CONTAX T* 16MM F2.8 DISTAGON-F FISHEYE LENS
Updated December 20, 2014
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| First Year Available | 1975 (AE Mount) |
| Lens Composition | 8 Elements / 7 Groups |
| Floating Lens Group | Yes |
| Angular Field of View | 180º |
| Minimum Focus | .3 Meter / 1 Foot |
| F-Stop Scale | F2.8 to F22 in 1 Stop Increments |
| Aperture | Automatic on Contax RTS, fully manual otherwise |
| Filter Size | Built-in Turret Type (UV, Or57, Y50, B11) |
| Lens Cap | 70mm Slip on Type |
| Lens Hood | None |
| Hood Cap | None |
| Rubber Hood | None |
| Lens Pouch | No. 2 |
| Lens Size | 70mm x 61mm / 2.75 in. x 2.56 in. |
| Weight | 460 Grams / 1.00 Pound |
OVERVIEW
The “F” in the Contax 16mm F-Distagon’s name stands for fisheye. The Contax was my first experience using a fisheye lens, so other than seeing pictures on the web here and there, I really did not know what to expect from a fisheye wide angle lens.
BUILD QUALITY
Contax's little 50mm F1.7 and 1.4 Planars feel a bit cheap in their construction, while some other lenses have a dense, tightly constructed feel. The Contax 16mm Fisheye's build quality is excellent with an exceptionally solid feel.
There is a small, built-in lens hood which is really there to protect the bulbous front element. The focus ring is well dampened and turns smoothly. A nice touch reminiscent of the film days are the built in filters. There is a benefit for B&W shooters, but not so much for today digital shooters."
It is important to keep in mind that Zeiss no longer services the Contax AE lenses, so finding a 16mm AE in excellent condition is important.
PERFORMANCE
The one aspect which really stood-out was the Contax 16mm’s resolution at F2.8 (wide open) on the Canon 1Ds Mark II. The lens is capable of out-resolving the Canon 1Ds Mark II's sensor even when shot wide open. Chromatic aberrations (such as purple fringing) are well controlled; there are some, but it is very minor and only visible when viewing the image at 50-100% in Photoshop. The CA is less than that found in the Canon 16-35mm L F2.8 (Mark I) and Canon 17-40mm L F4.0. Contrast and color are consistent with other Contax Carl Zeiss lenses and certainly pleasing in my opinion.
It was surprising how neutral the perspective can be when held perfectly even with the horizon. The fisheye effect is increasingly amplified as the lens is tilted upwards or downwards, but when held level the lens performs surprisingly similar to an ultra wide angle (UWA) prime. There is some fisheye effect at the top & bottom, but it is very minor. This could be corrected in Photoshop, or cropped out which is most likely the case when cropping to a 4:5 or 4:3 aspect ratio.
After using the Contax 18mm F4 Distagon, I expected 16mm Fisheye's light fall off in the corners to be quite substantial. However, the 16mm Fisheye exhibited very little light fall-off on the Canon 1Ds Mark II. Likewise, bokeh could be pleasing as well, provided the subject was very close. Invoking bokeh on a 16mm lens is challenging because the depth of field is huge.
CONCLUSION
Ultimately the 16mm was sold because I seldom used it. The original seller said he did not use it much, and buyer I sold it to said the same. The fish eye look is a very unique perspective. Used occasionally, it is a nice change.
The Contax 16mm Fisheye is a very good lens; based on its optical merits I give it an A+. It performed above my expectations. Likewise, its build quality is very nice. The Contax 16mm feels "high quality" and stands out compared to some of its lesser Contax siblings.
The catch-22 is its price and how often it will be used. For a Zeiss / Contax collector, the 16mm Fisheye would likely be treasured add to their collection. For those who want to use the lens and do not worry as much about a lens' pedigree and such things, a new Canon 8-15mm F4 L is a more cost effective option given auto metering and auto focus.
