Zeiss Lente de Foco Manual 50mm f/1.4 ZF

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

I use the 50mm with a redrock micro encore m2 adaptor and a sony EX3. The results are stunning. The pictures are so sharp and at 1.4 its an amazing piece of kit for dof adaptor shooting. beautifully made and at a price that is unbeatable. I would recommend this lens to anyone

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

This is one of four Zeiss lenses I have the pleasure of owning. Incredible optics, bokah and clarity/sharpness. I prefer Zeiss to Leica lenses, as I find them more neutral. I use the lens on a Nikon D2Xs and Panasonic DMC-GF1 with Voigtlander adapter. Requires some patience to get consistent results, but I find this is true with most manual lenses.

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

Allday lens on FF with its 'normal' FOV and a nice portrait lens on APS sized sensors. Color rendering, bokeh and detail are amazing. Solid feel and very well made. You should be aware of its manual focus. This lens will last forever.

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

It is sharp and beautiful ,good quality,the best 50mm lens I ever use.

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

It was recommended to for me to use this lens for my redrockencore micro lens adapter for my HVX-200, and it's absolutely flawless. One of the major problems with the lens adapter is that it robs light when you use it, and this lens being f/1.4 helps me out a lot. It's built very well, and it surpasses any other lens I've ever used.

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

first let's start of with saying that this not only is this lens beautiful constructed it feels like quality in your hands. i've been photographing for about 10 years now and honestly this is one of the best lenses i've ever used. it's pretty much zeiss quality in without having to own a hasselblad, ikon, etc. the glass element on this lens is superb. much better than any lower nikkor lens ( i.e. f1.8 ). also don't be deterred by the fact that it says "made in japan." it was probably only assembled there. everything that ensures zeiss quality is there. so what if it wasnt assembled in germany! this lens lens has incredible sharpness, color, contrast, and bokeh. for those who say that this isn't a good lens, just go home. lenses that are made to be fast ( i.e. f1.4 ) aren't made to be incredible at the widest aperture, they're just made to be able to do so. however, the zeiss is different, it just owns everything everywhere. i'm pretty sure you just become a complete baller when you buy this. compared to many others, the extra kick you get out of it may be costly by one that is worth it. the next best lens is nikon's 58mm f1.2.

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

Great Lens, very functional - Sturdy - Durable - Sharp - Very Happy : )

I use this with my Letus Extreme 35mm adapter and get great results.

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

This is an amazing lens!!! The focus is amazing, aperture blades are snappy, and looking through the viewfinder, you'll be in awe. I use this lens for everthing and it is amazing. BUY THIS!!! YOU WON'T REGRET IT

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

It feels good in your hands, well built and smooth to operate.
Pictures are definitely superior to equivalent Nikon lens of equivalent characteristics. Will buy the Zeiss wide angles but not the short tele portrait: Nikon 105mm f2.5 is VG.

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

The construction is superb, fully metal, sturdy more than enough and great handling. The focusing ring is a bit stiff compared to Nikkor 24mm f2.8 for example, but nothing to care about. The performance is, also, superb; contrast and colours are astonishing and aberrations, distorsions or vignetting aren't noticeable, bokeh is better than 85mm ones. For me, the lack of autofocus isn't a problem.

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

You'll note that my other ~50mm lenses are all f/4 (manual focus & manual/preset f stops, used with shift adapters). Being use to working with them and getting really excellent results (especially from the CZJ 50mm), I wanted something equivalent for indoor available light.
This lens was a bad choice. I don't understand how I can see something that looks good in the viewfinder at f/1.4 and have it turn out so consistently bad as a photograph. I'd get maybe a single point that appears in focus with everything else grossly out of focus. f/2 is about the same. At f/2.8 and above, everything looks fine.
So, I think this is not an f/1.4 lens, it's an f/2.8 lens that just happened to have a barrel big enough for the aperture to open up a little bigger, so they did it and called it an f/1.4. I'm sure genuine f/1.4 lenses have their glass designed for that aperture, this one surely doesn't.

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

To start, having used this lens for more than a year and a half. I must say it is great glass and it is wonderful for creativity. It is just like the others that i own, the 25mm, 85mm, and the furture 100mm macro, they are first designed for film cameras,However they will work with digital cameras providing that you go into that very hefty manual provided with that digital device and learn to set it properly for this very fast and lets not Forget,MANUAL LENSE. I can't think of nothing related to photography thats straight forward and i will give two examples hoping it may open up something to enlightN., maybe all but two of the metering systems that your camera have will work with a manual len if your camera doesn't recognize it.Maybe the flash that you are using does not work with the metering that you chosen.JUST AN EYE OPENER. YOU HAVE TO READ THE MANUAL SO THAT YOU CAN KNOW YOUR CAMERA,LENSES,FLASHES ALL IN ONE FOR THE TYPE OF PHOTOGRAPHING YOU WANT TO DO.

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

I own two other 50mm primes (Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D and f/1.4 D) and this lens is sharper than those! The Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 ZF LENS is the best objective I have used.
Optically fantastic!. The outcoming picture looks very 3D! Incredible sharpness, contrast, & color rendition.
Build quality, fit and finish are all high above the average.
The bokeh of this lense has produced some of the nicest portraits I have ever shot.
Color and contrast are by far the best I have ever experienced.

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

Why is an expensive, exotic lens NOT for pros? You come home with too many out of focus shots. I used this with my D200 and D2x. So many shots look perfectly focused in the viewfinder, look sharp on the LCD, but when viewed on the computer monitor were out of focus by a mile. Maybe if I got a split-prism focusing screen it would be better but I didn't want to throw another [$] at this. (I have 20/20 vision before you ask) When a shot was in focus and stopped down past f5.6, the image quality is really wonderful. If you won't lose your job or mind if 70% of your shots are unusable, but the other 30 are zeiss-tastic, then buy it. I think Nikon's 60 2.8macro is just as good and it even autofocuses- but it's 2 stops slower. I own the nikon 50 1.4 AF and it's also only good past f4 or 5.6 which is why I never use it. The nikon 50 1.2 AIS was just as bad with out of focus results. My search for a fast prime lens that works beautifully and dutifully at all apertures ended with the canon 50 1.2 for my canon 5D.

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

Yes, this lens produces the beautiful tone and contrast that is a Zeiss hallmark. It's warm and detailed at the same time.HOWEVER, as discussed all over the Internet, this lens suffers from horrible bokeh -- especially wide open. You can have a classic portrait with spectacular eyes and focus feathering off into the face and hair, then wham any specular details in the background blow up into harsh double lined spots and worms. Everyone remarks on the bokeh before they even see the subject. You need to stop down to 5.6 to get a handle on this, but then you lose the ability to isolate the subject from the background with selective focus. It's a crying shame.A couple of nice features:1. There is a large turn on the silky focusing ring, so you can get focus just right.2. On the D300 (and I think the D3 as well), you can program the lens in and get matrix metering. Very cool.

Expertise: Semi-Pro

Problems Encountered: Bokeh is horrendous when not stopped down.Lens cap is flimsy and tends to fall off.Auto-focus would've been great on this lens.

Previous Equivalent Item Owned: Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

Items I Recommend: Nikon lens cap

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

What can I say? It's perfect. Handles like a dream, perfect amount of resistance on focus ring, light, and compact. I tried one at B&H and was instantly sold. The quality and sharpness are beyond all expectations.I use this lens with my new D3 and that's about as winning a combination as you're going to find.

Expertise: Pro

Problems Encountered: The only problem is that once you get this lens you'll want more Zeiss lenses.

Previous Equivalent Item Owned: Nikon 50 1.4

Items I Recommend: B&W UV 58mm filter.

Comments about Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Manual Focus Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras:

What a difference from my canon and Nikon 50's -- I wouldnever go back. The global and microcontrast are perfect --tonal and color renditions are far superior too. They are MFhowever -- haven't done that since I sold my hasselblad. Thebiggest negative about this lens is now I have to go out andbuy the 100 and 35.

Expertise: Professional

Previous Equivalent Item Owned: Canon and Nikon 50mm

Items I Recommend: canon mark iii series or Nikon d3