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Zeiss Glass on Canon

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DRabbit

DRabbit

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Okay, I know you can use Zeiss lenses with adaptors, and that they are the manual focus only...

I also know that Sigma, Tamron and Tokina make Canon-Mount Lenses...

So why hasn't Zeiss made Canon-Mount Lenses with the ability to auto-focus?

Amy
--



Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
http://www.DangRabbit.com ~ http://www.PetSnapshots.com
 
maybe the patent on an EF mount has not expired and those Zeiss would have to pay canon to use it's mount.. just a guess. Zeiss can do nikon because the F mount patent is expired.
--
Johnny
 
Nikon mount is used in almost all industrial cameras (machine vision solutions), where really good image quality is often needed.
--
Jere Keskiaho
Photoblog: http://www.jkphoto.fi/pblog
 
Might it be they have an exclusivity contract with Sony (or something where they aren't allowed to provide to Canon?)

I'd love to try one... I may search for a used one, even though it's manual focus only.

Amy
--



Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
http://www.DangRabbit.com ~ http://www.PetSnapshots.com
 
If you can afford a 15mm, 21mm Distagon (I have one and love it, will never sale it) there's a Rudolph in Hong Kong AKA "happypagehk" on Ebay that can provide you with a ring adapter for your body including a chip that will make your AF work by bleeping and illuminating. No more real AF on the lens, btw the 21 is fully manual, but the ability to get the proper focus each time.

Manual focusing is not a big deal as long as you know when to stop.

These "confirmation" rings work with many different lenses and give you the best of both worlds. The best bodies and the best wide lenses.

Ludo from Paris
Tankers of tools, thimbels of talent
BestOf http://ludo.smugmug.com/gallery/1158249
 
DRabbit said:
So why hasn't Zeiss made Canon-Mount Lenses with the ability to
auto-focus?
Click to expand...
Random thoughts for anyone interested:

Zeiss is now making lenses for the Nikon mount, but all of those are manual focus. I think the mount & AF can be viewed as separate issues.

When Zeiss announced the Nikon ZF line last year, they also said they would produce a version for Canon using the M42 screw mount and name the line ZS. To date, the 50mm ZF is the only lens to have been produced as a ZS version.

http://photo-shop.zeiss.com/epages/cz.d/?ObjectPath=/Shops/CZ/Categories/Objektive/ZS

Here are the other ZF lenses.

http://photo-shop.zeiss.com/epages/cz.d/?ObjectPath=/Shops/CZ/Categories/Objektive/ZF

Finding an M42 adaptor is very easy. Actually, finding a Nikon to EOS adaptor for the ZF lenses that works well is quite easy too so having a lens with an EF mount is not that big a deal IMO.

I suspect these new ZF lenses are optimized for 1.5x cameras as all Nikons are so endowed. I found the 25mm ZF unusably soft in the corners on my 5D. I returned it. I hope the ZS versionof the 25mm, if ever released, will be better suited for FF.

As for AF, I do not think Zeiss currently makes an AF SLR lens, for any mount.

The real jewels for us Canon users are in the Zeiss lenses made for Contax, now discontinued because Contax died, which are easily adapted, some adaptors are even coming with AF-confirm chips.

I have the Contax CZ 28 f/2.8 Distagon and the corners are sharp in comparison to comparable Canon lenses. I have the CZ 21mm Distagon on the way too and having seen the sample images the seller provided made from that lens, I am excited.

For what I am using these lenses for, I am not sure I'd care about ever having AF on my Zeiss WA. Having been forced to use manual focus for the CZ 28mm, I am now seeing value in MF and starting to use a little on my Canon AF lenses. Makes one look at the scene in the viewfinder longer and more closely which is a good thang. When you are perched somewhere like at the edge of the rim of the spectacular Grand Canyon, taking the extra time to focus is well...cool.

Next step for me: learn how to photograph stuff.
 
Rick Knepper said:
DRabbit said:
So why hasn't Zeiss made Canon-Mount Lenses with the ability to
auto-focus?
Click to expand...
Random thoughts for anyone interested:

Zeiss is now making lenses for the Nikon mount, but all of those
are manual focus. I think the mount & AF can be viewed as separate
issues.

When Zeiss announced the Nikon ZF line last year, they also said
they would produce a version for Canon using the M42 screw mount
and name the line ZS. To date, the 50mm ZF is the only lens to
have been produced as a ZS version.

http://photo-shop.zeiss.com/epages/cz.d/?ObjectPath=/Shops/CZ/Categories/Objektive/ZS

Here are the other ZF lenses.

http://photo-shop.zeiss.com/epages/cz.d/?ObjectPath=/Shops/CZ/Categories/Objektive/ZF

Finding an M42 adaptor is very easy. Actually, finding a Nikon to
EOS adaptor for the ZF lenses that works well is quite easy too so
having a lens with an EF mount is not that big a deal IMO.

I suspect these new ZF lenses are optimized for 1.5x cameras as all
Nikons are so endowed. I found the 25mm ZF unusably soft in the
corners on my 5D. I returned it. I hope the ZS versionof the 25mm,
if ever released, will be better suited for FF.

As for AF, I do not think Zeiss currently makes an AF SLR lens, for
any mount.

The real jewels for us Canon users are in the Zeiss lenses made for
Contax, now discontinued because Contax died, which are easily
adapted, some adaptors are even coming with AF-confirm chips.

I have the Contax CZ 28 f/2.8 Distagon and the corners are sharp in
comparison to comparable Canon lenses. I have the CZ 21mm Distagon
on the way too and having seen the sample images the seller
provided made from that lens, I am excited.

For what I am using these lenses for, I am not sure I'd care about
ever having AF on my Zeiss WA. Having been forced to use manual
focus for the CZ 28mm, I am now seeing value in MF and starting to
use a little on my Canon AF lenses. Makes one look at the scene in
the viewfinder longer and more closely which is a good thang. When
you are perched somewhere like at the edge of the rim of the
spectacular Grand Canyon, taking the extra time to focus is
well...cool.

Next step for me: learn how to photograph stuff.
Click to expand...
--
MAC
http://www.digi-pictures.com
 
Thanks for all the info.... I'm definitely going to look for a Distagon 28mm...

Though my photography in the film days was limited (I really didn't get big time into it until digital) there is something that feels... uh... "pure" (?) about manual focus... I don't know... maybe more hands on or something. I would like to give it a try and with a confirmation ring/adaptor I think ti will be helpful. Of course, the 5D viewfinder is also helpful (compared to the 20D I had)!

Amy
--



Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
http://www.DangRabbit.com ~ http://www.PetSnapshots.com
 
DRabbit said:
Thanks for all the info.... I'm definitely going to look for a
Distagon 28mm...

Though my photography in the film days was limited (I really didn't
get big time into it until digital) there is something that
feels... uh... "pure" (?) about manual focus... I don't know...
maybe more hands on or something. I would like to give it a try and
with a confirmation ring/adaptor I think ti will be helpful. Of
course, the 5D viewfinder is also helpful (compared to the 20D I
had)!

Amy
--



Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing
which ones to keep.
http://www.DangRabbit.com ~ http://www.PetSnapshots.com
Click to expand...
--
Ludo from Paris
Tankers of tools, thimbels of talent
BestOf http://ludo.smugmug.com/gallery/1158249
 
The 21 is the UW for DSLR, very expensive but massively good. I've also bought a Leitz 15mm, another German gem but the Distagon beats it, at least in the corners and in terms of chromatic aberrations, close to NONE on the 21 mm.

If you can find a good copy of the CZ 21 around 2500$ and want to get the ultimate lens, get one

Ludo from Paris
Tankers of tools, thimbels of talent
BestOf http://ludo.smugmug.com/gallery/1158249
 
The Contax Zeiss 21mm Distagon is the BEST wide lens available for DSLR and if you want only one "exotic" lens, bang, you got it. You will never go back to any other wide lens, Canon or other brand.

Check the below shot. Done on tripod, CZ 21 on a 5D. ISO 100 f8 1"

This is the full shot. Nothing special but a little noise. I missed the exposure and did push it during the Raw conversion. RSP with Magne's profiles.



Now pay attention. This is a 200% magnification of the boat on the left of the full shot. Not a simple actual pixel size but the double...



This is the same 200% of the extreme right of the shot. Yes, there's still detail on the bouey and on the pieces of wood in the water despite the magnification



Last but non least the center of the image. No, not at 200% but 300%. The little white line is a simple powerful light reflection on the sea. The light is 11 miles away...No, not even a hint of CA, nothing but a resolution that outperforms the 12.9 mpix of the 5D.

I'm speachless and naturally in love with this lens.



--
Ludo from Paris
Tankers of tools, thimbels of talent
BestOf http://ludo.smugmug.com/gallery/1158249
 
and I don't doubt that it's a master performer... I'm just not sure I'm ready to spend those kind of bucks yet. :)

Have you had experience with any other CZ glass?

Amy
--



Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
http://www.DangRabbit.com ~ http://www.PetSnapshots.com
 
My two gems are the 21CZ and the 15mm Leitz Super Elmar, another very solid German performer. I was tired of Canon's wides and Ultra Wides so I did it...twice, ouch..

Well frankly I have to stop now because those are very expensive toys but now with the 15, 21 and Canon's 35L I'm really very well equipped and my 14L Canon will be soon Ebayed.

As far as I know the 21 CZ is the best of the bunch if wide is needed, that said I haven't tried the rest of the Zeiss catalogue.

Save money if you can, you won't regret it and be careful, people buying it and using it usually don't sell it so prices are going up. I get mine for less than 2500$ but I saw that lately 3000$ are asked for mint copies

Ludo from Paris
Tankers of tools, thimbels of talent
BestOf http://ludo.smugmug.com/gallery/1158249
 
Man, I paid $1370 (sale price) about 3-4 years ago from B&H. Had no idea they were up to that price for a used one. I have to get out and use mine more. I've only had it on the camera maybe half a dozen times since I bought it.

Regards
--
DavidRoy.....behind the lens
http://www.pbase.com/davidroyimages
http://www.photobird.com/davidroy



“I eagerly await new concepts and processes. I believe that the electronic image will be the next major advance.” - Ansel Adams
 
I have several of the Contax Zeiss lenses and they are great.
25 2.8 is great but the 21 is just something else.
Even the Yashica 21 3.5 is very, very good on a crop camera.
 
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