[Review & Sample Photos] The One-of-a-Kind World of the CONTAX 645 and Planar T* 80mm F2

The rich gradation created by medium format film cameras and the unique atmosphere rendered by Carl Zeiss lenses. A leading example, still supported by many photographers and film fans today, is the "CONTAX 645".

Its pairing with the "Carl Zeiss Planar T* 80mm F2" in particular has been highly praised for its beautiful bokeh and three-dimensional rendering, and loved mainly for portrait and fashion photography.

In this article, we introduce the appeal and handling of the CONTAX 645 and the Planar T* 80mm F2, along with newly shot sample photos.

◼︎ CONTAX 645 and Planar T* 80mm F2. The finished form of a medium format system, uniting lean, rugged styling with a high-quality control layout.

The Birth and Features of the "CONTAX 645," a Medium Format AF SLR

The CONTAX 645 is a medium format film SLR released in 1999 under the CONTAX brand run by Kyocera. It adopts the large 6x4.5cm (semi-format) film size, and was born as a system that lets you enjoy rich tonal gradation and beautiful bokeh, taking advantage of a larger shooting area than 35mm film cameras.

One of its major features is a high-speed shutter of up to 1/4000 sec, rare in a medium format camera. This makes it possible to use a fast lens near wide open even outdoors, enabling the heavily blurred backgrounds unique to medium format.

It also offers many features designed for professional shooting sites, including autofocus that was advanced for its time, smooth and pleasant manual focus operation, a bright and easy-to-see viewfinder, and film backs that allow film changes.

The solid texture of the body in your hands and the precise feel of operation at the moment you press the shutter are also big attractions of the CONTAX 645. It is more than a piece of photographic equipment; it can be called a special presence that makes the very act of taking photos enjoyable.

The Magic of the "Planar T* 80mm F2": A Wide-Open F2 World in Medium Format

An indispensable part of any discussion of the CONTAX 645 is the "Carl Zeiss Planar T* 80mm F2," designed as its standard lens. On the 645 format, 80mm gives a natural angle of view equivalent to about 50mm in 35mm format, suitable for a wide range of shooting from portraits to snapshots.

The lens's biggest feature is its large "wide-open F2" aperture, very bright for a medium format lens. The shallow depth of field produced by combining the large 645 film with F2 beautifully blurs the background while making the subject stand out three-dimensionally.

The optical design is 6 elements in 5 groups, a development of the traditional Planar type. With a minimum focusing distance of 0.7m and a 72mm filter diameter, it offers not only excellent rendering but also a balance that is easy to handle in everyday shooting.

Zeiss's proprietary "T* coating" also delivers high contrast and excellent transmission even in backlight. Sharp rendering at the focal plane connects naturally to soft bokeh in the out-of-focus areas. That beautiful tonal rendering is why the Planar T* 80mm F2 still captivates many photographers today.

Turning Everyday Crowds into Drama: Overwhelming Three-Dimensionality and Bokeh

◼︎ A street snap portrait. The contrast between the texture of the in-focus man and the smoothly melting background stands out.

A shot of a man walking along a bustling street in front of a station. One glance at this photo clearly conveys the rendering character of the CONTAX 645 and Planar 80mm F2.

One glance at this photo clearly conveys the rendering character of the CONTAX 645 and Planar 80mm F2. Thanks to the shallow depth of field typical of a large-aperture lens, the man's expression, the reflection in his sunglasses, the cords of his neck and even the straps of his backpack are rendered sharply, while the people and buildings just behind him vanish into natural, soft bokeh. The smooth tonal transition from the focal plane to the out-of-focus areas gives the flat photograph astonishing depth and three-dimensionality, capturing everyday life dramatically like a scene from a film.

The rich gradation that vividly conveys even skin tones, the texture of the T-shirt and the dry feel of the asphalt is the expressiveness unique to large-area medium format film and Zeiss lenses.

Zeiss Tonality That Delicately Gathers Light and Color

■ Blooming flowers and green trees. Even in slightly backlit light there is no blown-out highlight or crushed shadow, and a fresh, humid feel is reproduced.

Next is a shot focused on hydrangea flowers and green leaves blooming in a corner of the office district. Skyscrapers and blue sky spread behind, a scene with strong light-dark contrast, yet the T* coating of the Planar T* 80mm F2 suppresses flare and ghosting while reproducing clear, natural colors.

It carefully renders the delicate shading of each white petal and the freshness in the veins of the leaves, while the gradation of the buildings and sky in the background melts in softly and naturally. The rendering that preserves rich tones from highlights to shadows comes from the Planar's optical design and the expressiveness unique to 645 film.

Even against a backdrop of inorganic modern architecture, it conveys the vitality of the plants and the air drifting through the place. That is exactly the charm created by the CONTAX 645 and Planar T* 80mm F2.

Fine Lines and Dynamism: Resolving Power That Captures the City

■ A grand staircase of a modern structure. With extremely little distortion of straight lines, it resolves the texture of metal and tile and even the steps in fine detail.

The Planar T* 80mm F2 is often noted for its beautiful bokeh, but its high resolving power and even rendering when stopped down are also major attractions.

In this shot looking up a grand staircase, details are carefully rendered, from the neatly aligned tile joints and metal handrails to the linear structure of the stairs.

Even the shadows falling at the feet of the people walking at the bottom of the frame and the fine details of the escalator seen through the glass fence are naturally reproduced, giving a sense of stable rendering across the whole frame.

The high contrast and sharp rendering typical of Zeiss that appear when stopped down express the architectural beauty and spaciousness of the city in full.

A Lifelong Companion for Savoring the Depths of Film

The CONTAX 645 and Planar T* 80mm F2 are a brilliant masterpiece in camera history, combining the overwhelming amount of information unique to the medium format, the dreamy bokeh created by wide-open F2, and the delicate expression of light that only Zeiss lenses offer.

From casual everyday snaps to portraits of treasured people and city landscapes, they burn the world seen through the viewfinder onto film with breathtaking depth and three-dimensionality.

View all CONTAX 645 listings here

View all Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm f/2 T* listings here

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