Looking for 20mm - The Zeiss Brothers

[FunPhotons]

20mm is my favorite focal length.

Firstly, for introduction, I have a 5DmkII, 16-35/2.8, 24-105 and 70-200/2.8II. I've owned the fishy and 24-70 previously. After spending a long time with these lenses at various focal lengths I've found that 20mm is what I like best. I can even take y 16-35 and shoot through the range, and I find that 20 exactly pleases me the best. It 'fits' my inner view of the world.

Anyhow, I'm thinking of ditching some lenses and just sticking with what I like, or just shooting it for a year or something. Looking at the 20 options in primes, the

• Canon 20mm is out as it is too poor a lens
• The 24's are out - too cramped for me
• The 16's are out - too much in the frame
• My 16-35 is quite nice, but bigger and more general purpose then I need (I keep putting it at my favorite focal length)

So that seems to leave the Zeiss brothers, the 18mm and 21mm

• I'm OK with manual focus, since at least I have a focus indicator (but AF is preferred)
• Love the apparent build
• 21mm is a bigger prime then I'd like, the 18 is more a size I'm looking for
• 18mm on the 16-35 seems too wide, but the 21 seems close enough to what I want

So I'd like to go Zeiss 18, but Zeiss 21 seems like what I should get. I prefer just buying a lens and not renting, I can never figure out how I feel about a lens until I actually own it for a few months.

Thoughts? Any owners of these lenses? Any other choices I've missed?

[Steve U]

I have the 21, just buy it. If you want the most usable highest IQ wide it can't be beat. Once you've gone Zeiss you'll never go back.

[Dr Croubie]

It's easier to crop an 18mm than to step back with a 21mm. Don't suppose you'd lose too many pixels that way. But the 21mm IQ is better than the 18 from what i've read and seen.

There's also the Sigma 20mm f/1.8, read Bryan's review, I think he absolutely loved it
...
*cough*

Zeiss also had 20mm in f/2.0, f/2.8, and f/4.0 flavours, mostly in C/Y mount (which you can adapt to EF for a few $). Some have better IQ and barrel-distortion than the others, google for reviews (nothing standard, just user reviews i've found). Most go for less than $300-400 on ebay, you could always buy one, try it out, and sell it for what you paid afterwards if you don't like it.

[andnowimbroke]

The 21mm does work great for ya anonymous

[Mark Elberson]

Dare I say:

Guess who's back, back again
Americo's back, tell a friend
Guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back...

[ddt0725]

Well, looks who's back!

[DavidEccleston]

That`s one freakishly large Sackboy. I wish him well in his newly announced Kart racing adventures.

[Steve U]

Welcome back Americo. Looking forward to seeing your posts on the suitable threads. Back on track now.
My dog with the 21mm.

[Dr Croubie]

Meanwhile, seems I was wrong on the old versions of Zeiss 20mm, there were only ever f/2.8 and f/4.0 versions, no f/2.0 (maybe I dreamed that). And they came in m42 as well as C/Y mounts.
Anyway, read this thread for opinions on the f/2.8 vs f/4.0, third post down is useful. In short, the f/4.0 is apparently sharper, but not great, somewhere I've read that the Nikon 20mm is better than both.
Also, I read something yesterday but now i've lost the link, comparing the 20mm Zeiss to the 16-35L (mk1 i think). The 16-35 won easily for wide-open sharpness, and much better contrast and colours (but then, the 20mm is only $300 or so).

In short, from what i've read reviews and such, if you can afford the 21mm ZE Zeiss, go for it, I wish I could. 1mm longer probably won't make too much difference to your framing I hope...

[FunPhotons]

In short, from what i've read reviews and such, if you can afford the 21mm ZE Zeiss, go for it, I wish I could. 1mm longer probably won't make too much difference to your framing I hope...

21mm should be OK, from my tests. 18mm is too wide, I do notice the difference. Also I can afford the 21mm if I want it, the larger question is would I prefer the prime, or should I just stay with the zoom that offers a bit more flexibility, which comes in handy time to time.

But better IQ and corner sharpness, plus that crazy all mechanical build would be awesome. Plus I wouldn't mind being back in primes.