Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

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Archive 2009 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

wayne seltzer
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p.1 #1 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

Just wanted to start an image thread for this great lens,
the Zeiss 50 Makro Planar 2.0 lens.
Hoping John and other will post some of their great shots with this lens here.
I just got this lens but I will post these two shots with 1ds3.
The first one is wide open and the 2nd is f8:

2012 © wayne seltzer

Dec 26, 2009 at 01:08 AM

Jim Schemel
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p.1 #2 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

Great shots! Looking forward to this thread
-Jim

Dec 26, 2009 at 01:15 AM

DanPBrown
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p.1 #3 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

Did you take those with the ZE version? How about some 100% crops?
Thanks,
Dan
www.danbrownphotography.com

Dec 26, 2009 at 01:16 AM

wayne seltzer
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p.1 #4 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

Thanks Jim!
Yes, those were from ZE version. I will try to post 100% crops later. These were just some hand-held shots.

Dec 26, 2009 at 01:52 AM

Jorge Torralba
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p.1 #5 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

try this one

A pano with the 50 f2.

More details here:

http://www.icameradb.com/showphoto.php?photoid=116

Dec 26, 2009 at 02:32 AM

DanPBrown
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p.1 #6 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

wayne seltzer wrote:
Thanks Jim!
Yes, those were from ZE version. I will try to post 100% crops later. These were just some hand-held shots.

The flower shot is great.
Dan
www.danbrownphotography.com

Dec 26, 2009 at 12:54 PM

DanPBrown
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p.1 #7 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

Jorge Torralba wrote:
try this one

A pano with the 50 f2.

More details here:

http://www.icameradb.com/showphoto.php?photoid=116

Wow! Where was that? Looks like Arizona.
Dan
www.danbrownphotography.com

Dec 26, 2009 at 12:55 PM

philber
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p.1 #8 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

I hate you guys! Wayne your 2 shots are brilliant, Jorge's as well. My question is this: I have a ZE Planar (non-macro), which I love. Does it make more sense for me to keep it for anything but close up, and do the close up with the forthcoming 100ZE Makro, do I need to sell and swap my 50, or do I need 2 Zeiss 50s?
In other words, is the Makro Planar better than the non-macro at infinity, which is where I do most of my cityscape/landscape shooting with 50mm my favorite focal length?

Dec 27, 2009 at 08:46 AM

wayne seltzer
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p.1 #9 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

Phil,
I have Conurus converted Contax N 50 1.4, ZE 50/2 MP, and Rokkor 58 1.2.I plan on keeping all 3 as each one has its uses.
For infinity distance shots, I think the 50/2 is better than the 50 1.4 but I would like to some comparison shots to verify this.
I would get the 50/2 and then see how much you use the 50 1.4 and then make your decision. As there is too big of a difference between 50mm and 100mm.
50 1.4 is better obviously for low light and narrower DOF shooting and has a shorter focus throw.My 50 1.4 having AF and a decent manual focus ring, gives me even more options.
Plus I don't think you have enough Zeiss lenses yet!

Dec 27, 2009 at 10:35 AM

Lotusm50
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p.1 #10 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

I'll bump this thread with something that I've already uploaded to the web. the ZF50/2 is wide open here, I believe:

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Dec 28, 2009 at 12:43 PM

Lotusm50
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p.1 #11 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

Here is another recent one. ZF50/2 MP, wide open:

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Dec 28, 2009 at 01:05 PM

philber
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p.1 #12 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

2 more brilliant shots to your credit, lotus, and one more Zeiss lens to my debit...

Dec 28, 2009 at 01:54 PM

wayne seltzer
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p.1 #13 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

Lotusm50,

Great color, sharpness and blur in the last one, keep them coming!

Jorge,

Very nice panorama! I knw you also have a panorama of a paper mill there in Oregon,
which shows great detail in the distance. Can you post that one again or some others like that?

Dec 28, 2009 at 05:48 PM

rachp
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p.1 #14 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

Beautiful shots everyone!! Looking forward to more so that I can convince myself to just buy one

Dec 28, 2009 at 08:30 PM

Jim Schemel
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p.1 #15 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

rachp wrote:
Beautiful shots everyone!! Looking forward to more so that I can convince myself to just buy one

Didn't you just buy the 60 Planar Makro? Oh - wait a minute so did i and also am coveting this lens

Dec 28, 2009 at 09:04 PM

rachp
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p.1 #16 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

Jim Schemel wrote:
rachp wrote:
Beautiful shots everyone!! Looking forward to more so that I can convince myself to just buy one

Didn't you just buy the 60 Planar Makro? Oh - wait a minute so did i and also am coveting this lens

Ahh, and I love that lens

Glad to see I found a place where I fit in and is full of understanding people

Dec 28, 2009 at 10:09 PM

John Black
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p.1 #17 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

Wayne, just for you

This is an old image from the 50/2 ZE and 1Ds3; taken at F2. There haven't been too many people shots, so this will have too do. This was not a keeper per-se, the Mrs. doesn't like pix where she's squinting. This image has a nice 3D feel IMO -

This is the ZE wide-open -

And another wide open shot -

The weather here is cold and work has been super busy, so not much time to take pictures... I've been holding off on publishing the review, but went ahead and quietly added to the table of contents. http://www.pebbleplace.com/Personal/Zeiss_50mm_ZE_1.html Hopefully I'll have some free time in 3 or 4 weeks and can finish it.

Jan 09, 2010 at 12:40 AM

wayne seltzer
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p.1 #18 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

Thanks John! The Mrs. looks great even if she is squinting a bit because of the sun. I like the color of the rocks, her scarf, the water and the trees in the background. Like the 3-d look too.
Love the blur in the 2nd creative wide open shot with the fountain.
Nice sharpness and smooth bokeh in the last shot with rich tonal quality.
Look forward to the update to your review.I hope to post some landscape shots I took this last weekend with it and the contax N 50 1.4, zf 35/2, and contax 100/2 to see how they compared with each other.

Jan 09, 2010 at 01:44 AM

John Black
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p.1 #19 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

You lucky dog - you have a converted 50N! I sold my unconverted 50N to Andi and still wonder if I should have sent it to Bo-ming. The 50N is probably a nice option for casual walk-around use (AF, lightweight).

Here's another 50mm ZF, also wide-open, from the same walk. This shot was edited, so it has more zip in its color -

And just for reference (since you have a 100/2); this was the 100/2 later the same day. This was taken wide open and there really wasn't enough DOF; it's slightly front focused -

The 50/2 ZE will probably make a good walk-around lens, but its forte is at close distances w/ a narrow DOF. The catch-22 with the 50/2 ZE at close distances is that for portraits it resolves TOO MUCH detail. Maybe if we were all married to 22 yr old super models who traveled with a personal make-up artist, then a 50/2 ZE would be nice. For the rest of us, seeing 21 MP of somebody's skin taken with a macro lens at 5 feet is NOT a good thing!

I wish I had a converted 50N because it would be very interesting to compare the 50/2 ZE and 50N in walk-around settings. I think a strong argument could be made for EITHER lens, but it would probably be difficult to justify owning both.

Jan 09, 2010 at 03:53 AM

wayne seltzer
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p.1 #20 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

I recognize that last one with the 100 from your review on your website. I love the detail and color in her wrap along with the nice surrounding colors. Yes all my lenses tend to be too sharp for portraits along with the 1ds3's 21MP, so I usually do some retouching in photoshop.Even 22 yr old supermodels have all their shots retouched anyway.

I think you can make a good case for having both as the N 50/1.4 is better for low light shooting and for when you want to really blur the background within a short distance. F2 is just not fast enough and for those situations I will use my Rokkor 58/1.2 or N50. Also, having an AF solution is always handy and the N 50 is significantly lighter and smaller to walk around with and use on travel.
One Zeiss lens which I recommend you to try sometime either on a Sony A900 or converted like mine on a 1ds3, is the ZA 135 1.8. You would love it. I think it is maybe Zeiss's finest portrait lens.
The first one is a test shot in a local restaurant, excuse the bad background lighting.
The 2nd one is a fun shot to show off the narrow DOF and blur potential all with nice contrast and sharpness on the subject.

2012 © wayne seltzer

Jan 09, 2010 at 07:27 AM

Daniel Heineck
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p.1 #21 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

I'll answer for Jorge--those are the painted hills in central oregon. I haven't made it out there yet, but you *could* say they're on my list

D

P.S. Lovely shots across the board here folks. Does the lens come with that good of a instruction manual on how to take good photos?

Jan 09, 2010 at 07:47 AM

John Black
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p.1 #22 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

Wayne - I'm waiting to see if the Voigtlander 58mm F1.4 SL II happens in the Canon mount. That looks be a sharp a lens, but I'm not sure how it stacks up in terms of bokeh, etc. On the plus side it should be cheap(er) at around $400'ish USD.

Where I struggle with the 50N is that its formula is the same as the C/Y 50 F1.4, and I wasn't too excited about that lens. Another option is a used 50/1.4 ZE, but I had that lens too, and again, its bokeh could be, lets just say not so good. I was really quite happy with the M8 and 50 Lux ASPH, but that was an ultra-expensive way to address 50mm. As for covering a 50mm FOV, I much prefer using 80mm on medium format.

So lets sum this up - I want sharp, compact and light - like a M8. Automatic like a Canon lens. And FOV / DOF coverage like medium format. Translation - I'm skrewed!

2010 is a good year from trade shows, so before sinking too much money into a 50mm quest, I want to see what is released - especially at PMA & Photokina.

Jan 09, 2010 at 08:59 PM

Lotusm50
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p.1 #23 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

John Black wrote:
Where I struggle with the 50N is that its formula is the same as the C/Y 50 F1.4, and I wasn't too excited about that lens. Another option is a used 50/1.4 ZE, but I had that lens too, and again, its bokeh could be, lets just say not so good.

Hi John-
Using both the N50 and the c/y50, I am convinced that they are not the same "optical formula". No doubt that they are very similar. I suspect that there are differences in glass formula, not to mention barrel design, and possibly other subtle changes that overall has proved the N 50 with (in mt experience) sharper performance across the frame, better contrast, flare resistance, and nicer bokeh. I was some what surprised, because I originally viewed them as "the same". Maybe it is just my samples of these lenses, but my c/y 50 performs as well as any other copy I've seen. I have come to the conclusion, however that they are not the same and the N 50 represents a clear refinement of the earlier c/y lens. The ZF/ZE 50 is different again, subtly but noticeably warmer than the Contax 50's with a somewhat different look wide open. Other than color, it is hard to tell these lenses apart by f5.6 -- but that is probably true of any group of quality 50mm lenses. Of the 3 Zeiss 50/1.4's that I have (N, c/y and ZF), the N is the one that I am going to keep. Of course, the ZF/ZE 50 MP is another story, and if you don't need f1.4 it is clearly the choice among all of them -- I am really pleased with my ZF 50 MP.

Jan 09, 2010 at 09:28 PM

wayne seltzer
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p.1 #24 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

CV 58/1.4 has nice bokeh and is pretty sharp wide-open, I think the Rokkor 58/1.2 is slightly better but its close. If they release it in canon mount that would be a nice lens.
Not sure how it does stopped down for landscape though vs. the N 50 which seems to me very sharp across the frame like the 50 MP. The N50 bokeh is ok most of the time but yes it can struggle on contrasty backgrounds. Yes, let's see what is released at the trade shows. But you need to try the ZA 135 1.8 sometime. I know you will like it.

Jan 09, 2010 at 09:59 PM

wayne seltzer
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p.1 #25 · Zeiss 50 MP ZE/ZF Image Thread

Lotusm50 wrote:
John Black wrote:
Where I struggle with the 50N is that its formula is the same as the C/Y 50 F1.4, and I wasn't too excited about that lens. Another option is a used 50/1.4 ZE, but I had that lens too, and again, its bokeh could be, lets just say not so good.

Hi John-
Using both the N50 and the c/y50, I am convinced that they are not the same "optical formula". No doubt that they are very similar. I suspect that there are differences in glass formula, not to mention barrel design, and possibly other subtle changes that overall has proved the N 50 with (in mt experience) sharper performance across the frame, better contrast, flare resistance, and nicer bokeh. I was some what surprised, because I originally viewed them as "the same". Maybe it is just my samples of these lenses, but my c/y 50 performs as well as any other copy I've seen. I have come to the conclusion, however that they are not the same and the N 50 represents a clear refinement of the earlier c/y lens. The ZF/ZE 50 is different again, subtly but noticeably warmer than the Contax 50's with a somewhat different look wide open. Other than color, it is hard to tell these lenses apart by f5.6 -- but that is probably true of any group of quality 50mm lenses. Of the 3 Zeiss 50/1.4's that I have (N, c/y and ZF), the N is the one that I am going to keep. Of course, the ZF/ZE 50 MP is another story, and if you don't need f1.4 it is clearly the choice among all of them -- I am really pleased with my ZF 50 MP.

Lotusm50,

Maybe you could shoot a couple of more wide open bokeh comparison shots between the lenses?

Thanks for doing those last stopped down comparison shots which show what you just said.

Jan 09, 2010 at 10:08 PM


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