philber wrote:
Thanks for the compliments, guys. Fact is, though that India is a treasure trove of fascinating faces, and that the ZE 50 makes anyone look like a more or less proper photog, red or no red...:-)
I love your work! Those skin tones are fantastic and not at all waxy. Anything with the Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.4?
The 50mm ZE lens is simply fantastic. I recently purchased one and totally love it. It's an incredible value and comparable in every way to the quality I'm used to from Leica. I just purchased the 5D II which arrives tomorrow and I am eager to put this lens on it and go have some fun. I've used it on my current 5D and Digital Rebel T1i, with excellent results.
I'm going to have to pack my bags and head for India! I'd like to get an 85mm prime and it will either be a used 80mm Leica R Summilux or the ZE 85mm. Based on what I've seen on this forum, it won't be the Canon 85mm L. That second portrait of the woman is blowing me out of the water. Beautiful work!
jjlphoto wrote:
I think the 50mm lens has long been the forgotten prime. Time to stop overlooking it.
I agree, my very first camera was a Kowa SET R2 with a 50mm lens purchased back in 1971. That was followed by others, always purchased with a 50mm lens. I'm glad to be rediscovering that focal length on a DSLR.
Hey guys,
I went out and purchased the ZE 50mm after having a few online chats with philber myself.
It is he BEST lens buy I have made in over ten years. Don't get me wrong, I love all of my "L" lenses,
they give me great results and make me money, THAT SAID...there is something so special about Zeiss, it is as mentioned before that 3D look, that fantastic control of color rendition and contrast.
I too use my ZE 50 on a 5DmkII and it absolutely shines.
philber, once again thanks for sharing your excellent images, both now and in the past when I had requested it of you
It helped me make my decision very easy
Peter, I am glad you are pleased. I would like to point out that I am by no means a lens guru, there are so many guys who know so much more than me on this forum. But I have good news for you. After having owned 3 ZEs, it is my experience that they improve slightly over time. Something like "breaking in" used to be to cars. After a few hundred shots, maybe 500, they seem to take on an even more alluring quality. Please let me know if you feel the same way.
On my side, after seeing so many wonderful pics here, and frankly tired of waiting for Zeiss to release more ZE lenses, I have bought 2 Contax/Yashica lenses, which are also of Zeiss design. A 25mm f:2.8, and a 135mm. Once I get the necessary adapters for Canon EOS, I shall report accordingly.
Oh darn.
Looks like I might be trading my Canon 50/1.4 for a Zeiss 50/1.4. I don't think I'll miss the auto focus. I think it confirms anyways, right? (Correct me if I'm wrong)
Beautiful shots all around. Thanks for sharing. And hopefully, with all the info here, the OP will be sufficiently armed to take on the vast selection of 50mm lenses out there.
For what it's worth, here's a quick snapshot I had posted on the B/W forum a while back. Shot with a Canon EF 50/1.4 at f2.2. Mine seems to really sharpen up around 2.0 or so and stays that way until about f/11 where it falls off a bit.
Just curious, does anyone else here have issues with quality at or near the minimum focus distance? I do really like this lens, but mine seems to get really soft up close (even if stopped down).
I concur, Nick. Where this lens is not at its best is at MFD wide open. As I use my ZE for landscape, cityscape and body portraits, this limitation doesn't bother me, but I can see how it could be a problem for others.
The sharpness you achieve, philber, is a testment to both your photographic skill and the ZE lenses.
How do you achieve such tack sharp results with manual focus?
On the Canon 40D, I rely on the focus confirmation light and what I see through the viewfinder. I would say that succeeds in 95 percent of shots. I often focus and refocus two or three times to try and get it spot on. Maybe my manual focusing skills have gotten a little rusty and I need to practice.
Thanks for your candid reply, Phil. I am glad to hear someone else has a few "failures".
I have the Ef-s focusing screen on the Canon 40D and I think it helps. I say "think" because I swapped out the stock focusing screen before I started shooting with the ZE lens.
The reason I asked the question is that Zeiss recommend a microprism/split screen focusing screen such as those offered by Katz Eye and I wondered if you had gone down that route.
I heard on another forum about bracketing for focus but, like you, I haven't tried it as yet. I have only had a DSLR camera since the middle of June and am still coming to terms with its complexity.
The reason I have not tried a microprism or split screen is that I have read that it may interfere with metering. I may still do it, particularly now that I have bought 2 Contax/Yashica lenses, which should make 90% of my shots, if all goes well, MF.
