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Why Contax Zeiss 21mm f2.8 is expensive and hard to find?
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:39 pm
Post subject: Why Contax Zeiss 21mm f2.8 is expensive and hard to find?
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:39 pm
Post subject: Why Contax Zeiss 21mm f2.8 is expensive and hard to find?
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Hi all of my friends,

I have questions related to Zeiss 21mm f2.8 Contax mount especially in quality and price.

Why the price is so high? What quality of the lens to make the price higher and higher?

If you have a choice as follows,

Zeiss 18mm f4,

Zeiss Jena 20mm f2.8 and

Zeiss 21mm f2.8.

If the price isn't the issue, which lens you choose and why?

Thank you for all reply. Very Happy


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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:56 pm
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:56 pm
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Sure I would pick the Distagon 21.
It's the contrast, the sharpness at f2.8, the sharpness from edge to edge at f4-5.6. The OOF Area looks very smooth and interesting.
Focussing is so smooth, you can feel the perfection.

The only thing I don't like is the disortion.











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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:01 pm
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:01 pm
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Nice to see El Gato again Smile
Very good sample images, I especially like the last one.


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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:07 pm
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:07 pm
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Orio wrote:
Nice to see El Gato again Smile
Very good sample images, I especially like the last one.


Thank you Orio, well actually I'm working on a gallery, about Senhor Gato & Tweek and our latest two "new" cats - Gerry & Snowy who "installed" themselfes in our garden Smile


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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:33 pm
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:33 pm
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Hi Carlsson, your sample pictures are great. I like all. Very Happy

Hi, Orio, I like your avatar, who? Laughing


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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:52 pm
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:52 pm
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Great shots Sandy!! I wonder how the New Z-series 21mm performs...?

And what's wrong about a "moustache", man wore that for 100 years and no-one complained.... Wink

Arrrgh, forgot: of course I would not doubt a split second and choose the Zeiss 2.8/21mm if I had to!


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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:00 pm
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:00 pm
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New Distagon 21/2.8 ZF is also contrasty and has very vibrant colour, and
has slightly less distortion. The price is also slightly less expensive than
older version in many cases.

Zuiko 21/2 is close to Distagon in performance but the colour is no match.

By the way, all the 20~21 mm lenses I own have moustache distortion,
someday we may have one without distortion. At this moment people
may will have to have nostalgia for a moustache... Very Happy

Without some sort of distortion you may not notice you are using an ultra
wide angle lens..... Cool

Some example shots by Distagon 21/2.8 ZF, some of them have mutual
links to photos shot by Zuiko 21/2. http://www.pbase.com/kkawakami/carlzeissdist2128zf&page=all

Last edited by koji on Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:10 pm; edited 2 times in total


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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:06 pm
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:06 pm
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Thanks Klaus,

kds315* wrote:
And what's wrong about a "moustache", man wore that for 100 years and no-one complained.... Wink


Laughing
Only some girls complain about that.


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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:25 pm
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:25 pm
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Carlsson wrote:

Laughing
Only some girls complain about that.


Make that ALL girls (at least for my experience)... Rolling Eyes


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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 12:13 am
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 12:13 am
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koji wrote:
New Distagon 21/2.8 ZF is also contrasty and has very vibrant colour, and
has slightly less distortion. The price is also slightly less expensive than
older version in many cases.

Zuiko 21/2 is close to Distagon in performance but the colour is no match.

By the way, all the 20~21 mm lenses I own have moustache distortion,
someday we may have one without distortion. At this moment people
may will have to have nostalgia for a moustache... Very Happy

Without some sort of distortion you may not notice you are using an ultra
wide angle lens..... Cool

Some example shots by Distagon 21/2.8 ZF, some of them have mutual
links to photos shot by Zuiko 21/2. http://www.pbase.com/kkawakami/carlzeissdist2128zf&page=all



Mmmm....interesting.


Do you recomend the new ZF version above the CY mount version??
I think that when I buy the 5DII, this Distagon will be my Wide angle.


Thank you!


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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:05 am
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:05 am
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Chiti

I do not have unlimited resources, so I have no idea how C/Y Distagon 21mm
performs, but at least ZF one has less (2%) distortion than C/Y's (3%).

I guess ZF is cheaper sometime, for example in Japan ZF is sold aoround 150,000 yen,
whereas C/Y one is normally fetches 160,000 to 200,000 yen. I do not understand this.
Also new hood is more effective to me, of course you can find a good hood for C/Y one.

You have to see the colour produced by this lens to believe.


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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:25 am
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:25 am
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Wonderful samples Carlsson!


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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:50 am
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:50 am
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KhanX wrote:

Hi, Orio, I like your avatar, who? Laughing


Thanks, she's a girl I photographed at the Palio in San Secondo (a small town here in Emilia)


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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:59 am
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:59 am
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Chiti wrote:
Do you recomend the new ZF version above the CY mount version??
I think that when I buy the 5DII, this Distagon will be my Wide angle.


If I may add an answer.
I have shot with some of new "Z" series lenses from Zeiss and I was deeply impressed.
But then my experience with the old C/Y-line are close to zero. So I cannot compare.


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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:34 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:34 pm
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koji wrote:
Chiti

I do not have unlimited resources, so I have no idea how C/Y Distagon 21mm
performs, but at least ZF one has less (2%) distortion than C/Y's (3%).

I guess ZF is cheaper sometime, for example in Japan ZF is sold aoround 150,000 yen,
whereas C/Y one is normally fetches 160,000 to 200,000 yen. I do not understand this.
Also new hood is more effective to me, of course you can find a good hood for C/Y one.

You have to see the colour produced by this lens to believe.


Thanks for your answer Koji Wink

The hood it's one thing that I have seen...the new series have a real hood; the C/Y only had a little ring... (the W-1)


I supose that someone need buy the two units to compare them in good conditions, but the price of the lenses do it hardly.


Anyway, the two lenses looks amazing. It's impossible make a mistake with any version...


Thak you and regards!


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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 3:34 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 3:34 pm
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There is actually another 21mm f2.8 Zeiss currently on market. The Sony Zeiss 16-35 f2.8. Yes, I know it is not MF and it can only work on Sony/Minolta A mount camera and it is a zoom. Photos taken with this lens suppose to be great and the price is around the Zeiss C/Y 21mm and ZF 21mm. Unfortunately I have not seen any comparison of the 21mm of these three yet.

Last edited by my_photography on Thu Jul 09, 2009 11:34 pm; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 4:13 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 4:13 pm
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I don't know the Sony lens, but usually the superwide zooms have problems with distortion and corner performance.
So even with my trust for Zeiss I doubt that this lens may be competition for the Distagon 21 in the top quality department.


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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 5:52 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 5:52 pm
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Thank you all of my friends for joining us.

I've got Zeiss 21mm f2.8 MMJ in good condition.

I'll show the pictures from this lens in an occasion.
Very Happy


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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:25 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:25 pm
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Congratulations Khan!
This is a masterpiece, no matter whether Contax Distagon 21 or the new one. Wink


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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:35 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:35 pm
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Yeehyi, congrats Khan!


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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:02 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:02 pm
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Congrats!! Khan
I hope you love it. It really is a dream lens.

I hope this does not sound callus.
The price of this lens is actually not so terrible. It was an expensive lens to make and of top quality.
If 21mm is a FL that one shoots heavily around then why not have the best one.
I bet if folks here put together the collection of 50mm and 135mm lenses and trimmed it to one of each. The D21 would be well in reach of purchase.
It surely is worth every penny. Again if 21mm is a focus in your shooting.


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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:32 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:32 pm
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Congrats also from me, a lifetime investment!!
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