(Contax) Hollywood dreaming

Ah, eBay, my wallet's nemesis. I had the first and only bid on a Zeiss 28mm f/2 ZF.2 that should have sold for much more than I paid, so pleasant surprise, another new lens for the growing kit. I think I need to stop my eBay and craigslist browsing as it's been an expensive month.

Online research says this is a copy of the Contax version, nicknamed "Hollywood" in some circles. It's yet another hefty lens, with all that glass and metal. Focusing is very smooth, with just the right heft (are you listening, 24mm Samyang?). Definitely a pleasure to use. The hood is another story; who still uses flocking in this day and age? Sharpness and contrast are excellent, and the lens produces bokeh that's typical of the Zeiss lenses that I've used: smooth with a hint of nervousness. There isn't much falloff wide open, but there is a bit of chromatic aberration, both purple and green.

I've only managed one outing with the lens (being sick is no fun, especially when there's a car show), but I'm looking forward to using the 28mm more.



I now have four Zeiss lenses (granted, only one made in Germany). The 50mm Ultron is still the most Zeiss of them all in my opinion, having that special something that makes photos taken with it stand out.

The kit keeps growing

I was too late to get this in as a February post. That's life. So, I found a decent copy of the Fuji 14mm f/2.8 on craigslist. The lens came with a Fuji EF-20 flash for a tiny additional amount. I can't say no to a bargain. On a side note, the seller was letting go of his Fuji equipment because he had accepted a job with Nikon in Japan, after applying to both companies. He mentioned that employees get a 50% discount, such a sweet deal.

I haven't had the chance to take the lens out for a shoot (thanks, deluge). This weekend isn't going to be any better, so it will take some time before I can post anything from the 14mm. I do find the AF to be slow; it goes forward-backwards during focus, just like the 27mm f/2.8. Part and parcel of Fuji's early generation of lenses. It's strange though how the AF of the 18-55mm is just like a Nikon AF-S lens, but the rest of my Fuji lenses are the hunting type.

On the eBay front, I have a Samyang 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift on the way (USPS totally missed the delivery date). I enjoy using the Nikon 35mm PC, but it's not wide enough, being an equivalent 38mm on the X-E2 with the LTII. I've been trying to snag a NIkon 28mm PC, but the Samyang came up and I couldn't say no (and got a bit carried away with e-bidding).

So the kit continues to grow. I'm now up to five Fuji lenses. I should sell off the Nikon 1 lenses as I don't see much future use out of the V2, outside of hooking it up to the Sigma 500mm for surfing shots. Some of the FX Nikons should also probably go, since I don't use the D3 that much either. 

Or maybe I should buy another cabinet to store the new stuff...nah, that's the easy way out.