Blackmagic Forum

Phil Rhodes reviews the Veydra Mini Prime MFT lens series for RedSharkNews: http://www.redsharknews.com/production/item/2999-redshark-review-veydra-s-mini-prime-cinema-lenses-for-micro-four-thirds

That's a good article. Disappointing review of the 12mm - sounds more like a character lens

I was considering these for my pocket(s), but instead just took the plunge and have been collecting a set of Contax lenses. I now have purchased five primes (including 21mm) & two zooms for less than AU$3000. All optically & mechanically excellent. With the speedbooster, they will be much faster than the Veydras. Despite not being true cine lenses like the Veydras, that are still nice to shoot with.

It's interesting Phil used the Veydras with a 'super 35' sensor and some managed to cover the sensor ok.

Duclos has the list of Veydra image circles. The shorter focal lengths don't cover Super 35, but several of the lenses have image circles of 30-31mm so those are fine.


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rick.lang wrote:Duclos has the list of Veydra image circles. The shorter focal lengths don't cover Super 35, but several of the lenses have image circles of 30-31mm so those are fine.

I guess the short flange would prohibit it, but the lenses that cover 30mm+ image circle would sell like crazy in an EF mount.

Mmm, where are those SLR Magic APO primes already

I believe the SLR Magic APO primes will launch in November or more likely December this year. The days do seem to go slowly. Remember "watched water never boils" so best to just forget about them until they suddenly appear!


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Tristan Pemberton wrote:...I was considering these for my pocket(s), but instead just took the plunge and have been collecting a set of Contax lenses. I now have purchased five primes (including 21mm) & two zooms for less than AU$3000. All optically & mechanically excellent. With the speedbooster, they will be much faster than the Veydras. Despite not being true cine lenses like the Veydras, that are still nice to shoot with...

Good Move! I've just completed a 10 day shoot in Taiwan at around 10,000' on the Contax 21mm prime, 28-85mm and 80-200mm zooms. Superb lenses, especially the 21mm with a Metabones focal reducer to restore the FF lens' original FoV on S-35.

I posted a few stills from the shoot on the 'Contax' thread at RedUser:http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?92044-Contax-Zeiss-Survival-Guide/page336#3355

Craig Marshall wrote:Good Move! I've just completed a 10 day shoot in Taiwan at around 10,000' on the Contax 21mm prime, 28-85mm and 80-200mm zooms. Superb lenses, especially the 21mm with a Metabones focal reducer to restore the FF lens' original FoV on S-35.

I posted a few stills from the shoot on the 'Contax' thread at RedUser:http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?92044-Contax-Zeiss-Survival-Guide/page336#3355

Cool. I got those three lenses, plus the 35/2.8, 50/1.4, 85/2.8 & 135/2.8.

I'm also considering the 28/2.8 & 18/4. I like the idea that most of the primes (except 50 & 18) would be all f/2.8, which with the focal reducer means they are f/1.4. Like a set of budget super speeds for pocket camera!

Those shots looks great. That's a country I'd really love to visit - must have been an interesting experience.

I have nearly all the Contax primes too and you're right about the size/weight of several popular models. One of the Red guys uses a three axis gimbal and swears the Contax series are far better than CP.2s, especially as they are matched for weight and filter thread so are quick to change over without a drastic rig re-balance.

My 28mm, 25mm, 180mm and 300mm are all West German AEs with the remainder MMJs. All my AEs have the 'Ninja Star' iris which I happen to think is somewhat, retro-cool! I've chosen the slower primes rather than the more expensive faster versions because, unlike most primes, you can use them tack sharp wide open and cost savings allowed for the Speed Booster investment.

Zeiss Contax 21mm Distagons have shot up again in price but it sounds like you might have got a bargain?

PS: Nick Morrison's latest update is the current international Contax 'go to' guide: http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?92044-Contax-Zeiss-Survival-Guide&p=1491766&viewfull=1#post1491766

I also think Full Frame glass, unlike some of the smaller formats, 'future proofs' your investment to a large extent too...

I've been using that guide by Nick Morrison as a resource - fantastic stuff. What a legend. I did read his comment about the 'compact' primes that are built with an almost identical size/weight (18/4, 28/2.8, 35/2.8, 50/1.4, 85/2.8), so if I ever use a gimbal one day that should be very helpful.

Yes, I did snag what I think is a bargain on the 21mm, and it's an MMJ that was recently serviced (few years ago) at the Contax factory in Japan. The seller was a collector in Newcastle and sold it to me for AU$1100. It's optically and mechanically excellent with slight signs of use on the body - nothing to be concerned about. All the others have been purchased from resellers in Japan - so, as is to be expected, the descriptions are very accurate and trustworthy.

I agree with the FF ideology. It's nice to know I can use these lenses on virtually any cinema camera available now and in the future. And they are sterling performers on my Fujinon X-T1 as well.

Tristan Pemberton wrote:I was considering these for my pocket(s), but instead just took the plunge and have been collecting a set of Contax lenses. I now have purchased five primes (including 21mm) & two zooms for less than AU$3000. All optically & mechanically excellent. With the speedbooster, they will be much faster than the Veydras. Despite not being true cine lenses like the Veydras, that are still nice to shoot with.

Just curious -- what adapters, or combination of adapters, are you using here?

John Paines wrote:

Tristan Pemberton wrote:I was considering these for my pocket(s), but instead just took the plunge and have been collecting a set of Contax lenses. I now have purchased five primes (including 21mm) & two zooms for less than AU$3000. All optically & mechanically excellent. With the speedbooster, they will be much faster than the Veydras. Despite not being true cine lenses like the Veydras, that are still nice to shoot with.

Just curious -- what adapters, or combination of adapters, are you using here?

Currently using a generic brass C/Y to EF adaptor which allows mounting on the EF speedbooster (for Pocket), to my Canon 5D, and EF to FX adaptor for Fuji X-T1.

As not all my Contax lenses have arrive yet, I haven't tested if this solution works for all lenses. However, there is a little bit of play as would be expected, so in time I'll eventually install the Leitax replacement mount on each lens to minimise that.

I'm also going to send them to a local lens service technician to be de-clicked.

The Leitax mount is probably the best Contax solution for cameras with a native EF mount but as I'm in the Sony camp for the foreseeable future, I bought the Metabones C/Y to E-Mount Speedbooster which restores the Full Frame lens original Field of View to a S-35 sensor. Metabones also make a C/Y to MFT Speed Booster which should work with the BMPCC though according to my calculations, does not quite restore the original FoV to a MFT sensor.

I'm generally shooting outdoors where light is not a problem so rather than de-clicking the iris, I simply set the iris use a variable ND to trim exposure mid shot or occasionally, the camera's own thumb wheel to fine trim exposure.

I picked up my 21mm f/2.8 for around A$1200 from Newcastle seller too and yes, Japanese second hand Contax lenses are probably, consistently, the best I've bought.

I had a two part article about shooting with Contax primes in Japan published recently in RSN and there's another on the Taiwan shoot in the pipeline. Here's Part I of the Japan shoot: http://www.redsharknews.com/production/item/2684-opinion-challenging-traditional-assumptions-about-cameras,-lenses,-recorders,-dynamic-range,-etc

Great article.

What is the Sony camera you're shooting with? And what is the filter holder you're using on the 28-85mm?

And do you find it's necessary to use the lens hoods when not shooting with a matte box? I don't have lens hoods for any of my lenses yet, but was considering retro fitting them on each lens.

That camera in the pictures is an older Sony NEX VG-20 - nearly five years old now but one of the first large sensor 'video' form factor cameras to offer the E-Mount and a 'clean' HDMI 4:2:2 output (long before most camera makers saw the need!) so the addition of the lightweight Atomos 'Star' ProRes recorder was a 'no brainer'.

I generally use a standard 4x4" matte box with my Contax primes but with the zooms, I use the filter holder pictured. (which I discuss in detail in the upcoming 'Taiwan' article) It is a $25 rotatable 'fibre' unit which comes with a metal screw-on 86mm lens mount. (other thread sizes are available) It takes any of my 4x4" Schneider Optics glass filters plus one acrylic 4x4" so I can combine a Neutral Grad with a Digicon for example.

Correct lens hoods are often an overlooked necessity and can be a very good way to reduce flare and improve contrast. When I recently bought my Contax 35-70mm constant aperture zoom, it came with a very large, genuine Contax metal lens hood with an adapter ring for the smaller zoom so I've since purchases a set of thread adapters to allow this rubber rimmed metal hood to be used with my big (86mm) Variable ND on most of my large diameter Contax lenses. This large metal lens hood coupled to the Vari ND, makes trimming exposure mid shot a breeze, especially from that foldup, off-set front handle.

The additional sun shade pictured on the 'magic arm' is simply one of the shades off the matte box and unlike the matte box, travels easily in my custom camera backpack!

Thanks for the info Craig.

There's some good tips there to build up my Contax kit and keep it light. I also do a lot of remote shooting which involves trying to get as much in a carry on backpack as possible. The shade on a magic arm is a great idea.

Tristan, I have PM'd you a PDF of the article I've written for RedSharkNews on my recent shoot in Taiwan.