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ZEISS Loxia 21mm f/2.8 Lens for Sony E

BH #ZE2128LFE • MFR #2131-999
 53 reviews
ZEISS Loxia 21mm f/2.8 Lens for Sony E
Key Features
  • E-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/22
  • Four Low Dispersion Elements
  • One Aspherical Element
Combining an expansive field of view with a compact form factor, the Loxia 21mm f/2.8 from ZEISS is a sleek wide-angle prime, designed for full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. Based on the Distagon optical concept, this lens uses four anomalous partial dispersion elements and one aspherical element to provide a marked reduction in chromatic and spherical aberrations for improved color rendering, sharpness, and clarity. For minimizing flare and ghosting, an enhanced ZEISS T* anti-reflective coating has also been applied to benefit working in difficult lighting conditions.
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$1,299.00
Reg Price $1,549.00
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Used for$674.95

ZEISS Loxia 21mm f/2.8 Overview

Combining an expansive field of view with a compact form factor, the Loxia 21mm f/2.8 from ZEISS is a sleek wide-angle prime, designed for full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. Based on the Distagon optical concept, this lens uses four anomalous partial dispersion elements and one aspherical element to provide a marked reduction in chromatic and spherical aberrations for improved color rendering, sharpness, and clarity. For minimizing flare and ghosting, an enhanced ZEISS T* anti-reflective coating has also been applied to benefit working in difficult lighting conditions.

Loxia-series lenses are distinguished by their manual focus operation along with a manual aperture ring that can be de-clicked for silent operation; making them especially suitable for filmmaking applications. Loxia lenses are also characterized by their compact form factor and all-metal lens barrel, which incorporates engraved focusing and depth of field scales, for fine-tuned control. Additionally, the lens body sports a dust- and moisture-sealed design to permit its use in trying environments.

Wide-angle prime is designed for full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras, however can also be used with APS-C models where it provides a 31.5mm equivalent focal length
Bright f/2.8 maximum aperture suits working in available-light conditions and is also well-suited for astrophotography use.
Distagon optical concept affords high sharpness, well-corrected image quality from edge-to-edge, and very low field curvature.
Four anomalous partial dispersion elements are used to significantly reduce color fringing and chromatic aberrations for increased clarity and color fidelity.
One aspherical element controls distortion and spherical aberrations in order to produce greater sharpness and more accurate rendering.
ZEISS T* anti-reflective coating has been applied to each lens surface to help minimize reflections and provide greater contrast and color fidelity.
Manual focus design is benefitted by focusing and depth of field scales along with a 90° focus ring rotational angle and hard stops at both infinity and minimum focusing positions.
Manual aperture ring has clicked indicators throughout aperture range. Using the included De-Click Tool, this ring can be mechanically 'de-clicked' for smooth, silent rotation throughout the aperture range; making it ideal for video applications.
Weather-resistant construction includes internal seals to guard against dust and moisture as well as a blue sealing ring at the lens mount to protect the lens-camera interface.
The lens mount is fitted with an electronic interface that conveys all lens Exif data to the camera and can also be configured to automatically activate the camera's focusing magnification function when turning the focus ring.

ZEISS Loxia 21mm f/2.8 Specs

Focal Length
21mm
Maximum Aperture
f/2.8
Minimum Aperture
f/22
Lens Mount
Sony E
Lens Format Coverage
Full-Frame
Angle of View
91°
Minimum Focus Distance
9.84" / 25 cm
Maximum Magnification
0.13x
Optical Design
11 Elements in 9 Groups
Focus Type
Manual Focus
Image Stabilization
No
Filter Size
52 mm (Front)
Dimensions (ø x L)
2.44 x 2.83" / 62 x 72 mm
Weight
13.9 oz / 394 g
Packaging Info
Package Weight
1.74 lb
Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
8.95 x 5.35 x 4.75"

ZEISS Loxia 21mm f/2.8 Reviews

Made in Japan?

By Arnold
Rated 3 out of 5
Date: 2022-03-27

Sorry, but I had to give three stars, only. In terms of optical and mechanical quality, the lens is superb. However, for this steep price, I would expect this product to be Made in Germany.

Small and Powerful

By Arsenio
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2019-12-30

Fantastic lens, great optics and very small. very happy with the purchase.

Good for landscape

By Christian
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2019-06-26

Very sharp lens. My first prime for landscape. I just noticed that It’s a struggle to unmount it in my camera, that I need to turn it along with the dials all the way. But, nevertheless, this is worth buying.

Great Manual Focus Lens

By John
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2019-06-15

I really like this lens. My photography is better with this lens because it makes me pick exactly what I want in focus. No more handing over the focus point to autofocus. It works well on both my A7R2 and my 6300. You also get the EXIF data from this lens. I do have to use the EVF to focus so you want to have a tripod tall enough so you don't have to hunch down.

Lensgrip

By joep
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2019-04-09

This is not so much a review of the Loxia 21mm because I only have it for 5 days and because of physical problems I am not able to go out shooting at the moment. But I can tell from the pictures I took inside the house that this lens looks very promising. And the feel of this lens is real Zeiss with the all metal build and buttery smooth manuel focussing. And infinity is there just before the hard stop. This feel is quite different from the Zeiss Batis 18mm I do own. Which is a lovely lens to, but not that traditional Zeiss feeling. The real reason for writing this interview is that I keep reading that this 21mm lens (and also the other Loxias) is hard to install and to remove because there is hardly place to get good grip on the lens. I do like to mention that there is a small company in Germany who did solve this problem with the Pocket pano lensgrip, they are specially made for the Loxia lenses and do not cost a fortune. As I can see they do ship worldwide. So if you like to solve the problem google Pocket pano lensgrip and you will find pocketpano.de Their site is in english too, maybe you have to choose first between english and german. I did order 2 of them, one for the 21mm and one for a future Loxia 50mm. And when it is attached to the lens you hardly see the difference, it becomes one with the lens. And it works flawlesley, i now have very good grip on the lens. So I do hope I can help some people solving this problem. And it would be a pitty if this lens looses stars in the reviews because of this now easy to solve problem. Best regards, Joep

great image. hard to un-mount it from the camera

By Chin Chieh
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2019-03-08

image is great. just like a lot of reviews said, it is so tight that it is very hard to take it off from the camera body.

It's a manual only lens.

By Steven
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2021-06-17

So now that that is out of the way the only negative about this lens is that it's manual only and for some people that's not a negative. It slows you down and makes you think about the picture you're taking. I had several of these 21 mm Zeiss lenses over the years and they really do have some kind of a magical quality that is very hard to describe. But you can clearly see it and some of the photos It can produce. It's very expensive but you can get significant savings on the used market. Highly recommended especially if you've never used a manual lens before. It changes the way you will look at your photography.

Love it, and hate it.

By Rocco
Rated 2 out of 5
Date: 2020-03-05

Optically, this lens is superb, I love it. I also hate it. For $1,500 you would think that the lens wouldn't be built so shoddy. Seriously. The lens hood always falls off, it does not snap on tight, and I knew I would loose it, and sure enough--I did. Now I have to spend $100 to replace the hood, because of poor engineering. The complaints don't stop there. The lens is difficult to take off or put on your camera. There is no lock to stop you from accidentally changing the aperture. In order to de-click the lens, you have to use a tool, there is no switch like on the Sony 135GM, etc. The good stuff? This lens is sharp, corner to corner, and it's the best handling lens I've ever used when pointing directly into the sunlight. Did I say beautiful sunstars? Yes... they are gorgeous. It's too bad shoddy engineering leaves a bad taste in one's mouth with his lens. Like I said, I love this lens, but I also detest it.

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Asked by: Cheryl
This is NOT an auto focus lens. But yes because it is manual focus you can just turn the focus ring to INF and you are done.
Answered by: Alexander
Date published: 2021-07-15

question

It's the end of March and the lens is still out of stock. Any updates on expected dates? Thanks in advance
Asked by: greg m.
I apologize, but this type of request cannot be taken care of through this feature of our website. Please contact our Customer Service department by entering Live Chat, emailing directly to cs@<a href= http://bhphoto.com, target= _blank >bhphoto.com,</a> or calling us toll-free at 800.221.5743.
Answered by: Heather S.
Date published: 2018-08-26

question

What is the effective focal length of this lens on an APS--C camera?
Asked by: Larry
Great for street photography in super 35 or ASPC sensors: 21mm to 31mm
Answered by: Gustavo U.
Date published: 2018-08-26

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How does the Loxia 21mm f2.8 compare to Leica's 21mm M 3.4 lens?
Asked by: Robert
The ZEISS Loxia 21mm f/2.8 Lens for Sony E is very comparable to the Leica Super-Elmar-M 21mm f/3.4 ASPH. Lens, but with a wider maximum aperture. The Leica lens has the edge optically, which is why the price is more than twice that of the Zeiss Loxia lens.
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Searching for a video lens, and auto aperture is useful to me in certain situations. If I have auto aperture selected on the a9, will the camera be able to change the aperture value of the lens, or is this lens true manual ? The description only says its manual focus.. Thanks,
Asked by: Chris
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Date published: 2018-08-26

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Does this lens have focus breathing?
Asked by: Angelito
There is but it is very minimal.
Answered by: Jacob G.
Date published: 2018-08-26

question

When are these lenses expected to arrive?
Asked by: Daniel S.
It's the end of March and the lens is still out of stock. Any updates on expected dates?
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Date published: 2018-08-26
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