Canon 5d Zeiss ZF

I read a review of a guy shooting a 5d with a Zeiss ZF 50mm 1.4

Using the nikon adapter.

Anyone have any info on this, can you aperture meter in this situation, etc.

Any info is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

chris

www.christapp.com

I looked into these lenses, particualarly the 85mm 1.4. You need to stop down to meter, or just use a handheld meter or your best judgement. Or use the histogram, since it's digital anyhow. Great lenses, but not really suitable for fast shooting. You also need to focus manually, which is no big deal, but is a little difficult with the stock focusing screen. The microprism or split circle screen would make it much easier. (I just got the microprism screen for my Mk. II, and I don't see myself ever changing it out.)

 

My point is that these lenses are great (and pretty reasonably priced), but if you need the big technological advancements of the past 40 years, namely full aperture in-camera metering and autofocus, I would just stick with a Canon brand lens.

 

Keith

From what I read in the review, the lens metered with the 5d body in av. mode. I know these lenses remain wide open until the shutter is pushed right? Not like the contax zeiss where you would have ot open up to focus, and then close down to shoot..

It was my understanding that the lens aperture would remain open at 1.4 even though set at 5.6 or whatever until the shutter was fired.

Also, the report said that some old nikon glass, while not metering on a d100, d70 etc. would meter in av. with the canon and adapter.

Would love to know if this is true..

chris

<I>Also, the report said that some old nikon glass, while not metering on a d100, d70 etc.

would meter in av. with the canon and adapter. Would love to know if this is true.</i><P>

 

Apparently so, at least the 'will meter on Canon' part. I've not done this with Nikon lenses

but I have with an old Leitz 560 mm/f5.6 in Nikon mount -- works fine (although hard to

focus) on a 10D.

"I know these lenses remain wide open until the shutter is pushed right? Not like the contax zeiss where you would have ot open up to focus, and then close down to shoot.. It was my understanding that the lens aperture would remain open at 1.4 even though set at 5.6 or whatever until the shutter was fired. "<p> Hmmm...that would be a neat trick considering there's no mechanical connection to the lens on an EOS body!

No; you have to stop down on the lens...Unless there was a computer program and mechanisms built into the adapter or lens, how could it be anything else? Like I said, this is for situations where you have time to compose; not for walking around. I wouldn't even worry about whether your in-camera meter will work or not, since you should use a hand held meter any time you have the time, even with the Canon lenses. Just use a sepaate meter or make a guess-timate or test shots. This is a throwback to 40 years ago, so if you are looking for something easy, just go with a Canon EF lens.

 

Keith

Stop down metering isn't that big a deal really. However, on a Canon body it seems more

reasonable to use the older Contax Zeiss lenses rwith a C/Y adapter rather then the new

nikon mount Zeiss, for the simple reason that you can get them cheaper used. Maybe they

are better too, although this should'nt be the case with the new 25mm f2.8 lens, chich is a

new design, the older one not hhaving been great.

Hi Chris. I used a 50mm f1.4 Zeiss ZF with a Fotodiox Nikon to EOS adapter on my 5D.

 

Matrix metering was almost always 100% accurate with this lens. The camera will meter with the lens, no further action is required. When you close down the aperture, the camera will automatically compensate by slowing down the shutter speed.

 

The only con of using a non-EF lens on the 5D is that you have to focus wide open before stopping down, since it gets hard to focus when you close down the lens past f4-5.6.

It's a huge PIA. You need to be at full aperture to focus, then you need to manually stop down to meter. Once you have the exposure set, then you can take the picture, but only if your subject hasn't moved while you determine exposure. If the subject has moved, you need to open up again to full aperture to focus, and then stop down again to shooting aperture.

 

What fun!

Or you can just zone focus if using a small aperture - you know, like people have done for the best part of a century.

I can focus quite easily down to about f5.6 using Zeiss lenses on my 5D. The combination probably wouldn't suit sports or fast moving wildlife photography, but then the lens is not really intended for that purpose.

 

Manually stopping down the aperture takes about 1-2 seconds, somewhat less than it takes to accurately recompose a frame if you use an autofocus lens, but don't want to focus on one of the exact spots where Canon has placed the autofocus sensors. Different horses for different courses.

 

Of course if you don't appreciate (or just can't see) the extra image quality gained from Zeiss lenses (colour, micro contrast, sharpness, bokeh, lack of CA etc.) then there is no advantage. But if you do, you may find yourself looking longingly at the Zeiss wide's as well.

<P>"Once you have the exposure set, then you can take the picture, but only if your subject hasn't moved while you determine exposure."</P>

 

<P>Or your could just set the camera to AV like most people do, and use auto-exposure as you depress the shutter button.</P>

 

<P>If you want to use the autofocus points you can get autofocus confirmation with <a href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AF-Confirm-Adapter-for-Nikon-lens-on-Canon-EOS-cameras_W0QQitemZ280031516760QQihZ018QQcategoryZ48556QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">this adapter.</a></P>

Very helpful. The focus confirmation adapter looks like the only solution if I was going that route. I guess I'll stick with my 50mm 1.4 ef. The review I read, the fellow said because the lens was auto-diaphram the lens would stay open until the shutter clicked. He probably was thinking on nikon bodies perhaps. I don't know, but I have shot zeiss on my old 20d, and it's too much a pain for me to close down, and I don't like the darkness.....lol

Thanks so much guys.

chris

Sounds like a nightmare, that CZ lens...Like Peter White wrote, it sounds like a PITA. Could it have a boutique market, for those that romanticise the good old days of manual focus, mechanical aperture setting, meter stopped down, focus wide open...and all this for what, especially given the fact that Canon currently offers many ultra fine L lenses in various focal lenghts, speeds, etc. Perhaps if one had many CZ lenses before going to a Canon body, they would be the market...maybe I'm missing something here.

I'm delighted to be able to get nearly the same amazing Zeiss performance on my 5d as I was

accustomed to on my Contax 35mm equipment. For my work, mostly portraiture, the extra

few seconds it takes to compose are a small price to pay for the difference in quality between

the Canon 50mm 1.4 EF and the CZ 1.4/50. The Canon lens is quite sharp, and I do use it for

some applications, but comparing 11X14" prints made from both lenses with the same

lighting, I find the differences in contrast, sharpness, and bokeh to be substantial. Perhaps

it's just what I'm used to, but I'm very happy to still have access to it in the digital world.

<p>'For my work, mostly portraiture, the extra few seconds it takes to compose are a small price to pay'<br>

I would go further Robert. The extra few seconds, or in fact milliseconds to be precise, I find make you more likely to get a good photograph than using an AF lens and auto metering. Not only do you focus on what you wnat to focus on (not what the camera wants), likewise metering, but you stop, even momentarily, to think more about the photo, to compose etc. This tends to generate better results in my experience. AF lenses, and I have used many, encourage laziness, and with digital just shooting tons and then picking the quality later. When I use a manual lens on my 5D the experience is more like whan I use a leica M6, or my old digital M8, and I think more about the photo.<br>

I except it is no good for sports, some nature and papparazzi - generaly anyway. But saying it's not fast enough for street photography is wrong. Cartier Bresson never had autofucs, and you can tell he thought about his shots.</p>

<p>Dead horse, meet Mr. De Marco. He'll be beating you for the next paragraph or two. </p>

<p>There is nothing in the world that compels users of AF cameras to passively allow the camera to focus on "what the camera wants" instead of taking some control themselves. Likewise auto metering. Just because the camera can help you, doesn't mean you become stupid by using it. It's a choice. Choice is good. Unless you're out to be an ideologue instead of a photographer. </p>