Uncategorized

Review: Carl Zeiss Contarex Planar f=50mm 1:2

14 Comments

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The Zeiss Contarex line was Zeiss’ last attempt to produce a competitive camera system in Germany; after that production moved to Japan. Zeiss put a lot of effort into those lenses and cameras. You can read on the internet that they created a line of lenses which is considered by some “the best ever, optically and mechanically“.

So I was curious and bought a Carl Zeiss Contarex f=50mm 1:2 to see whether this assessment checks out. Today the Planar 2/50 is the cheapest of the Contarex lineup but it is still quite expensive at around 300€. I will review it as I would review any other lens, and see if the hype about this lens is justified.

Sample Images

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Sony a7 | Zeiss Contarex Planar 2/50  | f/8 | full resolution
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Sony a7 | Zeiss Contarex Planar 2/50  | f/4 | full resolution
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Sony a7 | Zeiss Contarex Planar 2/50  | f/2.8 | full resolution

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Canon FD-Mount, Review, Uncategorized

Review: Canon new FD 35mm 1:2.8

29 Comments

 

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The Canon nFD 2.8/35 offers really good image quality for very little money. I think it is a very good solution for most budget oriented Sony Alpha 7 users.

Sample Images

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Sony a7II | Canon nFD 2.8/35 | f/2.8 | full resolution
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Sony a7II | Canon nFD 2.8/35 | f/8 | full resolution

 

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Sony a7 | Canon nFD 2.8/35 | f/8 | full resolution

Continue reading Review: Canon new FD 35mm 1:2.8 →

Canon FD-Mount, lenses, Minolta SR mount

Affordable manual lenses for the Sony Alpha 7,7r,7ii,7rii and 7s

173 Comments

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This is a collection of good manual lenses which are available for less than $100, it is meant as a resource for photographers who own a Sony a7/ a7r/ a7ii/ a7rII and want to discover the world of manual lenses without breaking the bank.

To learn more about a lens please check one of my reviews or follow the linked test. You will find the average price for a copy in good condition in the description for each lens.

All links market with a * are affiliate links. If you use them I will receive a small commission on your purchase without any additional cost to you. So if you found this article helpful using them is a great way to show your support. Thanks! 

You can find this article in German on phillipreeve.de.

Wideangle lenses

Canon nFD 2.8/24

Canon_nFD_24mmf2p8-6This would be my suggestion for someone looking for a small, sharp and affordable wideangle lens to take landscape images.
Weaknesses are mustache distortion and mediocre built quality.

240g | $85 | my Review | sample images

buy from ebay* | adapters on amazon*

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Sony a7 | Canon nFD 2.8/24 | f/11 | full resolution

Continue reading Affordable manual lenses for the Sony Alpha 7,7r,7ii,7rii and 7s →

Canon FD-Mount, lenses, Review

Review: Canon new FD 24mm 1:2.8 on Sony a7

70 Comments

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There are many manual lenses above 28mm which work quite well on modern cameras like the Alpha 7 but not that many wide angle lenses perform good enough on modern cameras.

The Canon nFD 2.8/24 is one of the sharpest, affordable wide angle lenses and I think it can be a good solution for budget-oriented Sony Alpha 7 users.

A German version of this review can be found on phillipreeve.de.

Sample Images

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Sony a7 | Canon nFD 2.8/24 | f/11 | full resolution
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Sony a7 | Canon nFD 2.8/24 | f/8

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Sony a7 | Canon nFD 2.8/24 | f/11 | full resolution

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Uncategorized

The Sony a7’s loosening mount

39 Comments

I am certainly not the first to report that the original Sony a7 has a problem with it’s mount which is loosening over time but so far I haven’t seen an illustration of how this problem can affect image quality.

My Sony a7 arrived on Nov 20. 2013 so it is very close to two years old now. Until now I had noticed that the mount had gotten a little more play over time but it wasn’t a real problem to me.

But now a point is reached were it has become a real issue for me. If I mount a lens like my FE 4/16-35 and pit the camera on a tripod I can see a gap between lens-mount and camera-mount! And the lens also has some rotational play.

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Does the problem affect image quality?

Yes it does!

Continue reading The Sony a7’s loosening mount →

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