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on Mar 16, 2020 17:57:19 GMT
Posted: Mar 16, 2020 17:57:19 GMT
A couple of days ago, these little Yashica and Zeiss beauties arrived.
Having sold my previous copies of the 28-85 Vario-Sonnar T*, it's nice to have one again which also means something can be done that was neglected before: run a comparison of the image qualities of the ML and Zeiss 28-85 lenses...
FX-3 S2000 Zeiss 28-85 50 1.7
I'll try to get around to running the comparison in the next few weeks.
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on Mar 19, 2020 17:51:59 GMT
Posted: Mar 19, 2020 17:51:59 GMT
Nice! My 28-85 is one of my favourite Contax/Zeiss lenses.
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on Mar 19, 2020 19:52:40 GMT
Posted: Mar 19, 2020 19:52:40 GMT
A great pairing - especially with the 1.7 as a tag-along prime... and I'm curious about the comparison too. I often wonder if the 28-85 Vario would have been a better fit than the Zeiss 35-70. I love the macro and the lens is superb overall, but the 28mm side of that one is right up my alley. If they'd made a 24-85mm f/2.8-3.5 Macro, that would tick off all the right boxes for me.
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on Mar 28, 2020 19:53:37 GMT
Posted: Mar 28, 2020 19:53:37 GMT
A 24-85mm -- even without macro -- would be very nice, but as far as I know the only non-auto-focus lens of that arrangement was made by Canon. I'm "stuck" with my 24-70mm f3.8/4.8 Vivitar and 28-85mm f4.0 Tokina. Both have "macro", but it's really just "close-up".
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on Mar 30, 2020 21:54:17 GMT
Posted: Mar 30, 2020 21:54:17 GMT
I’m pretty sure Canon didn’t make a manual focus 24-85, or I would have bought one! The only FD zoom starting at 24 is a 24-35 which came in an early breechblock version and was re-skinned as one of the first L series lenses when the nFD mount took over.
Their FD 28-85/4, however, is very much on on a par with the Contax, unfortunately it has a weak lens mount ad I no longer own one because any impact while attached to a camera body snaps it.
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on Mar 30, 2020 23:39:38 GMT
Posted: Mar 30, 2020 23:39:38 GMT
A 24-85mm -- even without macro -- would be very nice, but as far as I know the only non-auto-focus lens of that arrangement was made by Canon. I'm "stuck" with my 24-70mm f3.8/4.8 Vivitar and 28-85mm f4.0 Tokina. Both have "macro", but it's really just "close-up". Hi - it says much about the popularity (or complete lack of it!) of the Contax N series that no one mentioned the Zeiss 24-85mm T* AF lens which was highly regarded and earned a lot of praise when it appeared. While the 28-80 kit lens was pretty impressive, the 24-85 was even better. I was lent one attached to the N-Digital for a few weeks - very impressive. Gone - but not entirely forgotten. |
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on Apr 3, 2020 18:31:50 GMT
Posted: Apr 3, 2020 18:31:50 GMT
I’m pretty sure Canon didn’t make a manual focus 24-85, or I would have bought one! The only FD zoom starting at 24 is a 24-35 which came in an early breechblock version and was re-skinned as one of the first L series lenses when the nFD mount took over. Their FD 28-85/4, however, is very much on on a par with the Contax, unfortunately it has a weak lens mount ad I no longer own one because any impact while attached to a camera body snaps it. You are correct -- I just never checked into it. |
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on Apr 12, 2020 8:22:47 GMT
Last Edit: Apr 12, 2020 8:32:34 GMT by lenslover
A 24-85mm -- even without macro -- would be very nice, but as far as I know the only non-auto-focus lens of that arrangement was made by Canon. I'm "stuck" with my 24-70mm f3.8/4.8 Vivitar and 28-85mm f4.0 Tokina. Both have "macro", but it's really just "close-up". Hi - it says much about the popularity (or complete lack of it!) of the Contax N series that no one mentioned the Zeiss 24-85mm T* AF lens which was highly regarded and earned a lot of praise when it appeared. While the 28-80 kit lens was pretty impressive, the 24-85 was even better. I was lent one attached to the N-Digital for a few weeks - very impressive. Gone - but not entirely forgotten. Hi Graham, from the MTF Curves, the Sigma 28-80, pardon, "Zeiss" 28-80 Contax N Lens was being designed & developed by Sigma, but Zeiss argued, they can't do it better anyway...needless to say, it does have the great T* Lens Multicoatings as well. The 24-85 N is a fine Zeiss Zoom, was being tested 3 Stars (out of 5) at OpticalLimits back then.
The AF Motor on the 28-80, 24-85 N is prone to failure, after a while. Sadly, some of these Lenses aren't sealed (like the 24-85 N) in terms of focus Distance Scale (not being behind a window, like all other brands) and so Dust, etc. can enter the Lens, and getting into between very easily...
I am a huge Fan of the Contax-N, which was the Worlds #1 Fullframe, digital DSLR - albeit with a flawed Philips 6 MP Sensor, the Images it captured with the N-Lenses have been amazing, but the Camera was into real life only being useable with ISO 64, and much Noise afterwards, at higher ISO Settings. Meanwhile, Canon came out with their EOS 1Ds (I) and 11 MP into 2002 - and the Rest is History...Kyocera suspended the lovely, famous CONTAX Brand on 12. April 2005. It felt like a Death into the Family.
Kyocera struggled to keep up with the current market Situation, their N-Series was nice, but far off the great C/Y-Mount Gear, required a complete new N-Mount, all-new Lenses, and limited Lenses Choice to choose from...then also the Issues with the long-haunted, and very, very expensive N1 Digital back then, with much negative Press...all this, and besides the N-Series, the C/Y Mount was purely manual Focus, not AF, into the early 2000's, Kyocera struggled and laid CONTAX to Rest.
Damn you, Kyocera ! How could this Japanese Ceramic Giant suspend CONTAX...sigh. I'm still waiting for the Ressurrection, hope that i'd ever life to see, that Zeiss would bring back the famous CONTAX brand...and into some couple years, CONTAX is at 100....hopefully, ZEISS is wise about the brand heritage, and resurrect the brand.
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on May 12, 2020 6:24:19 GMT
Last Edit: May 12, 2020 6:25:38 GMT by lenslover
Hi Graham,
a question about your Contax Zeiss 28-85 Zoom: When you hold it into the middle, does it slowly Zoom creep, which means, from it's weight, does the Lens Barrel extend? It looks like 731xxx from your Serial No...mine is 810xxx, like new, EXC++++ Condition, but i don't have the original Box anymore...
A fine week.
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on May 12, 2020 7:22:49 GMT
Posted: May 12, 2020 7:22:49 GMT
Hi Graham, a question about your Contax Zeiss 28-85 Zoom: When you hold it into the middle, does it slowly Zoom creep, which means, from it's weight, does the Lens Barrel extend? It looks like 731xxx from your Serial No...mine is 810xxx, like new, EXC++++ Condition, but i don't have the original Box anymore... A fine week. Hi there,
I have owned 5 of these lenses and this is the first one not to show any zoom creep. Generally, I have found Zeiss zooms to be reliable in avoiding creep but the exceptions have until now always been the 28-85 and 100-300. Yet the really heavy beasts like the 70-210 and 35-135 which have enough glass inside to put a strain on any mechanism have never given me any such issues - I have the good fortune to own a large number of both these lenses and after my issues with the 28-85s, my faith in Zeiss was restored by the 35-135s. The fact that the 70-210s are over 40 years old and still show no creep is testament to the build quality of these leviathans. To date, the Yashica ML 28-85s have proved more reliable on zoom creep than their much more costly Zeiss cousins.
Until obtaining this latest 28-85, I'd simply assumed this was a design or production fault in the model; does your enquiry mean that you too are experiencing some creep?
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on May 12, 2020 20:51:35 GMT
Last Edit: May 12, 2020 20:53:46 GMT by lenslover
It does some very slight Zoom Creep, yes. But otherwise it's like new. Even the Aperture and Middle Rings looking completely new, unused, and there is no dust particle, whatsoever behind the front element, it looks better than your copy here.
And 81xxxx Serials are hard to get, especially for that price.  The ML 28-85, i was a Fan long ago, but nevermore since years. The Reason is plain & simple: This Lens is the only one from the ML Series, which adheasive are vapourizing, i've had 5 of them, through the years, 3 of them for good Money being serviced, and the internal fogging between the Frontelement up to the 4th or 5th Lens Element _always_ comes back, after half a year, or 2-3 years, that Timeline..therefore, this Lens isn't great at all, for this Issue. I do keep one last Sample, which doesn't have that Problem (yet), and is being NOS, into it's orginal Box. </knock on wood> |
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The ML 28-85, i was a Fan long ago, but nevermore since years. The Reason is plain & simple: This Lens is the only one from the ML Series, which adheasive are vapourizing, i've had 5 of them, through the years, 3 of them for good Money being serviced, and the internal fogging between the Frontelement up to the 4th or 5th Lens Element _always_ comes back, after half a year, or 2-3 years, that Timeline..therefore, this Lens isn't great at all, for this Issue. I do keep one last Sample, which doesn't have that Problem (yet), and is being NOS, into it's orginal Box. </knock on wood>