What's so special about ZEISS lens?

airfrogusmc wrote in post #9923557
I would say its in the past for some. Have you seen the new Leica M9 sales? Theres still a waiting list and a fairly long one.

I'm not surprised. They (Leica) are fine cameras. I'm sure the M9 is/will be no exception. I don't imagine I'll see many in my neck of the woods though...ever.

I'd love nothing more than if my Hassy could autofocus. I don't use it for the love of MF, I use it despite the MF because its worth it.

I don't want AF on my view cameras because the camera is much more static for large format photography and besides the concept of LF autofocus is silly. LF is an escape from the world of machines and a return to a dark box with a lens and a piece of film across from each other.

I have the zeiss 21 and after going out to the desert for my first "dedicated photo shoot" trip, my observations are:

1. when it gets cold, the metal zeiss gets really cold also
2. this lens is capable of producing ho-hum shots
3. this lens can produce spectacular shots
4. the manual focus is well damped... so you can set it and trust that its set for good.
5. live view is a must
6. that needed new viewfinder thingy is a waste.. because your using live view most of the time

to be honest, with my limited knowledge, i could prolly produce the same mediocre shot with my L lenses or the zeiss. But i will say the zeiss MAKES me take my time with each shot more.. it MAKES me think more technically about EACH shot... no just auto-focusing and clicking the button..

After my first solo all day desert trip i have come away with the knowledge that i need to learn about photography. Going out and buying photoshop cs4, a zeiss lens and a full frame camera doesnt make me a good photographer. so now I have went to my local samys and bought some books on transient light and other things that i will incorporate into my next foray into the wild..

the zeiss lens is mearly a tool that help illuminate your shortcomings as photographer. If you are mediocre like me.. then thats what youll end up with. But if you can master this lens it will reward you. The zeiss lens is the first piece of equipment i ever owed that MADE me want to be a better photographer.. and that justifies its cost

I don't buy that. You can slow down with any optic. You just need to set your mind to it.

but reality is... i didnt slow down with any other lens. I didnt slow down with the 5d2... i didnt slow down with the 35L.. or any thing else. Like my post said.. the zeiss is the only thing that made me actually think about each shot more.

you might be different.. hell some people can quit smoking by just deciding. Other people need patches..

for me.. the zeiss helps

Flip the switch to MF on your AF lenses and there you go, you're now slowing down.

Depth wrote in post #9924049
Flip the switch to MF on your AF lenses and there you go, you're now slowing down.

But that's cheating!

lmao. i agree, just in the act of manual focusing one tends to take more time in composing and thinking about the image. not all the time, just more than not, from my observations. i can udnerstand perfectly how the "zeiss" name in the lens makes you feel like you have to be up to its standard. sounds silly but i can see how it makes you slow down. same thing happens to me, only with my medium format stuff, i know shoot my 1d3 like a p&s to be honest, and thats if i shoot it at all.

sure, zeiss is overpriced to an extent, but hold a good zeiss prime in one hand and a 50L in the other, and then use both. even without looking at the resulting images im sure most would enjoy the zeiss more. is it worth the cost? probably not. photography is not only about the finished product, its about the journey to get there, which is why i think everyone who hasnt shot film should get a good rangefinder, shoot a roll of b&w, process it themselves, and make just one print. that alone will make you a better photog than 6 months of digi shooting IMO. my 2 cents

BlueTsunami wrote in post #9914483
What I don't understand is why people think lack of Auto Focus means lack of a feature when in fact these Manual Focus lenses offer a vastly better manual focusing experience. Just another horses for courses situation.

Probably because the EOS line was intended to be an AF sysytem.

District_History_Fan wrote in post #9924579
Probably because the EOS line was intended to be an AF sysytem.

If you think that is true.

Why does Canon have the MF switch position on every lens?

I mean if it was intended to be an AF system, there's non need for Manual Focus ( MF ) ... right?

OR .....

If the EOS line was intended to be Auto Focus ( AF ) how come this EOS lens is Manual Focus ONLY?

Canon Macro Photo MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Manual Focus Lens for EOS

harcosparky wrote in post #9924664
If you think that is true.

Why does Canon have the MF switch position on every lens?

I mean if it was intended to be an AF system, there's non need for Manual Focus ( MF ) ... right?

OR .....

If the EOS line was intended to be Auto Focus ( AF ) how come this EOS lens is Manual Focus ONLY?

Canon Macro Photo MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Manual Focus Lens for EOS

Just asking ....

I'll stick with my initial statement, the EOS line is primarily intended for AF. That may be why some people question high priced glass that is MF only.

MF lenses are obviously out there. Live view has boosted their usefulness by leaps and bounds, but they are still specialty optics.

Doc Fluty wrote in post #9924005
I have the zeiss 21 and after going out to the desert for my first "dedicated photo shoot" trip, my observations are:

1. when it gets cold, the metal zeiss gets really cold also
2. this lens is capable of producing ho-hum shots
3. this lens can produce spectacular shots
4. the manual focus is well damped... so you can set it and trust that its set for good.
5. live view is a must
6. that needed new viewfinder thingy is a waste.. because your using live view most of the time

to be honest, with my limited knowledge, i could prolly produce the same mediocre shot with my L lenses or the zeiss. But i will say the zeiss MAKES me take my time with each shot more.. it MAKES me think more technically about EACH shot... no just auto-focusing and clicking the button..

After my first solo all day desert trip i have come away with the knowledge that i need to learn about photography. Going out and buying photoshop cs4, a zeiss lens and a full frame camera doesnt make me a good photographer. so now I have went to my local samys and bought some books on transient light and other things that i will incorporate into my next foray into the wild..

the zeiss lens is mearly a tool that help illuminate your shortcomings as photographer. If you are mediocre like me.. then thats what youll end up with. But if you can master this lens it will reward you. The zeiss lens is the first piece of equipment i ever owed that MADE me want to be a better photographer.. and that justifies its cost

Oh please...wear gloves, or stick your hands back in your pocket when you're finished composing.

Let's be realistic here. Any lens can produce, as you say, a ho-hum shot if the user doesn't know how to get the best out of it. Much like a carpenter with the best tools can build crappy furniture if he doesn't know how to use them properly.

By viewfinder 'thingy', I assume that you're referring to a focusing screen? First, they're not a waste and second, live view isn't always mandatory when using an MF lens. The Eg-S screen for the 5D2 is excellent for manual focusing as it will let you get an accurate focus with a subject located anywhere on the screen...no need to focus/recompose. In good light, with a non-auto aperture MF lens, I can stop down to f/8 and still be able to get good focus with the screen only. TBH, I use the screen more than I use live view. LV is a godsend, but the Eg-S screen is also extremely useful.

It sounds like you're somewhat frustrated by your "limited knowledge", to use your words. Its like anything else...practice using your tools and learn more about photography. As you found out, buying top-of-the-line gear does not a great photographer make.

whos frustrated?

i went out and bought some books to learn how to use my stuff better, why does that make me sound frustrated? and at the end i came to the conclusion that the cost was justified (to me), so again how does that make me sound frustrated?

and my point when i said it produces ho hum shots was that not every shot is "magical" like some people on here say..you dont just click a button and some 3d pic pops on your screen. and that you actually have to know what your doing.. how is that contradictory to what gets said here daily? just cause you go buy a ferrari doesnt mean you can drive it with the same expertise as shumacher..

take a chill pill... its too early on a saturday morning to get all upset geez

and BTW.. i said that was my first dedicated photo shot day.. so forgive me for forgetting my gloves when i was headed to the desert on my first attempt

Doc Fluty wrote in post #9924005
I have the zeiss 21 and after going out to the desert for my first "dedicated photo shoot" trip, my observations are:

1. when it gets cold, the metal zeiss gets really cold also
2. this lens is capable of producing ho-hum shots
3. this lens can produce spectacular shots
4. the manual focus is well damped... so you can set it and trust that its set for good.
5. live view is a must
6. that needed new viewfinder thingy is a waste.. because your using live view most of the time

to be honest, with my limited knowledge, i could prolly produce the same mediocre shot with my L lenses or the zeiss. But i will say the zeiss MAKES me take my time with each shot more.. it MAKES me think more technically about EACH shot... no just auto-focusing and clicking the button..

After my first solo all day desert trip i have come away with the knowledge that i need to learn about photography. Going out and buying photoshop cs4, a zeiss lens and a full frame camera doesnt make me a good photographer. so now I have went to my local samys and bought some books on transient light and other things that i will incorporate into my next foray into the wild..

the zeiss lens is mearly a tool that help illuminate your shortcomings as photographer. If you are mediocre like me.. then thats what youll end up with. But if you can master this lens it will reward you. The zeiss lens is the first piece of equipment i ever owed that MADE me want to be a better photographer.. and that justifies its cost

I can agree with this. I have a friend who shoots with Zeiss lenses on his Canon EOS camera. It seems he cannot create a bad image, yeah he is that good. He's been going at it most of his life and he is in his 60's.

I see people buying high speed cameras and high speed AF lenses and wonder ...
How the heck did we take pictures back in the 70's. You know when you had to focus manually AND move the film manually ( unless you had a winder )

Of course the problem with using MF is the photographer won't be able to blame the camera for the OOF shots!

Depth wrote in post #9924049
Flip the switch to MF on your AF lenses and there you go, you're now slowing down.

Yeah, try focus by the distance scale and hpyerfocal focusing. AF? Why? When you can focus EVERYTHING from 2 feet up to infinity.