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Archive 2012 · New member

Fredbare
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · New member

As often happens I found this thread via a very circuitous route and very happy to have done so.
Registration would have been worthwhile just to congratulate the photographers on the images presented on this forum - the most outstanding I have had the privledge of viewing online.

My internet exploration, culminating in this forum, arose from wanting to improve the quality of my photography. My first 35 mm camera goes back to the late 1960's when I obtained a used 'Yashica J' camera. Funny thing is that I believe that some of the photographs I achieved with that camera were better than I achieved in the years since - which has left me somewhat flumaxed.
To cut a long story short I've decided to try different lenses from a '3rd party' maufacturer and I'm hoping Zeiss will be the answer to my prayers - if I can get anywhere near to the quality of the photographs I've just spent numerous hours previewing on this site I'll be in 7th heaven.
Current camera is a Nikon D90 which will be augmented soon with a D800, D600 or maybe a D700 (I'm fence sitting waiting to see what theD600 will have to offer).
As far as lenses go, in the similar range as the current Zeiss lenses I have the AFD 24mm, AFD 35mm, AFD 50mm F1.4, AFS 60mm micro and the AFD 105mm DC.
So, one of the Zeiss 21mm, 28mm or 85mm would fill in a 'missing gap' and provide me with a 'sampler' into the Zeiss lenses.
The Distagon T* 28mm or 85mm would probably be of most interest at present however:
I've read various 'caveats' in reviews covering the 28mm but not sure how much of a problem these pose in real life? The 35mm F2 is well thought of and might be a better choice as an 'entry' into the Zeiss lens range?
With the 85mm, how difficult is manual focussing given the absence of a split focus screen on the D90 (and the FF one when I get around to it)? I'm thinking the lower focal lengths would be easier to manually focus - at least in the beginning (I manually focussed mostlt OK with my OM1 but that was years back and with focus screen)
The 21mm looks fantastic but the price (as a 'sampler') is on the higher side.

If all goes well I'd look into getting the 21mm, 28mm, 50mm, 85mm and 100mm MP to cover the wide / short telephoto range. Is this adequate coverage or would say the 35mm F2 add to the mix - or any other?
And once I get out of debtors prison I'll be able to enjoy all the acquisitions

Apologies for the 'thousand and one' questions in a first post - and the length.

With high regards

Jun 30, 2012 at 04:53 AM

JonasY
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · New member

Welcome! My suggestion is to go through any of the Zeiss threads, they're one of the best resources for information regarding those lenses. The best way (IMO) to see how a lens performs, apart from trying it ofc, is to look at how it performs under various situations from real pictures and not read technical reviews. Too many factors are not covered by the MTF charts ...

My personal recommendation for you however is first to buy a FF body, that will make more for IQ and the joy of shooting than more/better lenses. Moving from a D200 to a D700 opened a whole new world for me (unfortunately, the system became to clumsy which is why I'm currently using a M8, but I do miss that full frame sensor ...).

Jun 30, 2012 at 05:30 AM

OneAnt
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · New member

Hey Fred. I started with a D90 and had great success but not sure I could do it again. After the D700's viewfinder its hard to go back.

For myself I found the longer lenses are better suited to the D90, the 100 in particular but as you have a 105 I guess you should be looking as you say ..at filling FL's but you might find its more a matter of replacing.

You are right the 35/2 is a good place to start and if you are a frequent user at 35mm then having an AF and a MF in the same FL hardly matters. I love the 28 but the 35 is more 'obvious' as a Zeiss. The 28 and the 35 are different enough to want both but to make the distinction clear, the 35 is a bitey lens where the 28 is more painterly. The 35/2 also happens to be one of the cheaper zeiss so I would encourage you to start there as it upsets nothing of your current kit and compliments it instead. I'm sure you will agree that it wont hurt to have an MF lens in your bag and an AF in the same FL when its needed.

Have you used your 35D in manual? have you tried it? Is there any chance that longer rather than wider is easier for you. We all have our own eyes afterall and are all different but some as old as our friend Rodluvan are lucky to still have their own teeth.

You also neglected to tell us what you like to take pictures of ....

Ant.
ɹǝpun uʍop puɐl ǝɥʇ ɯoɹɟ

Jun 30, 2012 at 07:44 AM

Fredbare
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · New member

Thanks JonasY,
I've been looking through reviews/comments on Zeiss lenses for over a week and still it's difficult to gauge from others how each lens perforrms. Don't seem to be too many users 'out there'.
Yes, a FF Camera is on the cards - specifically for wide FL use. Just waiting to see what the D600 performance will be like once people get their hands on them. Then decide between D600/D700/D800.

Thanks OneAnt,
"35 is bitey and 28 painterly" - great description. Short and concise.
Add to that "won't hurt to have both AF and MF lenses in the bag". Good suggestion and, with the cost of the AFD 30 F2, not a financial burden.
I'll go with the Zeiss 35 F2.
BTW, yes I also have a D40X and trying to MF anything with the AFD 85 mm F1.8(like grandchildren - even only crawling) was a problem which is why I'm hesitant about the M 85mm. Gave the 85 away to one of my sons to use on his D80. Actually I was never happy with the IQ of that lens even when the focus was spot on.

As you shoot with the D700 thought it may be relevant to ask if you are considering the D800?

Jun 30, 2012 at 09:27 AM

wayne seltzer
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · New member

Welcome Fred!
Lot's of great Zeiss lens choices to choose from.
Based on what you shoot and your most often used FL and of course price/budget are what you should consider in your decision.
Four years ago I got the ZF 35/2, my first Zeiss lens. I am now shooting it on my new D800E and it still shines.
Enjoy your Zeiss alt journey!

Jun 30, 2012 at 11:43 AM

Bifurcator
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · New member

Hey Fred, welcome in.

I think like Wayne. Pick the focal length you like most at first instead of trying to "fill gaps". Then you'll be more aware of the differences Zeiss brings. And from there you can make better decisions about which direction to go.

Jun 30, 2012 at 12:34 PM

lovinglife
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · New member

Fred -

Welcome!! You are in the right place, as - if there is one thing this forum is good at, it's encouraging you to buy more and more gear

My genuine recommendation would be to stay out of the 'gear' section and spend your time on the photographic sections!

Otherwise, before you know it you will have enough gear to start a camera shop.

On the positive side, there are many many talented individuals to help us improve on the soft skills with their experience, knowledge and creativity.

Regards!
LL

Jun 30, 2012 at 01:47 PM

OneAnt
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · New member

Fredbare wrote:
As you shoot with the D700 thought it may be relevant to ask if you are considering the D800?

Thats a funny question ...because I'm not and thought I would. Honestly I dont even have a desire for it and think that it would cause me more problems than good. There is no doubt its an advance but oddly while sharp is the new bokeh I've just gotten an f100 and a school of Tri-X and am going the other way. A D600 might catch my eye but I feel that I haven't exhausted my D700 yet. The only way I'd change my mind was if I was to suddenly become a commercial portrait photographer, the D800 is exceptional then.

If it helps ...the D800 is necessary for working photographers, for those seeking pleasure its the D700 or the upcoming (if it does) D600. The D600 might be marginally better somehow than a D700 but better is re-defined by the content of your photos. I expect a picture of yours will give you greater pleasure than someone else's picture on a D/6/8/00 just as mine do for me.

oneant.com.au

The D700, you own a D90 so you know what I mean, it was replaced by the D7000 but I'd still have mine if I didn't go FF. The D700 is like that again. The D700 is a solid (SOLID) camera and owners don't have problems and its about to become the ultimate back-up camera for those that do (grin)

BUT ...I dont have any AF, only zeiss and thats important to know.

Ant.

PS: Lenticular ...you need help too (grin)

Jun 30, 2012 at 08:17 PM

trenchmonkey
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · New member

I'm still workin' with my old member

64 ys and no blue pills....welcome to FM and good luck with yours!

(Oh, I come with the place...feel free to Hide Me)

Jun 30, 2012 at 08:21 PM

Fredbare
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · New member

Thanks for all the replies!
Oops, sorry I was asked what photography I do and didn't reply. Well, I guess that's fairly simple - any opportunity that arises.
Animals/birds - which I'll stick to DX and longer lens.
Family/firiends/parties etc.
I'd like to get more involved in landscape and street photograhy which is why I'm looking at going FF camera for the 'wider' aspect.
Have never been happy with the landscapes I have taken so, inspired by these pages, I'll try Zeiss lenses.

Reality is that I'm not far from retirement so building a 'collection' whilst I can still afford to do so.

Jun 30, 2012 at 09:05 PM

Fredbare
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · New member

Hi OneAnt,
Reason I asked about the D800 is that (from what I've seen on the web) the colour rendition is different from the earlier Nikon DSLRS. Change seemed to have started with the D7000 and appears more 'pastel'.
As such I thought that maybe the combination with Zeiss lenses might not give the same degree of saturation which is more or less a 'trademark' of the photographs.
As for the D700, great camera but just hoping the D600 may be similar - and lighter.

Jun 30, 2012 at 09:11 PM

OneAnt
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · New member

me too on the D600, and also on the saturation but then p&s do this too.
I'm a bit frightened of the D800, it overpowers if that makes any sense, at least for the stuff that I do. Street photography is a lazy occupation and OOF can be intentional and on something like a D800 that just translates to an audience as missed focus

Just as my final word. The resolution on a D800 would be like getting a new pair of glasses where suddenly you can see everything. I did this once and ran about the world saying "look at this" and "look at that" and it was a lot of fun ..bit like what I expect the macro photographers enjoy.

Am sure you will work it out.

Jun 30, 2012 at 09:34 PM

wayne seltzer
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · New member

Ant, I wouldn't fear the D800(E)!
Just consider it the best sensor for your precious high resolving Zeiss lenses!

Jul 01, 2012 at 12:41 PM

wfrank
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · New member

Welcome Fred! I was lurking this forum for a year before I joined a year or so ago and have learned more than I could hope for. Still in progress (hopefully :-)

Hope I'm not swearing in the church here, but may I mention the Canon 5DII as a FF alternative? The 5D3 did not bring anything new to the table for many of us, similar (I think) to the D800 vs D700. In fact, in my perspective it's a step back (no OEM support for fast mattes being one key thingy).

Reason for mentioning it being 21 excellent MP. Cropping is a good thing, in particular with fixed focales. I could not move back on that, although realizing that many D700 owners are very happy with the 12.

Another good thing with Canon is that because of the flange distance you can use Nikon mount lenses, as long as they have manual aperture. And you'll also open up a field of alt lenses adaptation possibilities just because of the longer flange distance. E.g. most Zeiss CY lenses will be available with an adapter (or Leitax - 3-4 screws fully reversible).

Now, I do NOT want to start a Nikon vs Canon debate (as all those become 110% pee-brain, useless, zero value and so forth), but as you are at a crossroad I at least wanted to mention the 5D2 as a possible alternative. I love Nikon too, or any other competent image machine really

Jul 01, 2012 at 01:21 PM

Fredbare
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · New member

Wfrank,

I'm not discounting ay camera fo sure.
Definately FF but also small/light.

Even considering OM-D even though it's not FF - but is small and light and easy to carry around - as another bit of gear.
Pity Zeiss don't make standard lensss for it (yet?).

Jul 01, 2012 at 11:29 PM

Bifurcator
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · New member

Zeiss doesn't but Voigtlander has two killer native µ4/3 mount lenses available!

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/lenses/voigtlander_f095_25mm_micro_43_nocton.shtml

http://daisukiphoto.com/node/171

Jul 01, 2012 at 11:46 PM


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