For this test I wanted to see how my current collection of CONTAX Zeiss lenses compared at minimum focus distance. This will give you a sense of the focal lengths, lens compression, bokeh, and other characteristics while choosing a CONTAX Zeiss lens. No images have been corrected or modified in any way.
For this test I have sheepy in front of a miniature Christmas tree. He never moved for the test.
First up is the 28mm f2.8
Followed by the 50mm f1.4
Followed by the 28-85mm f3.3-4
Followed by the 100mm f3.5
Followed by the 135mm f2.8
Followed by the 80-200mm f4
Followed by the 180mm f2.8
Followed by the 300mm f4
What conclusions can I make from this?
For starters, the 50mm f1.4 seems to give a very pleasing rendering, which is able to capture enough of the sheep, while also melting away the background. The zoomable 28-85mm f3.3-4 has a fairly poor minimum focus distance at 28mm, meaning I couldn’t isolate the sheep, and ended up getting much of the couch in the photo; however, it does a more pleasing job at 85mm.
Surprisingly, the 80-200mm f4 can get closer at 80mm than it can at 200mm, and our winner in the tight crop department has to be the 180mm f2.8, I could only get the head in the frame at MFD. The 300mm f4 has the most compression, no surprise there, but it’s not able to blur the backgrounds like the 180mm f2.8 or the 50mm f1.4.
Let me know your thoughts below!