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Carl Zeiss-F?

Hey Joe (sorry about that, a few glasses of wine this evening)
Any comments re ZEISS ZM 35mm F2 Biogon V Leica 35mm f2 Summicron M ASPH
Just thinking - i'm quite taken with the Zeiss Ikon rangefinder
 
Martin,

Any comments re ZEISS ZM 35mm F2 Biogon V Leica 35mm f2 Summicron M ASPH
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Dunno. I've not shot with either lens, but Carl Zeiss certainly has a great reputation. I'd love to try a CZ prime on my camera, but I suspect that the cheapest glass they make is too dear for me.

Joe
 
Rumours have become facts.

______________

The first ZF lens will be the Planar T* 1,4/50 ZF, which, in its Contax RTS version, was rated the world's best fast standard lens by "Popular Photography" in 1999. It will be followed by the Planar T* 1,4/85 ZF, which in its Contax RTS version became known as a great portrait lens and story-teller.

Both lenses will become available in spring 2006. The Pricing will be suitable competitive with similar items in the Nikon F-system.* Several more ZF lenses will be introduced during 2006.
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Joe

* Inneresting... very inneresting
 
Martin D said:
Hey Joe any comments re ZEISS ZM 35mm F2 Biogon V Leica 35mm f2 Summicron M ASPH
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These high resolution lenses below are all very nice if only I could use them to their optimum.

Zorki3rangrfinder.jpg


kiev4.jpg
 
The first two F-mount Zeiss lenses are more reasonably priced than I expected:

From the Zeiss site -- http://www.zeiss.com/c12567a8003b58b9/contents-frame/098729cea9ef2428c1257118005d1d20

Prices for ZF-lenses Now Set (excl. VAT):

Planar T* 1.4/50 ZF: 499.00 EUR
Planar T* 1.4/85 ZF: 999.00 EUR

The lenses can be ordered on our website from April 1st, 2006*.
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Obviously not cheap, but Nikon users will soon have an excellent 50mm option available. (The CZ 85mm f/1.4 will likely be amazing, too, but then so is the Nikkor version, one of the few lenses Nikon really got right.)

Joe

* Hope this isn't an April Fool's joke. I know Germans are funny -- funny like clowns -- but they're typically utterly humourless when it comes to lenses. This is serious stuff, you know.

P.S. These new lenses are supposed to be crazy sharp, too --

The new ZEISS ZF lenses went to test for resolving power recently. Attached to a Nikon F6, which was mounted on a Sachtler heavy duty tripod, we exposed our Eastman resolution test chart onto Kodak Imagelink HQ film. The best we had ever achieved before with any SLR lenses was 250 lp/mm.

The new Planar T* 1.4/85 ZF achieved that same resolution at f/5.6, and even down to f/2.

The new Planar T* 1,4/50 ZF went even further: It reached 320 lp/mm in the aperture range from f/5.6 to f/2.8, and 250 lp/mm at f/2.

The resolution test chart was placed in the center of the frame, and the negatives were inspected directly on a research microscope. No other process involving projection (through even the best enlarging lens) or digitizing (in today's best currently available scanners) is capable of transferring such high resolution values.

What we are saying is this: Carl Zeiss lenses are capable of capturing enormous amounts of information, if required, and will not be the limiting factor in the imaging process. Knowing that the lens you are using is the strongest link in the chain always inspires confidence, and may be critically important in some cases.
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joe.

as a german friend recently pointed out to me, humour is eithier the product of a mistake or the premeditated, psychological defense against the production of a mistake.

the germans do not make mistakes (except when they ally themsleves with the japanese).

vuk.
 
Vuk,

the germans do not make mistakes (except when they ally themsleves with the japanese).
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Well, these German lenses are actually made in Japan by Cosina, like Voitländer glass, so it's an alliance of sorts.

From http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-7890-8183
Q. Why are the lenses to be manufactured by Cosina in Japan, and should photographers be concerned about a reduction in optical or build quality as a result?

We want the ZF lenses to be available for as many photographers as possible. This requires a price which - although reflecting the high quality level of the lenses - does not render them luxury items which only a tiny few people ever will find access to. Also, for industrial useage, the price point has to be in line with the Nikon lenses to be replaced by ZF. We therefore decided to use Cosina in Japan, that same factory which is producing the high performance ZM lenses, the ZEISS lenses for Leica M mount. We are sure that ZF lenses made in Japan deliver a performance even better than the ZEISS lenses for Contax RTS. And those were found superior by numerous Nikon and Canon photographers, clearly superior to what they had available for their own cameras.
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Joe
 
If these pictures are any indication, the new F-mount Carl Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 has fallen well short of my expectations. I don't see anything to suggest that it's any better than the cheaper 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor -- the tonality isn't any more subtle, the sharpness isn't any greater and the bokeh certainly isn't any creamier.

Terribly disappointing CZ 50mm f/1.4 image samples

Joe, hoping this is just a bad sample and not a true indication of the new lens's capabilities
 
Guy,

No question -- they're crap pix. That said, the bokeh, sharpness and tonality aren't anywhere near as good as I had hoped.

Joe
 
Are they genuinely Deutschefarken lens? Or Cosina? I've seen some absolutely stunning old Zeiss lens pix somewhere. If they made a 24mm one I'd rob a bank.
 
Guy,

Are they genuinely Deutschefarken lens? Or Cosina? I've seen some absolutely stunning old Zeiss lens pix somewhere. If they made a 24mm one I'd rob a bank.
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My understanding is that the glass is designed by Zeiss but manufactured by Cosina to keep costs down. More info is here --

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-7890-8183

Note that your wish for a ZF wideangle may be granted --
GB -- If they made a 24mm one I'd rob a bank.

Zeiss -- We do have wide angle plans in the ZF range and we are aware of the demand for the Distagon 2,8/21 among Canon users. However, it is too early to announce specifics.
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So, which bank tonight, boss?

capone.jpg


Joe
 
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