Zeiss ZE 50mm f1.4 vs f2 MP
- Thread starter eco_bach
- Start date
Samuel H
Major Contributor
I haven't used any of them, but I wouldn't buy a modern lens without checking it out on TDP:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/...meraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/...meraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0
marvinhello
Well-known member
the Zeiss 50mm f2.0 is the best affordable 50mm lens. it's sharp even wide open.
Have you considered the 100mm f2.0? this one is a legend, it can compete with Master Prime in terms of optical quality.
Have you considered the 100mm f2.0? this one is a legend, it can compete with Master Prime in terms of optical quality.
marvinhello
Well-known member
Yes, price. and slightly slower aperture. Also the length changes when you focus.
cpc
Well-known member
If you choose the 1.4 you may consider the Contax Zeiss 50/1.4, which is a very similar design, but cheaper (with less aperture blades, though). You also get manual aperture that's easy to declick. And the Contax Zeiss 50/1.7 is even cheaper and sharper.
Makro lenses are usually optimized for performance up close and will destroy other lenses in "chart comparisons". Normal lenses may (or may not) be optimized for infinity (or large distance) focus. Shooting resolution charts with them is not very useful then. In this particular case, the Zeiss Makro-Planar is a much newer design and has a floating element which grants it higher qualities but makes it a very precision dependent instrument. Floating element lenses are capricious and troublesome to adapt to other mounts (they need perfect flange distances to perform well) if you happen to need this option. In any case, it is an awesome lens, almost perfectly corrected, and a worthy companion to the exceptional 100/2. But in DSLR video, unless you are targeting 4k, I don't think you will notice any difference in the results between the Planar and the Makro-Planar.
Makro lenses are usually optimized for performance up close and will destroy other lenses in "chart comparisons". Normal lenses may (or may not) be optimized for infinity (or large distance) focus. Shooting resolution charts with them is not very useful then. In this particular case, the Zeiss Makro-Planar is a much newer design and has a floating element which grants it higher qualities but makes it a very precision dependent instrument. Floating element lenses are capricious and troublesome to adapt to other mounts (they need perfect flange distances to perform well) if you happen to need this option. In any case, it is an awesome lens, almost perfectly corrected, and a worthy companion to the exceptional 100/2. But in DSLR video, unless you are targeting 4k, I don't think you will notice any difference in the results between the Planar and the Makro-Planar.
I owned a Zeiss ZF 50mm f/1.4 for about a year, and then sold it mainly because it's not a great lens until it's stopped down 1-2 stops. Lots of coma with this type of planar lens design at f/1.4, and the Canon / Nikon equivalents have exactly the same problem. I am lucky that I shoot m4/3 format as there is an outstanding 45mm f/1.8 lens from Olympus that is tac-sharp wide open and sells for $400.
Zeiss is coming out with a new high performance 55mm f/1.4 lens this Fall that has been designed to reach full performance at any aperture, including wide open. It's a huge lens with an 82mm filter thread, and will likely be uber expensive. ( i.e. $4,000 US )
Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Distagon T* Lens: “The best fast 50mm ever”
Zeiss 55mm 1.4 Distagon
Zeiss is coming out with a new high performance 55mm f/1.4 lens this Fall that has been designed to reach full performance at any aperture, including wide open. It's a huge lens with an 82mm filter thread, and will likely be uber expensive. ( i.e. $4,000 US )
Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Distagon T* Lens: “The best fast 50mm ever”
Zeiss 55mm 1.4 Distagon
photochris
Well-known member
The 50 Makro is sharper wide open, and as mentioned before - if you need the extra stop the C/Y 1.4 is better WO than the ZE/ZF.
Alpha Beta Omega
Veteran
The 50/1.4 is soft yes but also inexpensive and actually looks much better when you shoot video than when you snap stills. Most other 50mm lenses at F1.4 are also soft, macros excluded, so in comparison it's a good option. I've shoot several videos with the Zeiss50/1.4 and got an excellent result every time so the lens works better than what one might think.
This video was shot wide open with the 50/1.4 on my AF101 and that camera is soft by nature.
This video was shot wide open with the 50/1.4 on my AF101 and that camera is soft by nature.
photochris
Well-known member
The results are going to be different on a m43 sensor, assuming the OP is asking about it on a FF sensor since this is the Canon FF board. The poor sharpness on the 1.4 will be more obvious wide open on a FF. Stop the 50/1.4 down to F2 and the Makro is still sharper. I paid $500 for my 50 Makro on ebay, not much more than the 1.4 fetches. The 1.4 is still a great lens, but the Makro is sharper and has better micro contrast. Like I said, the Zeiss C/Y 50/1.4 is sharper than the ZE/ZF versions, and its cheaper to boot. You can get really cheap Zeiss-ness if you went with the C/Y 50/1.7, sharper and cheaper than both 1.4's.