I just purchased a new Nikon D800E and I'm looking for recommendations for a landscape lens for it. I do have a Nikon 24mm F1.4G for it, and I picked up a Nikon AF-S manual 100mm from KEH, for $99.00 I figured it would be a good starting point. My prefrence is a large DOF and I have very little intrest in Bokeh. I want the lens sharp at infinity. How do the Zeiss lens resolve at infinity? Most of the images I see on this thread seem to be execelent at close and midrange but very soft at infinity. For landscapes I also prefer a manual lens which tends to lean me towards the Zeiss.
Paul Gardner wrote:
and I picked up a Nikon AF-S manual 100mm from KEH, for $99.00 I figured it would be a good starting point. My prefrence is a large DOF and I have very little intrest in Bokeh. I want the lens sharp at infinity. How do the Zeiss lens resolve at infinity? Most of the images I see on this thread seem to be execelent at close and midrange but very soft at infinity. For landscapes I also prefer a manual lens which tends to lean me towards the Zeiss.
A manual 100mm lens labeled AF-S? Did you mean AI-s? (Nikkor E 100/2.8?)
In my experience and from everything I've heard from others, Zeiss lenses tend to perform very well at infinity. Some of them (Planar 50/1.4 and 85/1.4) are at their best at infinity and a bit softer at close distance.
weissj wrote:
I won't debate composition or subject, because I'm rather pleased with both, but something did get lost in the uploading that made the image look soft. Compare: http://www.flickr.com/photos/weissj/7460521194/lightbox/
That one looks much sharper. You can link directly from flickr, just click share, and select BB code, then paste it.
first image from my recent (the fourth,4th in Fortaleza and only one time in Rio de Janeiro) trip to Brazil,first time with a reflex for various reasons..
this is Fortaleza,in the Cearà state,north-east Brazil
Planar cy 50/1.4 from balcony of my building,8th floor of 24
Nice again, I am enjoying your HDR journey Carsten :-). In this particular shot (and some others, but not all) I would boost contrast - and in particular local contrast. If I may I'll show you what I mean.
Hmm, a little overdone as you said, but I see what you mean. The problem is that every time I go in this direction, I get in trouble around here from others My original is already an enhanced reality, but in a subtle way, that it could be real. That is mostly what I try for. I could probably go a *bit* further in your direction without getting hassled by the HDR police though
But I still see some difference. Of course only true to my taste. #1 is a room where someone has just exploded a kilo of flour. #2 is a bit overdone, but I'd say contrast (all definitions) are a bit more what I want from a Zeiss lens. #3 is a luscious HDR bound to be jailed by the guardians of good taste
My original is already an enhanced reality, but in a subtle way, that it could be real. That is mostly what I try for. I could probably go a *bit* further in your direction without getting hassled by the HDR police though 
