Zeiss 18mm F4 ZM

[Guy Mancuso]

Just received this lens from Hong Kong the Zeiss 18mm F4 ZM. I tried Alans at the workshop in Yosemite and really wanted to try it for awhile so i bought one. Big surprise. LOL

But it is very sharp and maybe a better choice than the CV 15mm even though it is longer a step back or two would equal it. Now i tried it with a 58mm to 55mm step down and a Leica filter . It does NOT vignette from the filters but it does vignette a little so with the filter on and off it looks like maybe using the WATE code at 18mm maybe a good idea. So may have to send this to John Milich for a mount and code it for the WATE for me. Anyway it is very very sharp and may replace the CV 15mm but the bokeh on it is no match for the Leica 21mm which i find a extremely great focal length and excellent lens. so not a replacement for that per say and it does work out to be a 24mm on the M8 which is a nice focal length. i will update more with more time with it. Thanks Guy

 

[Reynolds]

No surprise!! LOL

 

[Jack]

Post some pictures! LOL

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Fix the dang thing first. ROTFLMAO

Just kidding we are a couple days for a cool photo module to be installed so it will make the site very photographic looking

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Update on my 18mm it is in Ny with John Milich getting a new mount and coding for the WATE , looking forward to it's return

 

[Guy Mancuso]

No word from John yet but i think Sean does have a report up on his site now on the performance part of the Zeiss. May want to check that out

www.reidreviews.com


I think John is out shooting the damn thing to be honest

 

[Sean_Reid]

Excellent lens - really a stunner on center. I'm also waiting for a JM mount for the 18 so I can test how it does coded as a WATE.

Congratulations on the new forum.

Cheers,

Sean

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Thanks Sean glad to have to have you here . Looking forward to playing with the lens more.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

John just e-mailed me and my Zeiss 18mm is sporting a new lens mount and the coding recess. Should get it Monday and also he joined our forum too.

 

[jlm]

Guy:
your lens will arrive Monday, I coded it and it works as the 18mm version of the Wate.

took one pic, was in a hurry, no tripod, fluorescent/daylight mix, 1/12 sec leaning against a post.

more of the wacky ribbon project

 

[Guy Mancuso]

It looks very nice, thanks for filling in the Wate code. Can't wait to give this lens a go. Thanks again my friend, someday you will have to get us a link so folks can contact you. Jack and I are putting a link list of our favorite shopping spots. LOL

Loooooooooooooooong List

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Okay the lens is in my hands . Here is the setup Zeiss 18mm a 58 to 55 mm step down ring fitted with a Leica 55mm IR filter. Okay when mounted I get the Wate code and menu option since the default is 18mm it shows up as 18mm so i don't have to do anything just go. I like this idea

Very quickly it seems to be working without any cyan casts. it does vignet a little and you will see that with a white card but i view this as pretty normal with a wide but more testing will have to be done. Okay pardon the images they are tests and done very quickly , still on big project but wanted to get this out.

Couple quickies of the front of the house , look at the concrete no cyan cast

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Okay the white and the vignetting is almost the same at all apertures. Now I tried this without the filters when I first got the lens and seems the same but I don't view this as bad but more normal with extreme wides. Also this lens is extremely sharp the 15mm I think i am going to sell. this will certainly kick it's butt in that area. As you can see a screw is in the code so John painted white over that but the WATE code is only one dot so it works out just fine. This is a completely new mount that John did

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I will do some more testing as time goes . Now Sean also got his today also so i am sure he will be running tests also and reporting.

His site is www.reidreviews.com

We are the only two that have this mount at the moment so you heard it here first.

So all those non registered viewers i see looking in all day long , time to register

 

[jlm]

glad it worked out, Guy; you are the cutting edge, as always.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

BTW John Milich did all the milling on this and his e-mail address is [email protected]

John is a great guy to deal with.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

glad it worked out, Guy; you are the cutting edge, as always.

Thanks John excellent work here. You really fill in the niche to the M8 system

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Went back in and WB one of them and properly processed it with some fill and highlight control and it looks very nice. Zeiss tends to have a little more contrast than the Leica in general

 

[Sean_Reid]

Thanks to acetone, I was just now able to get the screws free on the Zeiss 18 so that I could mount the new bayonet. I'll code it and then I need to get my hands on a 55 mm Leica filter for chart tests.

John's adapter doesn't have the inner flange of the Zeiss bayonet but it mounted up easily. I'll test focus but my bet is that it is unchanged. Naturally, RR cannot recommend this procedure, etc.

Cheers,

Sean

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Great Sean. It looks pretty good my friend. Look forward to your testing and review. So far i really like what i am seeing but warning it is sharp watch any sharpening you don't want to go overboard. Okay back to this project for me.