Poll: what is your preference? 24-70 II @28mm or Zeiss 2/28 ZF

MirekE wrote:

Rick Knepper wrote:

MirekE wrote:

Zeiss lenses have certain signature, but it does not show in every image. It does not show in the comparison either. Apart from the difference in exposure,

This is a question to you because I wonder why this happens sometimes. Are you referring to exposure casually as the difference in result? Technically, the exposures were the same, same aperture, same shutter speed, same ISO. The result was just different.

Could this possibly be the result of different coatings on the lenses or the result of available light at the different times of the exposures? I don't think the results are far enough apart to damage the comparison but it would be nice match the exposure results (though this may take a controlled studio environment).

Another consideration. These exposures were part of the brackets I shot for insurance that I would have a matching shutter speed for the comparison. They were not necessarily the metered shutter speed of the actual light.

I don't know how to explain the difference in exposure. I guess that at wide open it could be caused by different T-stop or by the severe vignetting of the Zeiss or by vignetting removal. I could speculate that the coatings may play some role as well. If one of the lenses had better coating, it would better hold blacks in the shadows and it might have impact on exposure evaluation by the metering system or on levels adjustment.

As far as the lens character goes, it may be ruined here by the haze or the type of post processing. In general, I noticed that these infinity shots with small detail are not going to show it. I don't have any great examples that show it's character, maybe this one:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mirekelsner/4463578199/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Well, I am only concerned about matching expsoure to the extent that the closer I can get to a match, the more I can limit the doubts that can be cast on the results by attacking the methodology. I know the slight in differences in exposure do not mask the resolution evidence.

Besides, I've never seen any photo represent reality exactly. Never seen two photos that looked exactly alike either so maybe that's just the nature of light.