Carl Zeiss Contax G rangefinder lenses can now be used on digital for the first time!
Experience the great color and sharpness of the legendary Zeiss Planars and Sonnar on Olympus and Panasonic Micro 4/3 cameras.
The adapter is a CNC-machined anodized aluminum body with teflon infill for smooth bayonet mounting and dismounting.
Since the Contax G lenses are screw-drive autofocus, we designed a geared brass thumbwheel to convert the lens to precise manual focus.
The gear ratio allows a minimum number of turns (from infinity to close-up) for fastest possible focus without losing precision.
The mirrorless Micro 4/3 cameras focus directly at the sensor, eliminating any of the accuracy issues that are common with adapted lenses on mirrored SLRs.
The adapter is compatible with the Contax G 35mm f/2 Planar, the 45mm f/2 Planar, and the 90mm f/2.8 Sonnar. These lenses, when used on Micro 4/3 cameras, have effective focal lengths of 70mm, 90mm, and 180mm respectively.
Designed and manufactured in America.
Price: $159. Click the button to order, shipping is calculated based on your ship-to address. Shipments will begin the week of April 19.
Note: the first production run is now sold out as of April 15 at 2pm CDT. Any orders placed after this time will be filled in the second production run, which will be in early May.
The first batch has shipped except for four units which are pending; the second batch is mostly done at the manufacturer and will probably ship next week.
A few other notes:
Compatibility: this adapter is compatible with the Contax G 35mm, 45mm, and 90mm lenses. These lenses fit without any modification and have excellent edge-to-edge sharpness.
Yes, the 21mm and 28mm G lenses will fit if the rear element guards are trimmed/removed, but that’s not something that is recommended. The 21mm and 28mm are superb lenses with film, but not so much with digital do to the fact that the light rays coming through the lens hit the sensor at too great of an angle, which causes reduced corner performance. This doesn’t mean excellent photos cannot be taken with these lenses…sharpness has never been a requirement for a good photograph.
However there doesn’t seem to be much point in a 42mm effective f/2.8 or a 56mm effective f/2.8 that has suspect corner performance, when there are faster/better alternatives. In addition, cutting the guards will probably reduce the resale value of these lenses.
The 35-70 Contax G zoom is not compatible.
Mounting the lens to the adapter: it takes a bit of practice to mount the lens to the adapter. This is because the drive screw needs to mate properly with the lens.
The proper technique is to align the lens to the adapter using the dots as a guide. The lens will most likely not immediately sit flat against the adapter face, because the drive screw will not be aligned. Turn the thumbwheel slightly until the lens settles into place. Once it has settled, adjust the thumbwheel and see if the lens focuses. If it doesn’t try the process again. Once the lens is properly mated and the focusing helical moves properly, then turn the lens bayonet until it locks.
If you are just receiving your adapter and are heading out on a trip or vacation, I highly recommend spending some time getting acquainted with the lens mounting process. Practice! It’s not the same as a simple bayonet. Unfortunately there is no way to get around this, as the adapter is converting an autofocus lens that was never designed to be operated manually.
Mounting the adapter to the camera: The Panasonic cameras have taller lens release buttons than Olympus cameras. When the adapter is bayoneted, the thumbwheel assembly will lightly touch the lens release button on Panasonics. See the video below.
Focusing operation: The thumbwheel is best operated by the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. It takes a bit of getting used to, as it’s not as natural as a proper focusing ring. It took me one outing shooting wildflowers for about an hour, after that, it became second nature. It does require two fingers, to easily turn either direction.
The amazing quality of these optics is worth the extra practice! The Contax G 35, 45, and 90mm lenses are simply a great combination with Micro 4/3.
Variations: I have tested many lenses and adapters, and there seems to be some minor differences between lenses. Some fit better than others. My 90 is a fairly tight fit, the 35 and 45 are looser.
Removing the lens from the adapter: The lens release button can be a bit finicky sometimes, depending on the lens. You may find holding the button and pulling it down, instead of pushing it down, works better. Again, a bit of practice here makes all the difference; after that it becomes almost automatic.
If you find you switch often between the three lenses you may actually prefer getting an adapter for each lens, as then the focusing drive screw will always be aligned, and swapping lenses is much, much faster.
