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zeiss ZF lens - yes/no?

Zakaree Sandberg

Zakaree Sandberg

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ok.. here is my possible future line up of primes..
ZEISS ZF

25mm 2.8
35mm 2.0
50mm 1.4
85mm 1.4

what do you guys think?

is this a good choice? I think I will be going with the ims system from P+S
so that i can do quick nikon - PL.

Also.. second question..

Is it impossible for someone to just make a PL adapter for a nikon lens mount?
 
Zakaree said:
Is it impossible for someone to just make a PL adapter for a nikon lens mount?
Click to expand...

You mean go from nikon mount to PL lens? That might work- it would be cutting it pretty close with most PL lenses as they sit so far back into the mount. I like the Zeiss ZF lenses by the way, the mechanics are actually very smooth- smoother than most of used PL lenses I have came across. Heck- for less than the price of 1 PL prime lens, you get 4 ZF lenses.
 
Zakaree,

The Zeiss ZF are great lenses. A couple of my friends have them and love them.

I have been shooting with Nikkor lenses for a few years on 35 adapters and with my Red for the last six months. They are great.

Here is a link to a test of ZF lenses over at Cinevate (Brevis35):
http://www.cinevate.com/images/zeisssm.mov

I just bought an old set of Zeiss Superspeed MK1 T1.4s, so I plan to sell my Nikkors soon. 20mm f2.8, 28mm f2.8, 35mm f1.4, 55mm f1.2, 85mm f1.4, 105mm f1.8

It is not possible to make an easy adapter for mounting Nikons on PL and getting the correct FFD.

I am seriously looking at the IMS mount too. Hopefully they work out the warranty stuff.


Mahalo,
Dusty
 
Dustin Cross said:
Zakaree,


I am seriously looking at the IMS mount too. Hopefully they work out the warranty stuff.


Mahalo,
Dusty
Click to expand...

Dusty,
I think they already figured out the IMS warrenty issue..
I wish someone would post something of the IMS mount on their camera.. if it exists yet...
 
Zakaree said:
Dusty,
I think they already figured out the IMS warrenty issue..
Click to expand...

Zakaree - could you post a link or quote for your source on this? I wrote to P+S a while back after reading on their website that IMS wouldn't void the warranty, and Jarred responding here that it would. P+S's response was, "Go talk to Red." Haven't looked into it in the past couple of weeks, though... has something changed?
 
No, right now the ims will void the warranty, but Sanjib is soon to make a trip to p+s with his Red to see what can be worked out - it has to do with safely stacking away the i-connector.

How do the ZF lenses compare to the Zeiss Pentax primes?
 
Martin Weiss said:
How do the ZF lenses compare to the Zeiss Pentax primes?
Click to expand...

The Zeiss ZK lenses are identical to the ZFs, only difference is the Pentax K-mount.
 
If you can afford it get the 100mm as well. You'll use the others more but when you want a macro image or a really pretty portrait, that's the one you'll reach for. The build quality on the zf's is outstanding and really blows the nikons away. Here's a shot that I took with my zeiss zf 100mm on my canon rebel xt last week. The flower is about 1.5 inches tall.


cactusflower.jpg
 
mk07 said:
are zeiss really better than canon?
Click to expand...

Some of the Canon L lenses are probably as good or a little better than ZF equivalents, optically, e.g the 85/1.2.
Some of the ZF lenses are better than any Canon equivalent, e.g 100/2 and 28/2.
Canon L lenses will autofocus on your Canon DSLR.
Zeiss ZFs have much better mechanical/build quality.
 
Nils J. Nesse said:
Some of the Canon L lenses are probably as good or a little better than ZF equivalents, optically, e.g the 85/1.2.
Some of the ZF lenses are better than any Canon equivalent, e.g 100/2 and 28/2.
Canon L lenses will autofocus on your Canon DSLR.
Zeiss ZFs have much better mechanical/build quality.
Click to expand...

Buy a birger Canon EF mount. Then use it when you want as a dumb mount for Nikon, ZF or Zeiss Contax Yashica (many are the same as the ZF but 1/3 price on the used market and you have many more options - i.e. 200, 300mm, etc. ), Leica, etc. with a $20 mechanical adapter. Best of all worlds.
 
I guess the real advantage of the zeiss over others (canon, nikon) is uniformity in color and quality build.
The whole series feel like set of PL zeiss.

Lowdown
I love that 100mm macro shot. It's the one I am going to get next, unless 18mm will come soon.
 
YES, YES & YES

I have the 35 and the 50 f/1.4

I love the 50. It's amazing.

Going to spring for the 85 and the 100 next
 
I've not been able to detect a color shift between any Nikkors made after 1970. The coatings have been pretty consistent since then. The tolerances on the ZFs may be tighter but I really don't feel this is an issue for shooting Red.
Especial the newer Nano-coat optics which are amazing, but still seem to match the older Nikkor warmth.
 
I am looking at the lens hoods right now, and I think I'll go for the most part with the 72mm (considering also 82mm).
I want them all to have the same front diameter to easily fit it on the matte box. Longer hood will also help me with the 50mm which has the most problems to fit in the MM
Found it all at B&H
Here is the hood link:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/357648-REG/Kalt_NPMLH72_72mm_Metal_Lens_Hood.html

What you think about the hood?
Has anybody found a better one?
 
There is clearly a difference in the bokeh. The regular Nikons have a hexagonal bokeh, whereas the Zeiss have a circular, smoother looking bokeh. The mechanics are also very different. Picture to picture, a casual viewer wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
 
Will View Factors' Inclino Digital Follow Focus work with the Zeiss ZF, I am starting to agree that this is a good way to go just want to makes sure the follow focus works with it. Any thoughts? Maybe View Factor can chime in?
 
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