Zeiss ZF..who intends to buy any of the new ones?

Hello all,

 

Since so many people seem to have some interest in the new Zeiss ZF lenses,

even if it is only a passing one, I just wondered how many of you chaps (and

chapesses) are actually intending to buy one of the newly announced ones..the

25/2.8, 35/2, 50/2 macro & 100/2 macro?

 

Perhaps any of you who will certainly be buying one could let us know which

lens and why?

 

I just thought it might be enlightening to know which of these lenses are most

desired by users here and why...

 

cheers Steve.

I placed an order for the 25mm f/2.8 five weeks ago. Why? Wide angle.

 

The 100mm f/2 is tempting. However, I'm unlikely to buy because it's fearfully expensive.

I have considered replacing my Nikkor 24/2.8 with the Zeiss 25/2.8 specifically for the 6cm minimum focus distance. Still pondering it... I probably would have gotten the ZF 85/1.4 if I didn't already have the Nikkor.

I have seen a number of tests and comparisons for the 50mm/f1.4 ZF. I have seen one test of the 85mm/f1.4 and it seems to compare unfavorably against the Canon 85mm/f1.2 version 1, which is like a $2000 lens. The rest of them were announced fairly recently and I am not sure that they are available yet. Since all ZF lenses so far have neither AF nor CPU, it is unlikely that I'll ever buy any one of them, but I'd like to see some test results first in any case.

I went to the Zeiss website, imploring them to bring out auto-focus versions of their lenses, but the feedback I got was they thought there was a good market for their manual focus lenses. Sounds a bit silly, if you ask me.

I was really interested in a 35 until they rolled out the photos of their upcoming lens.

I dont understand why it needs to be so darned big. I immediately picked up a 35 f

1.4 and have been so blown away by the performance that I will never go back!

 

I hope they learn to annouce their products a little closer to their actual availability

date. In this modern age other makers are much better at delivering product on time.

Zeiss treats its customers with little respect when it dangles carrots and then fails to

deliver.

Wonder how Zeiss can be solvent. Can they sell enough to photo enthusiasts to make this project profitable? Is there some demand for these things in private industry? Don't believe image quality is a quantum leap from what you can get from older Nikkors. Why bother or am I just not seeing the light? Do I need a sip of Zeiss kool-aid?

Tito, the Zeiss strategy is that they have already done all the R&D for their MasterPrime lenses, which they sell to movie studios. By re-using the MasterPrime designs in F-mount, they can enter a new market for relatively little upfront investment.

 

Also I would be willing to bet - even if it never comes to market - in a Zeiss lab right now there is a Zeiss F-mount SLR.

So....the business model is: Little upfront or additional costs to produce the lenses, but still charge a high price to the buyer. Due to high price, don't move the product in big quantities; allow inventory to build up. Only offer manual focus, no CPU chip in digital age, similar image quality with lower priced competitor. Hmmm?..okay, got it.

I will likely sell my 50 1.4 :-)

For my interests, Zeiss is a bit late with some of their ZF offerings.

 

I have already scratched an itch by getting a Nikkor 45mm AIP lens, a Tamron 90mm macro lens, and a V/C 90mm close-focusing lens.

 

But I could potentially be interested in the wide-angle ZF lenses, since my Nikkor 35mm PC lenses are somewhat inconvenient to use. But, I must be convinced that a ZF lens is superior in some way to similarly priced AIS Nikkors before I would consider it seriously.

 

Charlie

Tito, Also, they're not just making ZF lenses. Most of those are available in a number of other popular mounts. The reason I don't own a Zeiss lens has more to do with not finding any examples of images where people actually use them... except for a bunch of useless test shots. I've considered the 50 and 85mm f/1.4.

Waiting for the updated 28mm F2.

I shot several of those lenses with my Contax Aria's, and I'll say that they are uniformly a

touch better than their Nikkor counterparts, particularly at maximum aperture. They are

also rock-solid with silky focusing. However, since they are non-coupled MF lenses, I

don't see myself seriously considering any of them. I see this as a last-ditch effort by

Cosina at getting some return out of this old product line.

The CPU in the lens is NOTHING to do with whether it's on a film or digital body! Who told you it was?!

Guy, at least I would rather not use a lens without a CPU on digital. With a DSLR, the focal length, aperture, etc. are automatically included in the EXIF data in a digital image file, such as NEF/RAW, JPEG, etc. I by far prefer to have this information automatically stored in each image file, and that is possible only if the lens has a CPU.

 

On the D2 and D200, you can manually enter the lens info for a non-CPU lens into the camera, but I would rather not worry about that when I am busy shooting and changing lenses.

Possibly the 50/2 Planar, depending on its performance. I'm especially interested in the

bokeh, having been disappointed in the results i've seen from the 50/1.4.

 

After that, i dunno. I would consider the wides, but i think i'd rather have AF for those focal

lengths.

 

And, i agree with a comment posted above - the lenses do see spec'd a bit too large.... The

35/2, especially. What's that all about?

50 f2 macro sounds like an interesting lens to have.

No. They are obsolete. They do not have CPU! Let alone AF! And they are so - so on DX hi-res sensors. Chunks of metal. They transform F6 or D2x into FE2+motor! Even Sigma 30/1.4 is far better lens for digital. We really need DX AF USM primes from Zeiss for DX sensors. Period.

I'm very tempted by the 100mm 2.0, but the price is terribly high. On the other hand, it would replace both the 105mm 1.8 AIS and the Micro-Nikkor 105.

Hi Dan,

 

"I see this as a last-ditch effort by Cosina at getting some return out of this old product line"

 

You are getting mixed up a little. The previous Contax lens line was made by Kyocera..not Cosina, therefore the comment you made is incorrect. Cosina has never before made any Zeiss lenses, this is a new venture for them.

 

Personally I like Zeiss lenses mainly for their colour fidelity with chrome film. The ZF 25/2.8 interests me, I would be fascinated to see how it compares with the old Contax Zeiss C/Y 25mm f2.8, which many Zeiss users are non-plussed with. I am also waiting for a 28/2 and a 21/2.8...

 

cheers Steve.

"Obsolete?"

I guess every leica lens is also, similarly, obsolete. Hasselblad V lenses. Mamiya RZ lenses.

Schneider large format lenses.... How are all of those photographers making images with

obsolete equipment?

 

Autofocus is a choice, not a requirement.

Oops, Kyocera is correct, not Cosina. Bottom line, these are not new lens designs for

Nikon, these are the old Contax/Zeiss lenses with a new mount, nothing more. Not that

that is a bad thing.

I understand you. But I have never seen a man with Leica or F6+Zeiss shooting sport, politicians in Kremlin, models for a glance magazine. Canon is everywhere. Zeiss is optically outstanding, not electronically... but Nikon still has not launched FF digital. Compare speed, conviniance and picture quality of 2 combinations: Canon EOS1DSMark2 + 135/2L and any Nikon body + 85/1.4 Planar ZF. Get me?

Hey, i use MF for models all the time, and these lenses look very very interesting esp for a

D2Hs. Follow me here. The colour cast that these lenses had on film, now put that over the

D2Hs sensor. Those images would be unbelievable. One flaw i see, all my zeiss for my

M6TTL, painfully sharp. While many like this, its so harsh on people. I still use a 43-86

wide open because it gives a good blur to "Help" with peoples skin. Works great for

wrinkled old and pimply teens. So that feature, im not to thrilled about.

 

And for those who say AF is neciscary.. My god. How did we exist before the 1970s! Must

be some horrid images from back then. And if you acually look at sport and race

photohgraphers, watch them. They use one of the oldest tricks out there. Pre-Focus. Try

it. And if you cant use a MF lens, you should retire now...

 

Im still on the fence here though. I prefer these lenses over Nikkor couterparts, but is it

worth the cost?

 

I still love my Cosina/Voigtlander lenses in F mount. Works perfectly every time, and if the

lens "Backfocuses", i know who to blame.