Can I use a Makro-Planar T* 100mm F2.8 lens on a Contax 645?

[paulopires]

<p>Hello good people<br /><br />I searched for a while, in here and on the internet but I can't seem to find out any straight answers.<br />Maybe I'm not doing it right because English is not my native language.<br /><br />My question is:<br />I have the opportunity of getting a Makro-Planar T* 100mm F2.8 at a good price. This is a lens designed for the Contax N1. Can I use this lens on a Contax 645?<br /><br />I know I can use the Zeiss lenses for the 645 on the N1 via an adapter but can I do the opposite?<br /><br />Thank you.</p>

[mva]

<p>No, you cannot. The image circle would be too small for the 645, and the required flange - film distance would not fit the 645.</p>

[jeff_livacich]

<p>You could not get it to focus to infinity, but for macro maybe you could make it work. I just held my Pentax 100/4 macro (135 format) set to infinity, up to the front of my Bronica ETR-Si (645 format), and got full coverage, plus I could shift it some before running out of image circle. The magnification looked to be fairly close to 1:1, though I didn't really try to see what it was. The Bronica/135 format lens combo is impractical unless I used slow film and small apertures with flash, because the Bronica has its shutter in its lenses.<br>

If you got an adapter, it could work. Aperture would have be manual. Whether it's worth doing for more than the fun of it, well... that would be up to you.</p>

[paulopires]

<p>Thank you Marco and Jeff your input is very helpful.</p>

[kparratt]

<p>Confirming Jeff's offering, yes. I use the lens head from a Leitz Hektor 135mm on Hasselblad bellows with adapter and achieve full coverage with close up work. Image circles increase with extension. Manufacturers of large format lenses provide specs for coverage at infinity and often with maximum and optimum apertures. The Rodagon 80mm f4 enlarger lens is also a superb close up lens. I have used mine on both Leica set up and the Hasselblad. Short of an Apo Rodagon, I can't imagine anything being better. For 1:1 the Apo Rodagon D in unsurpassed by anything in the real world.<br>

But for infinity, no.</p>

[yefei_he1]

<p>Hi, Paulo,</p>

<p> Just to clarify, is the lens for Contax N1 a Makro-Planar or Makro-Sonnar? I only know of a Makro-Sonnar for N1. Not that it matters to the question you were asking. But if it is indeed a Makro-Planar, perhaps it's not made for N1.</p>

[paulopires]

<p>Thank you Kevin, it's a decision I have to make but I don't think I'll get the lens if I can't use it "properly". There's a wonderful 120 macro lens for the Contax 645 but it's a very expensive lens. I'm looking for some examples of people using the extension tubes. Who knows... maybe I can live with that. They come in 13mm, 26 and 52mm, if I'm right.<br /> <br /><br />@ Yefei: Thank you for the notice my friend. The seller is a friend and he told me it was a "100mm 2.8 zeiss for the N1". I went to the Contax website and looked up for the lens, and indeed they call it "Makro-Planar T* 100mm F2.8".</p>

[kparratt]

<p>Paulo, one of my favourite lenses is the older Zeiss S-Planar f5.6 120mm for the Hasselblad 500C system. It's a Chrome non-T* but with proper use of lens shades, it's a stunner. I use for portraits and close ups, including precision copy work, but also at distance if necessary. (Optimum at 1:10 at f11) It's a Zeiss masterpiece.<br>

There is a Hasselblad lens to Contax 645 adaptor which works well, but of course the Contax can only be used on manual. However, if you want top imaging quality and can live with manual operation, ie aperture settings etc, the S-Planar I am sure will be found for much less than the Contax variant you are considering. The later Hasselblad Macro Planar 120mm f4 may be a preferred choice for it's one stop faster and Prontor shutter, but will be a fist full of dollars more too. Optically the f5.6 and f4 are identical. It was only the Prontor design wich permitted the faster aperture.<br>

For ease of use and without stuffing around with manual use, have you the possibility to search a little longer for the Contax version? Of course it depends on how much you intend to use the lens. If as a primary, the adaptor/hybrid route will probably drive you nuts after a while.<br /> <br /> Cheers, Kevin</p>

[q.g._de_bakker]

For what it's worth, and stunning though the lens made for Hasselblad may be: the macro lens Zeiss made for the Contax 645 is a definite improvement over the one sold to Hasselblad.