Test : Carl Zeiss 80mm f/2 for Contax 645 vs. Mamiya-Sekor "C" 80mm f/1.9

2012-01-24T15:28:00.000-05:00

The Contax 645 with the Carl Zeiss 80mm f/2 is on the left in all of these. The Mamiya-Sekor "C" 80mm f/1.9 is on the right. This is a quick and dirty test, and I would like to do more testing in the next few weeks. Storm clouds rolled in about the time we started shooting, so it was quite a bit darker than I would have liked. That meant we couldn't go much beyond f/5.6 without things getting shaky. We shot Fuji 400H at EI 200, and I would have preferred for that to be EI 100 in this situation. I'd also like to be able to test the flare resistance of these two. For now, though, this should give you an idea of what these lenses look like side-by-side. For my taste, the Contax wins in color and contrast. The Mamiya seems to render colors a bit warmer than the Contax. The skin appears a bit softer with the Mamiya, but I have a feeling that has something to do with the better micro-contrast of the Zeiss. The Zeiss is also much easier to use, as the Mamiya gets darker on the 645AF as the lens is stopped down. That makes it a pain to use after about f/2.8. The Zeiss aperture settings snap into place much better, and I, for one, find that a huge plus, as I don't feel the need to double-check my aperture setting before each shot.
Check back soon for a continuation of this test.
Thanks to Ron Dressel for bringing his Contax and Maria for being a willing test subject.
Here are the results:

f/2 (f/1.9 on the Mamiya)

f/2.8

f/4

f/5.6

These were processed by Pro Camera here in Charlottesville, VA and scanned on their Noritsu. I made no adjustments other than resizing them for the web.

Review : Think Tank Airport Security V2

2012-01-24T12:27:00.000-05:00

I recently purchased a Think Tank Airport Security V2 camera bag with hopes that I would be able to fit all of my necessary wedding gear in one bag. I had previously been using a Tenba bag, and while it was great to have the option to either roll it or carry it as a backpack, I had a few issues with it, the greatest of which was that I found myself having to take another bag or case to haul everything I needed.

After having the Think Tank for a couple weeks now, I can say that I am very pleased with my purchase. I have plenty of room for my current setup, and there is room to rearrange things if I find I need more space in the future. I also like the idea that, if I ever find I need MUCH more space, a smaller Think Tank briefcase can stack easily on top during transit.

The build quality is top-notch. No detail has gone unnoticed. The zippers close smoothly and confidently, even when the bag is bulging at the hips. There are plastic bumpers in all the right spots. While I don't intend to abuse them, they are there if one needs to drag a heavy bag up a set of stairs or over a curb. There are plenty of dividers to allow what seems like hundreds of arrangements. My only wish here is that there would be more of the wider dividers. I toyed with the idea of splitting the bag into two main sections (without the center section where the lenses currently reside), but I found that I didn't have enough wide dividers to fit things as snugly as I would have liked.

The zippered compartments inside the lid have much more stretch than would seem at first glance. I have found that I'm able to fit close to 60 rolls of film in those 4 pockets. That still leaves room in the front and side pockets for all of the miscellaneous cables and batteries and such.

One other thing that is worth pointing out... The wheels are spaced as far apart as possible. I can't tell you what a relief this is over my previous Tenba bag, whose wheels were placed about 3 inches inside the edge of the bag. This may not sound like a huge deal, but I can't tell you how frustrated I used to get about the Tenba bag rolling onto its side every time I rounded a corner or rolled over a small rock. The Think Tank wheels are spaced properly, roll smoothly and freely, and fell as though they glide softly across the terrain, whatever it may be.

Finally, here is a list of everything that is currently in the bag, with some room left over, I might add:
-Mamiya 645AF with Mamiya-Sekor 80mm f/1.9 and one film back attached
-Extra film back for the 645
-Canon 1V HS
-Canon 1N RS
-Pentax K1000 with 50mm f/2
-Instant/Polaroid camera of some kind
-Canon 5D
-Canon 28-70mm f/2.8 L
-Carl Zeiss ZE 50mm f/1.4
-Mamiya 45mm f/2.8
-Mamiya 150mm f/2.8
-Hoya Close-up filter set
-Vivitar 285HV flash
-Canon 580 EXII flash
-Minolta IIIF Light Meter
-2x Promaster LED48 Light Panels
-Pelican Memory Card Case
-32 AA batteries in hard cases
-2x AA chargers
-Charger for 5D batteries
-Miscellaneous spare batteries for the light meter and such, filters, business cards, etc
-About 50 rolls of film
-Rain Cover for the bag

*My apologies for the quality of the photo. It was taken with my iPhone, since almost everything else was in the bag at the time.

Cade Bowman Reviews

Test : Carl Zeiss 80mm f/2 for Contax 645 vs. Mamiya-Sekor "C" 80mm f/1.9

Review : Think Tank Airport Security V2