Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!
SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

5DmkII and Zeiss lenses...which ones
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 3:07 am    Post subject: 5DmkII and Zeiss lenses...which ones Reply with quote
Hi Gang,

It looks like my finances are about to take a swing in a positive direction (for a change) and I am seriously considering jumping in with both feet on some Zeiss lense when I get my 5DMkII.

So the question is which lenses would you consider the best of their breed, new or old?

I am considering the following

21/2.8 ZE
35/1.4 ZE
50/1.4 Planar ZE (or should I get the Makro-Planar f2?)
85/1.4 Planar ZE

As the ZE lenses are not cheap I want to consider all options. I will most likely obtain some older C/Y lenses but I seem to recall that there are various versions, could anyone that knows please point me in the direction of the better models? I was thinking of getting the 85/2.8 Sonnar but are there any others that you would recommend in place of the new ZE models?

Thanks!


PostPosted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:39 am    Post subject: Re: 5DmkII and Zeiss lenses...which ones Reply with quote
darrenw wrote:
Hi Gang,

I am considering the following

21/2.8 ZE
35/1.4 ZE
50/1.4 Planar ZE (or should I get the Makro-Planar f2?)
85/1.4 Planar ZE

Thanks!


Before you shell out sacs of Loonies, I strongly recommend the paid subscription to Lloyd Chambers' Zeiss Lens Reviews. It might provide you with the critical information you need to decide:

http://diglloyd.com/index-zf.html

21 >> its reputation precedes it. Nothing like it, especially compared to Canon WA's.
35/1.4 >>> Roger Cicala, owner of www.lensrentals.com says this in an essay entitled, "Things I Would Buy If I Bought Stuff" (http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/01/stuff-i-would-buy-if-i-bought-stuff): "The first lens on this list I actually will buy. So the Zeiss 35mm f1.4 is first on my list.... It is just that good. (Yes, I’ve gotten to shoot with it already. Trust me on this one.)" Early shots on Flickr and Lloyd Chamber's site look mighty interesting. Still, don't forget the ZE 35/2; great color, flat field, spectacular resolution and contrast....a classic lens.
50's >>> the MP is the more versatile, and some say the better of the two.
85 >>> Vilhelm (Esox Lucius) really loves the lens. Tricky shooting with focus shift to deal but razor sharp at f/2.8 and smaller. The Canon 85/1.2 might very well be the more interesting choice.

But its all are other people's opinions. Rent what interests you most and see what suits your style of shooting. Outfits like www.lensrentals.com will pro-rate the rental toward your subsequent purchase.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 6:16 am    Post subject: Re: 5DmkII and Zeiss lenses...which ones Reply with quote
james wrote:
I strongly recommend the paid subscription to Lloyd Chambers' Zeiss Lens Reviews. It might provide you with the critical information you need to decide:

http://diglloyd.com/index-zf.html


+1

The 30 EUR spent on the subscription will help you save hundreds, potentially thousands. Lloyd's findings also will considerably shorten your learning curve with each and every ZE lens you end up buying.

The focus shift of the Planar T* 85/1.4 ZF/ZE is common for most medium tele fast lenses. Slowly but surely, you learn to avoid it, just as your motoric memory learns every lens and how much focus turn you need to achieve focus.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 6:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
My advice is buy the best lens that you can afford in the focal length you need. I have good 35mm lenses that I never use.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The 50/1.4 and 85/1.4 are very good, but the 50/2 and 100/2 have more of that magical "pop" and they are more versatile, like James already mentioned. The ultimate image resource on Z* lenses: http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/860134

Most of Contax lenses are very good and some of them very close to their ZE counterparts. The Contax 35/1.4 and 85/1.4 are ones to look for if you don't want to pay the high price tag of the ZE's. The Contax 21/2.8 is hardly more affordable than the ZE.

Last edited by AhamB on Thu Mar 10, 2011 12:46 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 5:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the wisdom and leads guys.
Darren


PostPosted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
AhamB wrote:

Most of Contax lenses are very good and some of them very close to their ZE counterparts.


Well, that may be true if you consider the MTFs, but for other things, like chromatic aberrations control for instance, the Contax lenses take the lead.

Also, the Contax and Z lines render the image differently. The bokeh in most Z lenses is smoother than in the Contax lenses, this can be a strong point for bokeh lovers. Contax lenses however appear to me (and to someone else) to provide a dimensionality to images that not all the Z lenses can obtain.


PostPosted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 5:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Orio, thanks for your input as I know you really love Zeiss glass in general. May I ask what your all time favourite models are?


PostPosted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 5:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
darrenw wrote:
Orio, thanks for your input as I know you really love Zeiss glass in general. May I ask what your all time favourite models are?


You're welcome Darren. I have my favourites of course.
The Distagon 1.4/35 and Planar 1.4/85 are my two most favourites. I would be a happy photographer even if I only had those two lenses.

After them, the Distagon 2/28, Distagon 2.8/25, Planar 1.4/50, Planar 1.2/85, Sonnar 3.5/100, Planar 2/135, Vario-Sonnar 80-200 and Vario-Sonnar 100-300 are my most used ones.

But I have to say, I love all the Contax CY lenses, I only had a bad experience with one, the Tele-Tessar 300, which I returned, because of the very bad purple fringing. Aside from that lens, I would recommend any of the other lenses of the line.
_
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
Page 1 of 1