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Zeiss Biogon 25mm ZM


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<i><blockquote>"Let's just say that this test is relevant to everyday photography the same way the top speed of a Formula 1 race car relates to everyday personal transportation."</i></blockquote>

Observations like this reinforce my impression of Zeiss as an honest broker.

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Please post some pictures. I am interested in this lens but I am waiting to see if Zeiss makes an SLR version for Nikon ZF mount.

 

In theory the RF should be sharper but I am sure in practical terms the lines/mm should be so high that it won't matter. I am thinking that the slr version as a package may be less expensive and easier to get accurate to focus then guessing the distance and composing with an external finder. Also, I use an Leica MR meter so swapping out the meter to free up the hot shoe to mount the VF would be a negative.

 

What would you suggest is the better way to go, Rf VF + uncoupled lens or coupled slr lens viewed ttl?

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Of course the Distagon is the slr version of the Biogon but some of the Distagons are just as good according to Photodo tests as Biogons. Of course common wisdom as I pointed out in my prior post should be superior for an Rf true wide angle design not a retrofocus design. Probably Zeiss will design a comparable quality Distagon for the ZF nikon mount. In the case we are talking about whether a true wide angle lens used lets say used in photographing landscapes mounted on a tripod would be better served by ttl framming of an slr or using a non coupled shoe mounted VF which sells for $350 additional dollars. Even if we were using the cameras handheld as long as the shutter speed is above 1/60 sec. the SLR's advantage in having accurate focus, no parallex and accurate framing should yeild very consistant in focus and properly frammed exposures even in close-ups. Its too bad the ZI rangefinder can't couple 25mm to the RF. The F2.8 is the reason the lens is so expensive and the shallower dof of wide open exposures makes accurate focus important.
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<Of course the Distagon is the slr version of the Biogon>

 

The same way an orange is the citrus version of the apple.

 

<Of course common wisdom as I pointed out in my prior post should be superior for an Rf true wide angle design not a retrofocus design.>

 

I wonder why Leica re-computed the wideangles into ASPH retrofocus lenses.

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Zeiss Distagons are as impressive as their Biogons, in particular, most of them are able to

focus in much shorter distance than the rangefinder.

 

Here is an example of Contax Zeiss Distagon 28mm f2.0. It can focus down to 24cm. In this

short distance you can get subjects with very interesting perspectives.

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The Zeiss 25mm/2.8 Biogon ZM <i> <b>is</b> rangefinder coupled </i> down to 0.7M

on most M

mount cameras, but decouples under 0.7M to 0.5M (similar to the Leica Super Angulon

21mm/

3.4). In this uncoupled close-up range you have to guess or measure with an external

ruler. When shooting close-ups it would be wise to stop down and bracket focussing and

camera position

(or use an SLR 24 or 25mm instead, since accuracy is much easier).<br><br>

The Zeiss 15mm/2.8 Distagon ZM is the new lens that is not rangefinder coupled, all of

the

other ZM lenses are coupled.

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Surely S. Linke, you are joking, as indicated by the decimal point. The MTF curve Zeiss

measured for this lens indicates it loses little imaging quality at the corners at f/5.6. In this

regard it's superior to any previous wide angle design ever made for 35mm. At f/4 the

corners may not be quite even with the center performance, but they could not be as bad as

you joke. The lens is has has high resolution and contrast to the corners in the enlargements

I've made. I usually use f/5.6.

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