Thanks to all of you!

Itīs a bit premature to draw conclusions on the 35/1,4 I think. I have only had it for a few days, and there is still very little light up north where I live. The sun has just returned and can be glimpsed between heavy snowfalls. One thing I have learned is that when used wide open the lens can give some challenging LOCAīs, especially when snow is the subject. I have let Lightroom do some slight corrections of green and purple fringing in the image above.

But wide open sharpness and contrast seems good, and the Zeiss pop is there I think. Very smooth bokeh...

Great images on the last page! Here's a few more interiors all with the Distagon 15/2.8 except #2 is with the 35/1.4

Twoeye - Very nice ! No I did not correct any. Shot was @5.6, so it hides problem .

Bob - I am enjoying your building series. 15 sings very nice with those shots.

Thanks to you, Luka, Twoeye, Prosep, Ronny...

@Twoeye: I have just acquired a Nikon D700 to use my Distagon 35 1.4. So far I did not see any problems or issues which I used to see when using it on Nex 5n. Much less LoCA, barely see Flare when pointing directly to light sources at close distance at wide or near wide open...But I still don't have much time to play with them, will do this weekend and update you all .

rji2goleez I believe you've already posted a majority, if not all, of those. Nice none the less. I especially like 2nd one. The last two show some significant wide angle distortion towards the edges.

Here's one with 2/28 @ 8 (I like it b/c of the colours and perceived depth)

Beautiful image

Need some thoughts and opinions here.

I have ZE50/1.4, Leica 60mm macro-elmarit and Voigtlander 58mm/1.4 nokton.

I like using the Zeiss and often shoot it around f5.6 or f8 for city-scapes, street shots and landscape.

I bought the Leica a while aho and use it a bit for macro, have thought recently about using it for pano's on a pano plate (which i already have).

Bought the voigtlander late last summer because i've always fancied having a go of this lens and while it's nice as a portrait lens i don't use it for much other stuff because the Zeiss is better.

Well, with all this kit my peli case is bursting at the seams.

How about getting red of the Leica and the Voigtlander and getting the 50mm Makro-Planar?
It seems to be a good replacement for the Leica and will probably be as good or better than the voigtlander for portraits.

For stopped down city-scenes will it trump the 50planar?

Thoughts and opinions greatly appreciated.

Cheers

In my experience, the Planar is at least as good as the Makro-Planar at f/5.6-f/8, so you wouldn't really gain anything. The MP also has some corner sharpness/field curvature issues wide open, although only in the extreme corners. I also much prefer the Planar's boke in most situations. The MP is a really good portrait lens slightly stopped down, and has some other strengths, like the close-focus ability.

I don't really see a way to have all the benefits you want here from only one lens, unless the Leica 60mm is fast enough for you, and you find it as good as the Planar for your uses.

A couple from Devon last April, both ZE100MP

The 50MP used to be one of my favorite landscape lenses. Now I have the planar and while it's good stopped down, it's doesn't seem to have the exact same look as the makro-planar stopped down. I can't really put my finger on it, but the MP often looks more punchy.
That being said, I don't mind really. They're both excellent stopped down.

This might sound strange for many people, but the 50P is becoming one of my favorite ZE/ZF lenses (I've had many of them and tried most of them). It has a character, it's small, stopped down it's sharp corner to corner, I adore it for B&W,...
Good example that a lens doesn't have to be "perfect" for me.

Here's a shot from the 50P @ f1.6:


The foundling by Jochen-B, on Flickr

I agree very much, such a great lens. The cheapest of the lot too.

John, that first shot is a poster shot for the 100MP Very nice!

Just got the 21 2.8 yesterday and this is my first Zeiss... I am not sure if I am going to keep it since the lens very much surpasses my skills!

johnahill

Both beautiful, first really great. Pretty amazing look. Devon looks a bit like "Shire" in this one.

more fine work, johnahill. It's hard, the 50mm choice for you, and we have this ongoing controversy with strong views on the better/more suitable/preferable ZE 50mm lens.

I will don the diplomacy cap (rare I know) and suggest you try both, from a kind
shop owner if at all possible, if you buy that way.Or a friend.

If you want high impact, more traditional landscape work with edge to edge excellence, the 50MP, hands down. If more the myserious look with elegant focus fade, softer colouration and a certain je ne c'est quoi, the 50P. You see great work from both.

Jochenb wrote:

This might sound strange for many people, but the 50P is becoming one of my favorite ZE/ZF lenses (I've had many of them and tried most of them). It has a character, it's small, stopped down it's sharp corner to corner, I adore it for B&W,...

Not strange at all, many have have waxed poetic about the lens stopped down, including me, and in particular how it does b&w. Perhaps it conserves tonality better than most, I don't know. I too consider my 50P as a fave even though I some of the top zeiss ZF lenses.

Jochenb, that shot is amazing, don't let lens take your credit

johnahill wrote:
Need some thoughts and opinions here.

I have ZE50/1.4, Leica 60mm macro-elmarit and Voigtlander 58mm/1.4 nokton.

I like using the Zeiss and often shoot it around f5.6 or f8 for city-scapes, street shots and landscape.

I bought the Leica a while aho and use it a bit for macro, have thought recently about using it for pano's on a pano plate (which i already have).

Bought the voigtlander late last summer because i've always fancied having a go of this lens and while it's nice as a portrait lens i don't use it for much other stuff because the Zeiss is better.

Well, with all this kit my peli case is bursting at the seams.

How about getting red of the Leica and the Voigtlander and getting the 50mm Makro-Planar?
It seems to be a good replacement for the Leica and will probably be as good or better than the voigtlander for portraits.

For stopped down city-scenes will it trump the 50planar?

Thoughts and opinions greatly appreciated.

Cheers

For city/landscape scenes at around f8,50 MP behaves more or less like 50 ZE,but it has got a bit more of the Zeiss pop overall I would say.You'll also get useful 1:2 macro if you fancy some detail close up.To get a picture sharp across the frame/minimal CA with 50ZE one have to stop it down at least to f2.8 - same with 50MP but it is only only one f-stop more than wo.

I have 50ZE,50ZF2,50MPZF,58/1.4 Voigt and used to have 60/2.8 Leica macro.If I have to chose one of them it would be 50MP for both FF and APS-C - no doubts and no hesitation.

Many thanks for all the comments re the 50P and 50MP, Jochenb - great shot.

A lot of my images tend to be stopped down with full DOF im the image - so the image is completly within the DOF and no focus fall-off.

Question - does the 50P character show when the image is completely within the DOF say at f5.6 or f8? Many of the examples of this lens's character are medium distance with nice focus transition.

Anyway, less of the pondering and more images, this a known as a bleeding heart. 100MP

Peire wrote:
johnahill wrote:
Need some thoughts and opinions here.

I have ZE50/1.4, Leica 60mm macro-elmarit and Voigtlander 58mm/1.4 nokton.

I like using the Zeiss and often shoot it around f5.6 or f8 for city-scapes, street shots and landscape.

I bought the Leica a while aho and use it a bit for macro, have thought recently about using it for pano's on a pano plate (which i already have).

Bought the voigtlander late last summer because i've always fancied having a go of this lens and while it's nice as a portrait lens i don't use it for much other stuff because the Zeiss is better.

Well, with all this kit my peli case is bursting at the seams.

How about getting red of the Leica and the Voigtlander and getting the 50mm Makro-Planar?
It seems to be a good replacement for the Leica and will probably be as good or better than the voigtlander for portraits.

For stopped down city-scenes will it trump the 50planar?

Thoughts and opinions greatly appreciated.

Cheers

For city/landscape scenes at around f8,50 MP behaves more or less like 50 ZE,but it has got a bit more of the Zeiss pop overall I would say.You'll also get useful 1:2 macro if you fancy some detail close up.To get a picture sharp across the frame/minimal CA with 50ZE one have to stop it down at least to f2.8 - same with 50MP but it is only only one f-stop more than wo.

I have 50ZE,50ZF2,50MPZF,58/1.4 Voigt and used to have 60/2.8 Leica macro.If I have to chose one of them it would be 50MP for both FF and APS-C - no doubts and no hesitation.

Cheers Pierre

I'm thinking about getting the MP and having both 50's for a while.

How is the corner sharpness on the MP at f5.6 to f8? Is the reputed corner issue only wide open?

Only close to wide open, maybe gone by f/4.