splathrop wrote:
And since several folks seem to be really well stocked, are there maybe some of you who also know the relative merits of the 90 TS-E and the Zeiss 100? Is that another case where owning both could make sense?
I use the 90 TS-E for nearly 10 years now (and like it very much) and acquired the ZE 100 this summer. The applications of both lenses are very similar for me: landscapes, close-ups and portraits from time to time (for portraits I prefer lenses with AF, but both these lenses shine if AF is not necessary). Looking at the frequency of usage, the number of pictures I took with the ZE 100 in the last months equals already the number I've taken with the TS-E in the last years. I assume that the better microcontrast and the outstanding f2.0 performance of the ZE do it for me. For landscapes my conclusion is clear: I prefer the ZE, although the Canon is very good. For close-ups (flowers, table top) and for portraits I slightly prefer the Canon, mainly for the tilt feature and sometimes the smoother bokeh.
To answer your question: I don't think that it makes much sense owning both lenses because they are too similar. The only situation where owning both lenses could make sense, is if you really need f2.0 and Zeiss rendering on the one hand and TS functionality on the other hand. If I had to choose only one, I would clearly pick the ZE (although it is not perfect because of too much longitudinal CA from f2.0-f2.8) and I'm actually thinking about selling my Canon, but hesitating to do this because I value the tilt functionality too high (I almost never use the shift feature). Both lenses are among the best I ever used.