Contax 35mm f/2.0 Carl Zeiss Planar T* for G1/2 Reviews

Rating
Reviewed by: panamacolin
(Intermediate)

Review Date
October 29, 2003

Overall Rating
5 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Review 1 of 11

Price Paid: $160.00 from contaxg.com classifi

Summary:

i have been meaning to write this review for a while, but just havent got around to it. but now that i have let me tell you about this lens! this is the best 35mm i have used, i have the nikon and pentax versions and neither is close in image quality! this lens is awsome, its small light weight and its the most versitile lens in the g lineup. this lens is on my camera 90% of the time. the only other g lens i carry is the 90mm for portraits. i had the 45mm but found the perspective to boxy and not wide enough for a general purpose lens. i had the 28mm as well but didnt ever use it because the focal length was so close to the 35mm. the 35mm is the do everything lens. its the swiss army knife of lenses, and my favorite in the g lineup! enough said 5 stars! get one

Strengths:

small light wieght awsome images. the most versitile of all the g lenses. its the swiss army knife of lenses! you could say the zoom is the most versitile, i dont use zooms!

Weaknesses:

supposedly not as sharp as the 45mm, i couldnt tell the difference.

Similar Products Used:

nikon, pentax etc. none come close

Customer Service:

havent had to use them. a friend used them to get his g2 repaired. they do a great job! turnaround time could be a little faster

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Rating
Reviewed by: FSolaresLarrave
(Casual)

Review Date
July 17, 2003

Overall Rating
4 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5,
2 votes

Review 2 of 11

Price Paid: $150.00 from eBay

Summary:

Good lens, useful tool and surprisingly free of visible distorsion, unlike 28mm lenses would cause.

Strengths:

Relatively sharp, very contrasty and distorsion-free. I'm glad it's faster than the 28mm version! In fact, that was the reason I bought it. It does help almost all Contax G lenses have the same filter size too, as I own two and plan on getting the long 90mm sometime soon.

Weaknesses:

Soft edges, or at least not as sharp as the 45mm (which is just astounding!). However, this isn't as noticeable as others may think, and only shows up if the foreground needs to be sharp. Otherwise, an excellent street photo lens!

Similar Products Used:

Contax Zeiss Planar 45mm (for G1/G2)

Customer Service:

Excellent. Only high praise for them! They reply e-mails, explain policies and help customers even if the product was purchased used. Kudos to Kyocera!!

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Rating
Reviewed by: jimbob1
(Professional)

Review Date
September 27, 2002

Overall Rating
5 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Review 3 of 11

Price Paid: $285.00 from Delta International

Summary:

I was skeptical after hearing about other users telling that this was the weakest lens in the Contax G group. I'm happy to report that this is now my "normal" lens when packing my G2. Color is supurb, sharpness is excellent. The perspective on this lens just feels right to me. Very comfortable. Combined with the G2 body, this combination can't be beat!

Strengths:

Super sharp and reliable. Wonderful perspective.

Weaknesses:

None

Similar Products Used:

Contax G2 45mm, 28mm, 21mm and 90mm.

Customer Service:

Not needed.

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Rating
Reviewed by: Polyacetate
(Expert)

Review Date
May 10, 2002

Overall Rating
5 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Review 4 of 11

Price Paid: $0.00

Summary:

One word that comes to mind when describing this lens is "STUNNING." I have always been using SLR and fast optics from leading manufacturers in the photographic industry. But this lens really does surpass all others in terms of color saturation, textural tonality, and detail redention. It is probably one of the best prime lenses ever produced in the field of 35mm photography. The construction of the lens is superb, with excellent quality and craftsmanship. It is extremely compact and lightweight, especially for a prime lens with an aperture of f2.0. This has become my favorite lens for the Contax G system due to its wide angle, distortion-free characteristics, and eye-popping color saturation and extremely pleasing tonality. A perfect lens for street/travel photography and a must-have for the leisurely professional photographer.

Strengths:

Everything.

Weaknesses:

Nothing.

Similar Products Used:

Various f2.8 zooms for SLR.

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Rating
Reviewed by: young_bobo
(Intermediate)

Review Date
February 20, 2002

Overall Rating
5 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

Review 5 of 11

Price Paid: $0.00

Summary:

Great lens. I also heard that this is the worst lens in the Contax G line. the lens gives nice, well saturated colors, and good sharpness. I also own a 28, but I do not believe G1 viewfinder is accurate for the 28 lens.

Strengths:

great color, sharp. small and light.

Weaknesses:

Contax G focusing

Similar Products Used:

Contax G 28 Leica M 35 F2 ASPH

Customer Service:

N/A

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