Experience with Contax Distagon 28mm f2 lens...

[michael_wilkie]

I'm considering both the 28mm/2.8 and the 28/2 Contax lenses. While I've been able

to find plenty of information regarding the 28/2.8, reviews of the 28/2 have been

elusive. I'm curious about the performance of the 28/2, particularly at full aperture.

How does it compare to the 50/1.4 in terms of sharpness and contrast. Is there

vignetting at full aperture? Is is as heavy as it looks? Thanks.

[bernhard]

I have the 50/1.4 and the 28/2.8 but don't have any personal experience with the 28/2.0. I considered buying it, especially after I saw people say that the 28/2.0 would be 'better' (for whatever that means). However the MTFs from Zeiss do NOT support this, in fact the 2.8 looks 'better' stopped down anf I'm quite happy with that lens.

As the MTFs for the 2.0 are no longer available directly from Zeiss I email them to you.

 

So for me the only benefit would be that it is one stop brighter and I decided that that's not worth it for me. I think it is no coincidence that the 2.0s show up quite often on ebay.

[pen name above]

Michael,

 

Unless the focal length is of extreme importance to you, the 35mm f1.4 Distagon is a safer and sharper bet. The 28mm f2 is not one of the famed Zeisses to have hit the legendary list - instead, it has sat on the shelves of many a collector and camera shop, commanding a high premium for the extra stop. At full aperture, it's sharpness is not reported favourably either, and there are so few reviews from owners of these lenses (probably because they are never used). On the otherhand, the 35mm f1.4 has excellent sharpness at wide-aperture and is very useful for shallow depth of field work.

 

The 28mm f2.8 is a safe move, and the cost can easily be recouped if purchased secondhand. The 28mm f2 lens has the hallmarks of a collectors toy: heavy; expensive and not exceedingly fast.

 

Sorry I can't help with the other questions.

 

Kind regards,