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Contax Zeiss 645 lenses vs Zeiss N lenses on the Contax N1

I am also interested in possibly using 645 lenses on N1. I am still with Aria and Rollei SL66 at this point but the cross-compatibility is extremely attractive and the prospect to have both a 35mm SLR and the 645 (in its components?) in a Lowe Minitrekker backpack instead of always leaving MF system behind is exciting.
If you use the 4/120 645 Macro with NAM1 do you get 1:1 magnification on N1? How bright is the viewfinder at F4?
Is it a real alternative to N1 2.8/100 Macro Sonnar? (weight, clumsiness with NAM 1 etc.)
How fast does the AF work with 2.0/80 on N1? (as compared to original N1 1.4/85 lens?). The rapid battery drain is a concern. Sounds like the AA battery holders for N1 and 645 are a good idea up front.
Just discovered contaxinfo.com. Great design! Way better than old Contax List. - Jan
 
Quick Comment on the 645 120/4 it is manual focus not AF but it is APO and the price is considerably higher than that of the N 100/2.8. But the pictures are worth it. You get 1:1 with 120/4 on the N1 with the NAM1 and the viewfinder is sufficiently bright to manually focus using a split view screen. No idea regarding the AF of the 80.2 vs 85 1.4 (don't own the N lens). The P8 battery holder caries 4AA batteries and also works with the G1/G2 cameras with a GP-1 adapter.
 
Forgot to mention that if you do have a difficult time focusing on the N1 with split view finder Contax makes a viewfinder magnifier 2.1x that will help. For Macro work I find the Contax Right Angle finder to be very convenient as well.
 
Many people claim that the Zeiss Planar marco is the best lens ever built. I don't know how true it is but best lens in my bag for sure. Being able to shoot 1:1 to infinity without tube is a great feature. And the sharpness and color saturation are hard to beat.

With the 120mm lens, you can also use the focus confirmation from the N1 viewfinder.
 
Cristiano:

don't bother to wait for the n1 for 135mm lens, there are so many other prime lens that need to be fill (if they ever fill it!) that I don't think 135 is on the waiting list. Afterall judging on the rate for new lens for N, it will be a long long long long long wait for you. So if you havea solution and $, go for it.

Ben
 
Hmm, I wonder if there is an adapter existing, or one that could be made to take the manual lenses. The N1 mount is large like that of the EOS cameras, and there are all kinds of adapters to fit other lenses to EOS bodies (some folks use Leica R glass on Canon DSLRs for ex&le).

You do lose auto aperture and A/F, but the focus confirmation still works. But if I used a 135/2 Contax manual it'd be used mostly at f/2 to f/4 anyway, which makes viewing through a stopped down aperture fairly easy.

I also use Hasselbald lenses on my N cameras. Most notably the Hasselblad F110/2. NO other lens in my line-up performs like the 110/2 when it comes to portraits. Best Bokeh, best tonal rendering, best color, focuses very close.
This lens is famous, being Zeiss at their very best.
 
> Sorry about that last post, I forgot what I had to do and was in a hurry... In any event, I have heard about an adaptor for contax lenses to Canon EOS. Try bobshell.com

Richard Stone

>
 
I just e-mailed Bob to see what the chances are of getting an N-mount adapter made. I'm also wondering about the effect of the smaller diameter of the CY mount on a digital body.

DJ
 
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