Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Medium Format / Film / Digital Backs – and Large Sensor Photography => Topic started by: rollsman44 on September 16, 2016, 02:42:35 pm

Title: Contax 645 Carl Zeiss Planar T* 80mm f/2 ON LEICA S 006
Post by: rollsman44 on September 16, 2016, 02:42:35 pm

  Trying to find alternative to Leica Lenses due to High Cost. Are these lenses just as good as Leica S lenses. I know I would need an adaptor
  Thank you
   Main use for portraits and walk around lens

Title: Re: Contax 645 Carl Zeiss Planar T* 80mm f/2 ON LEICA S 006
Post by: ErikKaffehr on September 16, 2016, 04:00:26 pm

Hi,

There is a reason Leica S lenses are expensive…

That said, i guess the Planar 80 can give pretty good performance. I have only used the Hasselblad Planar 80/2.8 and it can deliver very good image quality. That said, my initial impression of that lens was not that good and I would expect the Contax lens to be quite similar.

Samples f/4, f/8, f/16:
http://echophoto.dnsalias.net/ekr/Articles/Shoots/BernardSamples/CastleShoot/Planar_80/

http://echophoto.dnsalias.net/ekr/Articles/Shoots/BernardSamples/Planar80/

I would expect good central sharpness and some weakness in the outer image area. That said, my Planar 80/2.8 works mostly pretty well. Mostly I shoot it at f/11, that compensates a bit for field curvature and masks focusing errors.

So, I would say that the old planars can deliver pretty good image quality at their best. No doubt, the Leica-S lenses are better, question is how they work for you.

Personally, I have used a Phase One P45+ with Hasselblad lenses but switched to a Sony A7rII with Canon zooms. The few comparisons I made, the Sony A7rII always came out on top. So, personally I would guess that I would prefer a high MP 24x36 mm over a 39 MP MFD DSLR.


Best regards
Erik

Quote from: rollsman44 on September 16, 2016, 02:42:35 pm

  Trying to find alternative to Leica Lenses due to High Cost. Are these lenses just as good as Leica S lenses. I know I would need an adaptor
  Thank you
   Main use for portraits and walk around lens

Title: Re: Contax 645 Carl Zeiss Planar T* 80mm f/2 ON LEICA S 006
Post by: william on September 16, 2016, 04:44:53 pm

I don't mean to be at all rude, but a search would reveal that this has been covered very thoroughly here and elsewhere:

http://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=106679.msg878106#msg878106

http://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=106905.msg880260#msg880260

http://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=102849.msg844185#msg844185

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/263533-contax-802-sample-images/

http://www.bamberphotography.net/leica-s-adapter-c/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/135276124@N02/28332017006

http://www.getdpi.com/forum/medium-format-systems-and-digital-backs/46286-contax-645-lenses-leica-s.html

Title: Re: Contax 645 Carl Zeiss Planar T* 80mm f/2 ON LEICA S 006
Post by: rollsman44 on September 16, 2016, 07:07:14 pm

  Did not know it was on the forum. Thank you for letting me know