Legacy Lenses 10 - Zeiss 50mm F2 Planar in Contarex Mount

 

Zeiss 50mm F2 Planar in Contarex Mount

This lens is a permanent classic and it's still has a very modern look even having more than 50 years!

The lens above was made for the Zeiss Contarex camera (not Contaflex). The material and craftsmanship are absolutely flawless. Sturdy but very smooth, truly precision made piece of Teutonic engineering.

Sharpness is not an issue. It's very sharp from F3.5 even at the corners and it has a jaw-dropping resolution at its center on any aperture from F4 to F11.

As an early model, although coated, its coating is not even close in performance compared to modern ones, but it works well if you use a proper light hood and avoid shooting directly against very bright light sources, so flare is a real issue with this lens.

The contrast and colors are excellent and work like a charm along with the Sony A7 series. Of course, you will need a CRX to Sony E adapter to use it with this camera.

Interesting things are the strange 8-blade iris opening with a peculiar star format in certain apertures, and the fact that this lens has no aperture setting ring. The aperture was set by a control wheel at the camera's body. The CRX adapters usually have an aperture control ring.

It's a rather expensive lens, with prices between $200 and $500 depending on the condition.

It can be an interesting pick if you find it in good shape and for a fair price, otherwise, I would suggest taking a look at the Rollei Planar 50mm F2 in QBM mount which has a very good HFT multi-coating and cost much less. But make no mistake, the craftsmanship of this Zeiss is FAR superior to any lens from Rollei in QBM mount.

Also, there are other better '50s for the price from Canon, Pentax, Olympus, and Minolta. But this lens is classic and a must-have for any serious collector.

Beware if you plan to CLA it by yourself. It's tricky mechanically and you must take special attention to the grease for the helicoid.