Zeiss EF for Canon

Jo' Chambers said:

This may sound like a dumb question, so forgive me for asking, but
what exactly is meant by AF confirmation?

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When you are in single shot mode, there is a green dot in your viewfinder that confirms focus. There is also a beep if you have it set in the menu. This works in AF or MF and if you have a non standard lens such as a Zeiss with an adapter, it also works if the adapter has as focus confirmation chip installed as many do.

You can test this yourself. Put on any lens and set focus to MF. Then start manually focusing with focus set to single shot. The green light will come on and stay on when you are in focus. Find the beep option in your menu and you will also hear it beep.

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Ben

Anthony de Vries said:

NumberOne said:

Guy Lerner said:

I don't get it. All this buzz about Zeiss and we lose AF?

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For studio work and specially for landscape photography (particularly
in the ultra-wide range) manual focus can be an advantage - not a
limitation.

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The simple fact is: You can manual focus an AF lens... You can't
autofocus a manual lens.

It simply IS a limitation, and not an advantage. Wether you run into
that limitation is a different matter.

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Quite true...

The problem is that AF Lenses weren't designed to function in MF mode and consequently never (will) provide the same smoothness, precision and mechanical qualities a MF lens can achieve. So if your main use are landscapes and ultra-wide lenses, you really don't care (or need) to use the AF...
Nevertheless point taken...

Regards,
Pedro

Ben, I'm just curious why you do it that way?
Paul

Paul Ch. Kierkus said:

Ben, I'm just curious why you do it that way?

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Well for landscapes I always want some maximum DOF. There are several techniques, but most involve focusing at some specific target. In hyperfocal, I need to focus at some calculated distance. If I use the "focus at distance technique" I still need a target. In all cases I choose a target, manually focus using center point and then when I hear the beep, I am focused. Now I recompose and start shooting.

For wildlife action, I use AI servo, center point burst mode with the inner focus assist points. For wildlife stills I use center point single shot or sometimes AI servo.

So in all cases I am only using center point if you don't count the assist in AI tracking.

I have recently gone into detail on hyperfocal and also live view focusing in recent posts. For live view, I am not using any focus comfirm, simply visual confirmation.

Paul Ch. Kierkus said:

Paul

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Ben

Thanks for the explanation Ben. I do understand choosing a point of focus - target - but the other obvious way to handle it is to let the autofocus lock on that point rather than manual focusing the lens with the focus point on the target and waiting for the green dot/beep. I just wondered if you found it more comfortable to do it that way and why.

Clearly, that's how we did it before AF,
Paul

ronatd said:

Oh Zeiss, please get that 21mm out soon!!! And bring on the 2.8/28,
too. Anybody every walk around with a D-Rebel and a CY 2.8/28? Fun
combination, and a FOV that I really like.

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They just introduced the 28/2 ZF in the past year. I doubt there will be a 2.8/28 in ZF/ZE.

Paul Ch. Kierkus said:

Thanks for the explanation Ben. I do understand choosing a point of
focus - target - but the other obvious way to handle it is to let the
autofocus lock on that point rather than manual focusing the lens
with the focus point on the target and waiting for the green
dot/beep. I just wondered if you found it more comfortable to do it
that way and why.

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The target is seldom on the center point. So I must focus and recompose. When doing landscapes, I may focus and shoot 20 images at that particular focus. This means I need to be in MF to avoid refocusing.

Paul Ch. Kierkus said:

Clearly, that's how we did it before AF,
Paul

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Ben

bughunter said:

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bughunter

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People who use their 85s as a studio lens for posed portraits or product advertising etc may not care whether they have AF or not.

The Zeiss 85 ZE at approx $650 cheaper than the 85L will provide a nice bridge between the 85 f1.8 and the 85L IMO.

[I] M said:

A mf 85 1.4? Give us what we don't have, the 21 Distagon! How many
will want a somewhat high speed mf lens, when Canon sells a
fantastic, faster, lens with af? Major marketing blunder, a snoozer
of a product launch, opposite end of the curve to open a product on,
these should have come out to supplement the 21 distagon a year or
two after launch, how many people will jump on board a new line for
these lenses? (Will machined metal lenses with chrome highlights
even look good on a Canon DSLR?, uh, don't think so) OK, these will
probably have a 'somewhat' different color cast, and likely are very
sharp, enough to give up af and f/1.2 bokeh for, on bodies that are
not great for critical mf, hmmmmm
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thank Canon for L and BMW for M
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thank Canon for L and BMW for M

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[/I]

OK, that's a bit different to what I do - thanks...
Paul

Hi there,

I must admit that I haven't all of the posts in this thread but has anyone commented on the usefulness of the Zeiss lens markings and their application for use with hyperfocal length focussing for landscape work? I used to use a Mamiya 7 and found the lack of lens markings and small throw in the autofocus lenses the biggest hurdle to using modern dslrs. These new Zeiss lenses will overcome this limitation.

Cheers,

Alan Hogg

Hamilton, New Zealand.

For studio mf, I would look at the old Contax, Oly's or even the Minolta's,

thank Canon for L and BMW for M

Rick said:

They just introduced the 28/2 ZF in the past year. I doubt there will be a 2.8/28 in ZF/ZE.

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Yeah, at twice the weight and bulk. Not quite as nice for a walkaround lens.

td