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on Jun 4, 2024 18:07:36 GMT
Posted: Jun 4, 2024 18:07:36 GMT
Hello there,
Last year got a fx-3 as a christmas gift after coming back to analog photography and the camera body it's amazing, so far it's the best analog camera I had contact with!
The biggest problem is that it's kinda hard to get c/y lenses where I live (Brazil). I've tried to get an m42 adapter as a workaround but, as stated here on the forum a while ago, it's impossible to focus to infinity with it.
So I'll try to build my kit overtime (I'm a broke college student right now) and I would like to know if you guys have any recomendation on what lenses should I get first and how much should I expect to spend to get going.
My priority is landscapes and street photography, but once in a while I like to shoot portraits too, so I'm thinking of getting a 35mm for now and using my helios 44m-4 with the adapter for portraits.
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Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on Jun 5, 2024 15:33:50 GMT
Posted: Jun 5, 2024 15:33:50 GMT
Welcome to the Forum peluti Where does one start to answer a question like this.... I suppose the easiest thing to consider is whether to buy prime lenses or a zoom. For landscape work, I'd usually use a wider lens than a 35mm - I like 21mm or 24mm but these tend to be expensive, so a 28mm is a good compromise and they are plentiful and need not be expensive. A good quality, low cost 28mm would be the Tokina RMC 28 f2.8 which is available in a C/Y mount. Super Paragon lenses are available in 24mm (a rare inexpensive 24mm), 28mm and 35mm options and are decent performers with good central definition although the edges can be a little soft; you can also find Tamron Adaptall 2 lenses in 24mm and 28mm, both f2.5 - they are solid performers. As for Yashica, the DSB 28mm f2.8 is not an expensive buy though the ML version can be - as also are the ML 24mm and 35mm; but if you look hard enough online, you can find a few bargains. Remember that almost all DSB lens are single-coated, whereas the ML lenses are all multi-coated. Your Helios 44-4 can, as you know, produce fine images, though its bokeh can be quite intrusive. You can buy a Yashica DSB 50 f1.9 (interestingly, the DSB 50 f1.9 is actually one of the only two DSB lenses which are multi-coated), ML 50 f2 or ML 50 f1.9 very cheaply and should deliver better results than the Helios with its adapter ring. If a fast lens and shallow depth of field are not vital to you, then you can ditch carrying a few primes for a zoom. There are quite a few zooms in the 28-100 and 35-105 range which are not expensive. There is a Tokina RMC 28-85mm f4 which is a good lens and gives you wide-to-portrait/short telephoto options. Super Paragon offers a 28-80 and 35-200 in its PMC II range - both decent performers. Tamron, Tamron SP, Vivitar, Vivitar Series 1 and Sigma all offer zooms covering similar focal lengths. You need to remember that the most affordable zooms will have slow and variable apertures and they tend to be slightly soft at the telephoto end. But if you check online reviews, you can probably create a good shortlist of inexpensive primes and zooms that will help you take your photography to the next level. IF you can find them for a good price, I would also highly recommend the Yashica ML 28-85, ML 35-105 and even the DSB 35-105 (which should be the least expensive); I would avoid the ML 28-210 as it's very hard to find one that does not have problems. One further thought: there is an advantage to buying any of the Tamron Adaptall ranges of lenses in that, once you have one with a Contax/Yashica mount, you can use that same mount on dozens of their other lenses. That means, for example, that if you find a lens that you like but it has an Adaptall mount for a different camera system, you can simply remove it and use your C/Y version. You can then sell that unwanted mount to help offset the price of the lens. I hope this has given you some small guidance. The FX-3 is a very good, basic camera and should go on for years; I'm sure you will continue to have fun with it for a long time to come... |
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Status: Failed treatment for L.B.A. and G.A.S,
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on Jun 5, 2024 20:02:58 GMT
Last Edit: Jun 5, 2024 20:27:56 GMT by lumiworx
I tend to think outside the box - sometimes farther than other folks - so maybe I can offer some ideas that can expand on the terrific suggestions offered by biggles3 . There are some lesser known companies that produced some terrific glass in native C/Y mount versions that might pass under the radar. Consider those from Kino Precision, (aka, Kiron in the US), and also rebranded under several house names and distributors - i.e., Vivitar Series1. The better performers... 24mm f/2.0, 28mm f/2.0, 28mm f/2.8, 105mm f/2.8 Macro (the 105, also rebranded as 'Lester Dine'). Use sites like Lens-DB to sort out what rebrands there are for a focal length or zooms you're interested in. This will sound like an odd zoom for the focal range, but there's a Sigma 21-35mm f/3.5-4.2 zoom that's stunning if you find the right model. There are several versions, but the superior one has a permanent hood, and a unique barrel grip in a 'stepped' pattern. An old For Sale posting on PentaxForum has pics of one in PA mount. If you shoot wide landscapes, it won't disappoint. Sigma had a wide distribution reach worldwide, and they do have a few good lenses in native mounts -BUT- you shouldn't assume they're all keepers, so do take time for research. One caution... it has a silicone coating on the exterior that can get rather gooey, but it can be cleaned off with some effort - that's why they can be found as bargains. Please keep in mind that not having infinity focus with M42 can many times be totally irrelevant when your focus plane of interest is much closer than whatever max distance the lens would otherwise allow for. Certainly anything at the Macro level of several inches to a few feet wouldn't matter, and OoF backgrounds on portraits may be enhanced some by not having it. General street photography doesn't demand it, so if that's an area of interest, it's worth considering. Pick a lens for the task, as much as for the quality it provides. If you're open to reconsider M42, that also gives you access to L39 lenses (Leica screw mount) with yet another M42-L39 adapter, and trust me, there is a ton of cheap reasonably good to great Russian glass in both those mounts to get several without breaking the bank. Although I haven't gone through their site to see what might be useful, RAF Camera makes lots of adapters, for even the oddest lens-to-body combinations. One more strange adaption possibility. I'm a big fan of re-purposing lenses, including old projector lenses. I've even had success with the 1st version Leica/Leitz slide lenses. Here's a group I've used on my Sony F-3. I made my own adapters using a set of dirt cheap macro tubes in various mounts. This prompts me to try some with my set of C/Y tubes to test that possibility. So, long story to short one... don't be afraid to experiment. :) Costs: Tube sets $15-30 USD ($19 for the NEX versions below), with 6 (Leica/Leitz) of the 7 lenses shown that I bought in a batch auction for $39 + shipping, and the Zett Super Talon (actually a Zeiss-made lens for its Ikon projector) was $35 in a 1 bid auction.  Lastly... Get yourself a bunch of user accounts on auctions and shopping and marketplace sites for used gear - especially those that let you do saved searches with notifications on newly matching listings. Patience and time, along with the right tools, can help to locate bargains, and if you're after scarce OEM Yashica and Contax gear because of your location try to get some digital helpers to take on the task. |
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on Jun 5, 2024 23:06:33 GMT
Posted: Jun 5, 2024 23:06:33 GMT
With a little measuring I can answer my query on possibly using extension tubes with the earliest Leica/Leitz projector lenses. The outside diameter of the lenses are roughly 36mm, and the inside diameter of both the Yashica and Contax tubes (all 3 sizes) are roughly 36mm. It's the 'roughly' part that gets a bit dicey. The tubes have the expected anti-glare treatment to all of the exposed internal faces, and this seems to complicate sliding in the lens barrel at already tight tolerances and easily getting it back out.
Some judicious sanding to remove a teeny bit could certainly make for a light-tight fit dimensionally, and then comes determining how flange depth and focusing sits. I don't suspect it will be difficult to focus at some reasonable distance, it just depends on what DoF range it could offer. I won't sacrifice either of my current Contax or Yashica sets to experiment with, but I'll locate some donor gear to see what I can do.
One other suggestion came to mind while thinking about these tubes... using C/Y reversal rings for absolutely any lens of any brand or mount that has a 55mm front filter thread. Turn anything into a macro objective - even zoom lenses!
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