Zeiss Distacon 35mm f2 and Nikon D90

[diane_madura]

<p>I apologize in advance if this has already been covered. I did a search in this forum and cannot find the answer. I also read what <a href="http://www.photozone.de">www.photozone.de</a> says, but it didn't cover the D90 specifically: "<em>Typical for all ZF lenses the 35mm f/2 doesn´t feature AF nor an electronically controlled aperture. Reads: the lens has an automatic aperture but you have to stop down via the aperture ring on the lens (1/2 stop steps). Consequently the lens is not compatible to the consumer-grade Nikon DSLRs a la D40 or D70. However, it works just fine e.g. in aperture-priority mode on the D200." </em><br>

If I use a D90 and a Zeiss Distacon 35mm f2 lens with it, will I have to use manual mode, or would I be able to manually set the aperture and use aperture priority mode?</p>

<p> </p>

[Michael R Freeman]

<p>You will have to use manual mode, and you will have no in-camera TTL light metering (and therefore no aperture priority mode).</p>

[Peter_in_PA]

<p>If you can still return it, or possibly sell it, you might be better off with the 35mm f1.8 with that camera. It's a fine match.</p>

[akira]

<p>Cosina/Carl Zeiss has replaced the entire ZF lineup (except for Distagon 25/2.8) with ZF.2 models which have built-in CPUs and enable all bodies including D90 to work in the aperture priority mode and the manual mode with the internal light meter working.<br>

Even the entry level bodies like D40, 40X, 50, 60, 70, 80, 5000, 3000 will work in the same way with ZF.2 lenses.</p>

[photo5]

<p>Second the recommendation for the Nikon 35mm f1.8 AF-S. It's a fantastic lens. Sharp, contrasty, lightweight, and a very reasonable price. Personally I think the Zeiss lenses are way too expensive compared to Nikon lenses. Nikon is good enough for me, and millions of other people.</p>

[tommyinca]

<p>D90 will need this one. The only thing that is manual is focus.<br>

<a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/662716-REG/Zeiss_1767_824_Distagon_T_35mm_F_2_0.html">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/662716-REG/Zeiss_1767_824_Distagon_T_35mm_F_2_0.html</a><br>

If you have the older ZF version (no electrical contact), you will have to use an external meter in M-mode. </p>

[photo5]

<p>Wow, what a bargain, only $1000.00!</p>

[oskar_ojala]

<p>As said, you need the ZF.2 version to get aperture priority. The Nikon 35/1.8 is a fine lens, but the Zeiss is superior in terms of image quality.</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<blockquote>

<p>Nikon is good enough for me, and millions of other people.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Please......should we all be OK with a Ford Fiesta because it is good enough for some? The D70 was good enough, so why should there be a D3s? Some people are OK with paying the premium for top performance - the Zeiss delivers that, its price may be steep but for the top optics it is, it's fairly priced, I think.</p>

<p>Diane, with the ZF.2 version lens, you should set the aperture with the front control dial, rather than the aperture ring on the lens. In that sense, it is also different from what photozone describes.</p>

[diane_madura]

<p>Thank you everyone for your responses. I knew someone would have the answer. :-)</p>

[adam_kuan1]

<p>"Some people are OK with paying the premium for top performance - the Zeiss delivers that, its price may be steep but for the top optics it is, it's fairly priced, I think."<br>

It is not only the optics but the mechanic and build are a bit better than Nikon AIS manual lenses.</p>

[adam_kuan1]

<p>The .2 ZF version will allow using all exposure modes on your D90 which include shutter priority and auto programed modes.</p>

[james_symington1]

<p>On A D90 the Zeiss is wasted as all those dollars that went into making it sharp into the corners is wasted as they are cut off. You would be ill-advised to buy it for DX. On the other hand the 35mm Distagon comprehensively outclasses all other 35mm lenses on FX bar absolutely none. It is in another league compared to Nikon's past and present 35mm primes.</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>"The .2 ZF version will allow using all exposure modes on your D90 which include shutter priority and auto programed modes." - obviously you do not know D90 ?</p>

<p>What about:<br>

- distance information for exposure, flash, focus?<br>

- matrix metering,<br>

- Balanced iTTL flash,<br>

- auto focusing, focus tracking, color gradient/contrast based focus, all the galore of the multiple measuring sensors,...</p>

<p>all that and more... would be waisted in D90 with this lens. You might as well get a Holga.</p>

<p>If you only use the lens in your studio and with mostly static objects, then you would work out all the obstacles once for most of pictures.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Please note that Diane, the OP, merely wants to know what type of limitations she gets if she uses the Zeiss 35mm/f2 ZF lens on the D90.</p>

<p>Since all ZF lenses are manual focus, she clearly will not get auto focus. And there are two versions of ZF lenses. Zeiss had a major oversight and somehow did not put a CPU chip on the early ones; therefore those ZF lenses are the equivalent of Nikon AI-S lenses as far as functionalities go. The newer ZF.2 vesion has a built-in CPU, so they are like AI-S P lenses where you can get all types of metering, A, M, P, and S exposure modes on all Nikon DSLRs.</p>

<p>This thread is not about whether ZF lenses are worthwhile or not. That topic has been debated to no end already. For the type of money Zeiss is charging and without auto focus, ZF lenses had better be excellent optically. That is the least they could do.</p>

[adam_kuan1]

<p>"If you only use the lens in your studio and with mostly static objects, then you would work out all the obstacles once for most of pictures."<br>

Not true, you can use many of the automated exposure with D90 (which I do own in addition to a D700) and it is not that hard to manual focus a 35mm F2.0 lens.<br>

I never care about "wasting" any of the automated flash features, I'll be more concerned about not getting full image benefit of the Zeiss lens which is somewhat wasted on a crop sensor body like a D90.</p>

<p> </p>

[ShunCheung]

<blockquote>

<p>Not true, you can use many of the automated exposure with D90 (which I do own in addition to a D700) and it is not that hard to manual focus a 35mm F2.0 lens.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Again, for the D90 to meter, the lens must have a CPU inside. Therefore, that is only true for the newer .2 version of ZF lenses.</p>

<p>A few years ago when ZF lenses first came on the scene, I tested a 50mm/f1.4 ZF on the D2X, and I had a hard time focusing it. However, the D90 has live view. If you can put your camera on a tripod, live view should solve all of your focusing issues, at least for still subjects.</p>

[adam_kuan1]

<p>I was of course refering to new ZF .2 version. The post I replied to was in reference to my statement that began with "The .2 ZF version will allow.."</p>

 

[oskar_ojala]

<blockquote>

<p>On A D90 the Zeiss is wasted as all those dollars that went into making it sharp into the corners is wasted as they are cut off.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Not really; the high pixel count requires a lens of high resolution. Some lenses, e.g. the classic 50/1.8, seem to work much better on a D700 than D300 because the larger pixels do not require the extra resolution. In practice, lenses need to be compared on specific bodies.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>all that and more... would be waisted in D90 with this lens. You might as well get a Holga.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>LOL, do you actually try out those lenses? They work pretty well as a matter of fact.<br>

As Shun says, the fact that the ZF lens line is manual focus hardly sneaks up on anyone. I've found that with a 3rd party focusing screen, fast manual lenses are a breeze to focus on my D300. The D90 has a slightly worse viewfinder, but still there is a lot of potential to use MF. On LiveView it's better to use MF anyway.<br>

Personally though, I'm sticking with my 35/1.4 AI-S for the time being, just like it that's all. I'm not coveting a Zeiss 35.</p>

[james_symington1]

<p>Hi Oskar,<br>

What you say is perfectly true but, even speaking as a total ZF evangelist, I don't think there is likely to be a great difference to be observed on a DX camera between the ZF and Nikon's 35mm f1.8 DX. Although I don't own the Nikon 35mm, as I no longer have a DX camera, its MTFs look excellent and in actual use I wouldn't expect to see a difference.<br>

On FX the story is totally turned on its head though and so if Diane wants to get an FX camera sometime then an investment in the ZF is the best choice currently available.</p>

[diane_madura]

<p>James, I will try the Zeiss on the D90 and see if I can see a difference between the Zeiss and the Nikon 35mm f2 (which is the lens that I have now). Since I am rather small in stature, I will never have a full frame digital camera since they are just too heavy for me to carry around all day (along with a tripod), especially with a heavy lens.<br>

Perhaps I will start a new thread with the differences I observed beween the two lenses.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Diane, if you are exploring options, as Peter Hamm pointed out earlier, check out the Nikon 35mm/f1.8 AF-S DX. It is a bargain @ $200. The main drawback is a moderate amount of chromatic abberatoin.</p>

<p>Zeiss makes fine lenses; I have two of them, but I don't find them to be any more special than higher-end Nikon lenses. Make sure manual focus suits you. To me, having a split-focus screen to aid manual focus or live view is a must. Otherwise, a tiny bit of focusing error will more than wide out any optical advantage.</p>

[john_morris4]

<p>The ZF (or ZF.2) 35mm f/2 Distagon is quite a heavy lens, since you mention that the size and weight is important. It's amazing, but also surprizingly heavy.</p>

 

[marian_deaconescu4]

<p>The zf2 version will work in A mode on the body, as mentioned above. It becomes a manual focus quasi-50mm F2 lens, which is good wide open and can be used in hyperfocal distance at F8 to "catch" everything clear from about 2-3 meters to infinity. Better used on a tripod, to take advantage of the super resolution at margins and at F5.6--11 for landscape work. Manual focus is a joy, super smooth. It can be used for close-ups at about 30cm, nice velvet-ish bokeh wide open, it has a certain "punch" to it. Very nice color rendition, this lens has a lot of character and it's very, very, versatile. But it doesn't replace a 24-70 (a long, heavy lens, used for snapping around at events or at moving targets and almost double in price).</p>