When designing your focus gears, keep the number of teeth constant for all the lenses. @Yean: I'm 99 % sure it's the adapter then. The Canon EOS R10 is compact, mid-level 24MP APS-C mirrorless camera built around Canon's RF mount. You can unsubscribe at any time via an unsubscribe link included in every newsletter. The 6-lens set in a Nanuk 918 Case and the two specialty lenses. Momentum picked up and I saw myself getting ready to DP a webseries pilot. Ron also offers the full mod service for great prices, including focus gears and lens mounts. WOW! Sharp wide open and has a floating element. It was the most expensive lens in the set and it shares a lot of the beautiful look of the 28/2 Hollywood. This page was generated at 05:50 PM. That said, many still photographers (and DPs) have gotten magic out of these lenses at an F2 or faster. Next up was the 35mm, two stops faster at f/1.4. You have a wide range of lenses to pick from and equally different price tags. 300 g Possibilities of combining Carl Zeiss lenses with Mutarconverters for use with the ContaxSLR camera system Carl Zeiss Photoobjektive D-73446 Oberkochen Telephone (07364) 20-6175 Fax (07364) 20-4045 eMail: photo@zeiss.de http://www.zeiss.de I was just ahead of the game, so it wasnt necessary on my case. The 60/2.8 AE can do 1:1 magnification, while the MM can only reach 1:2. Canon FD's are the predecessors to Canon L glass, and have a superb pedigree. My C/Y Zeiss lenses have been a WAY better investment than money in the bank (or the stock market). What's the best camera for shooting landscapes? Distagon, Planar, Sonnar, Tessar, Biogon and Hologon. Its awesome Western Zeiss glass. 18mm is way too close to 21mm, plus lots of reviews mention its not-impressive performance. Check it out: Copyright 2007-2022. I almost went for the wrong one with my MM obsession, but I was warned by my followers on Instagram about the edge the AE had over the MM. That information was usually written in the lens case, and the focal length was on a sticker attached to the lens cap. Th 85 1.4 at an F2 for portraitsis KILLER. Could it be that yours was bumped once in it's lifetime, if it's not the adapter? Heres a little short-hand: ". The stills guys LOVE IT. Or get a Duclos/Tokina 11-16. Heres the answer to all of this, broken down. Yes, its one step slower than the its siblings, but it definitely crushes them with razor sharp focus and a beautiful transition into bokeh. Theres a lot of discussion whether the 135mm f/2.0 has a clear advantage over the f/2.8, especially when you take into account the price difference. Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom impress in a lot of ways, but their noise reduction lags the competition and their lens corrections lack a real-world basis. You can see, Ryan de Franco called my bluff recently, and he let me sit in on his informal test looking into how similar Contax in FACT areto Standards and Super Speeds. Its by no means unusable, but dont expect a Contax at F2 to perform like an Ultraprime. Great help. Next came the 60mm f/2.8 Macro. 80mm diameter Cine rings by SIMMOD Lens and 77mm filter threads. The first one is AE and the second one is MM. It was a time when I didnt shoot much, but I went on long bike rides. Im gonna stop saying these lenses are sharp, because at this point its just standard! I remember someone doing a test a when the epic first came with stills lenses and noticed it too. Theyre killer tools for video, but in order to achieve maximum performance, theres a number of steps and procedures to tackle. So Contax = Western Zeiss. Collapse. First I measured the slip-on caps I got from SIMMOD and created a Photoshop template with that size. You can use the code CINE at check out for a nifty discount! Informative and equally hilarious in parts :) I'm sure it will prove a resource for many many people over the years. The Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* (C/Y) 35-70mm f3.4 was a standard zoom lens designed for the Yashica and Contax series of film SLR cameras. They are made in Spain, cost about 60 euros each and you install them on the back of the lenses using the provided screws. Is the Distagon 21mm the same glass as they use in the Compact Primes? Yes, it's one step slower than the its siblings, but it definitely crushes them with razor sharp focus and a beautiful transition into bokeh. I plugged in the focal length in white so theyre easy to read in dark sets. I'm not that far from NYC, and head down every so often. Yes, its one step slower than the its siblings, but it definitely crushes them with razor sharp focus and a beautiful transition into bokeh. The Zeiss ZF is phenomenally sharp and modern, which I found good for general and macro photography but I found unpleasant of for portraiture. In my experience, the gears never fit on the first try. By giving you that extra latitude in the blacks and highlights, they were letting photographers dial in how much black and contrast they wanted later in the dark roomwhen they were printing. To check if I did it, just follow me on Instagram as I post all my lens experiments there! to use on my Komodo. All times are GMT-8. The price was pretty good and Im the type of person that can buy something just because the price is good. This will ensure a constant outside diameter, which means you dont have to adjust your follow focus every time you change lenses. I repeated the technique for the rear caps, this time with only the focal length written on them. The mount is exactly the same, and barring a couple of exceptionsALL the lens designs are the same. Wide open it's one of the sharpest F2.0 wide angle lenses available and it has very little distortion. For those not wanting to go the 'pro' Cine-Mod route, you can do it yourself with decent results. So I sand the inside down a bit and try again. The more opinions you have, the less you see. I say that because Ive encountered many people who get confused and think Contax is weird Japanese junk. Leitax mount on the left, original Contax/Yashica mount on the right. are considered to be the best removable adapters ($90). It's very, very sharp. Expect there to be bidding wars on eBay now, the gates of CONTAX HELL have been unleashed. Contax Zeiss Survival Guide In reply to Giovanni_1968 9 months ago While this site is targeted to adapting Zeiss Contax lenses for video, it also seems to be the go-to guide for the rest of us with respect to these lenses. 80mm is the outside diameter of the rings, and that number is so specific because its a standard size for clip-on matteboxes. I managed to get a bunch of black C/Y adapters, step up rings, and some lens gears from eBay and decently cobbled together a set. Damn Nick! After I got the five Contax I went to look for more info and found Nick Morrisons Contax Zeiss Survival Guide at REDUser. At this point the price argument was adding a lot of weight. For that reason I had to make a super tall focus gear that would not slip off when travelling from infinity to minimum focus. This wraps the first step in building a set of lenses: getting the glass. These are creative tools, use them as such. Then I sent that to be printed at StickerYou in vinyl stickers. When the AE's flare, they generally flare white, evenly, and when overwhelmed by a direct source, can reveal a touch of green ghosting. Im a big fan of these lenses and have been building my own set for the last few years, but Im nowhere close to creating a buyers guide, so Im very happy that a good friend of VLFV, Tito Ferradans has written the amazing guide below, which doesnt just introduce and explain various aspects of ContaxZeisslenses but will also show you how to tune them up for video use! So all you do is get a Cine Ring with the rear thread of your lens and thats gonna make it standard! Zeiss Ikon was also split apart into Eastern and Western divisions, but these two subsidiaries kept working togetherand Contax rangefinder cameras and lenses continued to be made on both sides of the wall. I'm liking my 28:2.8 AE. I went for the fastest lenses and snuffed out the AEGs I had, in favor of the prettier bokeh of the MMJs. Im from Bangladesh. I will leave you with a few beautiful videos that will definitely help you make up your mind! You have to admit they look sexy. And. I know I stopped mentioning how sharp these lenses are, but the 60mm is worth highlighting. Posts; Latest Activity; Photos . Note: My hunch on the latitude/low con deal is as follows. Really haven't tested it enough, but the color rendering of the 85mm f2.8 really seems to have some special magic. It offers the advantage of one of the most sophisticated fully automatic through-the-lens exposure control available during the late seventies. You can tell them apart because MM have their last aperture number painted green, and they have a small tab on the mount that doesnt exist on AEs. I think its safe to say all these lenses from this era of Zeiss optics have remarkably similar coatings and magic. I don't want to feed your addiction or be your pusher or cause a break-up in your marriage or relationship but KEH has a "like new" 21/2.8 Distagon for $1,950.00. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting sports and action, and recommended the best. My MM 18 f4, 21 2.8, 35 2.8, 50 1.4, 50 1.7, 85 1.4, 135 2.8, 180 2.8, and 300 F4 are all W/OUT the Ninja-star. That meant getting a few more lenses and upgrading various aspects I had neglected so far. Because the wides are slow, you will almost certainly need to compliment your kit with a Tokina/Duclos 11-16 2.8. This is another trick to make lens swaps faster, since you wont need to adjust your follow focus back and forth on the rig. That information was usually written in the lens case, and the focal length was on a sticker attached to the lens cap. I got all my standard 80mm fronts from him, as well as slip-on lens caps. So I sand the inside down a bit and try again. Lastly, just for curiositys sake, Carl Zeiss has a specific nomenclature for his lens designs and you can see some of them written on the ID ring of these Contax Zeiss lenses. The Soviets were good enough for my own projects, but I needed something more reliable on this one. Page of 320. Or do what I did and find an affordable Standard Prime 16mm T2. This wraps the first step in building a set of lenses: getting the glass. Contax Zeiss Survival Guide - REDUSER.net Evin Grant's comprehensive lens database Login or Sign Up Logging in. Also because Soviet glass was super cheap. It's taken me a few years to build this set, and I absolutely love the look I get from them The 21mm is still regarded as one of the best wide angle lenses you can buy, hence why it is one of . I own them both. After I got the five Contax I went to look for more info and found the Contax Zeiss Survival Guide at REDUser. I'm planning on building a Canon FD or Contax Zeiss C/Y set (I read the Contax Survival Guide, thank you Nick Morrison!!!) Used it today on my 5D to keep things lightweight. The Fujifilm X-T5 is the company's latest classically-styled APS-C mirrorless camera. I always took the 135 with me and some of my favorite photos come from that time. check out the. All content, design, and layout are Copyright 19982023 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2007-2022. But it's a lens meant for stills and cheap as hell compared to cine glass. . These lenses thread the fine line between organic and sharp, a line as thin as depth of field on an 85/1.2 wide open, only second to Leica. You can tell them apart because MM have their last aperture number painted green, and they have a small tab on the mount that doesnt exist on AEs. I know organic is a hackneyed term, but it fits. This one was only made in Japan and it doesnt exist in AE, just MM. The issue that came up from was the stickers were having a hard time sticking to the material of the lens caps and were peeling off on their own. They cover full frame, are super easy to adapt to many other mounts and never lose their value. To fix that I took the stickers off, added a thin layer of glue, put the stickers back in place and let it all dry overnight. I went for the fastest lenses and snuffed out the AEGs I had, in favor of the prettier bokeh of the MMJs. Theyre much cheaper than modern lenses, yet share similar designs and performance. AE lenses also show ninja-star bokeh when stopped down, which is a major turnoff for some folks. X. X. The 60/2.8 AE can do 1:1 magnification, while the MM can only reach 1:2. I repeated the technique for the rear caps, this time with only the focal length written on them. The most up-to-date guide to almost every Contax lens ever made. But Zeiss was so precious about these lenses that some of them were only made in Japan and others in Germany. You NEVER SEE it wide open, because the blades arent engaged. You can use the code CINE at check out for a nifty discount! Enjoy! It had five lenses: 28/2.8, 35/2.8, 50/1.4, 85/1.4 and 135/2.8. Easy to see which one I loved the most back in 2015. They have a pleasing organic rendering that is not dissimilar to Contax. B&Hs 9 rating is mint and superb, as is EX+ at Adorama. They also look more modern and clean. Its also a big change in size and weight, almost doubling its predecessor. It was, perhaps, the first standard zoom of truly decent quality throughout its range. On my set some were MMJ, others AEG. I had a feeling Nick was up to making a guide like this. If you are referring to breathing, there is some, but less than in many other still lenses. The wides are slow. Back then, not all C/Y Zeiss lenses could be adapted for EOS cameras . some lenses required minor surgery to make them useable. RED V-RAPTOR 8K VV Lab Test: Rolling Shutter, Dynamic Range and Latitude plus Video! This website or its third-party tools use cookies, which are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the cookie policy. I always took the 135 with me and some of my favorite photos come from that time. AE vs MM? Because they focus the right way (ZFs do not, they are Nikon-oriented and focus backwards) and have an aperture ring (ZEs dont have one, as they are EOS-designed and have a digital iris controlled by the camera). Still on the DIY train, a friend and I had just bought a 3d-printer, so I started making my own focus gears. The price was pretty good and Im the type of person that can buy something just because the price is good. Copyright 2007-2022. Your choice if you want them Cine-modded or not. I prefer the C/Ys but since I already own 3 FDs (cheap ones: 28 2.8, 50 1.8 and 135 2.8), I'm leaning towards the latter, although still undecided. My favorite lens switched to the 85/1.4 after that, though. Slowly I fell in love with them. I needed the one extra stop of light though, for consistent f/2 or faster through the main set. Want regular CineD updates about news, reviews, how-tos and more?Sign up to our newsletter and we will give you just that. Plus, fitting these is never a one-slip move. Copyright 2023 Vintage Lenses For Video. I have a mixed set and barely notice the difference. Zeiss AE lens information I found a link to this awesome Zeiss Contax lens brochure, dated October 1975 (12 MB). The last decision I had to make was between the 18mm f/4 and the 15mm f/3.5. The main difference being that a normal human can afford Contax Zeiss but not Leicas. The Contax Zeiss version fetches $800 on eBay but there's a $60 wolf in sheep's clothing called the Pentax PK 28mm F2.0 which has a fascinating story behind . Theyre fully manual focus and aperture -, have solid metal construction, long focus throw, and a great feel overall. It was not a problem as a starter set. Contax Zeiss lenses are the gems for sharp yet vintage glass. Are often more traditional designs. After that, B&H and ADORAMA are great choices. AE lenses were made between 1975 and 1984. If you like vintage flaring, the AEs are great. There are DOZENS of lenses to choose from, that cover all focal lengths from 15mm to 500mm. You can either build a $1500 set or a $10000 set and youll always impress with the results. I'm sure its just due to copy variation and the years its weathered but pretty disappointing. Conveniently for me as I was finishing the set, SIMMOD Lens came into the picture, with very competitive prices, impressive customer service and super high-quality products. Conveniently for me as I was finishing the set, SIMMOD Lens came into the picture, with very competitive prices, impressive customer service and super high-quality products. Fast continuous shooting, reliable autofocus and great battery life are just three of the most important factors. It was a time when I didnt shoot much, but I went on long bike rides. Its the one I always took with me and it gave me gorgeous shots. Happy with 35-70(macro too) 3.4 & 85 1.4 on a6300(with speed booster). The downside of such magnification is that the focus ring travels a lot, pretty much doubling the physical length of the lens. This stumps everyone. As many of you knowI have been a strong proponent of Contax Glass on REDUSER for a while now. Next came the 60mm f/2.8 Macro. Wide open, Contax glass seems as mushy as Supers. Anyone who tells you otherwise is full of shit. ----------------------------------------------------------. Theyre much cheaper than modern lenses, yet share similar designs and performance. Thats where my obsession started. Contax also made very impressive Zooms. The f/2.8 never really impressed me, even though its regarded as one of the best budget 28mm out there. I won't bore you with the history lesson, but Pentax worked with Zeiss when the Contax series was developed and they came out with a suspiciously similar multi-coated lens at the same time. But I now have the 200 and I have to admit, the bokeh is very pleasing and captivating, and I prefer it. All times are GMT-8. Another trick is to heat them up with a blow dryer or even your house heater. On the 918 I keep the main six lenses of the set plus variable NDs and other filters. Collapse. The only thing I could maybe do later is update the markings on each lens with fluorescent paint like what you see here, by Moritz Schierenbeck on VLFVs facebook group. An instant hit, it became synonymous with innovation. The only thing I could maybe do later is update the markings on each lens with fluorescent paint like what you see here, by Moritz Schierenbeck on VLFVs facebook group. What's the best camera for shooting sports and action? E) They are very easy to cinemod. Out of curiousity, what is the purpose of having both the 35 f2.8 and the 35-70? Also, Super Speeds are a 1.2/1.4 at 18mm and 25mm. We've selected a group of cameras that are easy to keep with you, and that can adapt to take photos wherever and whenever something memorable happens. You can spot an MM if the last number on your aperture ring is. The planar 35mm F/1.4, 50mm T1.4 and 85mm F/1.4, are among some of them. So far I had been using adapters on them, and they sucked. So this reasoning is pretty bullet proof. I started with the 28mm. In the same way RED wants to give you as many options by letting us shoot RAW, my hunch is that Zeiss was doing the same back in the day with a low-con coating. These terms refer to all lenses 45mm and up (to 500mm). We've been taking a look at what it offers and what it's like to shoot with. I met amazing businesses with folks that really know how to deal with their customers, I did try out mindblowing glass and I was humbled by all the feedback I got when asking questions about what would be my best options in the middle of the process and posting updates of what I was working on. On the 918 I keep the main six lenses of the set plus variable NDs and other filters. https://www.reduser.net/forum/shooting-red/lens-tests/94346-contax-zeiss-survival-guide. That was probably one of the most stressful experiences of my life with lenses. The 50 should be among the easiest to get right because the optical path is among the simplest. Would love to check out the Hollywood, but $$. So far, I had no previous love for Contax and a little bit of prejudice against Zeiss for making lenses too clean. Though alot of the photography forum guys refer to those tests for 'official' MTF results they're a lot easier to read than Zeiss's graphs and they're all in one place. Here are some things I got from it: Contax Zeiss lenses were designed for 35mm full frame, which means theyll cover all the way up to Vistavision sensors on modern cameras and anything smaller. These I ordered from MOO, because they offered me more variety at a much lower price. And other people too. We look into whether it offers more than your smartphone. If you dont want to deal with that, hunt for MMs. After I got the five Contax I went to look for more info and found Nick Morrison's Contax Zeiss Survival Guide at REDUser. All Time Today Last Week Last Month. Its regarded as one of the best 21mm ever made, and to this day they still use the same formula for the 21mm f/2.8 ZF/ZE primes. But at F2 and 2.8you def notice it if you have a very busy frame with lots of bokeh. While this site is targeted to adapting Zeiss Contax lenses for video, it also seems to be the go-to guide for the rest of us with respect to these lenses. You could use it an any focal length and not really have any compromise relative the prime lenses of the time. Also almost twice as big and heavy as the previous one. It all started when I stumbled upon a post on Craigslist from a guy selling his Contax Zeiss set. The Sony FE 2/28 is brand new and the most expensive one at 450. They get quite slow in the wides (the 18 is an F4, the 15 a 3.5). Heres a very interesting article that summarizes tech papers published on these designs and their differences, pros and cons. Im sure that approach had similar benefits with cinema lenses and Hasselblads. Not saying the 135/2 isnt worth it the investment, its just much heavier and harder to carry as a walk-around lens. Eastern Zeiss instead consolidated all their smaller name brands into PENTACON. check out the. The 15/3.5 took the cake though. - Contax was created by Zeiss subsidiary Zeiss Ikon. They have more saturated colors, deeper blacks. But on CERTAIN LENSES (with wide barrels) you def see it prominently at your SECOND and THIRD F-stop position (counting wide open as your FIRST position), For example, I notice it by far the most on my 35 1.4 and 85 1.4. Thank you to Tito for a captivating read. Posts; Latest Activity; Photos . Canon EOS Rebel T6i (EOS 750D / Kiss X8i), Shedding some light on the sources of noise, Contax Yashica lenses - German vs Japanese, Re: Contax Yashica lenses - German vs Japanese, Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary sample gallery, Sigma 50mm F2 DG DN Contemporary sample gallery, Sigma 17mm F4 DG Dn Contemporary Sample Gallery. And needed a new line of lenses for 35mm still photography. I havent tested these much yet, and I ended up not doing standard outside diameters. If I have a motor on the iris, itll have to be adjusted every time the lens is swapped. Originally launched in 1932 as a rangefinder system to compete with - you guessed it. For further details, see our Privacy Policy. Sonnar originally meant "Sunny", because historically these used to be the bright, fast designs when they first came out. Zeiss AE lens information brochure, "The Finest Optics by Zeiss", That would be asking a lot of these budget lenses. freelance filmmaker and an anamorphic lens freak TitoFerradans,is exposing us to hisContax Zeiss CineTune-Up Guide. Related Topics . Contax Zeiss 60mm f/2.8 Macro AEG: Infinity focus on the left, minimum focus on the right I know I stopped mentioning how sharp these lenses are, but the 60mm is worth highlighting. We're Noct messing around with this review. Contax Zeiss Survival Guide. Contax Zeiss. On digital, these things are a home run, like Standards and Super Speeds. (Nick hope you don't mind my piggy-back!). remained behind in the ruins of the city of Jena, trapped behind the Iron Curtain. The first one is AE and the second one is MM. The Contax 25mm 2.8 is good, but you may want to consider the 28mm 2.8 which is cheaper, and "technically" better. The last thing I did was add step rings to normalize all their fronts at 58mm, to make my life easier when swapping NDs and other filters or anamorphic adapters in my case. Because the Contax lenses are noticeably more low-con than even Leica Rs their contemporaries, you will notice more latitude in your image. If I know Im not gonna need either the 15 and the 60, I just dont take their case with me. AEs and MMs all color match. All I ever had so far was a Canon backpack and that is not a safe way to transport this grade of gear everywhere. That's what I'm thinking, though no official sources have been cited on the tests, it may have been pulled from articles or done independently, not sure. Their disadvantages are that they don't have matching T stops (hey, theyre still lenses!). Brilliant job Nick. Domenic, you are selling your 100 Macro 2.8 right? http://www.ebay.com/itm/EX-Modified-item3a8193c812, If this is your first visit, be sure to If you want to get in the same room and do a test to compare the 50/1.4 to a ZE/ZF, I'd be more than willing; just shoot me a line. As stated repeatedly, like ZF/ZEs, Contax lenses have great cinema mechanics. If you dont have a 3d-printer, Im selling all the gears I made for my set on eBay! This turns the original C/Y mount into a solid EF mount that wont budge for nothing. If you do have a printer, I made a tutorial on how to make focus gears! Regards. For declicking, I read a lot of posts from people saying its a super easy process on Contax Zeiss lenses, but I didnt have the guts for it. 15 3.5, 16 2.8 FISHEYE, 18 f4, 21 2.8, 25 2.8, 28 f2, 28 2.8, 35 1.4, 35 2.8, 45 2.8, 50 1.4, 50 1.7, 55 1.2, 60 2.8 Macro, 85 1.2, 85 1.4, 85 2.8, 100 f2, 100 2.8 Macro, 100 3.5, 135 f2, 135 2.8, 180 2.8, 200 f2, 200 3.5, 200 f4, 300 2.8, 300 f4, 500 5.6, 500 f8, 1000 f8, 28-85 3.3-f4, 35-70 3.3, 35-135 3.3-4.5, 80-200 f4, 100-300 4.5-5.6, 40-80 f4, 70-210 3.3. It provides basically the same information on the AE lenses as the 'current' Zeiss data sheets do for the MM lenses. The two specialty lenses the 15/3.5 super wide and 60/2.8 macro go on the smaller 904 case. The 180 is cleaner, sharper and technically better. Theyre killer tools for video, but in order to achieve maximum performance, theres a number of steps and procedures to tackle. Sony Information & communications technology Technology . If anyone wants seven of the best Zeiss lenses ever made, PM me. We've been putting it through its paces. This is my personal opinion. The process turned out alright and the gears worked great, but later on I learned some useful tricks. I met amazing businesses with folks that really know how to deal with their customers, I did try out mindblowing glass and I was humbled by all the feedback I got when asking questions about what would be my best options in the middle of the process and posting updates of what I was working on. For a little over a year, this was enough. Mar 18, 2014 at 04:52 PM To summarize, yeahthey look remarkably similar. $2 each. At T2 they beat out Supers and Contaxes. 77mm front. The bokeh behaves differently than with Sonnars and Planars and I find these can give the image an interesting look. Every time I had to pick a lens I went for the 35mm f/2.8 instead. Theyre fully manual focus and aperture -, have solid metal construction, long focus throw, and a great feel overall. Otherwise, you should notice no optical or mechanical difference between the two lines. reduser.net. Another major advantage to the Contaxs is the sheer SIZE of the lineup. Collapse. As photography slowly shifted from rangefinder to SLR, Contax was. As a reference, my main set of lenses at this time was a Soviet kit that I put together because of their imperfections and organic look. Copyright 2007-2022. In fact, they MOD better than ZF/ZEs believe it or not. Its the one I always took with me and it gave me gorgeous shots. I reached out to David at Hardcases.ca and got both a Nanuk 918 with padded dividers and a Nanuk 904 with foam to fit these babies. They dilate quite a bit and fit much more easily. Its regarded as one of the best 21mm ever made, and to this day they still use the same formula for the 21mm f/2.8 ZF/ZE primes. One thing I want to mention here is that I have found the new 50/1.4 ZE and ZF's to be MUCH softer wide open than my Contax 50/1.4. They cover full frame, are super easy to adapt to many other mounts and never lose their value. Germany vs Japan? As a reference, my main set of lenses at this time was a Soviet kit that I put together because of their imperfections and organic look. thanks Nick im building Contax set in soon :). Distagon, Planar, Sonnar, Tessar, Biogon and Hologon. D) They are very easy to adapt to EOS mount. Not too sure but it seems likely. See the photo below! The Hasselblad we threw up also seemed to have an uncannily similar T* coating too. Both look awesome, and I think people are splitting hairs.