Contax 11A with 50mm 1.5 Sonnar

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>Just revisiting my much loved Contax, but with a different lens to that I normally use. I tend to stay with my post war coated Opton Sonnar F2 for use on the Contax, as it is dead sharp, and quite contrasty for a 60 year old lens.<br>

Thought that I would go back a few years to the thirties and use the rather wonderful pre-war 1.5 Sonnar, which of course has no coating whatsoever. That Zeiss could coax this much contrast and sharpness out of a lens designed in the thirties is quite amazing. Of course it isn't bitingly sharp and contrasty like a modern lens, and can flare quite easily if provoked, but still has a lovely signature.<br>

I took some pics at the nearby port of Eden, on a somewhat foggy morning that was slowly clearing...thought it would suit the old Sonnar. I'm sure you are all familiar with the Contax, so I will just get down to it and post a few pics, including one taken with the 28mm Nikkor from my S2.</p><div></div>

[Troll]

<p>Mein Gott, that's a beautiful camera!</p>

[mukul_dube]

<p>Pretty camera, the IIA. There were furious Leica vs. Contax wars when I was a boy.</p>

[blumesan]

<p>The morning must have been mighty foggy. Can't see a damn thing. :)</p>

[chuck_foreman1]

<p>Wie Bill gesagt hat... Eine wundeschoene Kamera.  @Mike Blume ..Too funny  !! <br>

 </p>

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>Foggy indeed, for some reason I couldn't post after putting up the camera....all seems ok now....I will try again!</p>

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[tony_lockerbie]

<p>Aha, all's good! No.2</p><div></div>

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>No.3</p><div></div>

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>No.4</p><div></div>

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>No.5</p><div></div>

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>No.6</p><div></div>

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>No.7</p><div></div>

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>...and the last one, taken with the 28mm Nikkor.</p><div></div>

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>That's it, sorry for the delayed action post, don't know whether the glitch was here or at PDN, anyway, another day and all is well. Film used was FP4+, developed in Pyrocat and rated at iso 80, and I do like the joke about the thick fog :)</p>

[chuck_foreman1]

A lovely signature indeed... Some of us would kill for this lens... I especially liked the shadow detail on No

3 and the close up on No 5 was also excellent. I have considered the Russian variant lately.. ie before I

die. I'll never be able to afford the Zeiss variant. Love te look of the FP4+ No 1 had such a dark sky but the

later pics were all ..well less so! Gald to see the Nikon WA lens works so well on different flange distance.

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>Thanks Chuck. THe first pic had a bit of sunlight coming through on the wharf, making the sky seem darker, later ones had the light a bit more diffused. The Nikkor seems fine, don't know how it would go at closer distances though.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

Great shots and a beautiful lens and camera. Thanks for sharing.

[rick_drawbridge]

<p>Ah, I was hoping there were some images on the way! Lovely tones from a superb old lens in the hands of an excellent photographer... Fine work, <strong>Tony</strong>, though you're adding fuel to my maritime withdrawals...I must go down to the sea again, and all that. That Sonnar really is a treasure, and the Nikkor is no slug. "Yachts" is an image I particularly like. Thanks for the post.</p>

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>Thanks Mike, Rick...I hope you get some salt air soon. The Sonnar is a treasure, even looks the part!</p>

[arthur_mcculloch2]

<p>Tony, Eden is beautiful, and well served by your coveted Contax and Sonar. Great shots, well developed and framed. Chuck, I lapsed, and got a Russian (roulette) version, a Kiev 4. Herewith a photo (I hope) and some recent shots. I'll explain the roulette at the end<br>

Apiarist1</p>

[arthur_mcculloch2]

<p>Well, no photo. I'll try again</p>

<p>Apiarist1</p><div></div>

[arthur_mcculloch2]

<p>I've just realised that my images are too large, so I'll just post a couple. Taken with an russian 85mm lens with yellow filter with flash at f4. The russian roulette was that it was only the flash photos turned out, with the natural light developing nothing. I checked the shutter and it fires, and appears appropriate, so I guess it's my 'sunny f16/guessamatic' light meter that's defective</p><div></div>

[arthur_mcculloch2]

<p>These shots were all taken at the recent Burrell Creek Annual Trivia Night fundraiser. It's in the rural hinterland of eastern Australia (If you can remember banjo playing in Deliverance you'll have a picture). Except the last, which was at a Bollywood night (last frame on the roll, it was, and I hadn't taken more film)<br>

So the russian copies are cheap, reasonably effective. But you've got to live with the roulette.<br>

Apiarist1</p>

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[arthur_mcculloch2]

<p>The russian 85mm lens seems a reasonable performer (when it performs, that is). All shots were with FP4 developed in infosol. No sharpening, or contrast control.<br>

Apiarist1</p><div></div>

[arthur_mcculloch2]

<p>So Chuck, maybe it's better to save, sell something else, back a good horse, or whatever, and acquire the real thing (at great cost; and I understand that they are 'mechanically complex', so you'd live with inevitable costly repair). On the other hand, for less than a reasonable meal out at a restaurant, you can make believe with a russian (admittedly very agricultural and substantially less reliable copy).<br>

Apiarist1</p><div></div>