CONTAX ZEISS VARIO SONNAR 28-70MM F3.5-4.5 - Sample Photos
CONTAX ZEISS VARIO SONNAR 28-70MM F3.5-4.5
Vintage zoom lenses like this one take a bit of getting used to. Unlike modern lenses, you’ll typically find three control rings: one for aperture, one for zoom, and one for manual focus. The Vario-Sonnar covers a practical midrange focal length from 28mm to 70mm, making it useful for everything from wide scenes to tighter compositions. Push the zoom ring just past 70mm, and it cleverly engages a macro mode, allowing for close-up shots that add even more versatility.
One thing to keep in mind: this is a variable aperture lens, so the maximum aperture changes as you zoom. If you set your exposure at 28mm and then zoom in, you’ll likely need to make adjustments to maintain consistent exposure. It’s a bit of a pain to remember and I often forget to make changes so I just set my ISO to auto.
Optically, this lens is more impressive than you might expect from a variable aperture zoom of its era. It includes an aspherical element and special optical glass with anomalous partial dispersion. That’s Zeiss talk for: it’s sharp, even wide open, and colors stay clean with minimal chromatic aberration. Add in the T* (T-star) multi-layer coatings, and you’ve got a lens that resists flare and ghosting better than a lot of its contemporaries, making it surprisingly contrasty and punchy even in challenging light. Unfortunately when when it comes to bokeh it’s quite busy and distracting so don’t buy this lens for bokeh shots.
