The classic Carl Zeiss Contax lenses make for excellent glass on modern cameras. Craig Marshall evaluates the Vario-Sonnar 35-70mm f/3.4, a lens so good that it became known as a variable prime.
With full frame video cameras becoming more affordable, click here for our introduction to this evaluation series of the classic Carl Zeiss Contax full frame lenses for the digital video age.
My first Zeiss Contax lens review is a real 'sleeper', the often overlooked Vario-Sonnar 35-70mm f/3.4 constant aperture zoom.
Main Features:
Purists tend to avoid zoom lenses as they are usually a compromise. Not so with this beauty from Carl Zeiss. The Vario-Sonnar 35-70mm f/3.4 is considered by many as a true ‘variable prime’ such is its speed, sharpness, contrast and very low distortion across the entire (though limited) zoom range. Typical of all Zeiss Vario-Sonnar designs of the period, the 35-70mm features a ‘one touch’ push-pull zoom operation with just two control rings. The Iris can easily be de-clicked as with all Contax lenses and the main ring operates zoom & focus in one handed operation. Although the barrel extension precludes use with a matte box, the one-handed operation makes for some very efficient video use.
Photographers the world over rave about this lens which is said to exhibit a noticeable ‘pop’ in picture quality at certain settings where DoF, Focus and Contrast all conspire together to offer almost ‘3D’ picture properties.
Click here to download the set of original uncompressed 3:2 format DNG files as reproduced in this review. Expect to pay around US$450-500 for a good second-hand example of this lens.
Full Lens Data Sheet PDF download here.