StevenPA wrote:
Hey guys, it\'s been a while. Here\'s a rant for you:
Both the Contax C/Y and N 85/1.4 are well known to not perform prefectly wide open (i.e. glow, veiling flare, low contrast, relatively poor corner performance, whatever). What are we expecting from Zeiss? Miracles? They\'re a lens company like any other. Given the cost of the ZF, I don\'t see what all the fuss is over. The 85/1.2 is better? Okay, it\'s a fantabulous lens. It\'s also more expensive. The FD 85/1.2 is worthly of having its praises sung (and presumably ad naseum, if past example holds true)? So be it. Is it so hard to believe that Canon has done something right? The way this forum goes sometimes, it\'s like EF lenses are the bain of existence, but that simply isn\'t the case. Why would we expect a ZF at $1000 to be better than an EF at $1800? We shouldn\'t.
Surely it is feasible to produce and sell an excellent 85mm f1.4 lens for $1000 if it is feasible to produce and sell an excellent 85mm f1.2 lens for $1800.
The point is, and others may or may not agree, that the EF 85/1.8 seems to offer as much in terms of IQ as this new Zeiss, plus ultra-fast, silent AF, and for a mere $350.
Just what is it that people are getting for their extra $650? Better build quality and better manual focus action? But who am I to question Zeiss\' thinking. They are the almighty Zeiss, after all.
