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Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T* 2/100


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Poll: Rate this lens (41 member(s) have cast votes)

Rate this lens

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  3. 3 Stars (average) (1 votes [2.44%])

    Percentage of vote: 2.44%

  4. 4 Stars (above average) (1 votes [2.44%])

    Percentage of vote: 2.44%

  5. Voted 5 Stars (outstanding) (39 votes [95.12%])

    Percentage of vote: 95.12%

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#1 Dallas

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Posted 07 January 2009 - 05:41

What is your experience with this lens? This topic will be indexed on our equipment pages. Please keep your comments centered on your experiences with this lens so that others may draw value from them.

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#2 mfbenedict

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Posted 30 August 2009 - 15:49

I've had mine only briefly with not enough opportunities to experiment. However, it has already given me one of my favorite bee images ever from a very by-the-way shot. Looking forward to more portraits with it, both near and far.

Update: here are more images, closeup, middle distance and far, all Zeiss 2/100 except the first lizard.
http://www.marthaben.../hot/index.html

And more...
Desert Garden
Various
The penultimate image on the Various group shows purple fringing, which I could have easily fixed. I was shooting right in the direction of the sun, so it looks  better than I was expecting.

Attached Images

  • lcv-5169.jpg


#3 Guest_hmzimelka_*

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Posted 27 September 2009 - 20:09

A beautiful lens to use and hold.

I currently use it on my D2x, and have not taken any shots on my F5 yet.
From the results, it's an incredible performer! Smooth out of focus areas and stunningly sharp even at f/2.

The only criticism I have (excluding the price), is that it doesn't have perfectly rounded aperture blades.
Yeah, they are rounded, but luckily in real world samples I can't really see any effects of this.

It's a fussy lens to focus, especially at wider apertures.
The results will show the tiniest error is focus.



Attached Images

  • tequila shot sunrise.jpg


#4 kds315

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Posted 02 October 2009 - 13:36

Some impressions using that lens, all shot at f2 unless otherwise noted, all full frame directly from the cam (Nikon D200), just resized:

#1
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#2
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#3
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#4
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#5
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#6
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#7
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#8 @f4
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Here now some 1:1 crops:

#9 @f4
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#10
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#11
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Bokeh:
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I would rate that a top notch lens and one of the sharpest I ever laid hands on.
The bit purple fringing (highlights at #10,11) disappears from f2.8/f4 onwards
completely. The only little downside is the focus to max 1:2 (0.5x) and not to
1:1 (1x). Focusing is a breeze and sharp focus really pops into your face at f2.
Klaus

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#5 kds315

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Posted 02 October 2009 - 15:18

Here some tests showing OOF LCA behaviour at f2, f4 and f5.6. It is finally not
designed as an Apo lens. In my daily work with it I hardly noticed that however.
Klaus

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#6 kds315

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Posted 02 October 2009 - 15:26

That lens also performs astonishingly well at infinity. Here some tests with target
castle ("Windeck") ca 1000 meters (3000ft) away. Left to right and top to bottom
f2/2.8/4/5.6/8/11:

Posted Image

100% crops:

Posted Image

well, I guess the sweet spot would be f4 - f5.6, although pretty sharp already wide open
Klaus

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#7 Guest_hmzimelka_*

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Posted 02 October 2009 - 16:37

Its great at infinity!

Here is another infinity test
1)original image
2)f/2
3)f/2.8
4)f/2
5)f/2.8

It is easy to miss the focus on one's subject.
Especially for this test, focusing on that central tree was quite tricky for the f/2 shot... its easy to focus on the mountains without really noticing it through the viewfinder. Thank goodness for image playback on the LCD...

Attached Images

  • _0039561.jpg
  • f2.jpg
  • f2_8.jpg
  • f2  001.jpg
  • f2_8 001.jpg


#8 NuteShack

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Posted 19 October 2009 - 23:35

wonderful lens on my d700...the lens does amaze!

@f2, deep crop
Posted Image
;D



#9 SlingingGlass

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Posted 14 February 2010 - 20:36

Just got it yesterday and could only do shots around the house - dog/cats/blondes (they aren't to fond of me right now), used on my 14Nx @160 ISO @F2 (no flash) proved stunning, even handheld, but the focus is fussy (i.e., precise) as previously mentioned. Used on my D40 (my only dx) in manual was the same.  Just fantastic.
Finally got something fun - on my D40, expo'd for color balance the kittens were in a floor level cabinet in our florescent lit bathroom.  I was @f2, iso200, no flash. (3X a charm - sorry Dallas)

Attached Images

  • pat-jenkins-&-pi-webcopy.jpg

I would submit one can see no further than the distance from one's optic nerve to one's retina, everything else is a reflection waiting to happen.

#10 sako

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Posted 21 July 2010 - 10:31

I recently bought a Zeiss 100 MP ZF.2 and I'm amazed at the IQ. It's even better than I heard (read) it was. The colours are quite saturated but with a very natural look to them - blues in particular are beautifully rendered. I'm so impressed by this lens that I had to buy a 35 ZF.2 which is in transit from Germany at the present time.

#11 Guest_Makten_*

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Posted 24 September 2010 - 17:22

This is - hands down - the best lens I've ever used or tried, and I've got three other Zeiss lenses to compare with and I've owned ~45 Nikkors of all sorts. Despite some LCA and purple fringing at large apertures, the Makro-Planar gives a "look" that makes other good teles look mediocre, flat and dull.
The worst bit is how hard it is to nail focus. But that's only the photographers fault. ;)

I'll let the images speak now; all shot with D700 and there's EXIF in there for those that are interested in the details.

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#12 esym

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Posted 24 September 2010 - 18:23

I've had similarly excellent results with this lens -- I've been shooting flowers for almost a month now with it and just love the way it draws the image away from the focal plane.  The famous Zeiss 3-D effect is very much present.  Some CA on certain subjects with wide-open -- but not really an issue for macro work for most shots where any depth of field is wanted.

If you like this lens, you'll love the 50mm/f2 macro as well -- another remarkable lens.

<img src="http://fotoex.com/ni..._3309_540.jpg">



#13 pluton

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Posted 29 April 2011 - 18:02

This has to be one of, if not the most, versatile 100mm lenses there is: good at all object distances. I don't use 100mm very often, but when I need it, I'm glad I've got this one; Rather more versatile, and with no quality loss compared to, my old Ai 105/4.
Keith B.




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