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	Username   Password FM Forum Rules Nikon SLRs, primes, and zooms lenses reviews FM Forums | Nikon-mount SLRs | Join Upload & Sell    end    Archive 2011 · Zeiss 35mm f/1.4

Gregg B. Offline • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #1 · Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 This looks like an amazing lens. Pricey but amazing.... Anyone has any experience with it? Greg Dec 18, 2011 at 07:35 AM

Gregg B. Offline • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #2 · Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Zeiss-35mm-f-1.4-ZE-Distagon-Lens-Review.aspx Dec 18, 2011 at 07:43 AM

philber Offline • • • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #3 · Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Yup, I have one Gregg. What is it you want to know? Dec 18, 2011 at 07:45 AM

Gregg B. Offline • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #4 · Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Everything you can tell me about it. Picture quality especially if compared to Nikon 35mm f/1.4 (if you have or had one) How hard (or easy) is it to focus it manually at F/1.4. Did you try to use it for stitched panos. Are you using it on a FF or Cropped sensor? I would also appreciate some unprocessed pic samples. I've seen a lot of them on the Internet but they are too small to judge. If you could post one @ 100% that'd be what nice too. Lastly what made you get it over Nikon 35mm f/1.4 lens? Thanks Greg Dec 18, 2011 at 07:50 AM

philber Offline • • • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #5 · Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Gregg, you asked about Zeiss 35 f:1.4 without specifying ZE (EF mount for Canon) or ZF.2 (F mount for Nikon). I have and shoot Canon FF (5DII), but the lens is the same. And the questions you ask apply to both systems. Is it hard to focus manually at f:1.4? Basically at f:1.4 every 35mm lens has very thin DOF, especially for close ups. This is true both for AF and MF shots. So, yes, it takes some doing. But have I lost shots because I was not able to nail it? No, because I shoot, chimp, and reshoot if necessary, until I nail focus. Because, and I might have started with this, shooting this lens wide open is not for "live" shots (kids, dogs, action). Part of the answer depends on how good your viewfinder is (D700, D3?), and whether you can use a special focusing screen for MF. Canon has them, so I assume Nikon does as well. How good is the lens wide open? Compared to stopped down, it is not as good, but that is true of all lenses, including Canon and Nikon 35 f:1.4. Hereafter is a 100% crop of a wide open shot handhels, no lighting. About as hard as it gets. And I am not a wizard, though I have only MF lenses on my Canon, so I have practice on my side. Why did I choose this lens? The most spectacular feature is its bokeh. One reviewer said "bokeh alone is worth buying this lens". Then you notice huge amounts of detail, including minute detail, And colours, and contrast. And extraordinary spatial precision, which is sometimes called the "3D" effect for which Zeiss lenses are famous. I used to shoot a Canon 35L f:1.4, then traded it for a Zeiss 35 f:2.0 and felt it was a trade up. Then to the Zeiss 35 f:1.4, which is better yet, and, IMHO, the best of the Zeiss ZE/ZF lineup right now. Suggestions: two things. Read up. I suggest Lloyd Chambers' blog, Diglloyd, which you can find here There are mutlitple sections, one is free, others are not. He is very knowledgeable about Zeiss lenses, and publishes comparisons with other top-of-the range lenses too. I am pretty sure that he has a comparison with the 35G online. Also, rent one, I am sure that Lensrentals offer that lens for rental. That way, you can familiarize yourself with it in real life before you take what is a fairly expensive plunge, should you not happen to like it. Hope this helps.   Canon EOS 5D Mark II    35 mm    f/1.4    1/13 sec    100 ISO    0.0 EV   Dec 18, 2011 at 08:48 AM

Gregg B. Offline • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #6 · Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Thanks philter. That was nice read. I also appreciate your picture. I'd like to see one with that "famous" bokeh.... I did read Lloyd blog about this lens. There's even a youtube video where he shows it, and compares it, to the Canon 35mm f/1.4 lens. He is sponsored, however, by the company I think, and as much as I like his reviews I think his opinion is little bit biased. He always says that Zeiss lenses are the best etc. I researched the Internet about this lens (a lot) and now I actually have an idea what it can do. I like the fact that it's also a CPU based lens. There are few manual lenses that aren't sending any info to the camera at all. I was afraid of that, but I can see this isn't a case with the Zeiss lens. Thanks Dec 18, 2011 at 09:10 AM

taz_k Offline • Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #7 · Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Hi Gregg, I've had the 35/1.4 ZF2 for about 7 months now. It's without a doubt by favourite of the three Zeiss I own (21, 35, 100). Hopefully I will have time to add some notes/impressions later but I think Philber described the lens well and I agree with what he writes. A few fullsize samples taken with D700, converted with default settings in PS: Wide open - links below each picture Fullsize - f1.4 Fullsize - f1.4 Fullsize - f1.4 Fullsize - f1.4 - processed Smaller apertures Fullsize - f2.8 Fullsize - f2.8 - processed Fullsize - f4 Fullsize - f5.6 Dec 18, 2011 at 09:58 AM

Thomas73 Offline • Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #8 · Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 taz_k: wow! amazing pictures! They speak by themselves! I was also hesitating between the Zeiss & the Nikon AFS to add to my D3. Now, I made my choice... Dec 18, 2011 at 12:02 PM

philber Offline • • • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #9 · Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Great work, Taz! You can really make that lens sing! Gregg, per your request, the bokeh at two different apertures...   Canon EOS 5D Mark II    35 mm    f/8.0    1/320 sec    100 ISO    0.0 EV     Canon EOS 5D Mark II    35 mm    f/2.0    1/1000 sec    100 ISO    -1.0 EV   Dec 18, 2011 at 02:38 PM

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