[Leica] Leica R vs. Contax SLR lenses

[Jay Coleman <jcoleman@interport.net>]

>>Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 22:52:12 +0200
From: Pascal <cyberdog@ibm.net>
Subject: [Leica] Leica R vs. Contax SLR lenses

Does anyone who uses (or has used) both the Leica R and Contax SLR
lenses
care to comment on the qualities of the respective lens lines?
Do they have a different "fingerprint" or is this largely in the eyes of

the beholder?
While the price difference for most lenses can be rather large, what-if
anything- does this reveal about the quality?
What are the Contax SLR gems among them?
Is developing in the Contax SLR lens line still going on? I have the
impression it has more or less come to a standstill (e.g. no fast zooms,

no recomputations like Leica etc.). Somewhere I heard the rumor that
Contax SLR series would be dropped by Kyocera altogether (concentration
on the G series and the new 645 format camera). True?
TIA

Pascal
NO ARCHIVE<<

Pascal:

The Zeiss glass for the Contax is very sharp.  It does not have the same

pleasing smoothness of tone, however, and the bokeh is not as good, in
that it
is not as smooth but rather somewhat hard and angular.  The color
rendition is
also somewhat cooler than that of Leica glass and not quite as rich.
The construction the lenses, while good, is not on the same level as
Leica lenses.

I also did not like the Contax bodies as much.  Yes, they have lots of
great features, but all those features are controlled by very tiny
buttons that are a pain to use.  Leica bodies, on the other hand, are
dsigned for ease of use, with the camera to the eye, even when wearing
gloves.

I understand the gems of the line to be the 25/2.8, 35/2.8, 35/1.4,
85/1.4.  I found the sixty to be sharp but have awaful bokeh, to the
point of distracting from the main subject.  The 100 Makro and 180/2.8
are also supposed to be good but I have no experience with them.  The
zooms are also supposed to be good but again I have no experience with
them.

If you are thinking of switching, don't do it.  You will regret it.  I
switched once and now, thousands of dollars later, I am back with Leica
(I think I used Contax for less than a year.)

Best regards,

Jay Coleman