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Dpedraza
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Registered: Jan 8, 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 46
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Review Date: Feb 3, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,450.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Build quality optics very sharp
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Cons:
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This was my first zeiss lens I bought and what a lens to buy. I bought it because I like to shoot landscapes and architecture a lot so I needed something fairly wide. this lens is insanely sharp and works exceptionally well on the Nikon D800. I bought it because of all the "hype" that surrounded it. I must say that it's an excellent performer. I know there are two things that put people off of this lens. 1. Price point and 2. Manual focus neither of which had a negative effect of my decision
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 Feb 3, 2013
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jamgolf
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Registered: Nov 30, 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 45
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Review Date: Feb 2, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,850.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Details and clarity
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Cons:
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None
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After using 24-70mm Nikkor on my D700/D800 for 4 years I decided to try something else. I have purchased Zeiss trifecta of Zf.2 100mm makro plannar, Zf.2 35mm f1.4 and Zf.2 21mm distagons. All three are very very good. But the 21mm is (for me) a lens that I wish I had purchased years ago.
I don't know if this is the best 21mm ever made or if its the reference lens for landscape photogs. I just know that it suits me perfectly. It has jaw dropping image quality and its a very versatile lens (which suits my personality). Its excellent with landscapes and its excellent for close subjects and exaggerated perspective shots. Get very close and it has an almost makro like quality as well - and its also very good for just general photography.
I think this lens encourages and rewards creativity and I have started really enjoying photography again after some time.
In short - if I was to ever lose this lens or damage it, I would buy another one in one second. I am also enjoying the 100mm and 35mm but this one is my favorite and the only one of the three that I truly love and think is worth the cost. In fact I think it cheap for what it offers me.
Here is a link to my Zf.2 21mm gallery: http://jawad.zenfolio.com/p578841430
Cheers!
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Feb 2, 2013
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chmod
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Registered: May 18, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 25
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Review Date: Jan 3, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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vibrancy,, sharpness, hard-to-define rendering quality
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Cons:
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lens cap is pathetic
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My favorite landscape lens by a wide margin.
I do travel with it, but it can be a challenge to use due to the constraints associated with such a wide field of view. Another way of saying; if a person is careful this lens shines. If a person is not careful, the results can resemble a funhouse mirror in terms of outer edge geometry.
I love the way it renders color. I realize there are those who challenge this as some hallucinogenic mass psychosis (that of the Zeiss look) but I can only smile and nod. It does render colors better than my other non-Zeiss lenses.
The focus ring is a joy to use. Fat, smooth and zero play/slop.
I get anxious after shooting as the unexpected joys of the output make the process of rendering RAW files a treasure hunt.
I can't recommend this lens more highly.
Historically I have used this mostly with a 1Ds MIII, but am slowly introducing it to my 1Dx.
Some examples...
http://www.idyll.com/p119198532
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Jan 3, 2013
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brimo
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Registered: Oct 28, 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 80
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Review Date: Jul 28, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Colour rendition, edge to edge sharpness even at F2.8, good close up ability....Has that Zeiss clarity.....
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Cons:
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None
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Jul 28, 2012
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gullevek
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Registered: Oct 15, 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jun 25, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Excellent build quality, very low vignetting wide open, very low or no CA or color shift, beautiful contrast and color rendition.
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Cons:
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Mustache distortion (but can be fixed in Lightroom with the lens profile)
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This is a picture perfect wide angle lens built in the same style as the old Zeiss Contax 21mm lens.
Besides the Zeiss typical mustache (waveform) distortion, which can be easily fixed in lightroom, this lens has no negative points for me. Even the manual focus is no problem, because with 21mm @f8 there is almost no need to focus at all anyway.
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Jun 25, 2012
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Ulan
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Registered: May 14, 2008
Location: Belgium
Posts: 101
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Review Date: Dec 23, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Well built. Sharp, sharp. Nice colors and contrast.
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Cons:
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Hood can be difficult to put or remove. Heavy. Expensive.
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The lens has a nice design. Very elegant despite being built as a a tank. This doesn't mean you shouldn't be cautious with its manipulation : some scratches can easily appear on the black paint of the barrel. The focus ring is soft, pleasant to use and accurate. There is no autofocus, but a green light flashes when target is in focus. Had a problem with the hood as it remained blocked in the thread; fortunately the retailer managed to fix the issue.
Glass is amazing, especially contrast, color and sharpness. Very good for landscape photography. Purple fringe may occur, but not often. You can have flare if sun is at 10h-14h even with the hood on.
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Dec 23, 2011
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Hudsons
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Registered: May 8, 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 16
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Review Date: Dec 22, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Only had this lens for a short while. Build quality superb, balances well on a 5DII, focus easy with viewfinder confirmation. Very sharp with rich colours.
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Cons:
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None so far.
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Dec 22, 2011
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dimitris77
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Registered: Aug 29, 2005
Location: N/A
Posts: 511
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Review Date: Dec 13, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Build quality, image quality, microcontrast, detail, sharp!
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Cons:
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Distortion, bulky hood.
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I bought this to replace my 24 tsemkii and never regretted. Colors, contrast are better on this and consistent with the whole zeiss line. Distortion is pretty evident but I don't shoot architecture as much. Also while lens isn't too big its hood makes it a bulky lens. Impressive design and 16 elements tightly packed for a yummy landscape lens.
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Dec 13, 2011
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Krosavcheg
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Registered: Apr 10, 2006
Location: Japan
Posts: 2081
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Review Date: Sep 4, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,200.00
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Great build, high microcontrast, beautiful colour rendition, probably best width/distortion balance
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Cons:
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Soft corners, distortion, confusing hood mount
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Severely disappointed with soft corners and distortion even when stopped down to f5.6 and below.
Hood is rather annoying to mount, since when mounted incorrectly it will obstruct the frame.
Great lens otherwise. Even considering negative aspects of rendition it still outperforms Canon EF 16-35/2.8 L by miles.
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Sep 4, 2011
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brogala
Online
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Registered: Jul 31, 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 259
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Review Date: Jul 16, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,819.00
| Rating: 5
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Pros:
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Great build and finish. Metal lens hood is a nicely designed and easy to attach compared to most Canon hoods I've used. In general, a wonderful lens with one little problem, at least this copy.
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Cons:
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The corners are not sharp.
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Since I have a copy of the 21 f/2.8 CZ lens I decided to compare the two and it was an eye opener. The CZ is much better in the corners especially at f/2.8. Still quite noticeably better at f/5.6 and even f/8. I gave up there and decided to return the lens as it offers me no advantage over the CZ version. Hopefully it was just my copy but it would be wise to check the corners if you decide to purchase this lens.
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Jul 16, 2011
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Wheaty
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Registered: Mar 3, 2003
Location: Canada
Posts: 68
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Review Date: Jun 30, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,800.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharpness (edge to edge!), Contrast, Close focus (9"), Build Quality
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Cons:
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Expensive, Large, Some Vignetting (but that's to be expected at this focal length)
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Simply put, probably the best 21mm lens ever made. It puts any other lens I've tested in this range to shame. Sure, it's pricey, but in this case you get what you pay for!
I would say don't bother with this lens unless you're shooting FF and can take full advantage of the edge-to-edge quality.
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Jun 30, 2011
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mohamed alfari
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Registered: Sep 5, 2006
Location: United Arab Emirates
Posts: 1116
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Review Date: Feb 6, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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sharpness , build quality, smooth focus ring, color, contrast
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Cons:
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well sometimes I wish it was 18mm at least.
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I used to fear manual lenses as I thought it as hard to focus, but with the confirming sound and little practice its so easy to use. this lens is a joy to use, the focus ring is so smooth you feel the build quality when you turn it. this thing is build from metal all over it no plastic anywhere. highly recommended.
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Feb 6, 2011
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akronzip
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Registered: Feb 26, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 12
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Review Date: Nov 6, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Build quality & image quality.
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Cons:
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Dangerously addictive images.
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I rented a Zeiss Distagon 21mm for a trip to a shrine in Missouri. After I shot the planned panorama, I took some shots from behind the alter. I used the Distagon 21mm along with my 17-40 L and 24 TSE L.
When I viewed the images in photoshop, I was simply amazed the image quality from the Distagon. They were images beyond what I thought I could take. The detail, colors, the pop.
I sent a file to a friend and he felt compelled to print it @ 13 x 19. I showed the print to my wife and she had it framed and hung in the guest room.
I've rented Zeiss glass before and found it interesting, but the 21mm was compelling. I was compelled to buy it. I'm planning trips to Yosemite and Big Sur just to use it again.
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Nov 6, 2010
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dstraton
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Registered: Jan 17, 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Oct 22, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,732.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Outresolves my sensor (5DMk2), amazing color and clarity, presence. Sublime build. Amazing.
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Cons:
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Seriously? None. Maybe AF but I don't miss it.
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I have had a number of wide angles, and this mops the floor with them. It is a special lens. The "3D" effect posted by almost all users does exist. Sharpness is exemplary, right to the corners pretty much from 2.8 up.
My poor, poor 17-40 didn't stand a chance. While sharp in the center, the edges are no match for this lens...the 21 is in fact so sharp that even a tiny bit of sharpening cuts through the anti-alias filtering and you can't start to see some pixelation on very very fine details - I have no doubt that this lens is "future-proof" in terms of resolution.
Green and blues are amazing, and I find this lens renders colors much more accurately in the subtle tones than even my L lenses. Hard to explain, but it's there.
Price? Well you get what you pay for.
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Oct 22, 2010
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dave chilvers
Offline
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Registered: Jan 12, 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1620
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Review Date: Oct 14, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Simply the best
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Cons:
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None
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This is the original version of the lens just for comparison in case any body is thinking of getting the old Contax MM version.
There is absolutely nothing I have ever used to touch this lens at that focal length. I did have a chance to try out the latest upgraded version and they are very close but IMHO I still come down on the side of the old magic. I was lucky and managed to pick up a new lens, still boxed and unused and although I had to pay the premium I will never regret it.
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Oct 14, 2010
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PratyushPandya
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Registered: Sep 28, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 7
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Review Date: Sep 26, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,843.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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SHARP, Dreamy Bokeh, Great Contrast and Colors, MF is so easy to get used to on this one.
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Cons:
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Nothing for me personally. Some people may not like that it lacks AF, or its price.
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Just a few short weeks ago, I couldn't have imagined buying a non-Canon optics. Once I came to know about Zeiss, however, it was an easy decision.
I don't mind not having AF, since it's really not needed on an UWA lenses such as this.
Selling Canon 16-35L II for this was relatively an easy decision. And I don't regret it at all. Zeiss 21/2.8 is THE BEST UWA lens available for a Canon FF system. Period.
If you're on the fence, jump the fence. You'd be glad.
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Sep 26, 2010
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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34
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38169
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Feb 3, 2013
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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97% of reviewers
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$1,613.20
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.97
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8.42
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9.6
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