Zeiss ZF 21mm f/2.8 Distagon now shipping

The long-awaited and highly anticipated Zeiss ZF 21mm f/2.8 Distagon is now available for order from B&H Photo. The word I have from Zeiss is that lenses have gone out to dealers, so get one now if you want one—I expect that they’ll be in hot demand initially.

Zeiss ZF 21mm f/2.8 Distagon

Naturally I have one on order and will add results quickly to Zeiss ZF Lenses, using the Nikon D3x as the test mule, along with the Canon 5D Mark II.

The 21/2.8 Distagon is reportedly one of the very best Zeiss wide angle designs; the Contax version is legendary (highly sought after), and this version improves upon it, according to Zeiss. See the technical data and my previous comments.

This is one lens I have a keen interest in exploring on Nikon and Canon (with adapter). Canon users will have to wait for EF mount (Zeiss calls this “ZE”), according to Zeiss: “ZE series for the Canon mount will be launched Q3 this year”. But the ZF model can be used on Nikon and Canon (with adapter), so why not stay flexible?

The best way to get the scoop on the 21/2.8 Distagon is to subscribe to Zeiss ZF Lenses where it will get my usual deep coverage, though of course information will appear here in this blog as well. In particular, how will it compare to Nikon’s outstanding 14-24mm? I also plan to compare more than one sample for optical consistency/excellence.