I am bit late to the party, and doing things in reverse as I already have the 28/35/50/85 2.8 /1.7 and looking to get in to videos having had an extended 10 year absence from photography. Looks like my investment in good glass was worth it 😊
Great overview and beautiful samples! The great thing about Zeiss lenses is that they are so sharp yet so full of character. My favorite one is my 28mm f2.0 Distagon. It has its quirks (e.g. strong field curvature) but is just such a beautiful piece of glass. Despite the 28mm I really enjoy it for portraits and intimate doc stuff.
Takes so much more work to get sony to look good. Sony green, purple, reds ... like so far from what they should be ... like someone at sony is a troll. Meanwhile Canon is like hey this is perfect so just enjoy the work flow.
That footage is SPECTACULAR! So inspiring! You make me want to go out and embarrass myself trying to be like you! LOL! You have such a good eye! I'm an aspiring shooter, and found you because of your vids comparing cams. I chose the A1 and the A7Siii mainly because I bought the S before the FX3 came out... Now I wish I had chosen differently, and then the pandemic hit and I had to sell my A1 due to employment issues... So I'm looking to redirect my gear into more "cine" robust choices... But I too have a few Contax lenses which I was waiting for an entire set before modding...
man I really appreciate that! Heck yes go do it! Just go walk around and shoot with no pressure, it's simply the best! Even if you dont get anything good, it's so good to get out and watch a sunrise or sunset or just walk about Both great cameras, the a7siii is a fantastic choice! The fx3 is basically the same thing, minus a few features (tally lights, fan, new firmware, low base iso of 800 in slog3, 2 record buttons, careless design, etc haha) You can get the same results with the s3 though! Oh amazing, those contax lenses are so great. I recommend using those more on your sony cameras! they pair so well
@@thomas.kovacik Man thanks for replying! I’m stoked! Gonna go out and do it for sure! Gonna find a situation to swap S for fx3, not sure about what I want for a second cam. But can’t really do engagements right now - need to sharpen skills, so having one cam means I’m able to concentrate on my skill set and forget gear for right now $$$ is always an issue :-) So, yeah I sub’d - you speak my language! Keep it up!
The real difference between the AEJ and MMJ/MMG(late version) (j for japan or g for Germany) is that you have the possibility to set aperture priority. :) Nice video and have a great day
Love the footage. thanks for pointing out the difference on AEJ and MM model. been using a nikon vintage lens for a while now but I love to try these contax lenses.
Hey Thomas. Great video filled with great information (and fantastic cinemtography). In the description, you list most of your gear with links. But there are a couple of items in this video that you talk about that I can't seem to find the links for (if they are indeed provided). It's mainly the MODS to the lens. 1. Focus gears. 2. Front ring/Step up ring (to 82mm). 3. Front lens caps (with the Zeiss logo and focal length). Are these indeed listed somehwhere that I'm just missing? Thank you again for your awesome videos. :-)
I have some Canon FD lenses, I love them, but I'm really interested to try some Contax Zeiss lenses someday ;) Btw wich camera do you prefer between the FX3 and the Canon C70?
love it! yeah the contax lenses to me feel like a big step up, theyre solid Both cameras are great! It really just depends on the project, but I really do enjoy that c70. It's so smooth and easy to use, I love the image and internal ND It's the perfect camera for my needs when it comes to work
Hey dude! This looks great and I'm keen to try out getting a 35mm myself, did you de-click these yourself? If you did, how hard was it? In the UK but would be keen to get some simmond kit over here to do it
Hey! I appreciate it I haven't! I accidentally de-clicked my 35-70 haha, it took ages to get the lens back together but it's all good now! I'm not sure who would over in the UK- I would ask around on the contax Zeiss or vintage lenses for videos forums on Facebook I prefer the 'clicked' apertures, they dont slide around and stay put- but that's just me hah
self taught since 2010 as a freshman in high school i went to college for film but it was so surface level. a lot of the content that they taught i found on youtube in high school
I’m in the research faze of buying a entire new kit. Right now I’m not making any money from photography/film making. But I want to try my hand at it. I’m looking for a prosumer kind of do-it-all camera. I’m currently a Canon user and figured that I want to get into the mirrorless field. Would you say the R6 Mark II would pack a big enough punch in the video side of things. Or do you think R5 or even another camera brand would be the way to go. Being I’m updating all my kit, I wouldn’t say I am overly picky about who I buy from…
@@user-kt6dk7nj9n Definitely! I think the r6 mark 2 would be a great option The r5 is more of a workhorse photo camera- I would recommend that if you're making money with this, or if you have a massive budget and want a really nice photo camera The r6 mark 2 looks solid- so does the a7iv
Haven’t tried! I don’t believe that will work unless there’s an adapter and lens that have electrical pins I know this is a big request for a lot of people out there but I just manual focus my vintage lenses Haven’t tried many m42 though!
How cool is that lens to combine with the fx3, what is the difference between that 35mm 2.8 distagon and the 35mm 2.4 flektogon? Which offers better "cinematic" quality? thanks bro
I love it! Looks like that’s the zeiss jena I haven’t explored those too much- they seem to have a more vintage look though! Either will be good id say
@@thomas.kovacik thanks bro, there are so many great zeiss lenses, for example between the 21mm distagon and the 25mm which one to choose? wow any advice? have you tried the 21mm?
Can anyone help me out? I just received a Carl Zeiss 50mm 1.4 in great condition . What adapter do I use to fit this onto a cannon 70d? I am currently looking into buying the Fujifilm X-T5 so advice on adapter for this camera body would be greatly appreciated.
@@samuelguce ohh yes! it's gorgeous, one day I'll maybe grab it. Check out the 85 1.4 too, it's much more affordable in comparison to the 35 2.8 - 35 1.4 gap
depends! Both are great cameras with similar images A7SIII Pros: cheaper, EVF, traditional body (preference) Cons: No XLR options w/o buying K3M, tad bit bigger, no updated firmware like the fx3, no fan FX3 Pros: built in fan, tally lights, smaller body (I prefer this), xlr options, new firmware (base iso changed from 640 to 800 to match cine line, new menus, new HUD for video shooting- you can actually see the image lol, cine ei, peaking with af and more) 2 record buttons (I love this) Cons: more expensive, no evf I personally have never liked the a7 body design for filming, I never use EVF, and having tally lights, xlr options with a top handle instead of the k3m, a fan, 2 record buttons makes my workflow a lot smoother I know plenty of people who are happy with their a7siii though
I am bit late to the party, and doing things in reverse as I already have the 28/35/50/85 2.8 /1.7 and looking to get in to videos having had an extended 10 year absence from photography. Looks like my investment in good glass was worth it 😊
Great overview and beautiful samples! The great thing about Zeiss lenses is that they are so sharp yet so full of character. My favorite one is my 28mm f2.0 Distagon. It has its quirks (e.g. strong field curvature) but is just such a beautiful piece of glass. Despite the 28mm I really enjoy it for portraits and intimate doc stuff.
appreciate it! They're such great lenses
man that 28 f2 looks so lovely to work with!
I just got mine for $160!! Happy to have found this video. Thank you Thomas
so rad! that's a great deal, it's a fantastic lens!
Your footage from Italy looks 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
appreciate it!
i love filming with my contax zeiss. great vid. makes me want to hunt for a 2.8s set
they're so good! Love it, they're such a great value at that speed. I've been eyeing adding the 85 1.4 and maaaaybe a 35 1.4, but we will see hah
This lens truelly renders amazing colors on both Sony and Canon. So useful. Great video showcasing it Thomas.
really appreciate it! i agree- these modern sensors pair well with old glass
Takes so much more work to get sony to look good. Sony green, purple, reds ... like so far from what they should be ... like someone at sony is a troll. Meanwhile Canon is like hey this is perfect so just enjoy the work flow.
That footage is SPECTACULAR! So inspiring! You make me want to go out and embarrass myself trying to be like you! LOL! You have such a good eye!
I'm an aspiring shooter, and found you because of your vids comparing cams. I chose the A1 and the A7Siii mainly because I bought the S before the FX3 came out... Now I wish I had chosen differently, and then the pandemic hit and I had to sell my A1 due to employment issues... So I'm looking to redirect my gear into more "cine" robust choices... But I too have a few Contax lenses which I was waiting for an entire set before modding...
man I really appreciate that!
Heck yes go do it!
Just go walk around and shoot with no pressure, it's simply the best!
Even if you dont get anything good, it's so good to get out and watch a sunrise or sunset or just walk about
Both great cameras, the a7siii is a fantastic choice! The fx3 is basically the same thing, minus a few features (tally lights, fan, new firmware, low base iso of 800 in slog3, 2 record buttons, careless design, etc haha)
You can get the same results with the s3 though!
Oh amazing, those contax lenses are so great.
I recommend using those more on your sony cameras! they pair so well
@@thomas.kovacik Man thanks for replying! I’m stoked! Gonna go out and do it for sure!
Gonna find a situation to swap S for fx3, not sure about what I want for a second cam. But can’t really do engagements right now - need to sharpen skills, so having one cam means I’m able to concentrate on my skill set and forget gear for right now $$$ is always an issue :-)
So, yeah I sub’d - you speak my language! Keep it up!
The real difference between the AEJ and MMJ/MMG(late version) (j for japan or g for Germany) is that you have the possibility to set aperture priority. :) Nice video and have a great day
yup with the older SLRs right?
appreciate it! thank you, you too!
Another great vid bro. Beautiful shots, nice vibe
appreciate you kleber!
Great shots and fantastic editing. Love the Contax glass too, mine is the Rollei branded 35mm f2.8 HFT Distagon, roughly half the price.
appreciate it! Dang that's a great deal, I'll check those out too
Love the footage. thanks for pointing out the difference on AEJ and MM model. been using a nikon vintage lens for a while now but I love to try these contax lenses.
appreciate it! yeah these lenses are great, highly recommend it
Looks sick
thanks! hope all is well
Hey Thomas. Great video filled with great information (and fantastic cinemtography). In the description, you list most of your gear with links. But there are a couple of items in this video that you talk about that I can't seem to find the links for (if they are indeed provided). It's mainly the MODS to the lens. 1. Focus gears. 2. Front ring/Step up ring (to 82mm). 3. Front lens caps (with the Zeiss logo and focal length). Are these indeed listed somehwhere that I'm just missing? Thank you again for your awesome videos. :-)
Got the 135 2.8 this week. Best 135 I've ever owned. Looking to complete the set now. Great review.
Hi,
thanks for this video. Where did you bought all the accesories you added on the lens ? thanks a lot
I have some Canon FD lenses, I love them, but I'm really interested to try some Contax Zeiss lenses someday ;) Btw wich camera do you prefer between the FX3 and the Canon C70?
love it! yeah the contax lenses to me feel like a big step up, theyre solid
Both cameras are great! It really just depends on the project, but I really do enjoy that c70. It's so smooth and easy to use, I love the image and internal ND
It's the perfect camera for my needs when it comes to work
Hey dude! This looks great and I'm keen to try out getting a 35mm myself, did you de-click these yourself? If you did, how hard was it? In the UK but would be keen to get some simmond kit over here to do it
Hey! I appreciate it
I haven't! I accidentally de-clicked my 35-70 haha, it took ages to get the lens back together but it's all good now!
I'm not sure who would over in the UK- I would ask around on the contax Zeiss or vintage lenses for videos forums on Facebook
I prefer the 'clicked' apertures, they dont slide around and stay put- but that's just me hah
Beautiful Footage…
thank you!
Hello Thomas would love to know what lut you use for your c70 Clog 2 .after converting REC709.
Appreciated and subscribed
hey! for these types of projects I just grade from scratch after my 709 conversion
Other types of projects I have creative luts I use
@@thomas.kovacik thanks Thomas are those available to buy or something ?
course! yep on my website
Love your content! I’m thinking I want to get to get into filmmaking. Do you have any suggestions on where/how to learn, the basics?
self taught since 2010 as a freshman in high school
i went to college for film but it was so surface level. a lot of the content that they taught i found on youtube in high school
I’m in the research faze of buying a entire new kit. Right now I’m not making any money from photography/film making. But I want to try my hand at it. I’m looking for a prosumer kind of do-it-all camera. I’m currently a Canon user and figured that I want to get into the mirrorless field. Would you say the R6 Mark II would pack a big enough punch in the video side of things. Or do you think R5 or even another camera brand would be the way to go. Being I’m updating all my kit, I wouldn’t say I am overly picky about who I buy from…
@@user-kt6dk7nj9n Definitely! I think the r6 mark 2 would be a great option
The r5 is more of a workhorse photo camera- I would recommend that if you're making money with this, or if you have a massive budget and want a really nice photo camera
The r6 mark 2 looks solid- so does the a7iv
Thank you so much for your help! Keep doing what your doing! Seems like your killing it!
What brand are those front rings? I like how solid they appear to be
simmod!
Maybe a stupid question but does the autofocus of the FX3 still work fine when you adapt a m42 vintage lense to it?:)
Haven’t tried! I don’t believe that will work unless there’s an adapter and lens that have electrical pins
I know this is a big request for a lot of people out there but I just manual focus my vintage lenses
Haven’t tried many m42 though!
How cool is that lens to combine with the fx3, what is the difference between that 35mm 2.8 distagon and the 35mm 2.4 flektogon? Which offers better "cinematic" quality? thanks bro
I love it! Looks like that’s the zeiss jena
I haven’t explored those too much- they seem to have a more vintage look though! Either will be good id say
@@thomas.kovacik thanks bro, there are so many great zeiss lenses, for example between the 21mm distagon and the 25mm which one to choose? wow any advice? have you tried the 21mm?
Can anyone help me out? I just received a Carl Zeiss 50mm 1.4 in great condition . What adapter do I use to fit this onto a cannon 70d? I am currently looking into buying the Fujifilm X-T5 so advice on adapter for this camera body would be greatly appreciated.
CY to EF, or EF mod it!
For the XT5 you'd need a EF to XT5 adapter or CY to XT5 - not sure what lens mount it uses
Thank You 😊
Keen to try one on my S6 for sure - tired of the snooty long sigma18-35
you should! yeah those sigma lenses are great, but there's just something about a small vintage lens with a long focus throw haha
@@thomas.kovacik absolutely and I had never heard of the 1.4f version - that could be verrrry interesting
@@samuelguce ohh yes! it's gorgeous, one day I'll maybe grab it. Check out the 85 1.4 too, it's much more affordable in comparison to the 35 2.8 - 35 1.4 gap
@@thomas.kovacik man that would be a cool lens!
Did you mod your contax lenses or bought them pre-moded?
@@samuelguce true!
I mod them all by myself- I buy parts from simmod
Yo did you get 80 or 85mm fronts?
Never mind you answered it in the video. Love these videos!
thanks man!
I own this lens basically for ~35 years, among others. Now the youngsters & hipsters are also finding it. :o)
Should I get the Sony A7SIII or FX3???
depends! Both are great cameras with similar images
A7SIII
Pros: cheaper, EVF, traditional body (preference)
Cons: No XLR options w/o buying K3M, tad bit bigger, no updated firmware like the fx3, no fan
FX3
Pros: built in fan, tally lights, smaller body (I prefer this), xlr options, new firmware (base iso changed from 640 to 800 to match cine line, new menus, new HUD for video shooting- you can actually see the image lol, cine ei, peaking with af and more) 2 record buttons (I love this)
Cons: more expensive, no evf
I personally have never liked the a7 body design for filming, I never use EVF, and having tally lights, xlr options with a top handle instead of the k3m, a fan, 2 record buttons makes my workflow a lot smoother
I know plenty of people who are happy with their a7siii though
AE or AEJ were the earlier versions, it has Ninja Star Aperture Blades/Bokeh
Yep!
what adapter do you have to get for fx3?
I use the novoflex EF / E adapter
Yep... At least from youtube videos, Zeiss looks much better than canon lenses... Slightly, but better.
A decent one...nothing special on that lens..
Might be doing something wrong then haha
Nice Lens! But I'm sticking with my Leica Rs.
thanks! man those lenses are great, I dont blame ya!