnal' SLRs.

 

First, you should find if your Distagon lenses are AE or MM . Only the MM will work in program mode (the smallest aperture number is green on the ring) but AE work as well in other modes.

 

If they are MM and you like to use the program mode, get the Aria .

 

If they are AE or you prefer Aperture priority anyway, still the Aria but also consider the older 139Q.

 

If you would like a light mechanical (and fully manual only), consider the old Yashica FX-3 (but it lacks DOF button).

 

These are the best choices when size and weight mather . I also suggest you buy the Planar 50mm F1.7, a great value, equally good but lighter than the F1.4.

 

The Zeiss 21mm, 28mm F2.8 and 50mm F1.7 (or 1.4) make the best wide and normal kit there is in 35mm film SLR .

[andrew_hall1]

MM mount lenses are also required for shutter-priority AE, not just Program.

[mike_smith2]

Thanks guys such your combined wisdom is fantatstic!

 

I have since researched some more on the Aria and see it has a very bright viewfinder, so another thumbs up. Moreover the Aria body and all my lenses would weigh the same as the Canon 1D body and battery pack alone....

 

My lenses are all the MM version, I have found it extremely rewarding going back to manual focus for landscape and still photography, AF invariably hunts at some time or other after fidlding with filters etc.

 

Makes a change to have a topic that doesn't start "my 20D photos are all blurred does it back focus......." and usual reply is "no you wally you have to post process sharpen...."

 

;-)

 

 

Mike Smith UK

 

Oh yes, does any know of a source for Arca Swiss style dovetail body plates tailored for the Aria, the RRS website lists the G1 etc, Kirk doesn't list any either???

[kaiblanke]

Mike,

<p>

all the others already gave good advice. There is little to add, but besides the Aria (adn if you do not want to spend that much money) the older Contax and Yashica bodies are real alternatives as well: If you want to go small without a motor then the 139q and the 159mm as well as the Yashica FX-D are cheap alternatives to the Aria - and even a bit lighter. If you want motorized film advance, the 167mt and the 137ma are also capable cameras, but are at least as heavy as the Aria. The best price/value ratio has in my eyes the 139q followed by the 159mm for travel/landscape work.

<p>

If you want to shoot landscapes, MM lenses are nice, but not necessarily needed: Within the last five years I never used the MM functionality, aperture priority is more than sufficient. If you long for more glass, have also a look at the Yashica ML lenses: Almost as good as Zeiss, usually a bit lighter and smaller and cost only a fraction of the Zeiss glass. Ideal for travelling when banging a camera around.

<p>

The G rangefinder system is great, but unfortunately standing on its own with only a theoretical possibility of adapting other lenses. If you want a compact travel set, this is first-class, but if you want a universal system then a SLR is a much better choice.

<p>

Do not only look at Zeiss wideangles, there are also great normals and tele lenses in the setup: The 50 Planars are among the best normal lenses ever and the 180/2.8 or the 200/3.5 are great lenses as well - not to mention the three superb 85mm lenses (1.2, 1.4 and 2.8).

[mike_smith2]

Thanks Kai

 

my lenses thus far are 18mm F4 (the 21mm although much optically better, and considerably expensive, did not meet my low weight criteria)I use it stopped down and find it fine, 28mm F2.8, 35mm F2.8 & 50mm F1.7. I have my eye on a 85mm although above 50mm the Canon lenses are optically OK and as I do a fair bit of wildlife photography the AF and IS becomes more important again.

 

I will research the 139Q as well.

[john_mcmillin]

I own a 139Q, and I'm consiering moving up to an Aria or other Contax body. I like the

139's size, or lack of it, and the smooth winder action. But the meter is pretty primitive--a

bottom-weighted, center-weighted pattern only, and it reads out in a strange way that

doesn't communicate in smaller than full-stop increments. Ditto for its exposure comp

dial. I might be satisfied with that if I carried a separate spotmeter, but there goes the

wirght & cost advantage! Oh, and the mirror doesn't lock up or prefire with the self-timer.

The viewfinder is fine, unless you wear glasses. The Contax world is full of other camera

bodies I've heard about but not handled. Maybe some will be present at the local camera

swap this weekend. You can start yor research at http://www.photozone.de/2Equipment/

contax.htm#P

[dermot_conlan4]

The world of Contax has always been a compromise...the Aria has a lot of the updated

features you would want three metering modes, bright viewfinder, it's small but also costs

$450 in th used market. The RX is a much smoother camera, heavier and has a rather dim

viewfinder by todays standards because of the DOF indicator. Thw ST is robust has a

ceramic pressure plate but has anoisey, whiney motor.

Add the 45mm tessar pancke lens to the Aria and it's a tiny package easy to carry...I

thought this would be great for a carry around but I tended to fiddle too much with the

controls fumbling for the focus on the 45....but I'm sure someone out there has this set up

and loves it.

If you could find a shop carrying used Contax gear and handle a body or those lenses (tiny

in comapsion to todays monster zooms) it would help.