SONNAR 210 compatible with C645 teleconverter
Kyocera / Contax CONTAX 645 mount telephoto lens, SONNAR 210mm F4 and Mutar x1.4 review and photo examples using LEICA S Typ007
Table of contents
Gallery
- Photo example from LEICA S Typ007
Review
1．Overview
The Sonnar 210mm is a telephoto lens with a focal length of 210mm that was released by Kyocera in 1999 for the medium-format camera Contax 645.
The main specifications are as follows, and the details are listed in the table.
- Aperture F4
- Lens configuration 7 elements in 4 groups
- Minimum shooting distance 1.4m
- Hood Cylindrical bayonet hood GB-74
- Optional teleconverter Mutar T* 1.4x
The image circle of the lens corresponds to the 645 format, so a focal length of 210mm is 0.6 times larger, or 126mm, on an original Contax 645 film camera.
On a Leica S 45x30mm sensor, it is 0.8 times larger, or 168mm.
When the Sonnar 210mm is attached to the LEICA S Typ007 via the 16038 [Leica S Adapter C], the focal length is 168mm (210mm*0.8) in 35mm format. The camera system weight is 2.7kg.
When used with the LEICA S series, the teleconverter Mutar T* 1.4x can also be used, but attaching the Mutar adds an additional 510g for a total weight of over 3kg.
When using this Mutar, the actual focal length is 1.4 times larger, at 294mm, with an aperture value of 5.6, making it a lens known as a Sangoro (300mm F5.6). When converted to 35mm format, it is a 235mm F5.6 lens.
The lens is equipped with an aperture ring, but when used with a Leica S, the aperture ring on the lens is ignored, and the aperture value is set on the camera when taking pictures.
2．Usage
The Sonnar 210mm has a modest maximum aperture of F4, so you can see that it has sufficient resolution even at the maximum aperture. The bokeh in the foreground and background is also beautiful and smooth.
When the Mutar x1.4 is added, the image quality does not generally deteriorate from the original lens, but purple fringes may appear on the edges of the trees. The purple fringes become particularly noticeable when shooting with overexposure. One of the reasons for this is thought to be that the chromatic aberration correction of the Sonnar 210mm is not apochromatic.
The Tele Apo Tessar 350mm has an apochromatic lens design, so chromatic aberration may be suppressed.
One of the features of this lens is its short minimum shooting distance. The minimum shooting distance of 1.4m is comparable to the Sonnar 140mm (1.3m), which is one focal length lower in the CONTAX 645 lens line, and combined with the focal length of 210mm, you can get quite close to the subject.
The autofocus (AF) speed is almost the same as the Sonnar 140mm, and the focusing accuracy is also not so good.
When shooting close up or with a low-contrast subject, the lens may pass the focus point and go back and forth, so it is less stressful to interrupt with manual focus (MF) or use MF from the beginning.
The Contax 645 has an electronic mount and is expensive, but there is also an AF-compatible adapter with a built-in focal reducer (0.7x) for the Sony E. Using this, you can enjoy shooting with an angle of view close to the original with a 35mm sensor.
3．Summary
The used price of this Sonnar 210mm has dropped drastically, so if you’re looking for a high-performance telephoto lens, this would be a good choice. However, you should be prepared for it to be larger and heavier than a 200mm SLR. Also, since the Contax 645 is not a very popular camera system, the availability of a mount adapter is a concern.
Specification and Competitor
The Sonnar 210mm and the Hasselblad HC 210mm have the same focal length and maximum aperture, so I compared the specifications.
A detailed table can be found here. The Sonnar 210mm has a lens configuration of 7 elements in 4 groups, which is a simpler configuration than the Hasselblad HC210’s 9 elements in 6 groups.
Compared to the HC210mm, the outer diameter and weight are about 10% smaller and lighter, but as you can see in the comparison diagram below, the Sonnar 210mm has a longer lens barrel than the HC210mm.
The HC210mm feels larger due to its thickness, and the camera system is heavier than the Sonnar because it contains a shutter unit. The HC 210mm that I own can be used with the Hasselblad X2D without any problems, but it is a lens that cannot be used with the LEICA S. The reason why it cannot be used is unknown.
- The lens construction diagrams are quoted from each company’s materials, and the sizes have been adjusted by us, so they are not exact.
| Lens name | SONNAR 210mm | HASSELBLAD HC210 |
| Focal length(mm) | 210 | 211.1 |
| Max. aperture | 4 | 4 |
| Min. aperture | 45 | 45 |
| Lens Construction | 7elements in 4group | 10elements in 6group |
| Min. distance(m) | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| Lens length(mm) | 177 | 168 |
| Max. diameter(mm) | 81 | 86 |
| Filter Size(mm) | 72 | 77 |
| Weight(g) | 1178 | 1320 |
| Release year | 1999 later | – |
| Price(Japanese Yen) | ¥250,000- 2023 Used prices range from ¥30,000 to | 2023 Used prices range from ¥100,000 to |
Reference links
Update history
- 2025.4.9
- 2024.9.2
- 2024.2.11:Update
- 2022.05.11:First draft
Affiliate Link
- Amazon Affiliate link for CONTAX
- Amazon Affiliate link for CONTAX645
- Amazon Affiliate link for CONTAX books
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