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Zeiss or Nikkor Primes?

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I would not mind a different screen for manual regardless what lenses i use. i like to focus as most of you know . AF is nice but I'm a old fart

BTW i had to order a Canon hand grip strap since Nikon does not make one. Bummer
 

woodyspedden

New member
On the 28 1.4 ..me too..one of my good friends has had one since they were introduced and he rubs it in about the low light capabilities.They are about $3500 on eBay if you can find one.:eek: if the lenses follow their pedigree the Zeiss will have better color and higher contrast. (which you may or may not want). Either will be sharper than I deserve or need . The other big difference is the manual verse autofocus. I am struggling a bit with the D3 auto focus alternatives for sports so I naturally favor the Zeiss glass. But I suspect that it would be a close call if I used them both. I think I understood that Sean Reid will be doing this test in the near future.
Roger

I have an absolutely mint 28 1.4 and find it extremely good. IQ similar to the Leica but with the added two stops. My problem is that I rarely shoot with it and that is why it is so mint! At the current selling prices i should probably sell it. So if you are interested give me a jingle.

Woody
 

Steen

Senior Subscriber Member
Indeed I forgot to mention the wonderful 105 f2.8 macro VR - a great lens and not only for macro. (...)
Vieri, those 105 f2.8 macro VR shots are fabulous. Does anyone know of a direct comparison between the Nikon AF-S 2.8/105 macro VR and the ZF 2/100mm Macro, or has any of you owned both ?
 

glenerrolrd

Workshop Member
Roger

I have an absolutely mint 28 1.4 and find it extremely good. IQ similar to the Leica but with the added two stops. My problem is that I rarely shoot with it and that is why it is so mint! At the current selling prices i should probably sell it. So if you are interested give me a jingle.

Woody
No fair Woody..now I am going to have to take a rest . I am shooting Spring Training in Jupiter FL..game everyday at 1pm. Today I used the 200-400 VR and I was so close ..it was a little long! Normally I alternate games ...D3 for one and M8s for the next. But wow is walking around for 3 hours in the Sun lugging a 200-400 on a monopod ..more than enough. So you are catching me in a weak moment. I will let you know soon. Thanks Roger
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Vieri, those 105 f2.8 macro VR shots are fabulous. Does anyone know of a direct comparison between the Nikon AF-S 2.8/105 macro VR and the ZF 2/100mm Macro, or has any of you owned both ?
Damn it I just ordered it too. LOL

Well just placed a order for the 105 macro from Nikon. Ray twisted my arm pretty bad. I also ordered a SB800, no one does flash better than Nikon , I remember that from my past and still holds true.

One more lens for now Davids 17-35 or the 24-70. I just actually did the math with the M8 i use the 28,35 and 50 for this event stuff right well that is 36, 46 , 75. Okay the nikon 24-70 is 36-105 and exactly in that range. Hmmm i might have to go with the 24-70. For the wider stuff it would be Leica M8 anyway. The PC lens will have to come later.


I hate this stuff sometimes. LOL
 

vieri

Well-known member
Damn it I just ordered it too. LOL
Great move Guy, you'll love it :D

One more lens for now Davids 17-35 or the 24-70. I just actually did the math with the M8 i use the 28,35 and 50 for this event stuff right well that is 36, 46 , 75. Okay the nikon 24-70 is 36-105 and exactly in that range. Hmmm i might have to go with the 24-70. For the wider stuff it would be Leica M8 anyway. The PC lens will have to come later.


I hate this stuff sometimes. LOL
I'd go for the 24-70 if I were in your position. Range better suits your needs, it seems, and the 24-70 new design & nano-coating apparently does wonder (didn't try it, but I can vouch for the N-coating effect on the 14-24)... and, all things considered, compared to Leica glass this is very inexpensive stuff LOL
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I'm thinking FF down the road just in case too. I may have to scrap a few hundred to throw in the pot though, were is my wife BTW . She standing behind me.
:ROTFL::ROTFL::ROTFL::ROTFL:


Now it would be nice if I could use the SB800 on the M8 in A mode than i can finally get rid of the Metz 54. That would be nice
 

deepdiver

New member
Whoa Andree - NICE !! And yes, I have noticed the 3-D look in others of your 85mm captures as well.
You really nail it, even at f/1.4 :eek: I use to trash nine out of ten when I try to focus my ZF 85 wide open.
And you have the whole bunch of ZF focal lengths. I wish you would at some point do a subjective "review" of your impressions with all these lenses, on the D3 and the D300 as well.
Really impressive. Thanks for sharing.
Btw, I have the M8 as well and I can tell you that it is much easier for my old eyes to manual focus with the rangefinder system than with the built in matte screen in my D300 viewfinder.
You seem to have a very sharp eye, is it easier to manual focus the ZF 85 on your D3 than on your D300 ?
Hi bando
To be Honest, I'm having a hard time to use ZF lens on D300.
There is a BIG different between D3 and D300 screen!!
When I'm using D3 + manual lens, there is a sign on the left corner bottom that "guide" you to get the image focus.
the sign looks like this " > o < "
For instant, when you turn you focus ring too much to the right, the sign will blink and give you "<" sign.
Meaning, you need to turn the focus ring to the left side :)
and vise versa....
Sorry for my poor English, but i hope u can understand what I i wrote here.

This feature is missing on Nikon D300... which me it a little bit harder to get the image right on focus (when I'm using F1.4)
I also thingking to get katz eye screen for my D300, however, no one sell that item in Indonesia T__T
 

deepdiver

New member
Hi Guy
Later this afternoon, I'm leaving to Jakarta to try out Leica M8 (I hope they will let me try it :p )
I never use Rangefinder camera before, so i really have no idea about it at all...
I should be interesting :)
BTW
here are 2 more example from Nikon D3 + ZF 85/1.4

@F1.4


@F2


Andree
 

glenerrolrd

Workshop Member
Thanks for the sample images. These are pretty amazing and do look a lot like the 75 Lux wide open. Do you find that the contrast increases as you stop down? These look good but seem to be "medium contrast" ..nothing wrong with that juts trying to understand the character of the lens.
 

sinwen

Member
I have been using Nikon for 25 over years. I love the cameras, always very well built... but....the Nikon lenses burry the shadows. They can be sharp and all what you want but a simple Pentax, Zuiko, Mamiya and of course Leica and Zeiss would beat them anytime.
If some of you have both lenses, look into it during a comparison.
I am surprised nobody is talking about it.
So to answer the original question of this thread, a Nikon body is a very good idea if you can avoid Nikon lenses.

Michel
 
R

RONSTAMPS

Guest
I have used Nikon since the early 70's.
The new 14-24 is a fantastic wide, even better than my 17-35.
Another great wide is the 28mm f/2 ais
The only Zeiss ZF I have used is the 85mm 1.4.. to me it is much better than the 85 1.4D or the 85 1.4 ais.
The 85 1.4 ais is better wide open than the D Nikkor lens, but starts loosing it's edge when they are stopped down.
The Zeiss is better wide open than the Nikkors by an edge, but when stopped down, even a half stop, really starts to shine.
I have no problems with focus on a D3, D2x, D1x, F3 or F2as with the Zeiss.
I have used 5 copies of the 85mm 1.4 D Nikkor and every one had a lot of CA.
The 105 1.8 ais and 105 2.5 ais are great lenses, along with the 180 2.8 ED ais
The 200 f/2 VR is brillant, but is a tripod or monopod lens.
I consider the Zeiss ZF right up there with a Leica 80 1.4 Rom if not better by a tad.
 

vieri

Well-known member
I have used Nikon since the early 70's.
The new 14-24 is a fantastic wide, even better than my 17-35.
Another great wide is the 28mm f/2 ais
The only Zeiss ZF I have used is the 85mm 1.4.. to me it is much better than the 85 1.4D or the 85 1.4 ais.
The 85 1.4 ais is better wide open than the D Nikkor lens, but starts loosing it's edge when they are stopped down.
The Zeiss is better wide open than the Nikkors by an edge, but when stopped down, even a half stop, really starts to shine.
I have no problems with focus on a D3, D2x, D1x, F3 or F2as with the Zeiss.
I have used 5 copies of the 85mm 1.4 D Nikkor and every one had a lot of CA.
The 105 1.8 ais and 105 2.5 ais are great lenses, along with the 180 2.8 ED ais
The 200 f/2 VR is brillant, but is a tripod or monopod lens.
I consider the Zeiss ZF right up there with a Leica 80 1.4 Rom if not better by a tad.
Hello Ron, as a Nikon user since the venerable Nikon F, I feel I must disagree slightly with you on a few of your findings, and share it with the forum for the sake of argument :D here it goes, of course IMHO:

- the 85 AF-D is, except at f11 and beyond, way better IMO than the MF version; I never tried the ZF, and it could very well be much better than the AF-D: will have to give it a look;

- in the 105 focal length, while your suggestions are both great lenses, I'd pick the 105 f2 DC (which you didn't mention) over both your suggested lenses any day; I wouldn't, though, use the DC control: never found the use for it, actually, but the lens is a fantastic piece of glass. I sold the 2.5 one second after trying the DC, while it took me much longer to give the 1.8 up, but in the end I couldn't find any reason except for sentimental ones to keep it over the DC;

- again, despite its AF shortcomings (MF clumsy, AF very slow), as far as the glass is I'd choose the 180 AF over the AIS; the AF has less CA and better colors IMHO; however, I am talking about the second version of the AF, the one with the larger focus ring, the first one wasn't solid enough (cracked barrel...);

More generally speaking, all these lenses are very very good, and it probably boils down to personal preference as far as they draw and the like. Just thought I'd add my .02 worth :D
 
R

RONSTAMPS

Guest
I agree with your statements on the 85mm ais vs the 85mm D lens, except my ais version was just as sharp, with color that matched the AF D version wide open. But the manual ais version did not have as much CA wide open, and to me, that is why we buy a fast lens... to use it wide open. Stopped down, as I said, the ais version looses it's edge.
I did not mention the 105 DC and should have !
It is a great lens, but I have not used it a lot, but when I have, it gave excellent results. I ended keeping my 105 2.5 and sending the 105 DC back due to the $600 difference in price versus quality..splitting hairs.
I have used the AF 180 2.8 ED and agree that it has a small edge over the MF version, but I use manual focus almost 100 percent of the time, and the AF lens cannot compare in it's manual focus qualities over the MF 180.
I honestly could not detect the difference between the two in print.
Both optics on these two lenses split's hair. Both are top notch.
If I were a autofocus shooter, I would lean toward the AF.
You hit the nail on the head...personal preferences in shooting style !
The 35mm 1.4 ais and the 58mm NOCT are two of the best too!
I have seen the earlier examples of the 35mm 1.4 ai lens get a yellow cast to the print image, but have not heard of the ais versions having this.
I am sorry I did not remember to put the 105 DC in my two cents.
It is a wonderful lens.
 

deepdiver

New member
Hi!
Just got back from Jakarta ^^
I took some pictures from the camera exhibitions.
Here we go (Nikon D3 + Voigtlander Ultron 40/2)

My Friends



My Girlfriend



Sales Promotion Girl



Leica stand (which did not let me play with M8 T__T )
 
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