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Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 - designer perspective
#11
Quote:....but the Zeiss softie filter is cheap...well, while it's on sale at B&H anyhow

 

....and if anyone here can stand the suspense and excitement of me offering yet another lens for a test here down under (so far untested here on canon i think....and also not so cheap), i'd be very happy to post my shiny new Sig 35/1.4 all the way down to Gordon for a test

 

....if you dare take that chance again that is  ;-)  .... just let me know....if i don't hear i'll understand....

 

....oh, have i hijacked a Zeiss topic now Rolleyes ....pardon me 
Ah, I already wondered if you got that 35mm for your lovely Sony FF or your nice Canon APS-C. No need to wonder and/or ask about that now!

 

I'll be trying out my Ultra-Micro-Nikkor 28mm f1.8 once the 40.5mm to 58mm step up ring arrives from Hong Kong... How is that for hijacking  :ph34r:
#12
Quote:Ah, I already wondered if you got that 35mm for your lovely Sony FF or your nice Canon APS-C. No need to wonder and/or ask about that now!

 

I'll be trying out my Ultra-Micro-Nikkor 28mm f1.8 once the 40.5mm to 58mm step up ring arrives from Hong Kong... How is that for hijacking  :ph34r:
.....sounds good Bc ..... but dear Carl may not be amused at our graffiti on his street i suppose  Rolleyes

#13
Quote:Well, it's a bit hard to legitimate this amount of money for a 55mm f/1.4. The upcoming ZA 50/1.4 is a 1/3 of that price and that one is already rather overpriced.
It's all a question of perspective. Take the Leica 50/2 APO as a reference point and the Zeiss suddenly becomes a bargain - one stop faster for half the price Wink

Seriously, though: no idea why they chose the 55mm focal length for this high-end lens. I'd probably want to use it primarily on DX, where it would be completely overspec'd.

Quite a monster lens, btw., at least for such a short focal length. A prototype was on display at photokina.

-- Markus
Editor
opticallimits.com

#14
Is it not also interesting to pose the question "if money were no limit, how good could it get?" Ok, money isn't unlimited here but they are pushing what's available.
<a class="bbc_url" href="http://snowporing.deviantart.com/">dA</a> Canon 7D2, 7D, 5D2, 600D, 450D, 300D IR modified, 1D, EF-S 10-18, 15-85, EF 35/2, 85/1.8, 135/2, 70-300L, 100-400L, MP-E65, Zeiss 2/50, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300/2.8, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Olympus E-P1, Panasonic 20/1.7, Sony HX9V, Fuji X100.
#15
Quote:Is it not also interesting to pose the question "if money were no limit, how good could it get?" Ok, money isn't unlimited here but they are pushing what's available.
Sure. But if you do so, why not choose something more exciting than a normal prime? Imagine a 85/1.4 APO, I'm sure that would sell in larger quantities than a 55/1.4.

-- Markus
Editor
opticallimits.com

#16
Quote:It's all a question of perspective. Take the Leica 50/2 APO as a reference point and the Zeiss suddenly becomes a bargain - one stop faster for half the price Wink


Seriously, though: no idea why they chose the 55mm focal length for this high-end lens. I'd probably want to use it primarily on DX, where it would be completely overspec'd.


Quite a monster lens, btw., at least for such a short focal length. A prototype was on display at photokina.


-- Markus
 

I suppose that they slightly longer focal length is a trick that gives a shallower depth of field at a given f/stop; compared to a 50mm lens it's about 1/3 (?) of a stop shallower DOF.

 

I know that my 58mm f/1.4 Voigtlander Nokton has the same DOF wide open as a 50mm f/1.2 lens.

 

So, with a 55mm (or 58mm) lens, it should have a bit more blur at the same f-stop than a 50mm lens.
#17
Quote:Sure. But if you do so, why not choose something more exciting than a normal prime? Imagine a 85/1.4 APO, I'm sure that would sell in larger quantities than a 55/1.4.


-- Markus
 

I think it is meant to be the start of a new series of such lenses.
#18
Quote:I suppose that they slightly longer focal length is a trick that gives a shallower depth of field at a given f/stop; compared to a 50mm lens it's about 1/3 (?) of a stop shallower DOF.

 

I know that my 58mm f/1.4 Voigtlander Nokton has the same DOF wide open as a 50mm f/1.2 lens.

 

So, with a 55mm (or 58mm) lens, it should have a bit more blur at the same f-stop than a 50mm lens.
I think that mostly the choice has to do with that 55mm gives a bit more room from the (probably f-) mount, making the design possible in the first place. 
#19
Zeiss has already confirmed that there will be two additional lenses in this series. One of them will be a 85mm f/1.4 and the other will be a wide-angle. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla...n83KJJrQ#! for example. 

 

There is also an article on the Zeiss lens blog on the design of the 55mm. They seem to be quite proud of the looks of what I think is one of the ugliest lenses of all time Big Grin

 

http://blogs.zeiss.com/photo/en/?p=3427

#20
An additional thought on the choice of 55mm:

The combination of a Nikon D800E with the new Zeiss is competing with medium format systems. Hasselblad digital backs are using sensors with a diagonal of about 63,1mm. So the "standard" 80mm/2.8 is approximately equivalent to a 56mm/2.0 lens on FX. 

Maybe Zeiss thought that people who are usually using medium format systems would appreciate something a little longer than 50mm  Wink

 

Edit:

Zeiss has announced the name: Zeiss Otus 1.4/55. Price is 2940€/3999$. 

 

I am still puzzled by the finish of the lens, especially considering the price point. It looks to be the same build as the one found on the Touit lenses and a lot of reviewers have complained that the Touit lenses don't feel that great. For example, you can quite easily peel off that rubber ring... I think a classic pure metal finish would have been a better choice. 

  


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