Darker corners are a common occurrence, which is true of any ultra-wide angle lens. However, the Contax 18mm Distagon seems to have more light fall off the most other lenses. The light fall-off is the only aspect where I feel the 18mm Distagon could do better. There are rumors of a Zeiss 18mm F3.5 Distagon ZF being announced at the 2008 Photokina show. If true, it will be interesting to see if Zeiss was able to improve the light fall off characteristics. When it comes to color, straight lines and overall sharpness - the Contax 18mm Distagon lives up to the Zeiss name. On the Canon 1Ds Mark III the Contax 18mm Distagon appears sharp and resolves fine details such as grass blades. The lens does best in the F8 to F11 range. With a near focus subject I still think it is best to stop down to F8 or smaller. At faster aperture the lens is sharp in the central region; however, depth of field may look odd (an unsettling feeling) if the lens is tilted too much.

During coming months I will try to use the Contax 18mm Distagon and get a better feel for its handling on the Canon 1Ds Mark III. The Contax 18mm is compact and easily fits into the camera bag, so it is not any extra burden to carry along. And the solid build quality paired with the ultra smooth focus ring make the 18mm Distagon shooting experience very enjoyable. The Contax 18mm is one of those lenses that I try to find a reason to use.

Prices on the Contax 18mm F4 Distagon have fallen dramatically during the past 3 years. When the Zeiss bubble was in full-swing (2004-2006) a mint copy of the Contax 18mm Distagon cost ~$1000. My latest 18mm’s cost less than $600 each, and one included the Contax K-84 Metal Cap and a Fotodiox focus confirmation adapter. Backing out those two items, the 18mm net cost was ~$450. For $450 it is difficult to say anything bad about the lens. The lens are so cheap right now that I bought two to see if one was any better than the other (both perform equally well). I doubt I would pay $1000 again, but at today’s bargain prices I think the lens is an excellent value. As mentioned earlier, if shopping for a Contax 18mm Distagon, try to find one which includes the 70-86 Accessory Ring.

Since the 18mm Distagon was relatively inexpensive, I will not feel guilty if it sees limited use. I did own a Canon 16-35L Mark II and used it during our trip to Hawaii (pictures here). The weather during the trip was unpredictable and many locations were too windy and dusty for changing lenses (fear of dust and debris landing on the sensor). For that type of shooting environment the Canon made sense (weather sealing and a zoom range for flexibility since lens changes were out of the question). The Canon 16-35L Mark II does well, but it lacks the “pop” of a Zeiss lens. The sunflower picture to the right is a good example of the Contax 18mm’s bold contrasts. If we travel to another windy, dusty location where lens changes in the field are infeasible, then I will buy another Canon weather-sealed zoom. But if condition are conducive to shooting with a prime, then the Contax 18mm Distagon will get the call to duty.

ZEISS ANNOUNCES NEW 18MM F3.5 DISTAGON ZF & ZK

JUNE 24, 2008

Available at B&H Now - Click Here

The Zeiss website was updated with the new 18mm F3.5 Distagon, available in the ZF, ZS and ZK mounts - click here for the Zeiss product page. An 82mm filter thread implies a large front element which should improve the corner illumination. I can usually manage the dark corners on the Contax 18mm F4 Distagon; however, given a choice I would rather add fall-off in post processing when I want that effect. Removing light-fall-off can result in increased noise and color shifting, so a lens with less fall off should lead to better raw files. Comparing the image below of the new 18mm F3.5 to the above above image of the Contax 18mm F4, the front element looks to be about the same size. Zeiss has eliminated the need for the 70-86 accessory ring (needed for the Contax 18mm).

The new 18mm F3.5 Distagon ZF gained some weight; its total weight is 470 grams versus the Contax 18mm F4 Distagon at 350 grams. The Contax lens is very compact and its lightweight makes it easy to travel with. The official Zeiss press release is available here. To the left is an image of the new Zeiss 18mm F3.5 ZF courtesy of Zeiss; click on the image for a full size view. Zeiss has added product information to their website along with a PDF file with MTF charts.

ZEISS ANNOUNCES 18MM F3.5 DISTAGON FOR CANON

MARCH 27, 2009

DP Review states that Zeiss will be offering the new 18mm ZE later this year - click here for DP Review’s new release. While the new addition is nice, I would rather see Zeiss focus their energy on the Zeiss 50mm F2 Makro-Planar and Zeiss 100mm F2 Makro-Planar for the Canon EF mount. DP Review writes that the 18mm will be available at the end of 2009. That implies the 50mm F2 and 100mm F2 may not come until 2010... carumba...