Zeiss 10-100mm T3 opinions?

[dadoboy]

This may not be the right board to post this, but dvxuser's color scheme is the only one I can stand

I own the Zeiss 10-100mm T2 Mk2 w S16 optex conversion, which I'm quite happy with on an SR2. Recently I purchased the Zeiss 10-100mm T3.1 (w T coating) for use with my Arri BL which I occassionally use for shorts just cuz I like the BL as a sentimental favorite.

I think that the T3 when stopped down is as sharp as the T2 at the same F stop. But what I was surprised to find was the that T3 breathes horribly. I don't remember this when I used it in film school ten years ago. Have my standards gone up a lot? Or could it be that I have a bad lens (unlikely I know).

Anybody have opinions about breathing on the T3 to justify what I'm seeing (versus what I remember)?

 

[IanD]

I actually find the breathing on the T3 to be slightly less than the T2. The T2 also vignettes more at minimum focus as well I've found. But you're right that stopped down, they are both equally sharp.

I had a T3 zoom for years on my 16BL and later on a S-16mm Aaton and liked it a great deal.

That said, it does breath a bit, but certainly no worse than the T2 version or even a Canon 8-64 for example.

 

[dadoboy]

Ian I think you are referring to your experience with Mk 1 T2 version. The Mk 2 T2 fixed a lot of the problems with vignetting and has less breathing than the T3 version. I own both.

I believe some people even prefer the look of the T3 over the T2 Mk 1 version though the latter lens is far more expensive on the used market.