philber wrote:
Please let me know which AF lens has IQ as good as the Zeiss ZE 85 Planar without a cost disadvantage. If I concur, I will buy it PDQ. Thanks.
Depends if you want to shoot wide open or near wide open and near mfd, then the Zeiss is not so great, not bad though. I'm disappointed the ZE 85 didn't getting a floating element to handle shooting near mfd better. I have the older Contax Zeiss 85 f/1.4 and from f/2 it's superb and stopped down it's tack sharp, brilliant for landscape, but a ton of CA wide open and a bit soft, but much improved even at f/1.7. I assume the ZE with it's 9 blade aperture has better bokeh, but haven't seen much proof of this. I was thinking of grabbing a Nikkor 85 f/1.4 as the ZE didn't seem to offer much at all over the old version.
The Sony ZA 85/1.4 is a new optical design, right? Or a modified one? The rendering style I've seen from it (via Flickr) is very unique looking. Unless I'm seeing things.
The ZA 85 is a completely new design, has floating elements and a closer MFD. It is easily the best 85 available for any dslr both at infinity and mfd.
I love, love, love the way this lens renders its bokeh. Its very punchy. Also looks to be very sharp and renders colors beautifully. If I could be sold on a system based on a single lens it would be this one.
edwardkaraa wrote:
The ZA 85 is a completely new design, has floating elements and a closer MFD. It is easily the best 85 available for any dslr both at infinity and mfd.
Now, now, Ed. It's hardly a "completely new design". It is obviously derived from the classic Zeiss 85/1.4 Planar design. It's quite clear from the schematics of the optical designs posted on several occasions in this forum. More accurately, it is an update or an evolution of the design. Whether it is the "best" is unclear, but I think we can safely say that it is certainly one of the best.
bluetsunami wrote:
If I could be sold on a system based on a single lens it would be this one.
You can safely add to that the ZA 135, though I do prefer the drawing style of the 85, it is more hmmm . . . viril
Lotusm50 wrote:
Now, now, Ed. It's hardly a "completely new design". It is obviously derived from the classic Zeiss 85/1.4 Planar design. It's quite clear from the schematics of the optical designs posted on several occasions in this forum. More accurately, it is an update or an evolution of the design. Whether it is the "best" is unclear, but I think we can safely say that it is certainly one of the best.
Hehe, yes of course it is a Planar
When I say completely new design, I mean that it is not the same as the C/Y and ZE/ZF that share basically the same design. Let's say it's a completely improved design
Based on Hubsand's excellent comparison between the ZF version and the Nikon and Canon (1.2L), taken at 3 different parts of the frame and at different focusing distances, I can very confidently say that my ZA has none of the weaknesses of the ZF. Even the extreme corners are sharp wide open and its close distance performance is spectacular.
Several owners of both the Canon and the ZA have stated (don't ask me where ) that they find the ZA the better lens.
philber wrote:
Please let me know which AF lens has IQ as good as the Zeiss ZE 85 Planar without a cost disadvantage. If I concur, I will buy it PDQ. Thanks.
"...without a cost disadvantage..." that's a pretty big qualifier, phil -- which is exactly my point. the zeiss had better cost a bit less because it delivers less.
"{The zeiss 85's} image quality is not as top-of-the-line as build quality (and I don't like the focus shift issue), but it is not bad - and the ZE 85's price is also not top-of-the-line." - the digital picture
abam wrote: "...without a cost disadvantage..." that's a pretty big qualifier, phil -- which is exactly my point. the zeiss had better cost a bit less because it delivers less.
"{The zeiss 85's} image quality is not as top-of-the-line as build quality (and I don't like the focus shift issue), but it is not bad - and the ZE 85's price is also not top-of-the-line." - the digital picture
cheers
The ZF/ZE, like the C/Y older version, is optimized for infinity, where it really excels. The wisdom was that it will get a bit softer at portrait distances, making it a good portrait lens. However, in my experience (with the C/Y), the detail this lens can resolve even at its MFD is not very flattering, but perhaps this biting sharpness does not go all the way to the corners.
Im a noob idiot on a D90 and so no metering and only autoWB. I have the zf 21 28 35 and 100 and might add the 50/1.4.
I use the histogram and am learning to use the zf's for street. These shots are from the 100/2makro and Im close enought kiss my subjects. Never done street before and I am not able to walk for the moment (accident in April) so its a bit tricky and why Im starting on the 100. I took these in my first two attempts and Im pretty pleased with them ... all straight out of the lens (except for my 1st macro), no cropping, no post processing and fortunately I have NEFs as well for future fiddling when I know what I'm doing.
Im laid up again for a while and itchin to get out again and move on from candids but its going to be a while. Maybe I shouldnt worry so much but I know some dont like candids and dont regard them as street ...but I do.
The first and last are OK, though the colour looks a bit strange.N° 2 and 3 have blown highlights, and N°4 is cropped in a way that doesn't work for me. But, hey, that's just me, and not being able to move around doesn't help...
