One thing I did not like is how the sun has a double image along its lower rim. Many lenses do the same thing, so this is not unique to the Contax 100N. The boldness of the double image could also be compounded due to the Canon 1Ds Mark II’s sensor running out of dynamic range and clipping one or two RGB channels. The Canon 300/2.8L IS does very well in this type of lighting, most likely due to its thinner depth of field, thus abstracting distant objects into more of a blended blur. I am noting this double image bokeh because I have seen it in many Zeiss lenses - even the Hasselblad CFE 110mm F2 Planar (a $3500 lens) has this trait. In the next picture the wind was blowing around 20 MPH and the light was fading quickly, so these images are “shutter challenged”. What I like most about the second image are the watercolor tones. The colors are subdued with smooth graduations. I was trying to capture the glowing sun in the lower right, but the foliage diffused the light and acted like a graduated filter. Having looked at thousands of Canon raw files, I really like the tonality produced by the Contax 100N. It is definitely one of the lenses unique characteristics.

SOME OF THE NEGATIVES

Every lens is a compromise in one way or another. We trade aperture for light weight, we trade image quality for the ease of a zoom, etc. The Contax 100N has its trades-offs too. Being a macro lens, its auto focus is slow - similar to something like a Canon 85L. The auto focus is accurate; it just requires some patience. Most photographers manual focus their macro lenses, so if you are buying the Contax 100N for macro use, then the slower auto focus is a non-issue. To use manual focus on a Canon dSLR, the lens aperture ring is turned to F22 - another unique feature of Conurus’ custom firmware.

One the biggest drawbacks to the lens is its weight and size. The Contax N 100mm is long because it offers 1:1 magnification and the lens does NOT extend while focusing. It uses an internal focus design; therefore, the 100mm Mark is a big lens - about the same size as a Canon 70-200L F2.8 zoom. The Contax is not as heavy as the Canon zoom(s), but their sizes are similar. The 100mm Macro weighs ~2 pounds, so it can feel heavy on long days (in my opinion - we all have different tolerances). The lens is somewhat nose heavy when mounted on the 1Ds Mark II. And one other minor negative, during 2007 the metal hoods for Contax N skyrocketed in price. The metal hoods can cost anywhere from $75 to $300 on Ebay depending on condition and what the market will bear. If you buy a Contax N 100mm Makro for conversion, I suggest trying to find one with the lens hood included.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

I am pleased with Contax’s coloring and tonality. My only complaints are the size (and weight) of the lens - optically the Contax is sharp with good contrast. The unique color palette are a nice surprise. The double image in the bokeh can be distracting at times. This is common trait for many lenses, so I do not want to complain to much about this. I think the samples presented thus far illustrate the point. Bo-ming’s conversion is first-class workmanship. The conversion process can be slow depending on how large his backlog is and whether or not parts are available. Be prepared - a conversion can take awhile. I will follow-up this review with a second part in couple months after I have more experience with the lens.  Published August 27, 2007

PART II - THREE MONTHS LATER

It has been 3 months with the 100/2.8 N Makro-Sonnar and the lens is performing very nicely. Conurus’ conversion has been trouble-free. The conversion had one major benefit which went over-looked at first - the aperture ring on the lens clicks in 1-stop intervals. On the Canon 1Ds Mark II the aperture steps in 1/3 stop increments (I have set the custom function to 1/3 increments instead of 1/2 increments). The Contax N 100mm F2.8 Makro-Sonnar is almost as large as a Canon 70-200mm F2.8 zoom. The lens focuses accurately, but like most macro lenses the auto focus is slow. So far I have not shot with lens outdoors much. The Contax 100mm F2 Planar is my “go-to” lens for travel and portraits. I had hoped the 100/2.8 N could match the 100mm Planar in that role, but the Planar is king. The Contax 100mm Planar is a reasonably small lens and travels well. We recently went to Hawaii and the 100/2 was in the bag - zero regrets (the pictures are here).

When it comes to product shots, the Contax 100/2.8 N is king. The lens has a distinctive look. The images have great detail and strong contrast for good “pop”. Tonality is even and balanced, nothing jarring, harsh or overly contrasty. The one area where the lens excels is in the softness of its bokeh. The ingress and egress to the DOF is quite long, so neighboring objects are recognizable, but still nicely blurred. It is a subtle nuance in bokeh, but the look is distinctive. I find it very easy to get a nice separation between the subject and the background. The image (left) is F8. The 100/2.8 N handles such ensemble shots very well. With good lighting it is very easy to pull-off an a 3D feel. Medium format has a reputation for producing a 3D look; I feel the Contax N 100mm F2.8 Makro-Sonnar is quite capable of going head-to-head with medium format in this particular area / aspect.