 The 50mm Makro-Planar is recognized as one of the sharpest lenses in anyone’s lineup. Not a true Macro in that maximum focusing is at a 1:2 ratio, but allows you to focus as close as 22mm from the front element. Although it does give up a stop of aperture compared to the ZF 50 f/1.4, many photographers prefer it because of its razor sharp images. The ZF.2 designation adds a microchip to the lens that automatically lets the camera know time, aperture setting, and manual exposure settings, including those for cameras that are not AI-compatible. Since the lens now transmits the EXIF data photographers no longer need to set the parameters manually. Optically the ZF.2 lenses are identical to the original ZF lenses, so if these functions aren’t important to you you save some money by getting the original ZF mount. Roger’s take: I’ve been shooting Zeiss lenses completely manually, using adapters on Canon bodies for several years because I love the Zeiss look. The chance to shoot these direct mount lenses with focus confirmation and automatic aperture has made my day. The 50 Makro-Planar is one of the ZF lenses I strongly prefer to the other 50mm lenses available. Its simply one of the sharpest lenses at this focal length you can find. Its sharp wide open, but of course that means f/2, so if you need an ultra-wide aperture, this isn’t the lens for you. Zeiss Try and Buy: We are a registered Zeiss dealer and sell new in box, fully warrantied Zeiss ZF lenses. We offering a new service with ZF.2 lenses: rent any ZF.2 lens for 4 days. If you decide you want to buy it, we will apply your 4 day rental fee to the purchase of a brand new copy at our listed price. (Note: this is not your used rental copy, you will be buying a new lens.) If you’re interested in finding good reviews of the various ZF lenses, with in-depth analysis of their strengths and weaknesses, we recommend spending a few dollars and getting Lloyd Chambers online review of the ZF lineup Specs:
Links:MTF Chart:
The three sets of line pairs are for 10, 20, and 40mm with the lens at maximum aperture. The solid lines trace the radical S (sagittal) curve, while the broken lines trace the tangential M (meridional) curve. If you are bored and don’t understand MTF charts, you can read about them HERE Lens Diagram:
PricingLensRentals.com offers rentals of every length between 4 and 90 days. Some common selections are:
The shopping cart will automatically update the quoted price as you adjust the length of your rental. LensRentals also offers an optional damage waiver on this product, limiting your expense should it get damaged while in your possession.
ShippingLensRentals.com ships via UPS 2-day service, unless your rental requires faster shipping. Return shipping is included in the shipping price, and we include a prepaid return label with your order—all you need to do is bring it to a UPS drop-off location when your rental is complete. The shopping cart can automatically quote shipping, even for multi-item and oversize orders. Shipping multiple items together offers significant savings over shipping them individually. |
