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Loxia, what's next, 135mm?

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sjazz

sjazz

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Zeiss mentioned somewhere that the Loxia family will have more new lenses that will make happy to E-Mount owners. Comparing to what it is offered on the Batis line, I'm wondering if they plan a 135mm

But keeping the lenses the same diameter would make a 135mm of the F3.5 range which has not appeal to a lot of people in these days.

Zeiss doesn't disclose anything about new products, but what would be your guess for next Loxia lens?
 
Highly unlikely it will be a telephoto. We are probably looking at something on a wide end like a 15mm.

Batis 135 received a very lukewarm reception due to it’s F2.8 and sky high price and most of the market never warmed up to it... the lens has been selling at a 25% discount for over a month now and can be had for $1,200 brand new from authorized dealers (that’s what I paid for mine few weeks ago). These are the steepest discounts offered by Zeiss in the past 5+ years, especially for such a new lens. Highly doubtable Zeiss would release another slow telephoto which would command high price this soon.

Anyway, I can’t imagine anything over 100mm in the Loxia line given the self imposed design restrictions (52mm front thread).
 
I was hoping for a Loxia 28mm, but with the 25mm just released that hope has been crushed.

Loxia 35 and Loxia 50 are based on old optical formulas and could be updated to mark ii lenses, but chances also seem slim to none.

Otherwise, I think we are done with the Loxia line. Longer lenses make no sense, even 85mm is already hard to focus manually.

PS: Not quite the subject of this thread, but I am really hoping for a Batis 35/2
 
alextardif said:
Highly unlikely it will be a telephoto. We are probably looking at something on a wide end like a 15mm.
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I agree. I own an old Olympus OM 135mm F2.8 whose filter diameter is 55mm. Unless Zeiss decide to increase the diameter, it won't have a wider aperture.
alextardif said:
the lens has been selling at a 25% discount for over a month now and can be had for $1,200 brand new from authorized dealers (that’s what I paid for mine few weeks ago). These are the steepest discounts offered by Zeiss in the past 5+ years, especially for such a new lens. Highly doubtable Zeiss would release another slow telephoto which would command high price this soon.
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Yep, 25% discount that in Aussie dollars is $700. This is more or less the price it should have from the beginning as somehow it was mentioned that it would be like 10% more than the Batis 85mm. It's tempting but as I haven't found good comparisons between the Sigma Art (that I own) and the Batis, I'm not sure if it would be worthy getting it.
 
BBQue said:
I was hoping for a Loxia 28mm, but with the 25mm just released that hope has been crushed.
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25mm (or 24mm) is the current 28mm of the film era. Lenses under 28mm existed but they were rare.
Member said:
Otherwise, I think we are done with the Loxia line. Longer lenses make no sense, even 85mm is already hard to focus manually.
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It seems that Zeiss is not there yet. A macro lens perhaps? By the way I find easy to manually focus my old Olympus OM Zuiko 135mm F2.8 regardless that the throw is shorter than the Loxia
Member said:
PS: Not quite the subject of this thread, but I am really hoping for a Batis 35/2
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This sounds about right!
 
Magnar W said:
BBQue said:
Otherwise, I think we are done with the Loxia line. Longer lenses make no sense, even 85mm is already hard to focus manually.
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Not my experience.
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Same here, I have no problem focusing the Loxia 85.

I think the Loxia line would be ideal for a nice 100'ish macro lens. Even though we now have the Voigt 110 f2.5 (with 58mm thread), which is made by Cosina (like the Loxia).
 
sjazz said:
Zeiss mentioned somewhere that the Loxia family will have more new lenses that will make happy to E-Mount owners. Comparing to what it is offered on the Batis line, I'm wondering if they plan a 135mm

But keeping the lenses the same diameter would make a 135mm of the F3.5 range which has not appeal to a lot of people in these days.

Zeiss doesn't disclose anything about new products, but what would be your guess for next Loxia lens?
Click to expand...
 
alextardif said:
Highly unlikely it will be a telephoto. We are probably looking at something on a wide end like a 15mm.

Batis 135 received a very lukewarm reception due to it’s F2.8 and sky high price and most of the market never warmed up to it... the lens has been selling at a 25% discount for over a month now and can be had for $1,200 brand new from authorized dealers (that’s what I paid for mine few weeks ago). These are the steepest discounts offered by Zeiss in the past 5+ years, especially for such a new lens. Highly doubtable Zeiss would release another slow telephoto which would command high price this soon.

Anyway, I can’t imagine anything over 100mm in the Loxia line given the self imposed design restrictions (52mm front thread).
Click to expand...
Totally agree, even at F2.8 I lost all my interest already on the Batis 135 regardless of price, I will just keep on using my Zeiss 135 F2.0 APO ZF.2 and the Samyang135 F2, , if that's Loxia 14/15 F2.8 or faster I would be really interested in it, but I doubt it will be faster or even can do F2.8 if they really serious about keeping the size, love the Loxia 21 but that's about the only Loxia I will own at the moment.
 
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terryreid said:
sjazz said:
Zeiss mentioned somewhere that the Loxia family will have more new lenses that will make happy to E-Mount owners. Comparing to what it is offered on the Batis line, I'm wondering if they plan a 135mm

But keeping the lenses the same diameter would make a 135mm of the F3.5 range which has not appeal to a lot of people in these days.

Zeiss doesn't disclose anything about new products, but what would be your guess for next Loxia lens?

--
j.a.
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I agree with BBQ the 35 is their weakest lens and the most popular FL in their lineup. A higher IQ 35mm would sell in the highest numbers of any lens they could introduce at this time IMO. Even at that it would have to trounce the FE 35 2.8 which is almost equally small much lighter and less expensive.

A 100-105mm macro would be welcome, but not sure where the market is with the super excellent 90 macro, Voigt and 100STF.

I found the Loxia 85 the easiest of all four to MF but that was because I could see the image whereas with the 21 even with 12x you cannot visually tell if the background is in focus or not. With peaking the whole screen is red yet you end up with out of focus backgrounds or I did.

I sold all four of them but could be tempted to repurchase the 85 at some point. It is a great landscape lens and small package with 127.5mm reach on my a6500.

--
-Terry
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I also think the Loxia 85 is easiest of the bunch to focus because of the magnification. I have given up on focus peeking , and rely on the magnification. I would love to see a Loxia 100mm F4 Macro , although the STF does well with extension tubes , and there are other choices like the 90mm.



100mm STF with 16mm Extension tube
100mm STF with 16mm Extension tube
 
The Loxia 85mm is possibly the best lens I've ever used. It's ruined me for most other lenses. It's almost APO, super sharp and yet it still renders a beautiful 3d image with amazing color saturation. I feel it's as close to medium format image image quality as can be obtained on a full frame sensor.

The Loxia 50mm f2 is also good but it does need f2.8 minimum to sharpen up nicely. At f2 it presents itself as a respectable character lens.

I use the Loxia 85mm alongside the 50mm for fashion work and have zero issue focusing long lenses (even my manual focus 300mm 2.8 presents no issue).

I hope a Loxia 135mm (and even beyond that a 180mm) come out ASAP. Please Zeiss, I can't wait much longer!
 
2019 is here, no Zeiss rumours yet, but probably new lenses are on its way. Looking forward to seeing what is released on either Loxia and Batis lines
 
180/4
 
I love my new Loxias. They're truly jewels, optically and mechanically. But I don't find MF useful for fast moving situations, so I'm not sure I'd be interested in a longer 135 or 180. CV already has the macro covered... Maybe, like everyone, I'd like to see a redo of the 35 or even the 50.
 
sjazz said:
2019 is here, no Zeiss rumours yet, but probably new lenses are on its way. Looking forward to seeing what is released on either Loxia and Batis lines
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I wouldn’t think any vendor would want to compete head on with an expected 135 1.8 GM - would they?
 
caplanner said:
sjazz said:
2019 is here, no Zeiss rumours yet, but probably new lenses are on its way. Looking forward to seeing what is released on either Loxia and Batis lines
Click to expand...
I wouldn’t think any vendor would want to compete head on with an expected 135 1.8 GM - would they?
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Or the Batis 135. Big shoes to fill, you would have a certain amount of die-hard Loxia buyers but better find a hole somewhere else in the line up.
 
Dave Sanders said:
I love my new Loxias. They're truly jewels, optically and mechanically. But I don't find MF useful for fast moving situations, so I'm not sure I'd be interested in a longer 135 or 180. CV already has the macro covered... Maybe, like everyone, I'd like to see a redo of the 35 or even the 50.
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The Batis 135 is DOA because it is comparable heavy and large. In case Carl-Zeiss would build a Leica APO Telyt M sized lens at 500 g including AF and f/3.4 it would sell like hot cake.

The speed of the Batis 135 was never an issue - the issue is speed vs size and weight.

A Loxia 135 f/3.4 or 180 f/4.0 would be a dream come true for many but I have to admit that the use case is rather limited.

I love my Leica APO Telyt M while traveling but I am not photographing anything in motion - more static things.

For everyone interested in the smallest and lightest possible package for a 135 mm lens is potentially the closed you're going to get at this point in time and maybe for the foreseeable future as well.

Add a light mechanical adapter and you get a sub 500 g 135 f/3.4 at the currently highest optical level. This comes at a price though.

My A7R III remembers the last non EXIF lens and I can switch on IBIS and since it's the only non EXIF lens I own it is also easily traceable in my image library.

Highly recommended and at least on the level of a potential Loxia 135.

I still have the hope that at one day Sigma would revitalize the legendary 180 f/5.6 APO macro in FE mount - this lens had Canon and Nikon mount and AF, was tack sharp and had 1:2 macro - I owned two copies and both were stellar at only 450 g - this was the perfect travel lens. Unfortunately the rubbery surface peels off and got sticky - same thing will probably happen to the rubbery Batis lenses after a decade or two in heavy use.
 
joger said:
Dave Sanders said:
I love my new Loxias. They're truly jewels, optically and mechanically. But I don't find MF useful for fast moving situations, so I'm not sure I'd be interested in a longer 135 or 180. CV already has the macro covered... Maybe, like everyone, I'd like to see a redo of the 35 or even the 50.
Click to expand...
The Batis 135 is DOA because it is comparable heavy and large. In case Carl-Zeiss would build a Leica APO Telyt M sized lens at 500 g including AF and f/3.4 it would sell like hot cake.

The speed of the Batis 135 was never an issue - the issue is speed vs size and weight.

A Loxia 135 f/3.4 or 180 f/4.0 would be a dream come true for many but I have to admit that the use case is rather limited.

I love my Leica APO Telyt M while traveling but I am not photographing anything in motion - more static things.

For everyone interested in the smallest and lightest possible package for a 135 mm lens is potentially the closed you're going to get at this point in time and maybe for the foreseeable future as well.

Add a light mechanical adapter and you get a sub 500 g 135 f/3.4 at the currently highest optical level. This comes at a price though.

My A7R III remembers the last non EXIF lens and I can switch on IBIS and since it's the only non EXIF lens I own it is also easily traceable in my image library.

Highly recommended and at least on the level of a potential Loxia 135.

I still have the hope that at one day Sigma would revitalize the legendary 180 f/5.6 APO macro in FE mount - this lens had Canon and Nikon mount and AF, was tack sharp and had 1:2 macro - I owned two copies and both were stellar at only 450 g - this was the perfect travel lens. Unfortunately the rubbery surface peels off and got sticky - same thing will probably happen to the rubbery Batis lenses after a decade or two in heavy use.
Click to expand...
I am not a fan of Batis lenses I sold all of them except the 135 because it is just too good and very portable.

I am a big joger fan but I have to respectfully disagree on the size and weight of the Batis 135. Granted it is not a 35 2.8 but all things considered for a pro quality lens with good speed it is very light IMO.

Until the recent release of the 24 GM it is only 1 ounce away from being the lightest AF lens in my bag. I do not count the 85 1.8 or 35 2.8 to be special pro quality lenses.

I do not use it often enough but it turns out a higher % of images that I post than any lens I own, and this is from an anti-Batis design guy.

I hope the Sony 135 kicks its butt but I cannot see myself parting with the Batis if it does due to its small relative size and IQ.

Many feel the Batis 135 & CV 110 are among the three sharpest lenses for e-mount, my other fav being the 50 1.4 planar.

Frankly I like every lens I own a lot they are all superlative it's more a matter of what lens is best for what I am trying to do.

Size and Weight of my E-Mount lenses
Size and Weight of my E-Mount lenses

--
-Terry
https://you pic.com/photographer/TerryRStahly/?mode=portfolio
https://trstahly.format.com/work#
https://500px.com/trstahly
 
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