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Future of the Contax N
- Thread starter thedruid
- Start date
(sent again because part of message filtered out due to use of "less than" sign...)
> There are three fast lenses > in a budding system (===> 2.8/100 ===)
I don't consider a 2.8/100 a "fast" lense, when I can get a 100 in an f2, and a 135 in f2 as well...
Regards,
Austin
> There are three fast lenses > in a budding system (===> 2.8/100 ===)
I don't consider a 2.8/100 a "fast" lense, when I can get a 100 in an f2, and a 135 in f2 as well...
Regards,
Austin
M
mikel
Saras,
It all boils down to one simple thing. Do you really need digicam? I know that I don't, so I don't care. And I didn't even buy N1 originally because of hypothetical DLSR on horizon. I bought it because of autofocus, build quality of the body and because I thought that zooms is what I need. 2 years later I realized - no, I don't need zooms, especially if they're slow and no, I don't need autofocus.
Taylor,
No, f/2.8 is not fast enough. Especially not for pros. For me f/2.8 works well for the most part, however, I would be certainly happier if I had faster lenses. To give you an ex&le. At the moment I have four lenses in MM type. D28 f/2.8, P50 f/1.4, S85 f/2.8, S135 f/2.8. I find that I use P50 a lot more often just because it's a faster lens. It's easier to focus in dim light and it allows me to use faster shutter speeds and gives me shallower depth of field on portraits and in general photography as well. Flash photography is also better with faster lens. So, I already know that sooner or later I will need D35 f/1.4, P85 f/1.4 and P100 f/2.0. I will probably keep the older lenses anyway (they're lighter, have smaller filter diameter, so they're easier to carry), but I will use faster lenses a lot more often.
And also, majority of pros never buy a system based on promises of something being released in future. I don't think too many pros bought N1 just because they thought that when N1 comes out it will be great. If pros buy into something, it means they need it right here, right now. They won't buy if they're told "come back next year".
Marc,
Right on money. As I mentioned in one of earlier conversations (arguments?) with you, I'm not a pro, but I certainly know that pros have different requirements!
Austin,
Yepp. I'm actually surprised why P135 f/2.0 in manual focus line was discontinued. I think that 100 f/2.0 and 135 f/2.0 are absolutely essential to many serious amateurs and especially pros.
Mike.
It all boils down to one simple thing. Do you really need digicam? I know that I don't, so I don't care. And I didn't even buy N1 originally because of hypothetical DLSR on horizon. I bought it because of autofocus, build quality of the body and because I thought that zooms is what I need. 2 years later I realized - no, I don't need zooms, especially if they're slow and no, I don't need autofocus.
Taylor,
No, f/2.8 is not fast enough. Especially not for pros. For me f/2.8 works well for the most part, however, I would be certainly happier if I had faster lenses. To give you an ex&le. At the moment I have four lenses in MM type. D28 f/2.8, P50 f/1.4, S85 f/2.8, S135 f/2.8. I find that I use P50 a lot more often just because it's a faster lens. It's easier to focus in dim light and it allows me to use faster shutter speeds and gives me shallower depth of field on portraits and in general photography as well. Flash photography is also better with faster lens. So, I already know that sooner or later I will need D35 f/1.4, P85 f/1.4 and P100 f/2.0. I will probably keep the older lenses anyway (they're lighter, have smaller filter diameter, so they're easier to carry), but I will use faster lenses a lot more often.
And also, majority of pros never buy a system based on promises of something being released in future. I don't think too many pros bought N1 just because they thought that when N1 comes out it will be great. If pros buy into something, it means they need it right here, right now. They won't buy if they're told "come back next year".
Marc,
Right on money. As I mentioned in one of earlier conversations (arguments?) with you, I'm not a pro, but I certainly know that pros have different requirements!
Austin,
Yepp. I'm actually surprised why P135 f/2.0 in manual focus line was discontinued. I think that 100 f/2.0 and 135 f/2.0 are absolutely essential to many serious amateurs and especially pros.
Mike.
M
mikel
Oops, correction. THis part:
"just because they thought that when N1 comes out"
should read as:
"just because they thought that when N DIGITAL comes out"
Mike.
"just because they thought that when N1 comes out"
should read as:
"just because they thought that when N DIGITAL comes out"
Mike.
D
dormant
You need to live with what you've got, 'cause there ain't no 100mm MACRO lense faster than 2.8. 
Even Canon doesn't make anything like that.
I'd love to have more 1.4 N primes but am afraid to ask how big and heavy they would be. I can do a lot of available light photography even with 2.8 primes, thanks to today's ISO400 films.
Pros do buy things other than what they use to make money, and that's one of the reasons why they have multiple systems. Maybe out of personal interest as well as the prospect of a better system in the future. I know at least three pros who bought N1 with the promise of ND, and none of them at the time was using N for their job. One was a wedding photographer using, among other things, Contax Y/C. The other two were using Canon system. They have all now moved to Canon DSLR.
Anyway, it seems this thread is reaching the end of its useful life. Hope Contax pays a bit more attention to what people say. Or Contaxinfo.com will be filled with people who "used to" have Contax.
Even Canon doesn't make anything like that. I'd love to have more 1.4 N primes but am afraid to ask how big and heavy they would be. I can do a lot of available light photography even with 2.8 primes, thanks to today's ISO400 films.
Pros do buy things other than what they use to make money, and that's one of the reasons why they have multiple systems. Maybe out of personal interest as well as the prospect of a better system in the future. I know at least three pros who bought N1 with the promise of ND, and none of them at the time was using N for their job. One was a wedding photographer using, among other things, Contax Y/C. The other two were using Canon system. They have all now moved to Canon DSLR.
Anyway, it seems this thread is reaching the end of its useful life. Hope Contax pays a bit more attention to what people say. Or Contaxinfo.com will be filled with people who "used to" have Contax.
M
mikel
Taylor,
> You need to live with what you've got,
> 'cause there ain't no 100mm MACRO lense
> faster than 2.8. Even Canon doesn't
> make anything like that.
I assume you were responding to Austin and not me, because I was talking about Planar 100mm f/2.0.
> I'd love to have more 1.4 N primes but am afraid
> to ask how big and heavy they would be
Bingo. And the price. And speed of AF.
> I can do a lot of available light photography
> even with 2.8 primes, thanks to today's ISO400
> films.
Not too many pros though. If you use NPS160, Provia or even Velvia - forget about it. Some people would use NPH, but it all depends on purpose. And still, if you had f/1.4, you could use ISO100 film in the same light conditions where you would need ISO400 at f/2.8.
Also, I recently started getting back into B&W, and just think about it. You get Ilford HP5, put red-orange filter on, and you lost two f-stops. Your ISO400 is now ISO100 ! Oopsy-daisy, f/2.8 might be too slow.
> Pros do buy things other than what they use to
> make money, and that's one of the reasons why
> they have multiple systems
They buy a lot of things to test-drive them. It's the nature of their business. They always want to outdo the competitor, thus they try to find what works for them.
By the way, I guess you're lucky. I have never personally met pros using Contax or Leica.
Mike.
> You need to live with what you've got,
> 'cause there ain't no 100mm MACRO lense
> faster than 2.8.
Even Canon doesn't > make anything like that.
I assume you were responding to Austin and not me, because I was talking about Planar 100mm f/2.0.
> I'd love to have more 1.4 N primes but am afraid
> to ask how big and heavy they would be
Bingo. And the price. And speed of AF.
> I can do a lot of available light photography
> even with 2.8 primes, thanks to today's ISO400
> films.
Not too many pros though. If you use NPS160, Provia or even Velvia - forget about it. Some people would use NPH, but it all depends on purpose. And still, if you had f/1.4, you could use ISO100 film in the same light conditions where you would need ISO400 at f/2.8.
Also, I recently started getting back into B&W, and just think about it. You get Ilford HP5, put red-orange filter on, and you lost two f-stops. Your ISO400 is now ISO100 ! Oopsy-daisy, f/2.8 might be too slow.
> Pros do buy things other than what they use to
> make money, and that's one of the reasons why
> they have multiple systems
They buy a lot of things to test-drive them. It's the nature of their business. They always want to outdo the competitor, thus they try to find what works for them.
By the way, I guess you're lucky. I have never personally met pros using Contax or Leica.
Mike.
paulcontax
Well-Known Member
By the way, I guess you're lucky. I have never personally met pros using Contax or Leica. Mike.
Hi Mike,
I know at least one wedding pro using leica M-system because it's so silent and the lenses are so fast - you don't need flash light and it's often forbidden. I know one pro using Contax for wildlife shootings - but not with the N-System. He's got a RTSII (in the meantime RTSIII I think) with a long tele and Zeiss-wide-angle lenses and macro. But you're right : The pros will go away from these famous brands if they don't get something new - improved. - although the Zeiss 2.8/35 and the Leica M 35 were the best 35mm-lenses in a lens test in german ColorFoto. Who matters ? :-( Paul
Hi Mike,
I know at least one wedding pro using leica M-system because it's so silent and the lenses are so fast - you don't need flash light and it's often forbidden. I know one pro using Contax for wildlife shootings - but not with the N-System. He's got a RTSII (in the meantime RTSIII I think) with a long tele and Zeiss-wide-angle lenses and macro. But you're right : The pros will go away from these famous brands if they don't get something new - improved. - although the Zeiss 2.8/35 and the Leica M 35 were the best 35mm-lenses in a lens test in german ColorFoto. Who matters ? :-( Paul
W
wojo
For what its worth, just returned from a show where the light was sorta dim, using an 85 1.4 wide open a 30th to 60th. Doable but barely. It will be interesting to see what the ones with the 180 will be, at 1/15th.....
would have loved to have a 200/2.0
the 28/2.0 ought to be fair, basically atmosphere shots.
Using npz rated at 1250, monopod and back against a wall.
The N zooms would not have made it, way to slow..
Damnedest thing was the opening act asked for brighter lights and were about two stops faster.
Having a nikon 200/2.0 converted is really starting to look good. The Zeiss 200 apo, I suspect, is out of my price range.
The AX just bought from Don Lawrence has the brightest and most usable viewfinder of any of my bodies.
Autofocus is unusable at those speeds, but not missed. Have the focus assist light turned off, no use ticking off someone on stage.... Surprised that it spot meters that low a light level, too. Seems very very well d&ed,and is quiet when shooting AND rewinding. Great body, perfect viewfinder info placed on the bottom where it belongs, and control layout so easy to work without looking away from the finder. Way kewl....After using it for a couple of shows now, I'm surprised it wasn't WAY more popular that it was. I just carry it on my shoulder with the pod attached, and it seems lighter than most cameras on a neck strap or in a shoulder bag. May not make a lotta sence, but thats my impression..
Joe w
would have loved to have a 200/2.0
the 28/2.0 ought to be fair, basically atmosphere shots.
Using npz rated at 1250, monopod and back against a wall.
The N zooms would not have made it, way to slow..
Damnedest thing was the opening act asked for brighter lights and were about two stops faster.
Having a nikon 200/2.0 converted is really starting to look good. The Zeiss 200 apo, I suspect, is out of my price range.
The AX just bought from Don Lawrence has the brightest and most usable viewfinder of any of my bodies.
Autofocus is unusable at those speeds, but not missed. Have the focus assist light turned off, no use ticking off someone on stage.... Surprised that it spot meters that low a light level, too. Seems very very well d&ed,and is quiet when shooting AND rewinding. Great body, perfect viewfinder info placed on the bottom where it belongs, and control layout so easy to work without looking away from the finder. Way kewl....After using it for a couple of shows now, I'm surprised it wasn't WAY more popular that it was. I just carry it on my shoulder with the pod attached, and it seems lighter than most cameras on a neck strap or in a shoulder bag. May not make a lotta sence, but thats my impression..
Joe w
M
mikel
Paul,
I forgot that you live in Germany. That quite explains it! It would be hard to find any wedding photographer in US using Leica or Contax. Besides, many times wedding ceremony is a show Hollywood style. Flashes, lots of light, reception, etc. It's rare for a wedding in US not to have a wedding pro carrying around couple of bodies, one with a flash attached and assistant carrying another flash on extension rod. But then again, maybe it's cause I'm in California and in the South and Midwest things are different (I sure hope they're!)
Wojo,
> Having a nikon 200/2.0 converted is really
> starting to look good.
What do you mean? There is an adapter to use Nikon lenses on Contax? I would surely like to hear about it. Since Zeiss 200 APO is also way out of my price range
Mike.
I forgot that you live in Germany. That quite explains it! It would be hard to find any wedding photographer in US using Leica or Contax. Besides, many times wedding ceremony is a show Hollywood style. Flashes, lots of light, reception, etc. It's rare for a wedding in US not to have a wedding pro carrying around couple of bodies, one with a flash attached and assistant carrying another flash on extension rod. But then again, maybe it's cause I'm in California and in the South and Midwest things are different (I sure hope they're!)
Wojo,
> Having a nikon 200/2.0 converted is really
> starting to look good.
What do you mean? There is an adapter to use Nikon lenses on Contax? I would surely like to hear about it. Since Zeiss 200 APO is also way out of my price range
Mike.
Mike, you don't have to live in Germany to use a Leica at weddings. The PJ style so vogue recently makes the M camera quite popular with some wedding photographers...including me. Also, your "lots of light, Hollywood style show" tells me you watch TV weddings but don't shoot real ones. There is rarely lots of light during any part of a wedding...unless it's outdoors. Even the California beach weddings I've been flown out to shoot went from the beach to an interior as night fell and the candle lit party went into the wee hours.
In fact, 80 to 90% of the shots are in near darkness, lit by mixed light in churches (no flash during ceremony), limo interiors and at reception halls. If shooting 35mm film we try to use 160 ISO so enlargements and crops can be done for album images. If working with digital, an ISO 100 setting is prefered. Fast lenses, slower shutter speeds and fill flash is the only way to preserve the ambient feel of the event.
In fact, 80 to 90% of the shots are in near darkness, lit by mixed light in churches (no flash during ceremony), limo interiors and at reception halls. If shooting 35mm film we try to use 160 ISO so enlargements and crops can be done for album images. If working with digital, an ISO 100 setting is prefered. Fast lenses, slower shutter speeds and fill flash is the only way to preserve the ambient feel of the event.