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kezeka
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Registered: Feb 18, 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 383
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Review Date: May 11, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Great up close and far away. Focus ring is smooth. Built better than any Canon L lens - though, it lacks weather sealing - and is all metal. Front element is set back quite a bit and small. Just stupendously sharp and contrasty wide open.
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Cons:
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No red dot to figure out where it enters the mount. Metal hood scratches if you look at it wrong. Pretty dense lens, could see it sliding out of my grasp more easily than other lenses I have. Metal focus ring digs into my fingers over time. No AF - but everyone looking at this lens knows it. The focus throw between MFD and infinity is 300 degrees, from 2ft to infinity is roughly 30 degrees - that isn't a whole lot to play with.
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I thought I would hate this lens but a good friend of mine kept pestering me to buy it since I was looking into other 50mm lenses. Tried the 50L and hated the unreliable beast on my 5D2. canon 50 1.4 has too many reliability issues. 50 1.8 is a great value but not what I was looking for. The sigma 50 has mechanical failures out the wazzoo and notoriously bad AF so I skipped past that after my experience with the 50L... which left me with all of 2 options when it came to using a 50mm focal length: buy an M9 and a summilux 50 or give this 50 MP a try. Glad I tried the 50MP because I just saved a boat load of money.
This lens is stunningly sharp wide open. I have had it for nearly a week at this point and am very much infatuated with the quality of the photos this lens is able to produce. It renders skies in a very painterly manner compared to my canon lenses. Speaking of rendering - I have no flipping clue what "3D" or "microcontrast" means but this lens definitely gives images a good bit of extra pop that differentiates it from anything I have used in the past except for the 135L which is similar but lacks the definition that this lens is able to produce. I was worried about not having enough subject isolation at f/2 wide open but it is definitely able to pull it off in most circumstances. I never knew that buying a lens from a different manufacturer would lead to such major differences in the photos I am able to take.
Anyway, there are a few negatives that people seem to skim past:
- the focus throw for the usable street photography range is a paltry/pathetic 30 degrees. That is absurd in a manual focus lens that boasts 300 degrees of focus ring rotation. I understand it is a macro lens but good god man, does it really need 270 degrees from 2 ft to MFD?! Beats me, but it takes great flower photos.
- All metal sounds awesome. It looks pretty slick and feels great to pick up for the first time and have the cool-to-the-touch metal feel. But metal scratches significantly more often and more noticeably than plastic. Especially the hood. Clearly Zeiss hasn't learned from Apple's terribly thin anodizing aluminum experiences.
- Same note as above, metal focus rings feel good at first but can really dig in for the long haul (1 hour into holding this lens and I was pretty happy to set it down for a bit).
Outside of those problems, I really enjoy using this lens. It is nice to slow down and manually focus everything on days when I just want to relax and take photos. I doubt i'll ever use this for event or concert photography but I am sure it would work well if I didn't suck at manually focusing so much. As of early 2013 - this is by far the best 50mm available in a native EF mount if you do not absolutely need AF. Even if you do need AF, give this little fella a try and experience a totally different kind of photography.
Highly recommended.
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 May 11, 2013
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chmod
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Registered: May 18, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 17
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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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Build quality, color rendering, resolution
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Cons:
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lens cap design (sic)
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In my case, the challenge in using primes exclusively is forcing me to work the lens, and not fret the focal length.
My game, unless on a paid gig, is to pick and lens and use it. I love the 50mm length and consider it to be my most safe choice if I honestly do not know what I will be shooting.
Not much to add to what others have said. The Zeiss look, to me, is real and the subtle color and contrast rendering is what makes it work in my world. Having macro capability is a fun option.
Splendid manual focus as the knob is large and smooth, with any semblance of play.
Highly recommended for high resolution, warm tones and scientific build quality.
Some examples...
http://www.idyll.com/z50
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Jan 3, 2013
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Keith B.
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Registered: Jun 6, 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 480
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Review Date: Dec 12, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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ZF: Great all-around 50mm f/2 lens.
ZF.2: Coating changes reduce niceness. Get a ZF if you can.
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Cons:
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ZF.2 "chipped" version has AR coating changes that reduce resistance to flare, add blue flare to backlit shots. Color transmission also affected: ZF.2 has heavier greenish-yellow cast. Too bad
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If you get a chance to compare a ZF version of this lens against a ZF.2, you'll prefer the ZF.
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Dec 12, 2012
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user222
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Registered: Sep 13, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 670
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Review Date: Nov 16, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Zeiss color and contrast.
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Cons:
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Warning: may lead to a Zeiss habit.
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I finally found a 50 that I really like!
I used the Canon 50 1.4 for a while, then the Canon 50 1.2. Both lenses produce excellent photos, but neither clicked with me like some other Canon lenses.
I took a chance and went for the Zeiss. Glad I did.
The lens is super versatile. Landscape, macro, street, portrait. Anything you would use a 50 for, this lens is up to the task.
I'm really enjoying MF as well. No need to worry about focus points, or focusing and re-framing. Just use your eye and hand to focus on whatever part of the frame you prefer.
Or use AF confirm. In this case, the only difference is your hand is replacing the AF motor. Probably saves battery life. I've started using MF on my AF lenses since owning a Zeiss. Sometimes it's the best focus method, so a good skill to have.
Lastly, the detail this lens picks up is stunning.
Here is my set of 50MP photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/craig_coonrad/sets/72157628673746143/
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Nov 16, 2012
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dimitris77
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Registered: Aug 29, 2005
Location: N/A
Posts: 511
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Review Date: Sep 29, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $900.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, build quality, color and contrast
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Cons:
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Silly front cap
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Excellent overall lens. Its sharp, has nice contrast and color. Its also very versatile since it can be used for macro and for landscapes. It reminds be of the Zeiss 35mm f2 in terms of rendering only this is a bit less contrasty in a good way. Easy to focus as well.
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Sep 29, 2012
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Vancouver47
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Registered: Sep 24, 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 185
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Review Date: May 31, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,189.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Amazingly sharp wide open, Manual focus is not even the slightest drawback
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Cons:
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Nothing except the lens cap clasps protrude of the side of the cap. One accidental touch and its gone.
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My rating of 9 reflect the stupid lens cap, otherwise it absolutely blows away any other 50mm I have ever used.
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May 31, 2012
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bocaminus
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Registered: Apr 19, 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 486
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Review Date: Apr 12, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,300.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Superb color, great contrast, stupid sharp
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Cons:
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None
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By far, the best 50mm lens I ever mounted on Canon DSLR body ... and trust me I tried them all (Canon 1.2/1.4/1.8), Contax Zeiss, Sigma and Summilux-R 50mm f/1.4. No glitches, no issues, no negatives ... just plain awesome lens!
Two quick samples 5 minutes after I took it out of box:
http://senicphoto.zenfolio.com/p53143348/e1aba970a
http://senicphoto.zenfolio.com/p53143348/e128918a5
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Apr 12, 2012
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thx1138
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Registered: Oct 20, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 551
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Review Date: Feb 18, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,300.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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The usefulness of 50mm with the ability for macro when needed. Edge-to-edge sharpness wide open.
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Cons:
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While the typical Zeiss focusing ring dampening is present, the 5m to infinity portion of the focus ring turn feels the slightest bit "loose" and makes distant focusing difficult.
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With all the benefits and similarities of the Zeiss 100mm Makro-Planar f/2, the shorter focal length gives broader field of view with all the benefits of 1:2 magnification.
Fringing is present wide open in high-contrast lighting scenarios, but this lens particularly shines in low-contrast lighting portraiture.
Bokeh and rendering style, as many people rank with Zeiss lens, is exceptional and possesses the smoothest in-to-out of depth-of-field transitions seen.
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Feb 18, 2012
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kzaret
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Registered: Feb 6, 2005
Location: N/A
Posts: 7
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Review Date: Oct 12, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Colors, bokeh, sharpness, low light photography; a precision product that is a pleasure to use.
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Cons:
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Makes you wish more lenses were like this, or that you could afford more of them.
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I bought the Zeiss Makro-Planar 50mm f/2 for my Canon 5DmkII about 6 weeks ago and have enjoyed it immensely. I fretted a long time beforehand about whether to go with a Canon 50mm product or the Zeiss f/1.4, but the former did not get good reviews and the latter, while cheaper than the Zeiss f/2, was not rated well wide open. I finally decided to go all the way for the Makro-Planar and very glad I did. All the positives agree with those stated by other reviews here. Shoot wide open or just down to 2.8 or so, and the images look great. Where I may contribute is in addressing some of the concerns. First, potential difficulty focusing manually near infinity. I solved that by getting the Eg-S Super Precision Matte Screen. While it was a bit nerve-wracking to install, when done I realized it was no big deal, and had found several web sites on line (just google) with lots of pictures to help me through. The better screen helps a lot with manual focus. Though the view is darker with your f/4 lenses, you get used to it quick. Another potential concern is owning a lens with a macro design, but you are doing general photography. I have come to appreciate that being able to do macro anytime you are doing other work is not a bad thing. Also, the macro perspective at 50 mm is very different from that what you get with the typical 100mm macro. The ability to shoot wide open and at fairly high ISO on the 5DmkII greatly expands the hours of the day where you can do photography without a tripod. If you travel a lot and can't haul the metal or carbon fiber, this lens opens up the world.
Many of these were taken with the Makro-Planar f/2, my first big outing with the lens (please leave comments if inclined):
http://www.pbase.com/kzaret/berlin
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Oct 12, 2011
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furqanfazal
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Registered: May 14, 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 61
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Review Date: Oct 8, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $950.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Very versatile! Can be used for portraits, macro, landscapes and general walk-around.
Beautiful creamy bokeh and very rich colors.
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Cons:
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Not an AF lens (though I actually don't mind).
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I confess after using this lens I am now smitten with Zeiss lenses. This lens has spectacular colors rendition, microcontrast and bokeh. I previously thought I would only keep one macro lens - the Canon 100mm f/2.8L - with me but lately I've been using the Zeiss ZE MP more frequently for macro work because of its better microcontrast, and its 3D images under high contrast conditions. I often use the lens in combination with extension tubes to go behind 0.5x magnification.
As others have noted, this lens inspires creativity and is very versatile. Don't be discouraged by the fact that this lens is MF only. I use this lens on my cropped body (T2i) with no problems (I use AF confirmation). Sure I miss focus more often (for non-macro work) than when I use AF lenses but I am not bothered by this as the lens is capable of yielding breathtaking results.
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Oct 8, 2011
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Doo-bop
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Registered: Jul 17, 2008
Location: N/A
Posts: 158
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Review Date: Jan 12, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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sharpness, color, handling
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Cons:
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no AF, doesnt really matter to me
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I agree with most comments here. Great lens, sharp from near to far!
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Jan 12, 2011
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Rajan Parrikar
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Registered: Sep 9, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 949
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Review Date: Dec 12, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,283.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Build, Sharpness, Micro-contrast, Bokeh
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Cons:
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I am a Canon shooter and this was my first Zeiss lens. There are many Zeiss & Leica fanboys, most of them great gearheads and mediocre photographers. I did a good bit of research before deciding on the ZE 50 f/2 Makro Planar. All I can say is, it lives up to its hype and reputation. Sharpness and micro-contrast are outstanding and the bokeh at f/2 is delicious. Build is world-class. This is a versatile lens, serving Macro, street and landscape photography. I am glad to have made this purchase.
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Dec 12, 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 23, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,283.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, sharp, sharp - outresolves my 5DMK2 at f5.6 - f8.0. Color POP. Wonderful rendering from sharp to blur. Manual focus, quality.
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Cons:
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I suppose price or AF, but that's not why you're reading this, right?
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I bought the 35 f2 and 21 f.2.8 the same day - originally I was just going in for the 21, but bought the 35 f2 on a lark. Suffice to say, I now LOVE the 35 f2 more than any lens I have.
So, the 21 did not disappoint either...and I officially had the bug. So I bought the 50.
I am not going to reiterate everything you've already read, beyond that it is all true. Compared to the razor-sharp eye-bleeding sharpness at f8, f2 seems a tad soft, but it is still I can affirm, very sharp. Colors are to die for - my Canons are all warmer and less realistic - these pop out of the camera just right.
use Unsharp Mask or any other sharpening method at your own risk, you may find you don't need it.
BTW, I am selling every Canon lens I have save the 24-105. Who needs them?
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Oct 23, 2010
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mahonet
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Registered: Nov 30, 2008
Location: Finland
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Aug 26, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Awesome lens! Excellent sharpness, color, contrast and bokeh.
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Cons:
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None, but it is macro which must be taken into consideration when focusing to infinity. Focusing ring is made for macro use.
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Simply said, In my opinion, the best 50mm I have ever used and, I think, one of the best you can ever get. Very solid performer. Compared with Zeiss 1.4 planar the rendition is more contrasty and sharpness is better in apertures 2.0-2.8. That said I don´t blame Zeiss ze 1.4 planar in any way. They are just different tools for different purposes.
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Aug 26, 2010
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JORDI350D
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Registered: Dec 7, 2005
Location: Spain
Posts: 30
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Review Date: Jun 21, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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All.
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Cons:
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Front cap. Dificult to focus bteween 5/10 mts to inf, but not worse that others.
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Best 50 mm that I have ever tested.
I have tested 50 1.4 / 50L 1.2 / Sig. 50 Macr. 2.8 and others.
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Jun 21, 2010
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denoir
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Registered: Feb 11, 2010
Location: Sweden
Posts: 4184
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Review Date: Jun 2, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharpness, contrast, colors, build quality
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Cons:
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Focusing near infinity can be difficult as the focus ring is primarily designed for macro shots. Bokeh can be so-so in some situations.
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Fantastic lens. It's the 'little brother' of the remarkable 100mm Makro Planar and shares many of its traits. Before I got this lens I had never found a 50mm lens that I liked - including Canon's 50L. I thought I simply did not like the focal length.
Not so apparently. The 50 MP is a great to use and the images it produces are fabulous. Sharpness, colors and contrast are all superb. It really brings out the fine detail in images. It also has a very graceful DOF falloff where the in-focus parts just melt away out of focus. The result is a feeling of depth in the images.
On the negative side is that it can be difficult to focus near infinity - slight movements of the focus ring result in large changes in focus distance. You learn it soon enough though and the excellent focus ring helps a lot.
Bokeh can range from truly amazing to mediocre depending on distance to subject, background and aperture.
There is no such thing as a perfect lens and that holds for this one as well. It is however excellent and probably the best 50mm you can get today.
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Jun 2, 2010
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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22
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36351
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May 11, 2013
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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100% of reviewers
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$1,172.14
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.82
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8.95
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9.8
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