Good Wide Angle Lens

[olebojensen]

Hi David

My favorite set of lenses is 18/4 + 28/2.8 and 100/3.5. Very low weight and very good optical performance. I also own the 80-200 and are pleased with it but the 100 makes me work more with the subject.
I like the dramatic effect the 18 gives and I dont think the distortion is a problem. The 28 mm is good for crowds and cities and landscapes and performs wonderful.

If you are curios about the way/subjects/results you get from the lenses try these links out.

http://www.photos4u.dk/p4u/soeg.php?str=28/2.8 and
http://www.photos4u.dk/p4u/soeg.php?str=18/4 which will show you some of my photos with the two lenses.

Regards

Ole

 

[swoolf]

> Hello List... My last eye exam confirmed that I am developing> cataracts with the left eye being the worst. I can see "fine" but it> is getting nearly impossible to properly focus my RX which is forcing> me to make a decision. I believe that I need to get something other > than an SLR to use in the future.

Why not just get your cataracts fixed?? Steve

 

[afong]

The 28 2.8 is a fine lens although the G2 version seems a little better, smaller, and lighter to boot. Both are among my favorite for travel when I can't go MF.

 

[ou1954]

Posted by David Fung on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 - 3:46 am:

Hi all. I recently purchased into the Contax system with a RTS II and ST. I got a 50 f/1.4 with one of the cameras. I am looking to branch out. However, I wish to only have either 3 or 4 lenses in total. I know that the 85 f/1.4 is going to be one of them, the other choice is a wide angle. Given that only one or two wide angles will be purchased. What are your recommendations regarding choice. My short list is:

- 28 f/12.8 + 21 f/2.8 - 21 f/2.8 9 + 35 f/1.4 - 18 f/4 and 28 f/2.8 - 28 f/2.8 - 21 f/2.8

Interesting that the Carl Zeiss 2.8/25 T* isn't mentioned. I got one when I purchased my original RTS. It's marked "Lens made in West Germany". I have had great results with it.

My normal lens is a Carl Zeiss 1.4/50 T* purchased at the same time and it's marked "Lens made in Japan" and it gives super results.

In making those choices I decided that the 25mm Distagon was a more difficult lens to manufacturer so I picked a German made one.

Finally, for my 70-210 Zoom, I picked a Yashica DSB f1.4, again as a cost tradeoff. I have a Sigma Series 1 zoom for another camera and both are good, but I have never compared them.

For all the Y/C mount lenses I listed, I have MTF and distortion charts and again they look quite good.

The interesting thing about that 50mm normal lens is that "The dealer told me" that the optics were made in Germany but assembled in Japan. No way for me to know, either then or now.

Don Williams

 

[ou1954]

> >Posted by Jim Wray on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 - 3:56 pm: > >Hello List... My last eye exam confirmed that I am developing >cataracts with the left eye being the worst. I can see "fine" but it >is getting nearly impossible to properly focus my RX which is forcing >me to make a decision. I believe that I need to get something other >than an SLR to use in the future. I'd like your opinions on how much >of a hit I might take if I were to sell my system and whther it would >be better to auction it off on ebay or try to sell to those who love >Contax. > >Briefly, the system consists of the RX, 50mm 1.4 Planar, 135mm 2.8 >Sonnar, and 28 - 85mm 3.3 Vario Sonnar. It also includes the TLA-360 >flash w/ PS220 external battery pack and extension cord for off camera >use, P8 external battery pack for the RX, several Contax brand filters >including UV filters for each lens and several other bits and pieces. > >All items are absolutely mint...the RX still has the plastic bottom >protector affixed. I previously used a Nikormat system and bought the >RX system about 4 years ago. I seldom take pictures unless I'm on >vacation travelling to the various National Parks where I enjoy >capturing the beauty of God's creation and as luck would have it, >because of job changes, I wasn't able to take a vacation for 2 of >those years so the syatem has seen very little use...I would imagine >about 25 rolls of Kodachrome have been run through the camera. > >If you were in the market, what would you be willing to pay for such a >system...would, say, some percentage off B&H's current prices be the >way to go. Would you be willing to buy the entire system...I would >much prefer to to sell it all at once rather than piece it out. How >would I best advertise the system...are there web sites that that you >could recommend (other than ebay). If you had to sell the system, how >would you procedd in order to minimize your loss...I know I'll take a >hit but I don't want to get beat to death... > >Thanks for any feedback you might provide.

Jim,

Please contact me off list. For some reason I didn't see your email address in the original message.

Don Williams dwilli10@san.rr.com

 

[davidfung]

Thanks again for more responses! The 25mm does seem to be an ideal focal length, being half of 50, making it a very useful perspective and coverage. However, from user reports and various published data, it seems that the 25mm is some way less optically perfect than the other wide angles. Even the 18mm f/4 seem to be on par, if not better. Perhaps those who have used the 25mm and the other wide angles (18, 21, 28) can comment on that?

 

[eviloc]

>Jim,

If a developing cataract is your only concern, you may find that the cataract can be replaced more quickly than you think. There is no longer a requirement for the cataract to mature before surgery and my health insurance covered the operation after it was determined that my vision at night into oncoming traffic was sufficiently poor. Cataracts develop at widely differing rates.

I remember my shock when I realized that I was no longer able to focus my Contax using my right eye. Like you, one of my eyes was better than the other, and while I had some trouble remembering to use my left eye, I was able to continue to focus using the left eye until my right eye worked again.

If you as pleased with your camera and lenses as I am, you may be sorry you sold them. The delay between pressing the shutter release and the actual shutter opening on an autofocus camera is something that I find very disconcerting.

Chuck Olive

 

[swoolf]

The 25mm does seem to be an ideal> focal length, being half of 50, making it a very useful perspective > and coverage. However, from user reports and various published data,> it seems that the 25mm is some way less optically perfect than the> other wide angles.

Their are supposedly aspects of the 25's performance that lag some of the other lenses - thats not to say that its not still a damn good lens! Anyone who actually has one[including me] will usually tell you that it has a certain quality about it that is hard to define - some refer to the 3D effect . At the end of the day I wouldnt part with mine because it is both excellent and a very useful focal length - I use it even more than my 21 as the wider one is sometimes just that bit too wide....... Also , the 25 is very compact and has the same size filter thread as your 50mm . Dont underestimate it........ Steve

 

[ou1954]

>Posted by Dirk on Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 6:36 am: > >"Any chance the moderator could stop these blank messages?" > >We banned the user and deleted the postings. Sorry, but obviously >somebody wanted to waste his with games like this

=== In looking at the pattern of blank responses it looks like every message resulted in a "blank" response.

Looks like someone has left an auto-responder on during vacation. This generally works, and most of them have the capability to only respond once to each source email address. This one apparently didn't have that capability.

Since this list uses a unique response system any response with text such as "I'll be back next week" would not be returned, just the line which is already in the response section.

Now all the bounced messages to this or any other group will end up generating yet another auto-response, until the owners mailbox is full.

Don Williams

 

[old_admin_CI]

" ...Looks like someone has left an auto-responder on during vacation. This generally works, and most of them have the capability to only respond once to each source email address. This one apparently didn't have that capability.

Since this list uses a unique response system any response with text such as "I'll be back next week" would not be returned, just the line which is already in the response section.

Now all the bounced messages to this or any other group will end up generating yet another auto-response, until the owners mailbox is full... "


This could be a reason for it. But if he is going on vacation, I do not understand why he did not turn off all e-mail notifications from this forum in his profile with a click....