OVERVIEW

The Contax 28mm F2 Distagon is a rare lens compared to its little brother, the compact F2.8 Distagon. The 28mm F2 Distagon’s optical formula is based on a Zeiss 28mm cinematic lens. The cinematic lens design was subsequently adapted for 35mm SLR use, so sometimes the 28mm F2 Distagon is referred to as the “Hollywood 28”. One of the key features of the 28mm F2 Distagon is the floating element design which provides significantly better near field performance and a very short minimum focus distance of just 10 inches.

The 28mm focal length is a very interesting discussion in and of itself. Most people would agree that wide angle photography starts around 28-35mm on a full-frame dSLR. The 28mm focal length is at the upper bound of that range, so a 28mm lens does not require as much correction as 25mm, 21mm or 18mm lenses. Thus, pictures taken with a 28mm lens have a wide angle field of view, but still look natural without feeling overly corrected. Zeiss added an extremely short minimum focus distance (10 inches) which can be used for dramatic compositions. The Contax 28mm F2.0 Distagon’s floating element lens design enables the lens to resolve near subject matter extremely well. The smaller Contax 28mm F2.8 lens does not have a floating element.

Compositions with a slight upward angle take advantage of the wide angle “feel” and produce a bold perspective. When it comes to shooting architecture or other subjects with straight lines and planes, 28mm can be an excellent choice due to its reduced distortion compared to wider lenses such as the 21mm F2.8 Distagon (mustache distortion). Compared to the Contax 28mm F2.8, the F2’s faster aperture provides more flexibility, the floating element delivers excellent near field sharpness and by F5.6 the edge-to-edge resolution is excellent.

LENS HANDLING AND BUILD QUALITY

I have used many, many different Contax lenses along with many other brands over the years. The Contax design aesthetics and ergonomics are my favorite. Most of the lens bodies are a simple cylindrical shape with the aperture ring slightly ahead of the bayonet with a textured rubber grip. The aperture ring is easy to find by touch, and easy to turn. The focus ring is almost the same length as the lens barrel, so it easy to find and any imaginable hand position will work.  The Contax barrel designs may look simple and somewhat sparse, but that simplicity makes their operation easy and intuitive.

The lens body and barrel are all metal (as are all all the Contax lenses), so the 28mm Distagon is very solid. The 28mm Distagon has 9 elements, so the lens has a dense, hefty feel. The focus ring is smooth and nicely dampened. Likewise the aperture ring turns smoothly has subtle detents at each stop. The markings are engraved and filled with with paint. If the paint filling engravings is looking dull, that is easy to refresh with paint sticks (available at Micro Tools). The 28mm F2 Distagon is not a compact lens, so if size is a critical consideration then the 28mm F2.8 Distagon may be a better choice.

Nowadays one cannot talk about the Contax 28mm F2 Distagon without also mentioning the Zeiss 28mm F2 Distagon ZE. The new Zeiss ZE’s have very nice build quality as well. And they provide auto aperture, a native Canon EF mount (no lens adapters needed), full EXIF and focus confirmation. The Zeiss ZE’s will work on any Canon EF and EF-S dSLR. I assume the electronics are fully backwards compatible with Canon EF film bodies as well. The Zeiss 28mm F2 Distagon ZE has also been reviewed and is available here. Whether the Contax 28mm F2 Distagon or Zeiss 28mm F2 Distagon ZE is a better option is discussed on the next page.