Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2/35 ZF
My usage
Since I decided to move from Canon EOS 5D to
Canon EOS 1D Mark III I needed a new normal lens since I could
no longer use my Leica Summicron-R 50mm f/2.0 as my normal
lens since it's field of view on 1.3x crop is same as 65mm lens on full frame, a little long for my
taste. 35mm field of view in 1.3x crop is same as 46mm lens would be on fullframe, therefore
this lens is my normal lens on 1.3x crop format.
Most important aspect of normal lens (to me) is that it produces neutral perspective. With this lens I use
perspective as main element to create the 3d feeling to images I take with, and typically it also needs
help from well controlled bokeh, not too blurry and not too sharp and not distractive.
However it seems that this lens has some limitations regarding bokeh, it can be really ugly
sometimes, I would say "distagon-like" since I'm able to reproduce same effect with
Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2.8/28, therefore I prefer to use
Leica Summicron-R 50mm f/2.0 to "normal lens shots requiring
good bokeh from f/2-f/5.6" even Leica is slightly longer than 2/35...
Naturally this lens is also used to all kind of landscape photography. Then I need all the sharpness and
microcontrast I can get out from the lens, and this lens delivers!
Image quality
2008-03-01: In order to give final verdict more photographs are needed to be taken. This section is
under construction.
Sharpness and Contrast
Based on photos I have taken I have no reason to doubt that the measured MTF charts would not be as
Zeiss has them measured.
According to Zeiss (underline parts different than in Canon's MTFs): "The Modulation Transfer (MTF) as a
function of image height (u) and slit orientation (sagittal, tangential) has been measured with white
light at spatial frequencies of R = 10, 20 and 40 cycles/mm."
Handling and usage
Focusing from infinity to 0.44 meter is about 360 degrees rotation. Manual focus feeling is very tight and in
some situations I would prefer to have less resistance when turning the manual focus ring. Manual focusing
is very accurate and it's very easy to achieve accurate focus with live view. For Canon users the focus ring
also turns into wrong direction; e.g. all the way to clockwise is infinity and not minimum focus distance
Aperture is can be selected 1/2 stop intervals. When using viewfinder and manually stopping down it's easy
to calculate "clicks" from wide open to determinen the aperture into which lens is stopped down. Only problem
with setting aperture is that the lens barrel is quite wide (wider than aperture ring) and aperture ring is between
lens barrel and camera and in some situations it wasn't easy to adjust aperture, specially with gloves.
Lens hood protects front lens element quite well physically, but not from sun and other light sources. This
lens would definitely benefit from scalloped hood. Lens cap is easy to attach to lens or de-attach, since
Zeiss lens caps are "center-punch" design.
Circular polarizer is easy to operate even when the hood is attached to the lens. However the hood does not
protect the filter much from the sun and other light sources.
Build quality and basics
Build quality is as good as I could imagine, from different planet than Canon lenses. Lens hood has bajonet
and lens hood is made of metal, not plastic. Lens hood fits very well to lens and can be reversed.
Lens dimensions with Nikon to EOS adapter and lens caps are: diameter 65mm, length 115mm, weight 565g.
Dimensions when including hood: diameter 82mm, length 162mm and weight 590g. This lens isn't internal
focusing and therefore extends when focused closer. Lens extends about 5mm when focused to minimum
focus distance 0.3m. Lens uses filter size of 58mm.
Minimum aperture is f/22. Aperture has 9 blades and aperture remains very round even at f/22. Lens has 9
elements which are in 7 groups. Actual focal length is 35mm. Minimum focus distance is 0.3m, which
results 1:5.4 magnification and full frame (36mm x 24mm) coverage of 196mm x 129mm.
On 1.3x crop camera coverage is 151mm x 99mm and in 1.6x crop 123mm x 81mm.
Summary
Pros
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Cons
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See photos in my picturebank taken with this lens.
16-9.net - Test of 28mm lenses including CZ 28/2.8
digLloyd Zeiss ZF lenses
Pebble Place - Carl Zeiss Macro-Sonnar T* 2.8/100 N
Pebble Place - Carl Zeiss Planar T* 2/100
Zeiss.com - Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f/2.0
Zeiss.com - Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T* 100mm f/2.0
Pictures of Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2/35 ZF
Lens extends when focused
Distance from EOS lens mount (including adapter) to end of the hood is 91mm at infinity and 96mm at minimum focus
distance.
Front/side projection
Made in Japan, unfortunately...
Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2/35 ZF with Canon EOS 1D Mark III
2/35 balances well with 1D Mark III
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