Sony NEX-7 w/ Contax G 45mm F2.0

 

Sony NEX-7 with Contax G 45mm F2.0

This is the Second of 4 Contax G lenses that I will be reviewing for the Sony NEX-7. This lens is the Contax G 45mm F2.0 Planar.

Equipment Used:

• Sony NEX-7 Camera Body
• Contax G 45mm F2.0
• Contax G to NEX Adapter
• Manfrotto Pro 055XPROB Tripod 

Setup

Ok readers, If you’ve been following my blog for a while and read some of the past lens reviews that I’ve done, you can see that I’ve been testing some different ways of presenting the results of the review. Many readers have offered suggestions and I appreciate each and every one of them. This is the latest version and I would really appreciate feedback on how you like this review format. Please use the comments or contact to give feedback. I really appreciate it, and it will help me bring relevent information to you the reader.

Here are the two set ups.

Setup one: Sony NEX-7 on a tripod with Contax G 45mm 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 45mm lens attached. Close-up view of the mailbox. 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

As you can see in the results image the corner sharpness falls off slightly from the center at apertures F2.0 and F2.8 and mostly disappears at F4.0. Center sharpness is great all the way through the range and there are little to no signs of diffraction at F16.

Setup Two: Closeup Results

In the close up test of this Contax G 45mm F2.0 lens you will find that the lens is capable of resolving super fine detail such as in the rust in the lower right edge as well as in the white abrasions in the center and on the upper left of the image. The fall off in focus is still there at F2.0 and F2.8 and again there is little to no diffraction at F16.

Conclusion

This series of reviews have been very exciting for me, because I’ve been able to rescue my long-lost friends from the “Closet of Death” for camera equipment. They will have another long life of “purpose”, and isn’t that what we all want? A life with a purpose? 😉

This lens back in the day was a great all around lens, but I used it mostly for graphic travel shots, and portraits. On the Sony NEX-7 it is equivalent to a 60mm lens which is still a long-normal lens that you can still walk around with. Depending on where you live, if you are a street shooter you may appreciate the slightly longer focal length. eg. if you live in Manhattan, NY streets are narrow and crowded you may want a wider lens then a 60mm, in San Francisco, CA the streets are larger and you may want this 60mm to capture something across the street, for example.

Now lets talk money, the used market for these lenses is very reasonable. Expect to pay $300-400 for this lens and if you ask me it’s well worth the price. Considering that when the Contax G2 came out these lenses were known for their performance. It was a very popular system, and I believe it was because of the lenses. Also if you were to invest in these lenses and were feeling nostalgic to shoot film again, you could pick up a Contax G2 body for about $200 dollars. Wow!!! I wish it was that cheap back then. 😉

Based on performance, construction, cost, and ease of use, I give the Contax 45mm F2.0 Planar:

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 Sonnar F2.8 Review

Part 3 of 4: Contax G 35mm F2.0 Planar Review

Part 4 of 4: Contax G 28mm F2.8 Biogon Review