@Greggf: Those are all Carsten's shots (I quoted him above).
Regarding the C/Y 28/2: I think it's a bit less sharp than the ZE/ZF 28/2, but it certainly has a special reputation (having a lot of character/pop).
JonasY wrote:
How do I get maximum amount of the famous 3D out of this lens?
Finding good light conditions (somewhat directional so that it emphasizes textures), perspective, DOF placement, proper sharpening of web size images. Choosing the correct white balance also helps: a too warm WB reduces impression of depth; neutral or slightly cool seems to be better, but too blue (or any strong color cast) also reduces the 3D effect. Which lens did you get?
AhamB wrote:
Finding good light conditions, perspective, DOF placement, proper sharpening of web size images. Choosing the correct white balance also helps: a too warm WB reduces impression of depth; neutral or slightly cool seems to be better, but too blue (or any strong color cast) also reduces the 3D effect. Which lens did you get?
Great reply, thanks! I had no idea about the white balance. The lens is a ZM35/2 for my M8.
Yes, Benjamin, I am very happy with the 28. It is very sharp even wide open, but especially stopped down. It is one of the Zeiss lenses you need to handle a bit with care though. The corners can be tricky, and the boke can get whacky, but when you get it right, the boke is just beautiful, very gentle and painterly. I first saw this on a shot of a viking ship sculpture from Hrannar, and after seeing that shot, I just couldn't stop thinking about the lens. Cyra's tree shots put the final nail in the coffin.
I am not familiar with the C/Y 28/2, but I believe that it has a different character until stopped down, meaning that some of the above shots might look different. In general, the C/Y lenses are more gentle wide open, might have smoother boke, and get very sharp stopped down. They also tend to a different white balance (warmer?). The 'Hollywood' is legendary though, so if the price is good, why not try it? You could always sell it on.
@Carsten: I have the impression that the C/Y lenses have a cooler colour balance overall and that the Z* are warmer. I remember seeing something like that in Samuli's comparisons between his different Zeiss 100mm lenses (the Contax ones emphasizing blues more and the ZF100/2 having stronger green/yellow).
A walkaround from yesterday with a Sonnar 250/5.6 Superachromat.
The combination of soft lighting from a cloudy afternoon with the lens' characteristics gave these a very "medium format" look, in my opinion; I need to learn to compose for a 6x6 aspect ratio
mpmendenhall - Great to see two ends of spectrum with ziess ( long and wide ). From the first set, I like the #4. Partial view of arches, a tree and the sky is a very nice contrast. Great fish eye shots. #1, 3, 5, 12 are my favs.
carstenw wrote:
I am very happy with the 28. It is very sharp even wide open, but especially stopped down. It is one of the Zeiss lenses you need to handle a bit with care though. The corners can be tricky, and the boke can get whacky, but when you get it right, the boke is just beautiful, very gentle and painterly. I first saw this on a shot of a viking ship sculpture from Hrannar, and after seeing that shot, I just couldn't stop thinking about the lens. Cyra's tree shots put the final nail in the coffin.
I am utterly sorry about this Carsten!
glad you like it. I like your Fleischfabrik shots. The lens has a character of its own, although hard to describe. The 3D is certainly strong. Do you think it is especially good for contrasty scenes like your windowshot? The blown out highlights and blacks certainly don't look bad there. Haven't come across the whackyness in the bokeh yet, but I guess it is like with the 25/2.8: if there are harsh structures in the background (needles, bare branches) the bokeh gets funky. Unforunately I didn't have time to try my 28 out much, and neither my 21
I don't find the 28/2 to be low-contrast, although it is certainly not as contrasty as the 35/2 and some others. It does seem to handle most situations with grace. The corners can get unruly, but if you keep your eyes on them, they are fine. I am especially enamoured with its gentle boke. I think a similar summary can be made of this lens as of the Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH: it is a lens for grownups. It doesn't have anything spectacular, and just goes about its business in a quiet but competent way.
Having said that, it is not ideal for all uses. Philippe certainly had some scenarios in which the new 25/2 is much better, as well as the two 35s.
I like the bokeh too, and it is different from the 35/2, more towards the 35/1.4. Can't judge the 25/2.0 yet, but it seems it is also very smooth.
THe 28 certainly has intense colours. Philippe said he found it good for harsh midday light, this is why I am asking. Have not tried it in such circumstances.
akul wrote:
This past week was my week of reacquainting with 2/35. This is a lovely lens. Still have not decided whether to sell it or not.
A luxury problem for sure but still a real problem for us lens lovers Since my lens collection has grown quite a lot during the last years I find myself in situations where I almost have a bad conscious if I haven't used a lens in a long time but I try to remind myself that a lens will last for a very long time so there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Still, for me at last, there seem to be some kind of limit on how many lenses you can own, apart from financial and storage aspects , and that I need to think carefully if a new lens really has a place in my collection based on how and how much it will be used.
I like the second tree photo with the C/Y 50/1.4 btw.
Carsten, the first photo from your last set from the Fleischfabrik is a favorite. The way the light shines through the open door to the right and lit one part of the room appeals to me a lot.
I've been trying to find the right time to jump in here. I bought a used Zeiss ZF.2 21mm last December from a rental agency. Sort of a funny story, but worked out and I have been snapping away since. As other have noted, the bar has been set pretty high in this forum and the ZE/ZF/ZM thread, so I was a bit nervous about jumping in.
However, I couldn't not respond to mpmendenhall's photos of my alma mater CalTech (BS '81 in Applied Physics). Great shots. I'm not usually a fisheye lens fan, but I really enjoyed the various fisheye shots from around campus. My favorite is the second fisheye shot, though I can't actually picture where that is (or maybe it is one of the buildings built since I left...).
As this is a photo forum, it seems only fair to upload a few shots with my 21mm, though on my crop sensor camera it is closer to a 31mm.
Here is a shot from Muir Woods National Monument taken this last long weekend.
