Life with the Planar CFi f3,5/100

[simonpg]

I decided to treat myself to the legendary Planar CFi f3,5/100 since Marc was consolidating his kit and I knew that if I am to be sure of acquiring a beautiful example of this legend, it would be from Marc.

Well, 3 days later the lens was in my hands. My immediate pleasure was that Marc's rating it as "mint" condition was an understatement - more accurately it is "LIKE NEW". I could not even see a fingerprint on the lens hood or barrel! It was love at first sight!!

So, yesterday I took it for a trial run - to understand its attributes - DOF, contrast, sharpness, resistance to flare, wide open performance and tonality etc. I shot on Provia 100F so that I can see the results from the positives clearly on a light box under a loupe.

Mechanically I am very impressed by it. Having a Planar CFE f2,8/80, I'm fully familiar with the functions. But this lens is very like the Makro-Planar f4,0/120 in that the focus "gearing" is quite low - enabling super-precise focusing. I like that on a "non-average" purpose lens. What I mean is that for example the Makro-Planar, is optimised for close focusing, so such work demands very precise focusing - low gearing of the focus ring is a terrific aid to that.

In the case of the Planar 100, its remarkable distortion free and resolution characteristics makes it a lens suitable for very precise work - again low focus ring gearing is a useful aid.

While I await my slides, I can say that I noticed a couple of lovely attributes in the viewfinder. These were:
1. at mid distance point of focus, wide open at f3,5 you can see the very very pretty soft out of focus created. Despite the Hasselblad/Zeiss iris design having only 5 blades, optically I am expecting the bokeh to be sweet.

2. We all know that how we hold a camera can exaggerate optical distortion. But with this lens I found that it was very hard to get the image to distort even when tilting the camera at an extreme upward angle up the tree trunk.

3. The angle of view is beautiful. I have always liked the Planar 80 and even more so the Makro-Planar 120 for its tighter angle of view; but, I have a feeling this will be my normal lens on 1 body, with the Distagon 60mm on another body (what a treasure it is).

My trial will also include some very close focusing with a 32mm tube and some shooting into sunsets and oblique hard light.

So, from the outset, I compliment Marc on his meticulous careful treatment of his precious gear and "instant" delivery as well as his very accurate (if not understated) description of condition - providing me the opportunity to acquire a like new sample - life with the stellar Planar 100 has got off to a wonderful start.

Stay tuned for sample pictures in the coming week.

 

[ziggyfromoz]

I made the change from a CF Planar 80 mm to a CFi Planar 100 mm sometime in late 2000 if my memory serves me.

You will love the results the 100 mm can produce. It is a very good performer and the image circle is very large (based on the stats as per the ArcBody) could help with the sharpness and the contrast.

I look forward to your bokeh observations as I have never pushed the envelope as I must confess to being a sharpness zealot.

 

[jotloob]

Simon

Congrats for your new "TOY" .
I am shure you will be very pleased with that lens . This lens (CF version) became my standard lens many years ago and I have not used the CF PLANAR 2,8/80 often since then .
Looking forward to see your first results .
Regards Jürgen

 

[jotloob]

PDF DATASHEET 3,5/100mm PLANAR

For those who are interested a bit in technical data about the
CFi PLANAR 3,5/100mm .
If you look at the distortion chart , you will notice , that there is almost no distortion . Zero is the middle of the image .
Therefore this lens will not need any distortion correction and does not appear in the lens correction facility in PHOCUS .
View attachment 1963

Jürgen

 

[polypal]

Lens data for the CFi are valid for all 100 mm Planar lenses.
From the earliest 100 mm C lens, even without T* coating, till the last CFi version the optical design is identical.
This is one of Carl Zeiss most respected designs together with the Biogon lens.

Paul

 

[Thomas73]

How do you rate it with respect to the famous FE 110/2?

 

[blowupster]

If you compare the MTF curves. I seams that the 100mm is better.
The 110mm is not so good at 2.0 but is close to the 100mm at 5.6
However it open at 2.0, and that is very interesting for a MF.

The 110mm allow you to take a picture of a 29x29cm object as the 100mm alow you only to take a 38x38cm

 

[Daniel Unkefer]

I have always loved my CT* 100mm F3.5 Planar

I have two of the 80mm F2.8 black CT* Planar lenses, but I love to use my 100mm F3.5 black CT* Planar; that lens is really something special to me.

I bought mine back when I was photographing weddings, the 100mm, and the 60mm F3.5 CT* Distagon made a nice lightweight set. Could do 90% of the work with those two lenses. Quite a pair.

 

[polypal]

How do you rate it with respect to the famous FE 110/2?

The 100 mm Planar is in a class of its own regarding resolution and low distortion.
The 110 mm Planar is famous for its speed and the ability to offer a restricted depth of field at full aperture.
Stopped down to 5.6 the 110 Planar is an excellent lens but that is not what most users have in mind.
Both lenses serve a different purpose.

Around 100 mm Hasselblad offers a range of special lenses:
It starts with the 100 mm Planar, then comes the 105 mm UV Sonnar followed by the 110 Planar and finally the 120 S-Planar or the later Makro-Planar.

The 105 mm Sonnar deserves special attetion.
It is the only lens suitable for visible light and UV for medium format cameras.
It covers light from 215 till 700 nm wavelength and is used for technical and scientific purposes.
An extremely expensive lens with both fluorite and quartz elements.


Paul

 

[simonpg]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Jurgen, thanks for the link to the data sheets. It is interesting to me that no qualified author has written about the various Zeiss MF lenses for any camera maker. Erwin Puts has well chronicled books about all Leica lenses - he talks about the designs, technical attributes and image making performance. It is great reading. But alas, no one has ever done if for the Zeiss MF lenses.

"The 105 mm Sonnar deserves special attetion.
It is the only lens suitable for visible light and UV for medium format cameras.
It covers light from 215 till 700 nm wavelength and is used for technical and scientific purposes.
An extremely expensive lens with both fluorite and quartz elements."

Paul I'd not heard of the 105 Sonnar - very interesting! Thanks.

 

[jotloob]

"The 105 mm Sonnar deserves special attetion.
It is the only lens suitable for visible light and UV for medium format cameras.
It covers light from 215 till 700 nm wavelength and is used for technical and scientific purposes.
An extremely expensive lens with both fluorite and quartz elements."

Paul I'd not heard of the 105 Sonnar - very interesting! Thanks.

Hello Simon

I can remember , when I saw that lens first and last time , it was extremely expensive . 12500.- DM .
The datasheet is too big to be entered here .
I will send it to you by e-mail .
But you can also google with just uv-sonnar as search argument .
Please note , there is an english version as well as a german one .

Jürgen

 

[blowupster]

MTF curves here.

Great for collectors and ones that know how to find "UV" film or interesting applications.

For normal use the CFi is better.

 

[wbulte]

MTF curves here.

Great for collectors and ones that know how to find "UV" film or interesting applications.

For normal use the CFi is better.

UV film? What UV film? Every standard film is UV sensitive.

Wilko

 

[polypal]

It is not the film but the standard lens that limits the possibility to record UV hence the special 105 mm UV lens by Carl Zeiss.
The 105 UV lens exists both as C and as CF lens.

 

[simonpg]

Many thanks Jurgen.
I received it and the information is fascinating!
I've dropped in my films, so await the results!

 

[simonpg]

My First photos with the Planar CFi f3,5/100mm !

Well Finally I picked up my films and scans. It's an understatement to say that I'm delighted with the lens!

So, my experience with the BRILLIANT lens follows. I have also included images and some 100% crops to illustrate some observations I made.
I hope its interesting and not too long!

Well it is every bit as good as everyone here has been saying – which I never doubted.

Firstly, I love the angle of view – It seems my preference is for a slightly tight frame for “normal” shooting – a reason why I have loved the Makro-Planar CF f4,0/120. In fact that 20mm less is just ideal. It also does not noticeably restrict depth of field in hand held use.

And t certainly “glows” when you have it to your eye. In fact an amazing attribute I have found is that it seems to act like a polariser when shooting across the sun. You’ll see what I mean in the tree picture below.

Of course all shooting was done without any filters of any type. All images posted here are from TIFF files. There is NO MANIPULATION at all – just 505 un-sharp mask after sizing to post here.

The films used here were: Fujichrome Provia 100; Fujichrome 100F; Kodak Ektar 100 (many many thanks to Jurgen!!! ) as well as Fujifilm Acros 100.
Of course NOTHING beats seeing the images on a quality lightbox with a well corrected 6x7 3.5X loupe. A JOY!

I should also say that Provia 100F is a finer grain film to Provia 100. BUT, the film grain in Kodak EKTAR 100 is certainly finer again – it is everything that Kodak claims – a delight. Its colour I find is very like Kodak Portra NC 160, which I really like. I have heard professionals’ podcasts where they have claimed that with Ektar 100, one does not need any other colour film – positive or negative! I see why.

As far as the scans go, certainly the noise/grain from the Ektar was the best of the 4 films. It certainly does scan better.

The pictures I have posted have a small section cropped at 100% to illustrate the detail. The funny orange/green thing on the tree is actually a small parrot climbing back into his nest (they nest in the hollow of trees).

The lens resolution is so good that it does show up the grain of the stone building (Melbourne’s GPO) which recently was water-blasted to clean as it was being converted into a centre of up-market retail brands.

The B&W was taken from my bedroom balcony to see how well the details of the boats were resolved. In fact it turned out to be a test of film resolution I think!

So, YES I am thrilled with my purchase; I am delighted to own a MINT/LIKE NEW version courtesy of Marc; it is somewhat permanently attached to my 503CW; like the CFE f2.8/80, it is fast to use compared to my CF lenses.

Mechanically these are superb… as you would expect too!
I really like the relative “low gearing” of the focus barrel – enables extreme precision when focusing – especially at very close distance and even more so when using an extension tube! Brilliant!

Optically? Well of course there is no visible curve-linear distortion. BUT very interestingly what I did notice was that as I “distorted” the angle of framing an image, it resited that. This is hard to explain., but what I expected to “twist” did not twist.

It resists flare very well (although helped by the fact that the hood is the 100-250mm hood, so is perfect for the 100mm lens - being the shortest focal length in the group). Shooting direct or obliquely into the sun does not cause strong flare or veiling flare. In fact when you see some streak of flare created, the smallest movement of the lens angle eliminates it perfectly. Other shots I took were at high risk of flare and I never suffered reduced contrast.

It is a relatively contrasty lens, but certainly not too so. Like all the other more “modern” Zeiss lenses (e.g. 180mma and 60mm), it has some more contrast as well as sharpness, but it is not harsh at all – amazing sharpness and resolution, but not harsh contrast. Certainly Zeiss coatings play a role here above the optical design etc..

It is certainly very bright through the viewfinder, with something of a 3D look. This is something I noticed in the CF Distagon f3,5/60mm. This was a great aid when focusing with a 32mm extension tube (which I rarely do, so always begin by struggling with getting the lens distance / focus barrel position in harmony.

Its colour tonality is obviously typically Carl Zeiss – very nice if not a wee bit on the cool side. I must compare it to some of the more “classic” Hasselblad/CZ lenses like the Sonnar CF f4,0/150 and Planar CFE f2,8/80mm.
Finally – resolution. The best test I have of that is of heavily bushed small leaf trees from a distance – every detail was captured by the Ektar 100! I guess that this lens will even take the CFV-39 to its limits! It is as Marc said “bitingly…”!

So, the images are:
1. Aussie gums from a distance of about 50m. The crop is that parrot I mentioned as well as some of the trunk detail.
2. A very small crystal vase with chipped edges using a 32mm extension tube and focused on the lower left chip seen in the crop. I think I used f16.
3. Melbourne’s GPO with the crop showing the grain in the stonework
4. An Ektar version of the GPO for those interested in how wonderful this film is.
5. Melbourne’s Docklands at the southern end shooting into the sun.
6. The “Bird of Paradise” flower was taken in very strong oblique light and also shows that trademark hexagonal “specular-highlight” shape as well as some cobwebs!

NOTE: due to the forum software limits a second post will follow with the last images.
I also think you will first see the 800x800 versions of the whole pictures and need to click on the files to see them full size. Then the 100% crops of the detail will follow. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Finally, this was something of a “luxury purchase” rather than a need to fill a hole in my lens kit. But, it definitely has a very specific place in my kit now, especially as slower more contemplative shooting (MF) plays an increasingly bigger role in my life.

If anyone is tempted to add the Planar 100mm to his / her kit, don’t hesitate – it is a MUST. And, of course, there is the fact that it is the lens man took to the moon as commissioned by NASA – some saying that it is about as perfect an optical triumph as you will ever get.

 

[simonpg]

My first PLanar CFi f3,5/100mm images ... continued!

The last two photos I referred to above follow - full image as 800x800 and then a 100% crop of small detail areas.
Note the GPO stone building image is an Ektar 100 comparison with the the Provia 100 version above.
Cheers.

 

[polypal]

100 mm C/CF/CFi

Hello Simon,

Welcome to the 100 club!
After the CFi there is only one extra step possible that is for the 100 mm MK 70 lens.
A rare beast which does not allow use like a normal 100 mm lens because it has a completely different shutter.
I had my MK 70 lens modified to be able to use that lens with a standard camera.

I know there is a forum member who deeply regrets putting me on the trail of this MK 70 lens.
This was a once in a lifetime opportunity.





100 mm MK 70 lens



Fitted to 503CW body.


Lenses from the MK 70 series were hand picked optimised samples by Carl Zeiss.
They have the same specs as the lenses used by NASA.


Paul

 

[simonpg]

Wow Paul!

I have never heard of it before. Can you explain the difference?
I see another scale at the end of the barrel, what is that for?
Where does the term 70? come from - the 70 magazine?

Cheers.

 

[polypal]

Hasselblad used to make a special camera system that allowed to record images for scientific purposes.

This system used a heavily modified 500ELM body and two special lenses:

A 100 mm Planar lens and a 60 mm Biogon lens.
Both lenses show extreme low distortion.

The camera does not have an auxilary shutter nor does it have a mirror.
Framing is done by a special finder.
The film backs are the only ones without a dark slide!
There is no room for a dark slide since the rear of the camera body holds a special plate with marks that are recorded on all frames.

A camera set with the rare 60 mm Biogon was offered to me a while ago.
I decided not to bid for this set. Starting price was 2500 euro.

Lenses from the MK 70 system are amongst the best lenses ever produced by Zeiss.
Think of the 100 MK lens as an optimised 100 mm Planar lens.

Paul