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50 Distagon C

F

flashbulbman

Member
Just got my prints back taken on a Distagon 50mm C chrome lens I got on Ebay. The lens arrived two weeks ago with the UV filter smashed on it. I blame the sender for putting it in a shoebox and only wrapping it with newspaper. The barrel was very tight and hard to turn when focusing. The prints were very disappointing. Very soft images, almost out of focus. I shot the images during a dance show at F8. Outer area of prints were very soft. I dumped the lens today at a camera show. Traded it plus $460 for a black coated 50 CF Distagon. The barrel is very easy to turn and the image appears much brighter when looking thru the viewfinder. I hope this version is much sharper. Will test it in a day or so. Any comments on the difference between the two? I read blogs on other sites saying they are identical, but the shape is even different. I wonder what the lens elements are like in each of them. Are they the same formula? I did not want to spend the big bucks for the floating element lens that followed this one. Since the image looks clearer and brighter thru the view finder, I wonder if my C lens had been damaged more than I thought or is the C lens soft?
 
These lenses are not soft, they are tack sharp! :)

Both lenses use basically the same elements and have the same formula.
The silver lens probably had the older coating.
Your new CF lens has T* multi coating.
The later coating is an improvement against flare. Colour rendering and contrast are also marginally beter.

CF lenses are easier to use: to lock aperture and shutter speed you have to press a button.
With C lenses you need to unlock the aperture and speed rings before one of the settings can be changed.

Both lenses have F4, which does not explain why the new lens gives a brighter image.
Could be the aperture of the silver lens did not open fully after the damage.

Keep in mind your new lens needs B60 filters.
Thinking about a shade, forget the Chinese ones and get yourself a decent used original shade.

Wish you lots of great images with the new lens.


Vic.
 
Thanks Vic. I now feel my C lens was damaged. Probably the elements were ajar as well. It really took abuse in the mail. They crushed it. The new lens is much much brighter and clearer to look through. I could never see a clear image throught the old one. It did not register the distance correctly as well. The old C lens showed I was focused at 15 feet when I was actually focused at 6 feet. That was a major concern. I am happy to have the CF. I will now look for a 110mm CF.
 
The 100 mm is an excellent lens that will outperform most other lenses when used for objects from 1.5-2 m till infinity.

The lens was designed by Carl Zeiss for NASA.


Vic.
 
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