09 April 2009
What’s included?
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Please see the Sept 16 blog entry for details on what’s included—the new subscription model. This review may be downloaded in its entirety for offline viewing upon request.
Attention Canon EOS users: Zeiss has confirmed that the ZE (Canon EF mount) lenses are optically identical to the ZF (Nikon mount) lenses. This review was shot on both Nikon and Canon bodies, so you’ll get “the picture” either way. A special page discusses the salient differences between ZF and ZE, including how and why Canon shooters might choose the Nikon mount ZF lenses preferentially.
This lens review covers the Zeiss ZF lens line as of April 2009, and covers the followinglenses in great detail. It is an ongoing review, with new material added regularly, and every new lens added as it becomes available.
- 18mm f/3.5 Distagon T*
- 21mm f/2.8 Distagon T* (review in progress, first installment published April 8)
- 25mm f/2.8 Distagon T*
- 28mm f/2 Distagon T*
- 35mm f/2 Distagon T*
- 50mm f/1.4 Planar T*
- 50mm f/2 Makro-Planar T*
- 85mm f/1.4 Planar T*
- 100mm f/2 Makro-Planar T*
===> Search for what’s available on the ZF lenses at diglloyd.com: Zeiss, Distagon, Planar
Hundreds of hours of shooting, tests, and analysis went into preparing this review from June 2007 ongoing into 2009; this is the most complete and comprehensive review of the Zeiss ZF lens line available today. Nothing like it is available anywhere else, at any price. The following are included as general topics:
- A general overview and discussion of the Zeiss ZF lens line, based on over a year of shooting all the ZF lenses;
- MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) discussion in general, and for each lens;
- Curvature of field (for certain models);
- Extensive discussion of resolution chart and testing issues;
- A general discussion on bokeh (out of focus image rendition) with extensive examples for each lens;
- Sensor size and lens performance on different sensor sizes;
- Sample variation discussion based on two samples of each lens;
- Subtleties of image rendition;
- Focus shift and how to mitigate it;
- Tips for accurate focusing.
- Advice and recommendations.
Of course, there are numerous examples, minimally compressed—that’s why the review is nearly 600MB! In addition, each lens in the review includes the following:
- Overview and discussion of each lens;
- Multiple examples, including 1536-pixel-wide images (some larger), actual-pixels crops, all minimally compressed for maximum detail and fidelity to the originals;
- Bokeh (out of focus image rendition);
- Resolution chart;
- Direct A/B comparison(s) with other lenses (Canon EF and/or Nikon). For example, the Zeiss 100/2 Makro-Planar against the Leica 100/2.8 APO-macro-Elmarit-R!
- Extras: color correction Photoshop layers for the 18/3.5 Distagon.
The review is approximately 500 megabytes due to the size and number of the examples. You may print it for reading if you prefer, but it’s best read using your web-browser to allow easy navigation, “mouse overs” for comparisons and ease of viewing the larger images.
Learn about lenses
Not sure you’re really interested in a manual focus lens in Nikon mount? Well, if you have interest in high performance optics, this review offers so much more than just lens-specific tests; the supporting material offers tremendous value all on its own, even if you’re sticking with Nikon or Canon lenses. You will gain insight into what lens performance really means, how to evaluate lenses, and how to sidestep the pitfalls and myths that so many photographers encounter. You’ll never look at a generic lens review (elsewhere) quite the same way again.
Practical advice
The Zeiss ZF Lenses review captures what was learned in fifteen months of ongoing use of Zeiss ZF lenses under field conditions. You’ll get a head start understanding the strengths and limitations of these remarkable lenses. It is not one of those misleading “by the numbers” reviews (although resolution charts do form a part it). It’s a review from the perspective of a photographer wishing to make satisfying and compelling images.
Save money
Buy what will be most useful to you! Understand in advance whether the Zeiss ZF line is appropriate for your photography, what the limitations and compromises are, and which lenses you might find most useful.
Nikon mount, tested on Canon and Nikon
The Zeiss ZF lens line uses the Nikon “F” lens mount, but most testing was done using Canon digital bodies: the 10.1-megapixel Canon EOS 1D Mark III and the 16.7-megapixel Canon EOS 1D Mark II, mounting the ZF lenses using adapters (but see 2nd paragraph below).
Using Canon bodies was really the only choice to explore the full performance of the ZF lenses because prior to December 2007 because no full-frame Nikon camera existed. Testing the lenses on the relatively small Nikon “DX” sensor cameras would have meant testing only 43% of the sensor/film area the lenses are designed to cover. So the decision was made to test on Canon EOS bodies so as to provide a more accurate view of lens performance on large sensors.
The current version of Zeiss ZF Lenses is not a “redo” for the Nikon D3x, but it does include examples for all lenses using either/or the 12.2MP Nikon D3, and the 21.1MP Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III. However, the 28/2 Distagon 18/3.5 Distagon were reviewed entirely on the full-frame Nikon D3 and Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III. All future updates will use the Nikon D3 and Canon 1DsM3. Commentary is included on smaller and larger sensor sizes; the review is eminently suitable for all sensor sizes.
Update policy
Minor updates, corrections, etc have always been free with diglloyd.com reviews. And now with the 1 year online subscription access model, future additions of new lenses are covered too!
What does it cost?
Zeiss ZF Lenses offers tremendous value—it’s a true bargain. Even if you don’t plan on buying a Zeiss ZF lens, there is a wealth of supporting material, valuable when considering any optic from any manufacturer! Presentation is high quality, with numerous examples, cross-links, etc to make reading easy and pleasant. The writing quality is professional, and the content is written to be accessible to beginners and advanced users alike, taking care to explain (with examples) important concepts.
The Zeiss ZF Lenses review costs $49.99 USD, payable via PayPal (preferred) or personal check or money order (contact diglloyd Inc for the latter). See the package price details below. The price represents less than 1% of the cost of the ZF lens line. Here in California, it’s also about the same as the sales tax on just the least expensive ZF lens. So it’s really a bargain as the closest thing to “try before you buy”. You will not be disappointed.
Licensing
The review is licensed to a single person only; providing it/leaving it available, etc to another person/party in any form is not right—thank you for respecting the time and effort that went into preparing it. You may read it/view it on up to two computers. The license is tied to the beneficial purchaser as part of your login account provided to you after purchase.
Purchase
This review is available by itself, but you can also get a package price when you buy it together with diglloyd’s Advanced Photography (DAP) and/or the diglloyd Guide to Digital Infrared Photography. Available only at the time of initial purchase.
Before purchasing, please check current delivery status—email responses to purchases are handled manually, and out of town trips usually lack internet access.
Some users prefer a full download as opposed to online access (“I want to read it on the airplane”). This is available upon request, but because the online version always contains the very latest version, and because the download is very large, it is updated at most once per quarter, and never while a lens is actively being added/reviewed.
Electronic access, $49.99 USD
You purchase also includes a full download of the entire review upon request. Please see the DAP page for special bundle offers.
PLEASE READ: Within 24 hours of receiving payment, you will receive an email containing your username and password. The purchase system is not fully automated, so please do not expect an instant response. We are in California (Pacific Standard Time). Outstanding purchases usually receive a response by 10pm PST.
For various reasons (spam filters, etc), diglloyd email sent to purchasers is sometimes not received. If you do not receive a response within 24 hours, check this page, and also check the delivery status page. Otherwise, contact diglloyd.com.
The buyer must ensure that a valid email address is used, one to which email can be sent without interacting with a spam-filter service. DIGLLOYD INC will not interact with spam filter services (some of them require legal agreements and specify monetary damages, unacceptable requirements). Of course you’ll always get what you paid for, but the onus falls on you to contact us should your email service block emails from diglloyd.com.
Comments from readers
These are unsolicited comments. More comments can be found on the subscription page.
Discussion groups
“The review is payable, but worth every penny”@ dpreview.com forum
“These are some of the most thorough well presented lens tests I've ever had the pleasure of reading@ FredMiranda.com forum
Email comments
Suvo M, November 27, 2008:
I'd like to take this opportunity to say how useful I've found it. I have bought the 25/2.8 and am delighted with it. The 35/2 and 21/2.8 are on the cards (awaiting your review of the latter), and the 100 macro in due course. Regarding the 25/2.8, I particularly found your discussion of field curvature for close-range focus very useful... Anyhow, thanks for your work on these lenses. If hadn't found your reviews, I would have hesitated further before trying out for myself. Now that I've seen it, I think I'll end up with just one AF zoom left in my bag, and my shooting habits will change quite a bit.
Ross M, September 12, 2008:
Thanks Lloyd, I appreciate your response, and have great respect for the work you are doing - it is refreshing to find rigorous testing and comments that look at IQ from every important perspective. I have learned much in the last 24 hours... Finished the most excellent Zeiss review and am now convinced the 35mm and 100mm would both be excellent purchases for my needs in combination with my other Nikon lenses, and the Zeiss pair would even make a versatile small/light 2-lens kit for hiking and travel, with no compromise in IQ. Thanks again, you have a new fan here and I will refer others.
Lennert W, September 1, 2008:
First I want to thank you for a great piece of work. It's a fantastic read which helped me tremendously in determining which lens would fit me... heard about your review on fredmiranda.com. Someone said it was worth the money and a good read. He didn't lie, that's for sure!
Rainer U., August 26, 2008:
I have just read your Zeiss lens test and I am thrilled! Very good work and extremely helpful!
Dennis C., May 26, 2008:
Lots of good information in your review. I can't say I've compared every pixel, but in general it answered my big questions about the Zeiss ZF line. Super job! Having attempted some lens comparisons myself I know how much effort you put into this...Regardless, you've provided ample useful information to make informed purchasing decisions in these areas. For which I am very grateful. Your reviews provide a level of substance seriously lacking in other reviewers.
Beng C., May 15, 2008:
Thanks for the wonderful review. Thinking of buying these lenses...
Molly H., May 10, 2008:
...Excellent report, by the way.
Oren G., May 09, 2008:
It's got lots of useful information and must have taken a huge amount of work...It does a terrific job of making clear just how complex the behavior of a lens can be, and how challenging it is to do a good job of characterizing it.
Frank B., May 08, 2008:
I've read it over and over, just love it. And reading it is going to cost me way more than your fee...
Jeffrey S., May 03, 2008:
I've read and enjoyed very much your review. Lots of rich information that we never see on other reviews. Well worth the cost, and I'm very satisfied.
Ivo N., May 01, 2008:
I read your review and I think It's wonderful and really well done. I think you've done a really great
job and produced IMHO the best review and comparison of lenses that I've ever seen (I'm currently buying
4-5 photographic magazines a month and surf around all international sites), because done with different samples, a lot
of similar lens test (Nikon, Canon, Zeiss) on the same DSLR basing on real examples and basing on all the parameters:
test chart, bokeh, tonal color rendition, curvature of field, contrast with real life examples images 100% crop (it would
be fantastic to have images at full resolution not only crops). My congratulations.
DIGLLOYD: full-resolution images would balloon the 300MB download size to 10-20GB or more, so it’s not really feasible at present. But a future online version will offer at least some full-res images, and possibly raw files too. The entire-frame examples are complemented by one or more generously-sized and minimally-compressed actual-pixels crops for each image.
Jeff B., April 30, 2008:
I wanted to pass along a few comments about your Zeiss ZF article. First of all, the practical photographic examples are very helpful as these demonstrate the unique image rendering characteristics of this lens line versus resolution targets. I was sold after reading your article and made my first investment in the 100/2 makro and the 28/2 to go with my Nikon D3...I will certainly be adding to my lens arsenal with a few more Zeiss ZF lenses. And thanks to you for your very complete and informative analysis of this wonderful lens line.
Nico G., April 30, 2008:
Anyway, thanks again for your reviews. I'd much rather pay for thorough, well executed and documented reviews than left wanting with so many free reviews that one can find on the internet.
Matthew C., April 26, 2008:
I liked your Zeiss ZF review - perfect for making an exhaustively informed purchasing decision.
Richard L., April 25, 2008:
Great review article on Zeiss ZF lens! Thanks for all your help the article answered all my questions.
Ivo N., April 20, 2008:
I've learned of your site on ... and found your tests very interesting and well done.
Jaka S., April 20, 2008:
Thanks again for your fantastic review of Zeiss ZF lenses, they are most used on my D3. Have 28,35,50,100/2 and 85/1.4 and the pictures coming out are simply stunning using Nikon/Zeiss combination.
F.G., April 8, 2008:
Your Zeiss lens review was well worth the money. I learned a lot about lenses in general besides the Zeiss line. I look forward to purchasin
Hans V, March 29, 2008:
The review is very interesting. I'm not halfway through it yet and I already learned a lot of things.
I'm getting a better understanding of these wonderful lenses and I'll get more out of them after reading your
review...The review is great and is worth every penny.
Gary K, March 19, 2008:
I compare your work in this review of the ZF lenses to the appraisal of the value versus price of the
ZF 100/2....A BARGAIN! Very well done! ... Back to your review, your comparisons lens vs lens are priceless. The depth
you enter into is wonderful. I like the mouse overs! Your writing style gave me the feeling of talking with a peer, relaxed,
looking at slides atmosphere, but someone who knows his stuff.
I learned a lot about field curvature, (25 & 28mm) and its uses to enhance photos. Very useful. I can see a use for
this "predictable defect" with trains at night. Again, the review brings this out, knowing the lens displays
this defect and buying it is one thing, etc. Very helpful. I can only recall seeing this defect mentioned in ANY lens
review on one other reviewers site!
Very helpful writing contrasting the 25 and 28. I will take your advice and go for the 28/2 and the 100/2. For
now. I can see where the 100/2 could be "different" focusing for night shots, after focusing the 35/2. I believe
using these ZF lenses, and reading your review of them make me a better photographer. Not easy to do, LOL!
I'm very impressed and grateful for your time and effort in this masterful review. Well Done!
Michael G, March 12, 2008:
I just wanted to say, that after reading your Zeiss Lens review over and over again (it is really worth the money, I can easily see how much effort has gone into it). Your example images show so much rendered beauty, that I need to get them...
Mike Johnston of The Online Photographer, Feb 19 2008:
One bright spot in this otherwise dull month is that I've whiled away a number of hours perusing Lloyd Chambers' voluminous and detailed reviews of the Zeiss manual-focus single-focal-length lenses manufactured in Japan and available for both Nikon and Pentax mounts ... Lloyd's lens reviews may not say everything that could possibly be said, but they invite that conclusion, and he hits a nice balance between technical tests and descriptions and practical visual information. I can certainly appreciate the immense amount of work and preparation that go into his reviews. [more]
Samuli V, 25 February 2008
Your Zeiss ZF review was very good and informative.
Al D, 08 February 2008
I have read a good portion of the review and am very pleased to say the least. There is a lot more in there to digest other than just the information about the Zeiss lens. I think it is great and I know I will use it as a resource again and again over time.
Janez S, 28 january 2008
Thank you for extremely useful/interesting and differently prepared review, got some new ideas...
Jim K, 28 january 2008
Thank you again for the advice and the excellent ZF review...thanks again and keep shooting!
Mike S, 13 january 2008
Thanks for the review!
Erwin B, 12 january 2008
...totally enjoy your thorough work and clear explanations
Mike S, 06 january 2008
I’ve started glancing through the review and it looks excellent...your review was exactly what I needed to (I think) convince me that for my intended use the Zeiss glass will offer performance advantages over the canon 35L.
Trond S, 01 january 2008
I am reading your report with great interest!
Luis G, 24 December 2007
Very good Zeiss article! Makes me want to get the 100 Makro. My new Zeiss 85/1.4 is waiting for me at the post office.
MichaeL J, 12 December 2007
...I've spent quite a bit of time with it already. Nice job!
Jack G, 01 December 2007
I am still reading your Zeiss ZF lenses review. A lot of useful great information. Actually I like it a lot!
Pete Myers, fine arts photographer, Nov 29 2007
Lloyd Chambers provides masterful insight into the function and performance of the Zeiss ZF series lenses through his review. It is a 'must read' for any one interested in the realm of high performance imaging, and I highly recommend it!
© Copyright 2007 digLloyd, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in any form requires explicit, written permission. No part of this document may be copied, distributed, disseminated in any form, electronic or tangible, whether in whole or in part, without the prior written authorization of digLloyd, Inc or its authorized representative. [Last updated: 26 December 2006]