Zeiss Distagon T* 18/3.5 for Canon, do we really need this??

Zeiss once again said they will make another lens for Canon users. Here is the link in case you haven't heard of this:


http://www.dpreview.com/news/0903/09032702zeiss_3p5_18_canon.asp


As far as I concern, the first two lenses that Zeiss has made for Canon, the Planar 50/1.4 and 85/1.4 respectively, have turned out to be not that great - they're all lenses withNEITHER superb optical qualityNOR practicality but at quite a price. Autofocus is missing too. I can hardly imagine the upcoming Zeiss 18/3.5 to have afairlylargemarket as people who care ONLY about the so-called Zeiss pedigree and will pay regardless how expensive are few.


If I'mreally the person who wants to play around with old classic manual machines at a fair cost, I will go Nikon and use their optics as well as all kinds of old stuff that can be adapted to the F mount. Possibly I'll have some Zeiss ZF lenses too.


All considered, I easily take my Canon 16-35/2.8L II over the Zeiss ZE 18/3.5for almost the same price. It's faster, it's versatile, it's not necessarily worse IQ wise and it can autofocus. Would you?


Benjamin

I really don't mind the auto-focus, manual focus is fine but you've got to deliver the IQ Zeiss has been boasting about!


I, too, was disappointed at the testing results from Bryan for the 85 1.4 ZE. I actually had plan to get the 50 1.4 ZE, but now it just seems that it is not worth it.


Unique color is what I look for in Zeiss lenses, but you've got to deliver decent sharpness for me to appreciate it. Again it's probably me being cheap, and I don't want to buy a lens but found out it is not satisfactory and send it back, I just read reviews. But from what I've read from Byran's review, the sharpness is not "decent".


I am not really interested in 18/3.5, it's the makro planar 100/2 I am drooling over. The ZF version is sharp wide open from corner to corner, now is it possible for Zeiss to make a ZE version without losing the sharpness...





Maybe I can't wait and just get a Canon 100/2.8 which is as sharp and delivers 1:1 macro?

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Originally Posted by Benjamin

Zeiss once again said they will make another lens for Canon users. Here is the link in case you haven't heard of this:


http://www.dpreview.com/news/0903/09032702zeiss_3p5_18_canon.asp


As far as I concern, the first two lenses that Zeiss has made for Canon, the Planar 50/1.4 and 85/1.4 respectively, have turned out to be not that great - they're all lenses withNEITHER superb optical qualityNOR practicality but at quite a price. Autofocus is missing too. I can hardly imagine the upcoming Zeiss 18/3.5 to have afairlylargemarket as people who care ONLY about the so-called Zeiss pedigree and will pay regardless how expensive are few.


If I'mreally the person who wants to play around with old classic manual machines at a fair cost, I will go Nikon and use their optics as well as all kinds of old stuff that can be adapted to the F mount. Possibly I'll have some Zeiss ZF lenses too.


All considered, I easily take my Canon 16-35/2.8L II over the Zeiss ZE 18/3.5for almost the same price. It's faster, it's versatile, it's not necessarily worse IQ wise and it can autofocus. Would you?


Benjamin

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I got to tell you, I look at the shots I've taken just with my 24-105 L and at times they are disturbingly sharp and I don't think this is supposed to be the sharpest of the sharp of L lenses. So I'm not bent on buying anything but Canon L. I have a 16-35 L coming tomorrow. I can't wait.


So to concur with you, I obviously will take the 16-35 2.8L II over the Zeiss ZE 18/3.5.

The 85mm is a bit of a let down, it's the same design they've been recycling forever, I do know of a couple of photographers that have sold their 85mm f1.2 for the Zeiss though, they like the way it renders and that their shots no longer have the same look and feel as everyone else's.


The 50mm f1.4 on the other hand is quite a lens i think, not brutally sharp, but it's got a beautiful signature i think (and I'm far from a zeiss snob), I'd get a 50mm f1.4 if i had any cash right now. AF is not super important, although the fact that one can't get a split screen prism for a 5D without paying a few hundred for a modified 1 series screen is putting me off...


You can adapt ZF lens to EOS via an adapter and you have the same lens zeiss is selling as ZE. Personally, i love the EOS mount for the ability to mount so many things to it, Nikon F, Leica R, Minolta, Contax, Medium format stuff... People are scared to mitch and match with brands, but I'm a big fan of it, use the best lens for the job, canon is not the end all be all in lens.

you can get adapters to fit nikon glass on canon ? could i get more info on this? thanks

The adapters are a male EOS mount on one end and a female Nikon F (or Leica R or whatever) mount on the other end. It just so happens that the eos mount is large enough in diameter that many lens are adaptable to the mount as long as the flange to plane distance can be matched.


What i mean is this, the distance between the mount and the sensor or film is a certain number of millimeters, as long as the other brand's mount is designed to have a greater distance then the EOS mount, there is space for an adapter to fit between the camera moutn and the lens and it works great.


Some converters come built in with Focus confirmation chips so the little dot comes up (or beeps) when focus is acheived, some mounts will allow you to use stop down metering...


http://static.photo.net/attachments/bboard/00H/00HK11-31226784.JPG


http://www.cameraquest.com/frames/4saleReos.htm


Camera quest sells very expensive adapters ($175) but these are well manufacterd so that things will fit well and not wobble, get loose, ect. Adapters range from $20 to $175, try one and check it out.

I forgot to mention, this basic mount works perfectly with any lens that has an aperture ring, but G lens do not work (they automatically stop down). Many EOS users have craved the Nikon 14-24 f2.8 G and have invested in a more complex adapter that allows to use G lens and control the aperture by rotating the adapter:


here is a link to the people that designed it and are selling it: http://www.16-9.net/nikon_g/


Here is a comprehensive review of the product: http://www.davidclapp.co.uk/nikon1424.php

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Originally Posted by samoksner

Many EOS users have craved the Nikon 14-24 f2.8 G and have invested in a more complex adapter that allows to use G lens and control the aperture by rotating the adapter:
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In this case would you just got a Nikon camera instead though? I know it's some $3000 investment (i.g. D700), but you got into the Nikon system that way - in fact, a very worthy investment IMO if you're determined enough to try hard to adapt a 14-24/2.8 onto a Canon body. That way, you can thereby to use Nikon's best lenses like their recent AF-S lens all the way.


Take the advantage of both Canon (fast focus, super tele lenses, fast primes) and Nikon (recent AF-S zooms, FF low noise bodies) gives you the best system there is.