denoir wrote:
Perhaps that's a benefit but overall I just can't get excited about its rendering style. It lacks the incredible detail and micro contrast of the 21 as well as the drama that comes with the wider angle. It also seems to lack the medium range depth of the 35/2. I mean you can definitely see that it's a Zeiss but I think that the lenses on both sides of the FL (21 & 35) are simply better. Of the pictures you've posted here I've always by far preferred your shots with the 21. This is however not just your shots - of the hundreds that I've seen shot with the 28 I could perhaps pick two or three where I liked the overall look. (I'm talking of rendering style only of course - I've seen many fantastic photos - including yours - taken with the 28. They were however not good because of the lens in question but because of other factors.)
Anyway, that's just my opinon
A couple of night time 85/1.4 shots in my standard setting: ...Show more →
This is why I love this thread. So many insights. Some of which swayed me to purchase the 21 as my first Zeiss. Then of course there are the pictures. With the 21 Distagon on my 5D Mark II it's wide and glorious but on my 1D Mark IV, I essentially have a 28mm.
Denoir, these night shots with the 85 are incredible. It shows me I have some work to do with my own.. Outstanding.
charles.K wrote:
Luka, I really like the first 3 shots, as the 85/1.4 has the softer rendering with great bokeh to them. Nice work at f/1.4 MF is not easy The last series are excellent, but do not have the same rendering as the 35/1.4 or the 21. I personally like the difference, as it is a unique lens.
Thanks Charles.
I'm slowly getting to know the lens a bit now and it has a fairly complex 'personality'. To say for instance - which I thought before -that it's not good up close wide open is an oversimplification. It can be quite good but it depends largely on the background (type, distance). At infinity, stopped down, it's very sharp but not in the same league as the 100 MP in terms of micro contrast. It's not bad, it's just that it there is nothing special about it.
When you have objects near infinity on the other hand it can be really fantastic stopped down. At medium distances it can also be very very good essentially at all apertures. In terms of spatial rendering (i.e 3D) it can blow away the 100 MP - both open and stopped down.
The most problematic part with it is excessive LoCA wide open. This means that if you are unlucky it can produce really awful bokeh and you have to be very careful with that. Not having live view would have reduced the usefulness of this lens significantly - especially when you add the problem of focus shift.
Overall, I have been pleasantly surprised by it. I expected it to be terrible wide open and close up, but that's not really true if you take care to avoid situations where LoCA will ruin the OOF areas. I also like the color rendering although not entirely without reservation. At MFD wide open, the low contrast can work very well or can miss completely resulting in just a muddy picture.
This is definitely not a beginner's lens and I would definitely not recommend it as a first Zeiss lens to anybody. It does have its merits though and seems to be a lens worth getting to know well.
Ryan - really beautiful shots. I especially like #2 & #3 - you found some really good light there.
Bob - I think you are missing out a bit when using a crop camera. Most of these lenses really shine on FF so I think your 5DII is a better choice for Zeiss glass. I have only on occasion used the two Makro-Planars on my 7D to get a bit more reach when shooting macros but overall the 5DII gives a much nicer rendering.
Edit:
rsolti13 wrote:
Luka, great shots. I am surprised the boats look mostly sharp for 30 sec exposures. I'm sure things are different at 100%, but don't ruin it
Actually I got lucky. This once there was no wind and everything was perfectly still.
Ryan, excellent shots! Love number #2, the lighting is amazing.
Really nice shots Bob! I am with Luka with respect to crop versus FF and Zeiss. The 5DII RAW files with ZE's seem to give more to work with, than the 7D IMO. Again the MarkIV, maybe quite different
Excellent shots Bob! The cool things about night shots in the city is that the lighting situation is usually very complex and you can vary the mood of the image depending on which light you calibrate the white balance by.
denoir wrote:
Excellent shots Bob! The cool things about night shots in the city is that the lighting situation is usually very complex and you can vary the mood of the image depending on which light you calibrate the white balance by.
Thanks. As for the 1D Mark IV, totally different from the 7D. I had that camera for a bit before the 1D IV. Big difference in 'the look' from one to the other. The 1DIV certainly is not full frame (1.3X) but I feel like the rendering is pretty good.
OneAnt wrote:
This was the reason I purchased the zf28 as well as the zf35. Its more than FL that sets this lens apart from the 35.
I totally agree. These two lenses have quite different renderings that actually complement each the nicely. Want detail emphasis and sharpness bordering on macro syle? Get the 35. Want slightly subdued contrast, giving a very "neutal" rendering even in high contrast situations? Get the 28
denoir wrote:
Perhaps that's a benefit but overall I just can't get excited about its rendering style. It lacks the incredible detail and micro contrast of the 21 as well as the drama that comes with the wider angle. It also seems to lack the medium range depth of the 35/2. I mean you can definitely see that it's a Zeiss but I think that the lenses on both sides of the FL (21 & 35) are simply better.
Luka, I don't disagree with you. My point, rather, is that it is rather nice to have a lens in my bag that will help out in mid-day high-contrast light when "even" the 21, with all the qualities you outline, falls victim of those very qualities. That doesn't make the 28 a "better", or even a "very good" lens, just a useful one for my type of shooting...particualrly since it no seems that the 35 f:1.4 is another 6 months off.
Yes, the best tool for a specific job is not always the best tool in general. Regarding the 35/1.4 - have you given up on the idea of getting an old version?
Got a question for you guys regarding zeiss lenses. Since nothing has been posted about it I am assuming it is likely not possible. Can the Sony Zeiss ZA zooms be mounted on Canons? Just wondering considering they have AF and are zeiss zooms but am assuming if possible would likely be costly considering they would likely need conversion to retain AF. Have been giving some thought to a Contax 17-35 as some reviews have said that particular zoom on a 5DMKII retains very similar qualities as say the 21 and 35. Love my ZE 35/2 but I occasionally have the temptation of AF creep back in especially since I can't seem to find an EG-S screen in stick anywhere...
Philber - The Opera shots are great. Third shot with sculpture in foreground is my favorite.
Denoir - Runner shot from the first set is wonderful capture of moment of symmetry ( knee brace may be the key ) , and the layered distance gives quite a depth. Boat shots are incredible, but the first one is my favorite. The tree, esplanade on the right makes perfect compoistion.
rsolti13 - Love the texture and color Brick and rope from first set and the Green wall and padlock from the second set.
rji2goleez - Nice city scape series with Z 21.
Regarding ZF28. Not quite the topic for this particular thread, but I have CY 28mm 2.8 with Leitax conversion, but it is quite different from what I see from Z 28. Z*28 seems much sharper. CY's closeups are good, and sometimes surprises me but distance shots are really hit or miss. I have not figured out its personality.
Thanks akul! The runner shot is my favorite as well. As for the boat shots, I think the first one is the only one that actually benefits from the 85/1.4. The other two would have been better with the 100 MP.
Yes. The 100 MP is good basically for everything while the 85/1.4 is more limited. On the other hand where the 85 shines, it really shines.
If I was forced to choose between them, I'd pick the 100 MP without hesitation. Fortunately I don't have to choose between them and I'll use the 85 in the cases where it outshines the 100 MP.
) , and the layered distance gives quite a depth. Boat shots are incredible, but the first one is my favorite. The tree, esplanade on the right makes perfect compoistion. 
