Carl Zeiss announced the launch of the sixth lens in the ZE series for EOS cameras. The Zeiss Distagon T* 2/35 ZE is a moderate wide angle lens designed for full-frame (D)SLR cameras, delivering a 62-degree field of view. Read the rest of this entry �

Carl Zeiss announced the launch of the fifth lens in the ZE series for EOS cameras. The Zeiss Distagon T* 2/28 ZE is a moderate wide angle lens designed for full-frame (D)SLR cameras, delivering a 74-degree field of view.

Like the other Zeiss ZE lenses, it incorporates a CPU and data contacts for communication with the camera body. The Distagon T* 2/28 ZE is ideal for still photographers looking for a fast, general purpose wide angle lens. It is also well suited for the growing number of videographers who use the Canon EOS 5D Mark II or the Canon EOS 7D and need a lens with superior manual focusing control and minimal ‘breathing’. Read the rest of this entry �

Carl Zeiss announced the launch of the third lens in the ZE series for EF mount cameras. The Zeiss Distagon T* 3.5/18 ZE is an ultra-wide angle lens designed for full-frame (D)SLR cameras, delivering a 99-degree field of view. Like the Planar T* 1.4/50 and 1.4/85 ZE lenses, the new 18mm incorporates a CPU and data contacts for communication with the camera body. The lens is ideal for still photographers looking for a light-weight and compact wide-angle lens for architectural, location and landscape photography. It is also well suited for the growing number of videographers who use the 5D MKII and need a lens with superior manual focusing control. Read the rest of this entry �

Here’s something a little different for a Featured User Review - instead of the usual digital camera or zoom lens review, I chose this excellent review for a film camera - and a rangefinder at that! The fact is, there are still plenty of film shooters and the Zeiss Ikon rangefinder is a truly beautiful piece of camera equipment. Martin’s review gives me a chance to highlight this fine camera. Remember: your reviews are the foundation of PhotographyREVIEW.com. Share your experience with other photographers by writing reviews for your cameras and other photo gear. You don’t have to be an expert - everyone’s opinion counts.

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Featured Review: Zeiss Ikon 35mm Rangefinder

by Martin (Intermediate)

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The Zeiss ZF lens lineup at of August 2008

Introduction

In this era of plastic-barreled mass-produced lenses, the Zeiss ZF lenses stand out in sleekly-elegant fashion, with their beautiful and durable all-metal design. For the past year, I’ve used the entire Zeiss ZF lines extensively on both Canon EOS and Nikon, with outstanding results(see the diglloyd blog beginning June 2008). My Guide, Zeiss ZF Lenses, goes into depth on the lenses. This page captures my thoughts on this superb lens line. If you’d like specifications on weight, size, etc, please see the Zeiss web site; this review won’t go into that stuff. You might also want to see the Zeiss July 2008 Camera Lens News.

The unanswerable question that will invariably be asked is whether the Zeiss ZF lenses are “worth it”—are they actually “better” than an equivalent Nikon or Canon lenses? There is no unequivocal answer to that question unless priorities are specified. Here are just a few of the considerations:
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Carl Zeiss announces new 18mm super wide angle lens for SLR cameras
Distagon T* 3,5/18: the super wide angle lens for dramatic perspectives

Thornwood, New York – June 2008. Carl Zeiss expands its range of SLR lenses with the addition of the Distagon T* 3.5/18 super wide angle lens. With an impressive field of view of 99°, this new, rectilinear lens provides dramatic perspectives for architectural, landscape and close-range photography for photographers utilizing full-frame DSLRs or film-based cameras. The Distagon T* 3.5/18 is a derivative of the ZEISS designs for the Contax RTS series of cameras, but utilizing all modern materials and eco-friendly glass materials.

The Distagon T* 3.5/18 is designed with a floating lens element in the rear lens assembly, which results in impressive image quality from infinity to the closest focus range. Utilizing the superior ZEISS T* anti-reflective coating and critically designed interior elements, the lens is remarkably free from stray light artifacts and internal reflections. Images are brilliantly rendered, with extremely crisp resolution right to the edges – even at wide-open apertures under the most difficult lighting conditions. Like all Carl Zeiss SLR lenses, the Distagon T* 3.5/18 uses the ZEISS ‘color matching technology’, which provides homogeneous color rendition across all focal lengths in the product range. The front filter diameter of 82 mm allows for use of standard screw-in filters when combined with the included lens shade.

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