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on Jul 6, 2020 19:56:34 GMT
Posted: Jul 6, 2020 19:56:34 GMT
It struck me that for all the years extolling the virtues of the Yashica ML 70-210 f4 and it's illustrious cousin, the Contax Zeiss 70-210 f3.5, I'd never shown them together, so here goes...
Zeiss VS 70-210 f3.5_Yashica ML 70-210 f4
I left the lenses extended to their 70mm position to help illustrate their build quality - despite the hefty weight of all those glass elements, no hint of zoom creep in either lens!
For anyone not familiar with the long-discontinued Vario-Sonnar, those massive tabs protruding from the sides of the focusing ring are there to engage a cam that switches the lens to it's mind-bending macro mode. You can ignore Zeiss' assessment of the close focusing distance of the lens - I have photographed a feather lying on a Contax P-Filter attached to the lens - about 1cm from the front element. And the legend that is the ML 70-210 f4 is a match for the IQ of the Zeiss right across the focal range.
They are big, heavy and wonderful.
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on Jul 6, 2020 21:12:34 GMT
Posted: Jul 6, 2020 21:12:34 GMT
I like the larger f-stops on the ML, for sure, and I wonder why the Zeiss didn't go for a smaller filter size (55mm vs 62mm?  ?) More importantly, since they are both one-touch zooms, it's too bad that neither opted for a DOF scale. At least the ML has an IR line. Does the Zeiss say "Germany" or "Japan"? |
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on Jul 7, 2020 7:57:46 GMT
Posted: Jul 7, 2020 7:57:46 GMT
I like the larger f-stops on the ML, for sure, and I wonder why the Zeiss didn't go for a smaller filter size (55mm vs 62mm? ?) More importantly, since they are both one-touch zooms, it's too bad that neither opted for a DOF scale. At least the ML has an IR line. Does the Zeiss say "Germany" or "Japan"?
The lens harks back to the era when we were keeping an eye on the Iron Curtain so it says: Made in West Germany.
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on Jul 7, 2020 15:16:47 GMT
Posted: Jul 7, 2020 15:16:47 GMT
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on Jul 7, 2020 17:07:46 GMT
Posted: Jul 7, 2020 17:07:46 GMT
So I guess that the ML has a 62mm thread? ?? |
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on Jul 7, 2020 18:54:43 GMT
Last Edit: Jul 7, 2020 18:56:11 GMT by lumiworx
According to the allphotolenses.com DB...
Focal length | Max. aperture | Min. aperture | Blades | Min. Focus (m.) | Filter Ø (mm.) | Weight (gr/oz) | Length (mm/in)
70mm-210mm | f/4.0 | f/22 | 8 | 2.5 | 62 | 1000/35,3 | 166/6,5
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on Dec 2, 2020 22:17:55 GMT
Last Edit: Dec 2, 2020 22:20:26 GMT by biggles3
While the production costs of the VS 70-210 f3.5 and ML 70-210 f4 led to their demise, if you've never used them, their less exciting cousins, the 80-200 f4 lenses would be considered top quality. They're not bad, just not great, but their build quality - at least in their early days - was on a par with their more illustrious relatives. The piccie below shows all 4 standing without a hint of zoom creep.  CZ_Y 70-210 80-200Although the Zeiss VS 80-200 was a later design than the VS 70-210, Yashica's ML 80-200 preceded the ML 70-210, before replacing it after only 15 months. Such a pity that the bean-counters got in the way of a great lens. Note the difference in size of the two 80-200 lens designs - in IQ terms, the Zeiss has only a marginal advantage over the ML. |
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on Dec 3, 2020 16:21:07 GMT
Last Edit: Dec 3, 2020 16:21:31 GMT by xkaes
I find it interesting that the Yashica's have an IR line, while the Contax lenses don't.
More interesting is that none of them have DOF lines.
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on Dec 3, 2020 18:05:03 GMT
Posted: Dec 3, 2020 18:05:03 GMT
I just found this retail advertisement from May 1979 in Amateur Photographer (still going strong) for the Yashica FR Series but of much more interest is the six lenses shown in the box.  Yashica FR ML lenses retailer adIt is a very rare example of the joint advertising of the ML 80-200 alongside the ML 70-210 f4 - and the 4 remaining ML lenses are all stunners - especially that 28-50! |
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on Dec 4, 2020 9:44:16 GMT
Posted: Dec 4, 2020 9:44:16 GMT
I do regret selling my 28-50.
On main theme while I've never had either of the 70-210s my Contax 80-200 is still amongst the best 80's vintage tele-zoom I've tried. Experience of slightly hazy copies of the Canon 80-200L or the white Sigma 50-200 APO suggests the Canon is significantly better and the Sigma is also be better if perfect just with lower contrast. The Tamron SP #19AH also has build that would match up with the best but falls a touch short of the others in IQ.
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on Dec 4, 2020 17:47:26 GMT
Last Edit: Dec 5, 2020 13:09:17 GMT by xkaes
My biggest problem with mid-range zooms (AKA, 28mm/35mm - whatever) is that most are two touch zooms, and/or have variable apertures.
My main exception is my Vivitar (Komine) 35-70mm 2.8/3.8. It's a one-touch zoom, but I don't like the variable aperture -- but it's very small and light and focuses very close, and the results are very good.
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on Dec 5, 2020 1:49:35 GMT
Posted: Dec 5, 2020 1:49:35 GMT
Graham, you keep the Prices raise with that Sentences...  Last Year, i've seen the Mess Sellers from Spain, Japan are Selling that 28-50 close to the 300 EUR Range, or even more. Such a Pity nowadays. |
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Status: My first SLR was an FX-2 in 1979. I’ve been shooting and collecting Yashica/Contax gear ever since.
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on May 19, 2021 19:26:19 GMT
Last Edit: May 19, 2021 22:19:38 GMT by lumiworx: [pulled out the reply from the quoted section]
I just found this retail advertisement from May 1979 in Amateur Photographer (still going strong) for the Yashica FR Series but of much more interest is the six lenses shown in the box. Yashica FR ML lenses retailer adIt is a very rare example of the joint advertising of the ML 80-200 alongside the ML 70-210 f4 - and the 4 remaining ML lenses are all stunners - especially that 28-50! This may be the only documentation in print that the ML 70-210 f/4 ever existed! |
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