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Zeiss 135mm F/2 APO - the best?


lafilm
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Zeiss 135mm F/2 APO.

This $2,100 lens is supposed to be the best 135mm in existence. Basically, an Otus without the name.

Anyone on these boards have experience with this lens? Thanks.

I have the ZF.2 version of the Zeiss 135 F2 Apo and the 55 and 85 Otus lenses also ZF.2.

Previously owned just about every ZF.2 lens 21mm and above.

The 135 is so good that I cannot imagine it being redone as an Otus lens. It has a superbly balanced manual focus 

rack and while not at the level of the Otus lenses it is very easy to manually focus with the lens. It balances well on 

medium sized cameras ... not so well on the A7s size camera without a cage. Fairly heavy but not frontwardly balanced.

Bokeh is wonderful ... great Zeiss 3D rendering ... wonderful micro contrast. It is a fairly contrasty lens with Zeiss colors 

and very white whites buy not overly cool in color.

Here is a bit outside on the C100 Mk II :

 

https://vimeo.com/135901284

Password is daysend.

 

All of these lenses are expensive but you only need to buy them once ... not every two years like most cameras seem to be turning over. ZF.2 is almost the

ideal mount as it can mate to most cameras.....Nikon, Sony, Canon, any M43 mount.

 

Bob

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It exists ... look at the glass globe on the table as I focus ... the bottom left of the screen is the edge of the round table

and you can see a bit of the breathing ... exaggerated a bit at this close range. Not as good as the Otus or I assume

Master Primes but manageable.

 

Bob

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Zeiss 135mm F/2 APO.

This $2,100 lens is supposed to be the best 135mm in existence. Basically, an Otus without the name.

Anyone on these boards have experience with this lens? Thanks.

I shoot my son's baseball games with the 1dc + 135 F/2 (stills) all the time.  Nothing that won't AF would ever be on my GOAT list.  EF 135 F/2 all the way - sharp wide open, light, reasonably priced (~700 used), black (does not draw too much attention), gorgeous bokeh, quick to focus and accepts 1.4x and 2.0 extenders.  I've owned 3 of these; all of them worked perfectly on every camera body I've owned.  Hell, plus it had a focus limiter too.  Just too damn practical.

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Thanks for all the replies. Yes I agree you can get a quality 135mm for much less money. But something about that Zeiss..

I have the ZF.2 version of the Zeiss 135 F2 Apo and the 55 and 85 Otus lenses also ZF.2.

Previously owned just about every ZF.2 lens 21mm and above.

The 135 is so good that I cannot imagine it being redone as an Otus lens. It has a superbly balanced manual focus 

rack and while not at the level of the Otus lenses it is very easy to manually focus with the lens. It balances well on 

medium sized cameras ... not so well on the A7s size camera without a cage. Fairly heavy but not frontwardly balanced.

Bokeh is wonderful ... great Zeiss 3D rendering ... wonderful micro contrast. It is a fairly contrasty lens with Zeiss colors 

and very white whites buy not overly cool in color.

Here is a bit outside on the C100 Mk II :

 

https://vimeo.com/135901284

Password is daysend.

 

All of these lenses are expensive but you only need to buy them once ... not every two years like most cameras seem to be turning over. ZF.2 is almost the

ideal mount as it can mate to most cameras.....Nikon, Sony, Canon, any M43 mount.

 

Bob

Thanks Bob. Nice vid..do you have anything with the Zeiss with people..moving..walking? I think it does compare to the Otus line.

I shoot my son's baseball games with the 1dc + 135 F/2 (stills) all the time.  Nothing that won't AF would ever be on my GOAT list.  EF 135 F/2 all the way - sharp wide open, light, reasonably priced (~700 used), black (does not draw too much attention), gorgeous bokeh, quick to focus and accepts 1.4x and 2.0 extenders.  I've owned 3 of these; all of them worked perfectly on every camera body I've owned.  Hell, plus it had a focus limiter too.  Just too damn practical.

Shield3, only stills? (of course it excels at it)..have you used the lens for video?..If so what are your thoughts? Thanks 

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