There is for sale a used Zeiss ZE 85mm F1.4 T* in my hometown, and I seriously consider this lens, even though it costs twice as much as a Canon 85mm 1.8. Which lens would you go for? It will mostly be used for portraits of my family, and some landscape/nature. Perhaps some indoor sport, but that will not be decisive. Since the seller is living nearby, I will have the opportunity to test the lens.


I will use the lens on my 400D, which will be upgraded during the next two-three years. I assume the lens will outlive the camera.


I know that the Zeiss is manual focus, and that is not a problem for me. I used to shoot manual focus for 15 years before I got my 400D, and with the uses I intend to us it for, fast focus is not crucial.


I hope someone can help me out here. By the way, the Canon 85mm 1.2 is not an option, please do not annoy me with telling me how superb this lens is. Alas, I will never afford it [8o|].


What do you experts say, is the Zeiss two-three times better than the 85mm IQ-wise? I have read the reviews and compared the ISO-charts, and the Zeiss seems a bit sharper. However, I am not too familiar with the ISO-charts, and cannot translate the results into real life...


Lars