Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras

Comments about Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras:

The classic version of the Zeiss lens has the most accurate color you have ever seen. It also has great contrast and the bokeh is second to none! It's only a manual focus which takes getting used to but, supberb results.

Comments about Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras:

I was searching for a good portrait lens, I knew that zeiss makes solid lens with superb glass quality. I went for it and I am happy with my purchase. under low light conditions it produces clear images with minimum color distortion. it is a fun lens to have if you wanna do portrait photography and night photography.

pros:
- superb build quality
- excellent glass quality with a nice coating
- its hood has velvety texture inside than can reduce the dust on the lens by absorbing it.

cons:
- maybe slightly heavy.
- no automatic focus (I am a big fan of AF but using this lens make me think I am wrong, the focusing ring is super smooth and accurate for focusing)

recommendation: if you can afford buying a focusing screen that will be a nice addition to this lens.

Comments about Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras:

This lens is super sharp and super shallow ! The 85 also has a decent amount of focus travel - so it makes it a little easier to pull focus for HD video.

Comments about Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras:

LOVE this lens. The focusing is so smooth I only want to use Zeiss lenses from now on. Even though it's a slight bit heavy, it's incredibly durable and works great in freezing cold conditions (photographing Ice related events and activities). Even better for video!! Talking head shots look beautiful, whether documentary or artistic. Just love the overall ease and feel of the lens, it's worth the money if you intend to keep this lens for a lifetime.

Comments about Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras:

total love this lense and I have shot with both Af-s Nikkor 85mm f1.4d and f1.4g. the bokeh is incredible and I can't wait to use it for filming in particular. the sharpness is amazing and dialing it up f4 for maximum sharpness just gets better and better. tho it may be a little more heavier than the nikkor's 85 series but results are far superior in construction. focusing is very easy and i have always thought autofocusing makes you a lazy photographer. this lense definitely stands alone in 85mm series across the board.

Comments about Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras:

Using the right adaptor it's works perfect in all my cameras: Canon 5D / 60D and T2i.

Comments about Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras:

This was my first MF lens that i had yearned to get for quite some time and needless to say, i'm very happy that i have decided to buy it. The bokeh is truly legendary. This is a pretty fast lens and it is just a matter of time to get used to the manual focus. The focus throw is excellent. Focusing is not difficult wide open, but it only takes time to get used to very shallow depth of field. Stopped down to F/2, the sharpness is unmatched and the color rendition is something that you crave for. I was little apprehensive about the focus ring and throw before i got this lens to hand but trust me, the focusing is very smooth and damped. This lens stays on my cam for almost 80-90% of the time and i have got so used to manual focusing that i've started MF on my AF lens too! :) One CON that i have noticed in this lens [and probably in many other lens for that matter of fact] is that there is purple fringing at high contrast areas when you use the lens wide open. That too only in heavy crops. You can find some sample images with this lens below [please check Carl Zeiss 85mm F/1.4 set[@]

Comments about Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras:

This lens is incredibly fast. I also own the 50mm 1.4 and somehow the 85 seems to let in more light. Colors are saturated yet accurate. No distortion. Razor sharp, especially from 2.8-5.6. Legendary Zeiss bokeh, as always. A bit difficult to focus wide open, as DOF becomes super shallow, but worth throwing some shots away once you nail it.

Comments about Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras:

I have shot my best images with this lens. I love the length, size, weight and precision. This is a fast lens. I use it with the Nikon D3 and F3. This lens is great for night street and bar photography. I rarely shoot action and love manual focus. No lens is made better than these Zeiss lenses.

Comments about Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras:

I purchased this lens in addition to the Lumix 14-140 and 7-14 so that I'd have at least one fast prime for my Panasonic AF-100. The look it gives me is nothing short of amazing. DOF is super shallow at f/1.4. I love it and can't wait to put it to use on upcoming projects

Comments about Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras:

I am an independent filmmaker and I use this lens as a companion to a cinema lens adapter. The resolution is awesome; the quality and durability of this lens is a testament to why Carl Zeiss lenses are a leader in the industry. The out of area focus (bokeh) makes filming with a camcorder look like you are filming with a professional grade 35MM film camera just without spending the money that comes with it. The lens may be pricey but it well worth every penny and does more than it needs to do in terms of product life, consistency, clarity, durability, craftsmanship, and style.

This lens also produces some really good pictures as well. I'm not a professional photographer but seeing the pictures that I've taken with it would make you think otherwise. The focus ring moves smoothly and doesn't feel loose or too tight. The weight is about 570 g, which isn't a bad thing, it just shows how tough the actual lens is.

If you are a photographer, I recommend this lens. If you are a videographer or filmmaker and you are using this lens with a 35MM adapter, I strongly recommend this lens as it really does provide the professional look that you are trying to acheive.

Comments about Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras:

operation in low light I love

Comments about Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras:

I use this product for portraiture. Results are stunning clarity and color. A little soft and dream-like at 1.4, but that's to be expected. I have also shot with the Nikon 85/1.4 (non-AFS), with great results, but the Zeiss rules in clarity and color. With quite a throw on the focusing, I was able to fine-tune focusing beyond the in-focus dot indicator on my Nikon D3. Absolutely no play in the focus mechanism. Lens build, construction, and the helical system is top-notch, as expected. So is feel and balance. Of importance was that the lens was perfect out of the box, i.e., void of internal dust and imperfections in the glass that some brand new lenses have. My only minor issue is that the focusing ring resides close in proximity to the face of a Nikon D3, hence, with large hands, there is not much air space between fingers/hand and camera body. Only improvement on this superb lens might be a sliding built-in hood.

Comments about Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras:

This lens is perfect for still photograhy and minimally moving objects such as flowers and landscapes. Colors are vivid and accurate and skin tones are nice.

The focus is right on with my D700. I did add a Katz Optic prism focus screen, but I'm not sure that helps. (kinda cool though)

Not a lens of choice for family action or pets, as manual focus hard to do, although practice has improved the number of usable pix.

The price is fair, given I recently spent over twice this for a new Nikor 70-200 VRII.

Comments about Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras:

This is a beautiful lens to use. The focus ring is buttery smooth, and has a long enough turn for you to get accurate focus. It's a Zeiss, what else would you expect? It renders bokeh beautifully, and in-focus images are sharp. Also a bit brighter (about a half stop) than the Nikon counterpart.

There are some critiques, but they are nit-picks. Compared to the Nikon 85mm f/f/1.4 AF-D (I have a good sharp copy), this lens tends to halo in higher contrast areas a bit while at larger apertures. Seems almost like a "soft focus" at times. If you stop down, the effects become minimal. Also, it doesn't seem as contrasty as the Nikon.

We did a blind test - D3 on a tripod, same manual exposure settings, same scene, taken with the Nikon and Zeiss 85mm lenses, from f/1.4 to f/11. Overall, most people preferred the images taken with the Nikon lens. The differences are marginal, and all very nit-picky, but you can see it if you looked for it. HOWEVER - everyone who held the Nikon and Zeiss said they would rather USE the Zeiss over the Nikon unless they're shooting a wedding or an event they may need AF. The Zeiss just feels that much nicer in your hand, and the focus is just a dream to turn.