Zeiss ZE 28mm f/2 Distagon at dusk

I find that f/2 lenses are a sweet spot in terms of size, weight, optical performance and versatility; while f/1.4 or 1/1.2 is nifty, the compromises are often a nuisance (eg focus shift). Conversely, f/2.8 is often a nuisance for being a little too dark for shooting handheld at dusk in the narrow slice of time where the light levels balance beautifully.

I very much enjoy shooting at dusk, and here I used the Zeiss ZE 28mm f/2 Distagon handheld wide open at 1/10 second (about $1080 ). I’ll soon be posting high-res versions of this shot and other examples for the 28/2 Distagon in Guide to Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses. I really like the way the 28/2 Distagon renders the out of focus areas along with crispness of detail. It’s a wonderful match on the Canon 5D Mark II in terms of balance and handling.

Canon 5D Mark II + Zeiss ZE 28mm f/2 Distagon @ f/2, 1/10 sec handheld