Sony NEX-7 with Contax G 28mm F2.8
This is the Last of 4 Contax G lenses that I will be reviewing for the Sony NEX-7. This lens is the Contax G 28mm F2.8 Biogon.
Equipment Used:
Setup
I’d appreciate any comments on how you like the way I’m presenting the results. I’ve taken crops from the edges and the center and have laid them out on one file side by side. Hopefully this will give you a good view of how edge to edge sharpness is doing and an over all impression of the performance of the lens. Thanks again for everyone’s support and comments to make this site a better one.
Here are the two set ups.
Setup one: Sony NEX-7 on a tripod with Contax G 28mm lens attached. Wide view of the house. Camera set to ISO 100, an exposure was made at every aperture. For each aperture a crop was made on the left edge, Center, and right edge of the frame. These crops are arranged side by side all on one file. The location of these crops are indicated by the red outline on the full image file.
Setup two: Sony NEX-7 on a tripod with Contax G 28mm lens attached. Close-up view of the Scion IQ. Camera set to ISO 100, an exposure was made at every aperture. For each aperture a crop was made of the left edge, Center, and right edge of the frame. These crops are arranged side by side all on one file. The location of these crops are indicated by the red outline on the full image file.
Setup One: Wide View Results
Contax G 28mm "Setup One: Wide View" Full Image Review Results
Contax G 28mm "Setup One: Wide View" Review Results
As you can see in the results image, the Contax 28mm F2.8 suffers from a color shift around the edges of the frame. This phenomenon can be fixed with the use of Cornerfix. Cornerfix is a Free program that you can build profiles for a particular lens and Cornerfix with use that profile to adjust your image. The Contax G 28mm F2.8 lens is a circular field of focus lens, meaning the center is relatively sharp while the edges are less sharp usually at the wider apertures. The focus fall off is a little more apparent on this lens, it doesn’t really disappear until F5.6 but holds strong as there is little to no diffraction at F22.
Setup Two: Closeup Results
Contax G 28mm "Setup Two: Close Up" Full Image Review Results
Contax G 28mm "Setup Two: Close Up" Review Results
This lens is also has little distortion for being built as a wide-angle lens for the Contax G2. What I also like about this lens is that even wide open the lens is sharp. Although is only in the middle for certain subjects like people, street photography, and close up work, it may not matter that much in “real world” shots. If you are an owner of a Sony NEX 5n, this lens maybe an even better value as from what I’ve read there is not a color shift phenomenon on this camera. Also its seems to be on sale at Sony.com. If you can get over the extra work of correcting the color shift on the Sony NEX-7, this should be a good lens for you.
Conclusion
This Contax G 28mm F2.8 lens may not be the super value that the Contax 35mm F2.0 is, but it can’t be ignored if you are considering buying some “legacy” glass, and this angle of view is on your radar. This lens has a 42mm equivalent angle of view and there are lots of people out there that prefer a “wide normal” lens. This lens will give you a slightly looser view and may be very helpful in Street photography where you sometimes need a little crop room this lens will give you that. If you are the owner of a Sony NEX 5n the playing field of these three “normal” lenses are a little more even and it all comes down to preference. What type of “normal” lens do you prefer, Wide-Normal, Normal, Long-Normal? Since this review was on a Sony NEX-7, I say the value lies more strongly on the Contax 45mm and 35mm. I wouldn’t say that I’m a lazy photographer, but I was trained by instructors that insisted that I capture everything in frame. Meaning, No Photoshop!!! If I wanted to have a certain color case, I had to gel it. If I wanted more contrast, a certain composition, lighting, effect, etc I had to do it all in the camera. Granted there are certain things that are just impossible on “film” but for the most part, I had to plan, and be detailed about how I envisioned the final product. So for a lens that gives a color cast, it irks me to have to go and “fix” it in post processing. That being said Lightroom, Photoshop and technology these days with automation, it may be a moot point.
Based on performance, construction, cost, and ease of use, I give the Contax G 28mm F2.8 Biogon:
MEDIUM-HIGH Value to Cost Ratio
You can find used Contax G series equipment at Adorama and all the other items used in this review under the Equipment heading above. Thanks for your support!
Please contact me or use the comments below to let me know if you like this style of crop and comparison
Part 1 of 4: Contax G 90mm F2.8 Sonnar Review
Part 2 of 4: Contax G 45mm F2.0 Planar Review
Part 3 of 4: Contax G 35mm F2.0 Planar Review
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Photohead, thanks for the review, did you have to cut the tabs off the rear of the contax g 28mm lens to fit safely on the Nex7?
Felix, thanks for your comment. No, for the 28 mm lens you don’t need to cut the tabs off. Only for the 21mm lens.