Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

I tried to spend less money on two other lenses - the Zeiss f/2 and the Nikon 35mm f/1.4G, but ended up keeping this lens as to me it's worth the extra money. This lens is for use on my Nikon D800E.My primary purpose is landscapes. This lens is better than the other two in sharpness if you stop this lens down to F11 (compared to the other lenses at their best for landscape, which may be f8). The tonal rendering and color & microconstrast is in my opinion superior as well, and perhaps the most important quality. At wider openings the Zeiss f/2 is superior in sharpness (the Zeiss 1.4 may have more field curvature). The Nikon is great in the center of the field but not as sharp as the Zeiss lenses away from the center. Of course I tried just one sample of each so it may prove different for others.If I was shooting weddings and wanted the center sharp but didn't care as much about the rest (or wasn't going to worry about very large prints) then the Nikon is a no brainer, esp. as the autofocus is convenient.It was a close call between the Zeiss f/2 and f/1.4, especially as the f/2 is sharper outside the center than the 1.4 lens until about f8. But at f11 for infinity landscapes and for tonal rendering the f/1.4 lens is the best.As to bokeh I like both the f/2 and the 1.4 (Zeiss) and find one superior and vice versa to the other in different circumstances. Nikon not as good. The Zeiss 1.4 does have a fair amount of purple fringing until about f/8 - when pixel peeping - it's more at wider apertures, but for my uses it is not a problem.Overall, for wide aperature shots of close objects such as flowers and portraits, and for landscapes where good depth of field is wanted, I find the Zeiss the best and worth the extra money. Plus, it has tremendous build quality and focuses silky smooth with a fairly easy way to focus with live view at magnification.One caution - if you pixel peep and want crystal clear photos at f1.4 to f4 then there is too much purple fringing in high contrast situations and perhaps spherical abberation and you might prefer one of the other two lenses.

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

I find it difficult to remove this lens from my camera because of its versatility and sheer goodness! Since it renders extremely well wide open, it is ideal for low light work at dawn, dusk, and for interiors. It is extremely sharp at all apertures and the lens design and coatings harness flare and reproduce colors with remarkable fidelity and clarity. No need to push the ISO to where noise is a nuisance. I shoot with a full frame camera but I believe it would perform superbly with smaller sensors. The lens is reasonably close focusing and I use it a lot in close-up photography, wide open. The bokeh is very pleasing and the transition from focused to unfocused areas of the frame is never harsh--the effect is remarkably as the eye sees the scene. The attributes of this lens collectively produce a three dimensional effect that is difficult to describe objectively--one has to see the results to appreciate them. The lens is of appreciable size and weight but I find that this is an attribute. It fits into my average sized (male) hands with a heft that adds stability to focusing--and accurate focusing is a must as I use the lens with large apertures. The critical focusing requirement wide open is aided by the superb build quality of the lens, and particularly the precise focusing helicoid. If one doesn't need that luscious last (or first) stop from f2 to f1.4, there are savings in weight, size and dollars to be had from the same manufacturer or others, but if that stop is important, there are sizable photographic rewards to be had with this lens.

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

I bought this lens a while ago and have only tested on 2 cheap fuji superia 100 on my FM3A, still waiting for my D800E and also planning next test roll on a high resolution film. So far its a spetacular lens:

*Works perfect on auto-mode and metering on my FM3A
*Fantastic Color
*Great sharpness
*Really good at 1.4 and from 2 to 2.8 perfect
*I liked the bokeh a lot
*Built to last at least 3 generations!

The only think I didn't like was weight, size and lens cap!

Not to mention that it was a nice normal focal lenght on a D7000 that I also tested. Focus confirmation was really OK, metering and also CPU info.

Everything I expected! I would recommend to any system.

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

Most of photographers already knew that Carl Zeiss ZF.2 35mm f/1.4 is a great lens and I am not going to repeat this. Most important of all, I am very happy with the recommended shipping + custom clearing service provided by B&H and its courier. I ordered the lens on Monday, and received the item on Wednesday same week ( FYI, I am in Canada ), it saved me a lot of time dealing with custom clearing agent. What a great service and it is the best mail-order experience I have so far.

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

The best 35mm lens I have ever used. It can be a real hassle if you are uncomfortable with manual focus (and certainly there is a great deal of technique to learn), but the lens absolutely performs as you would expect a prime in this price range. Beautiful transitions from in focus to out of focus lend the lens its "3D" reputation. It also allows you to focus quite close for those who want to enjoy it's macro capabilities.

That said, the lens is quite heavy.

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

Advantage:
1. Sharp.
2. Excellent resolution.
3. Colorful and chromatic.
4. Can't tell any distortion by eyes.
5. Solid and heavy.

Disadvantage:
1. Manual focus which costs me 30 seconds to focus and finally take a photo.
2. Obvious Longitudinal Chromatic Aberrations when wide open.

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

This lens is the second Zeiss lens I own and both were bought from B&H.
It is solidly built, with smooth focusing mechanism and dock nicely on my D700. I do not find this lens heavy and it is well balanced on my D700. The CPU interface function helps a great deal focusing when using large aperture in low light conditions since view finder viewing field is not large.This lens stand out from my collection of top of range Nikko lens in the object rendering which is makes this lens an excellent optical instruments. I have taken more than a few hundred photo in the first week I got this lens and I am amazed with each and everyone of them. I have been very satisfied with my first Zeiss 21mm, f2.8 and I am equally pleased with this 35mm f1.4 lens.

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

Amazing colors

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

Great lens, quick delivery. This lens is so fast and sharp. So happy with my purchase!

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

Zeiss really know how to put a lens together, just brillant lens, smooth, crystal sharp, just fantastic.
There is nothing I can fault with any of the Zeiss that I have, best lens ever and very fast with f1.4 for low light conditions, BRILLANT!!

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

I've had this lens for a few months and I'm always amazed by the quality of the resulting photographs. The sharpness and bokeh are outstanding, while focussing is nice and smooth.

One thing I'd recommend is getting a Nikon lens cap to replace the included one.

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

After evaluating this lens for 4 months, I have come to recognize this as my preferred lens. 35mm has always been the natural focal length for my eye and I always appreciated the Zeiss look in my 35/2, but trading up to the ZF.2 35/1.4 was worth the upgrade. The bokeh is extraordinary. So soft while retaining a perfect transition to sharp in-focus subjects. The lens excels in multiple situations including low light. Stopping down to f/5.6 delivers extremely sharp images. Smooth focus ring helps with rapid focus, but recommend using live view at f/1.4 because of the extremely narrow DOF.

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

This lens has two personalities. When shot wide open, there is acceptable detail and sharpness in the plane of focus and the out of focus areas are beautiful-- not distracting, but not boring either. This is a great environmental portaiture lens at larger apertures. The only issues are purple fringing at high contrast boundaries and occasionally, flare/ghosting even with the hood mounted.

Stopped down, the lens exhibits critical sharpness corner to corner with excellent contrast and detail resolution.

Close-focus shooting was a nice surpise for such a fast, wide lens.

The lens handles well, but is a little front heavy even on a D700. Focusing feels great, but the image does not snap into focus as easily as the 100mm makro planar. Typical great Zeiss build quality. Buy a replacement Nikon front cap.

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

I've had it for a day now and can't get enough of this lens, i'm so happy with this purchase. Every shot looks like fine art. Very easy to focus handheld, unlike Zeiss 100mm that gives me headache. Yes it does have CA stopped down from F1.4 up to maybe 2.8 as i payed attention, but which lens doesn't really ? it's sharp, colors are unbelievably beautiful, focus is creamy soft and easy, great in low light, gorgeous construction and for me it's not heavy at all, plus i use NikonD3s body, or maybe i'm just enjoying it so much that weight doesn't really matter. This lens keeps me present !!! highly recommended !!!

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

This is an excellent wide-angle portrait lens because the bokeh is the creamiest I've ever seen. The micro contrast is one of the best I've seen even wide-open. The build quality is top-notch and the focus ring is buttery smooth.

One thing I did not like about this lens was that it was a bit "hazy" below F2 .8. Perhaps this is what gives it the beautiful bokeh, but if you're looking for sharpness at wide-open, it is not the best lens for that. I have not used any other F1 .4 lens so this may be a common characteristic of these fast lenses.

I also find that it was not as sharp (very slightly) in the center as my 24-79 Nikon lens at F2 .8, but the 35 definitely did have better colors and micro contrast than my Nikon. My Nikon has a slight color cast while this lens does not, though this lens slightly over exposes by 1/3 stop.

If you're looking for absolute sharpness, then the Zeiss MF 100/2 is the way to go. The sharpness at the wide end is night and day compared to the Zeiss 100. However, if you're looking for a versatile wide-angle lens for portrait and general use, this lens can't be beat.

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

I haven't been able to take this lens off my camera since I bought it. I've tried, but the clarity, color, contrast, and overall beautiful images that it renders are incomparable to my other lenses. The build is sturdy. The focus ring incredibly smooth. I've used it for street shooting/editorial work and even some portraits with wonderful results. The manual focus is a little to get used to, but for me, its worth the work due to the quality of image I get on the other end.

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

This is again a very fine lens in the ZF lens line-up. It fits perfectly into the camera's bayonet with tight tolerances. Amazing mechanical construction, smooth focusing, bright and clear viewfinder which makes focusing quite simple (no need for a split ground glass) and increases keeper rate even at f1.4. A bit of CA wide open, which seems quite usual for such fast lenses. CA diminishes when stopping down, almost completely gone at f2. It is a heavy piece of equipment, but balances perfectly on the bigger Nikon D2/3 bodies. The rendering is typical Zeiss, which I like due to its wonderful color rendering and its micro contrast. The beautiful bokeh gives you a great tool for your creativity especially wide open, not to speak of its low light capabilities. Certainly not that much important, but my first tests with a test chart showed perfect corner sharpness even wide open. This lens on a FX body is the ideal combo for me for cityscapes and street shooting. Highly recommended.

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

great build quality, nice control. as everyone noted, it is heavy for a 35.

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

I own some good Nikon gears, this is the best lens I ever mount it on my D3, I stay away from Nikkor 24/1.4G and 35/1.4G to get this lens, if you want the best all around lens, this one is.

Comments about Zeiss Distagon T 35mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F Mount:

This lens kill all Nikkors lenses, It make Nikkor lenses looks like Sigma and Tokina Lenses, it is that good.I stay away from Nikkor 35mm F1.4G and 24mm F1.4G to get this lens, this lens is Extraordinary.