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 CONTAX 28mm F2.8 DISTAGONAdapter and fit feedbackwww.pebbleplace.com/Personal/Contax_db.htmlThis thread is for ongoing discussions and experiences regarding the 28mm F2.8 Distagon on the Canon dSLRs such as the 40D, 1D Mark III, 1Ds Mark III, Digital Rebels and all other Canon dSLRs. If adding an entry about a lens & adapter, please include:
1) Whether the lens is a AE or MM
2) Whether the lens is made in Germany or Japan
3) Which adapter you are using
4) If the lens works properly at its minimum focus distance and at infinityNOTE - THIS THREAD IS FOR THE F2.8 VERSION - NOT THE F2.0.
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One user's comments ( FM Thread) --- Quote:
Here's my report, all Kindai adapters and 5D. 28/2.8 - hangs every 30 shots or so. Variation in the mirror swing path is obviously to blame, and this has nothing to do with vertical or horizontal, or up or down orientation.
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One user's comments ( FM Thread) --- Quote:
No problems with the following lenses mounted on my 5D: 28/2.8
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CANON 5D FEEBACK WITH A CAMERAQUEST ADAPTERSUCCESS!!!This past week "I. Asha" submitted the following feedback regarding the Contax 28mm F2.8 Distagon AE (I did clean up the format) - Quote:
The following contax lenses worked on my Canon 5D using the CameraQuest adapter:
AE MOUNT
• Contax 25mm F2.8 AE
• Contax 28mm F2.8 AE
• Contax 35mm F2.8 AE
• Contax 60mm F2.8 AE
MM MOUNT
• Contax 50mm F1.4 MM
• Contax 85mm F2.8 MM
• Contax 28-85mm MM
• Contax 35-135mm MM
• Contax 80-200mm F4 MM
Surprisingly, the Contax 100mm F3.5mm MM would not work. Additionally, a Yashica ML 21mm F3.5 worked fine.
No changes to the database since the lens was already marked "I". The 28mm F2.8 Distagon has been "iffy" fit on the Canon 5D for quite some time. Click here see the Contax C/Y Canon Table.
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Just picked up a CY Zeiss 28/2.8 Distagon T* MM version, S/N 6936xxx. The lens was made in Japan and came with a generic (unknown brand), non-AF confirm adapter. The adapter has some heft to it and seems very well made. The lens works fine on my 5D without any interference whatsoever (mirror or otherwise) in landscape or vertical orientation. Focuses fine throughout the range, from minimum distance through infinity. This is one very sharp lens...I may need to dump my collection of Oly 28's. 
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Same experience as mikeq. Am using 5D with a Contax 28/2.8MM (made in Japan) with Happypage AF-confirm adapter. Can focus infinity and work great.
Cheers
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This spring/summer I bought from ebay also this CZ 28mm Distagon f2.8 lens and use it with Canon 40D and 5D with af-confirmed adapter. In 40D everything (as usual) worked fine, but with 5D I had to shorten the moving aperture -fin of the lens, because it was stucked to the body.
A really fine wide angle lens! Light, sharp in every aperture also in borders, naturally contrasted/saturated colours.
The bokeh in wide open is good, but when stopped down, the lens begins to shine.
I am surprised that it can be compared even with 3-5 x more expensive Canon 35mm f1.4 lens, which I use a lot.
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If you have no trouble with this lens on a 5D(mkII) your adapter might be too thick. You will not be able to focus on infinity but you might not notice that if you stop down and infinity gets inside DOF. If you have a correct adapter flange thickness the mirror will get stuck (occasionally) when focussing on infinity and in that case it is the ridge in the picture which is the culprit and which you could lower carefully. It did the trick with mine. :-) 
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The original Canon 5D had variances in the mirror box placement. Canon shimmed the sensor and focus screen as needed to get everything calibrated relative to each. There were cases where the same lens & adapter worked with one 5D, but not with another. This is why there are so many conflicting reports when talking about lenses with very slim clearance margins. Whether Canon improved manufacturing tolerance on the 5D Mark II or not, I don't think we really know yet. If they didn't, then we'll continue to see conflicting data points.
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I possess a mkII , so clearly that mirror/(mirrorbox placement) 'can be' as long as the mk I's. I suspect the tolerances are so subtle, including rounding of edges and swing force, and the height of the screw-in ring which I lowered, that variances can be next to none between working and not working. Next to that a lot of people might not recognize the cause of the problem if they have it. Some think it is the rounded block in the top of my picture or the whole of the inner barrel. I nowhere on the web read anything pointing out the ridge I mentioned. I you look careful though, it is easily seen that that's the position of the mirrors hinge, where the mirror will stuck out the most during its swing. That the barrel extends at infinity is also not easily recognized: I read some people loose the whole lens after a mirror locking shot, instead of just turning away a wee bit from infinity!
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Now I have something new to tell concerning 5D and CZ 28mm Distagon. First I bought a much used lens for a cheap price, and later when I "fell in love" to that lens I bought another one, a little newer model in mint condicion. Older model has a wholeblack mount metal around the back lens, but that of the newer is painted in black only partly . The Mount picture above is from older model. With newer model there have been no mirrow-problems with my 5D, but with older model I had to shave a little back metal above the back lens, and take off a little metal part with two screws. Now both lenses work perfectly with 5D and are optically equal, and both lenses support the infinity. There are also differences between mirrow-box design in 5d, and it seems to be the main reason to different and conflicting reports. The serial number of my older lens is 652xxxx and of the newer one 675xxx. 
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Did a series of test shots and my newly acquired CZ 28mm f/2.8 (MM-type, made in Japan, Serial # 693xxxxx) works fine with a 5D MarkII, and a unbranded adaptor (without AF confirmation). No problems with infinity focusing. Unfortunately I have no idea where the adaptor comes from.
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Once again, C/Y MMJ 28/2.8 working fine in my Canon 5D MK2 with Happypage AF-Confirm PRO Adapter. Three out of three! I'm feeling lucky 
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Then go kiss your wife! Maybe you'll be lucky for a 4th time!
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Zeiss 28 F2.8 AE old 635XXX is not working fully with a couple of thick adapters of unkownbrand and with a Happypagge HK pro... mirror hit reported focusing over 2 meters with eos 5 mkII  and with the previous mkI the situation was much worse if my memory doesnt trick me.... LIVE VIEW SAVE US ALL ! Ill give it another try with another adapter first and if doesnt work I ll have it undergo surgical intervention... I hardly see where possibly that spot fall in the way of the mirror... but so they say.... to me that spot look like as it is at the same level as the rest of the flange but of course somewhere it does HIT for SURE! where to buy an adapter which WORKS FINE? or the ultimate solution is definetly the SURGEON? ? ?  thanks franz
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Hello all -
First post here, apologies if it's been covered or is just plain stupid.
Thanks for all of the info you've allowed me to glean from lurking. Now that I've taken the plunge and bought Conatx-Canon adapters and a lens, I'm having problems right out of the gate.
here's the situation:
Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark2
Lens: Contax 28/f2.8 T Distagon serial # 6517XXX
Adapter: happypageHK Pro (two identical ones)
Problem : once the lens is mounted on the camera with the adapter, the aperture ring is disabled via a lever on the back of the lens. The camera body appears to be moving into an engaged position. This lever keeps the lens wide open. If I mount lens to camera and it's set at f22, for example, I can shoot it at f22, but once I open it at all it will not close back down. The aperture ring on the barrel turns freely, but the actual aperture stays open. It doesn't appear to be an adapter problem, as the fit is clean and tight.
Am I missing something here or do I actually need to file down the end of this lever so that the camera body doesn't engage it? If that's the case I feel like I would have encountered it somewhere in the forums already.
Thanks in advance for any guidance-
David
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Yes, in some cases the aperture arm needs to filed down slightly because it gets pinned against something in the Canon mirror box. This is fairly common. My suggestion is to take blue painters tape and thoroughly cover up the rear of the lens to make sure no shavings fall on the rear lens or into the lens. I can't remember if the 28/2.8's rear element is recessed or not. If not, use a piece of cloth (may cut from a lens cloth) to protect the rear element before taping over everything. Then with a Dremel tool, sand down the aperture arm about 1mm at a time.
Some people sand them down almost flush to the lens. My only issue with that is, the lens can never be used on a Contax film body again. That's probably a non-issue, but it does limit the lens' resale value should you decide to part with it someday. These lenses are pretty cheap ($200-$300), so sanding down the aperture arm on a 28/2.8 isn't going to impact resale value much. But if the lens were a 55mm F1.2 or the 85mm F1.2...
The aperture arms are made of a soft metal which sands down very easily with a Dremel tool. Remember to use eye protection just in case part of the sanding wheel breaks away. A couple passes with a black sharpie marker will clean up any shiny silver edges.
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Hi there-
Thanks very much for the response. It was indeed a very slight amount of contact between the aperture arm and the mirror box - in fact a gentle flex of the mounted lens would release the arm with an audible "click." But opening the aperture back up would throw it back into the same stuck position.
I snipped about 1mm off of the arm with diagonal cutters, and filed down the burr. I filed down the fixed stabilizing tab (next to the aperture arm) as well. Lens cloth and painter's tape were used for protection of the rear element. Finished with the Sharpie and everything works as it should. Used it on an assignment the very next day.
There are certain tools that I've owned for a long time that I never pictured using on or even near a Zeiss lens - metal file and diagonal cutters among them. In the end, though, it's just a few minutes of time and well worth it to get access to these lenses.
Excellent forum here - I look forward to using it often as I add more Contax lenses to my kit.
David
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Modifying a lens for the first time is scary, but the benefit is being able to use some very good lenses (which are relatively inexpensive) on today's dSLRs. From around 2005-2008 the Contax lenses were really popular on Canon. They still are, but the new Zeiss ZE lenses are making an impact and the Contax database pages are seeing less traffic - about 20%.
Curiously, the Leica R database pages keep seeing more and more traffic. I guess since Leica killed all hope of seeing a new Leica R digital SLR body, now people are stuck looking for alternatives. Getting some of the Leica R lenses to work a Canon FF dSLR requires a very aggressive modifications. Too much risk for my tastes.
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This lens works great for me on the 5D Mark I without any shaving.
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