Which Contax System suits best to your needs

[Guest]

Another stupid question...

Is it technically impossible to create a digital body for the Y/C mount lenses? If they can make the Y/C mounts autofocus witht the AX, they sure should be able to create a digital body for it.

 

[Guest]

Of course it is possible to make a digital camera with C/Y lenses. In fact it is possible to make a digital back for non-digital contax cameras. Why they don't do it is perhaps because they want to force people to buy into the autofocus lenses that they spent so much money developing.

I don't like the autofocus lenses because, in my opinion, they don't focus as smoothly, they are twice as big, twice as heavy, and twice as expensive. They should just have made an AX2 with better autofocus.

Eitan

 

[Guest]

Eitan,

Do you mean that the autofocus mechanism of the AX is weak? or could be improved? >

 

[Guest]

I mean that the autofocus system on the AX could be improved -- meaning it could have more sensors, more sensitive sensors, a faster microprocessor, and a better algorithm.

The way it is now, it cannot focus well in low light (the nikon f100 is more sensitive to light), it can only focus well on things near the center circle, and the continuous autofocus is too slow.

Eitan

 

[dirk]

"Basically, what is the difference in optical quality of an N1 with say lense X, compared to AX with a similar lens"

The N-lenses will be the newer lens design and therefore have a better image quality. Even if Zeiss is using the old design in N-mount (i.e. 50mm) it will be better in the corners.

The larger the diameter of a lens, the easier to correct the corners. This is important for using the capability of the fullsize chip.

"Is it technically impossible to create a digital body for the Y/C mount lenses?"

It is very unlikely that Contax will step back in technology and use an inferior 2/3 size chip instead of the fullsize chip. As explained above, to produce affordable improvements in the corners, you have to make the lens bigger. Therefore the C/Y is no satisfying alternative.

If all the panic about megapixels in a chip will fade out in 1-2 years (because everybody has a xy megapixel chip), people will realize again, that the quality of a lens is the most important thing. There you will see then the advantage of the bigger N-lenses.

dirk

 

[Guest]

Hello, All
I am looking very hard at buying a Contax SLR. What I am having trouble deciding is if I should go with the NX or go with an RX and manual lenses.
The majority of my work will be in wedding and portraiture photography. I am looking to Contax for the quality of glass. I am trying to avoid buying med. format equipment as long as possible. I will eventialy go with Med. format when I have the funds.
I have shot with Nikon for a few years. I had an F100 and an FM2n and a FM3a. The build quality on these cameras just wasn't great. I found problems with each body. The problems seem to have come from poor quality control at the manufacture level. I have tested an RX for a week I liked it. having read the posts here I am concerned that the RX is going to be discontinued. Also I am concerned with the future of the MM mount. It looks like Contax will be moving toward all their R&D toward AF systems.
The concern with the NX is Build. I hate plastic! I do not have the funds to get an N1 yet. I am also 2ondering about build quality of 28-80 and 70-200 N lenses. These are much less expensive than the other N zooms I wonder where Contax cut the corners.
Please any advise would be helpful


Thank You

Mark

 

[dirk]

Hi Mark,

first a warm welcome at Contaxinfo.com!

You are at the right spot for these questions. You asked many questions in one thread, so let me try to cut it down to the major points:

1. It is official now, the RX will be discontinued. Now doubt about this. But it is still a great camera.

2. You are planning to upgrade eventually in the future to medium format. If you are serious about this, there is not much choice left, if you want to stay with Contax. Then you have to start with the N-system.

3. The NX has not the same "feeling" as the N1, but it is still solidly build. But I am afraid that the days are over for bodys in the material of a RX or RTS III.

4. I doubt that there will be anything new in the old C/Y-MM line, but I could be wrong.

5. For your lens questions, please look in the Zeiss lens folder. I wrote a comparison between the different N-lenses.

I would strongly recommend you to try a Nx/N1 vs. a RX over a week-end. In my experience the "stomach" faktor is very important to make the right decision. On the used market you have a huge choice in MM-lenses, the 2nd hand market for the N-system barely exists. BUT I find the image quality of the N-lenses better AND you can upgrade to the 645.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[Guest]

Mark,
Yes, look seriously at the N system. I shoot weddings and other commercial work, and have used the N camera to great effect. One key advantage is that when you do go to Medium Format you can consider the wonderful Contax 645 system whose lenses can also be used on the N 35mm camera via the NAM 1 adapter. All functions AE & AF are retained. Another factor is planning for the future which may include Digital. The choice again is narrowed to the N system. Contax is
slow to come out with their N lenses, but there are enough to do most work now available.
I'd stay away from the Nx except as a back-up camera based on what you need to acomplish with your camera. Likewise, I'd opt for the better lenses starting with the 24-85, a lens that will do just about everything you outlined .

 

[Guest]

Dirk and Marc
Thanks for the imput. I will be going up to Chicago this weekend. ( That is the closest Contax Dealer) I will check both the NX and N1. From what I am reading here it seems as if the new N lenses are better than the older c/y lenses. Does this even include primes?
If I go the manual route I would buy a 28, 50, 85 and 135 initially then probably a 80-200 zoom. Are you saying the new N's are optically better than these?

Thanks, Mark

 

[Guest]

Dear Mark,

Firstly I don't think you should be worried about the future of the manual focus contax lenses. They have characteristics that cannot be found in the autofocus N lenses. Manual focus Zeiss lenses are about half the size, half the weight, and half the price of the N lenses. Therefore there will always be a demand for them from people who care to have those better features. There is also a huge number of those lenses in circulation. So any lens you will ever want will always be obtainable either new or used.

Now which camera should you go with? I think you should go with an AX or RX.

Best Regards, Eitan