I'm very interested to see samples with this lens. Anybody here have it and can post some images? Looking to rent it when I'm in Nevada this October to shoot the Grand Canyon. Will be using it on a D700.
It's the old Contax 21. It's supposed to be very similar to the new one though. Damn I loved that 1Ds3. Why the hell did I sell it? I don't think my 5D2's can paint the picture like that, somehow. http://cyberphotographer.com/1ds3/damianbike_lowrez.jpg
Based on my copies, the ZF21 and CY21 are pretty much as good as each other. The ZF21 has field curvature and a slight cyan cast at the corners (as mentioned in the thread).
Also the two handle flare and ghosting very differently when shooting towards very bright light sources (neither is brilliant so it's just down to which suits you better).
I also have a Nikon 14-24. I've found it is not quite as sharp as either the ZF21 or the CZ21. Almost, but not quite. Also slightly more CA which can't be corrected as quite as well. The 14-24 is better at handling flare. All three are great lenses.
Just sharing my experience - I'm no lens reviewer, I just know what works for me.
msbc -
Sorry, I didn't read your post properly. Given that you'll be using a D700, the differences between the Contax 21mm and the ZF21 probably won't be of interest.
Anyway I hope the samples posted in the above-linked thread will help you.
I've found the ZF21's field curvature really isn't a problem in practice. If you need very distant objects to be sharp across the frame, you can achieve this by stopping down to f8 and focussing just slightly short of infinity.
Also the slight cyan cast in the corners can easily be fixed in post processing.
The ZF21's other weakness - 'moustache' distortion - shouldn't ever be noticeable with a natural subject like the Grand Canyon.
I guess you've already considered the 14-24?
In my opinion, based on using both lenses on a Canon 5D (12MP), and comparing like for like (same scene, same f-stop, similar FL) the 14-24 doesn't *quite* match the ZF's overall image quality - not just for sharpness but overall colour and contrast as well.
The 14-24 is also a lot bulkier than the ZF21 of course, but it seems to balance very nicely on the D700.
But it's still a really brilliant lens, and it does offer a lot of flexibility - with a subject like the Grand Canyon, 21mm mightn't always be wide enough.
Yes, that's probably true about the sample variation with the 14-24 - arguably more so than with the ZF21, as the 14-24 is a zoom and is manufactured in much larger quantities.
I have tried two copies of the ZF21, and there was no difference between them except in terms of flare handling (one was noticeably more prone to veiling flare).
My copy of the 14-24 probably isn't one of the very best. Then again it's the only one I've used, so I've no way of knowing.
That said I really don't think I have a bad copy of the 14-24: as long as it's stopped down and focussed correctly, it's very sharp right across the frame.
The ZF21 just seems very slightly sharper - to my eyes at least. As far as I'm concerned, if the 14-24 is that close to the ZF21 (and the CZ21), it must be pretty good. Unless my copies of the CZ21 and the ZF21 are lemons as well :-)
The CA I mentioned isn't a problem with the 14-24: where my ZF21 needs -9 Red/Cyan correction in ACR, my 14-24 needs -13. Even with no correction, it only shows when pixel peeping at the corners, and only then with high-contrast edges (like branches against a bright sky).
Apologies to msbc for taking the thread off topic.
Your using the ZF21 on a 5D, so you must be using an adaptor? Based on my experience with C/Y lenses on a 5D I'd suspect that this could introduce some variability. Some are better than others but they all have an effect on focus due to different adaptor thickness.
That's why I'm interested in the ZF on Nikon - no adaptor.
You're welcome, I hope it helped a bit. I am using adaptors, and I can see why you're looking for (more relevant) feedback from users with Nikon bodies. FWIW I did buy the ZF21 and then the 14-24 with a view to getting a Nikon body sometime soon, but knowing they'd work with the 5D in the meantime.
It's probably fair to say that whatever the results from the adapted ZF21 on the 5D, you could reasonably expect as good or better from the ZF21 on the D700.
I don't know what WA alternatives to the ZF21 you had in mind for your trip.
My personal view, having also used the 17-35AFS, 20/2.8AIS, 20/4AI, and 20/3.5AI on a few Nikon film bodies and on the 5D, is that for WA on any Nikon FF body, I'd choose the ZF21 and/or the 14-24 every time. (That's assuming no issues with the extra weight/bulk/filter-unfriendliness of the 14-24).
