PRODUCT REVIEWS
Carl Zeiss 50mm F2.0 Makro-Planar ZF Lens & Canon 1Ds Mark III
OVERVIEW
Last week I purchased a new Zeiss 50mm F2 Makro-Planar ZF to test as a “walk around” lens for the Canon 1Ds Mark III. Opening the box and handling the lens for the first time, the Zeiss 50mm Makro-Planar felt solid and well built. Overall the build quality is equal or better than most of the Contax RTS lenses (now discontinued). Nothing rattles or sounds loose when the lens is shaken. The entire outside assembly appears to be metal; there are no signs of plastic on the barrel, mount or bayonet. All the markings are engraved and painted, so white and red lettering should last for many years. The black paint on the barrel and included lens hood has a slight texture.
The 50mm Makro-Planar ZF is noticeably longer than the original Contax 50mm Planars and Canon 50mm F1.4 USM, so it is not stealthy, indiscrete lens. The polished silver mount for the lens hood is nice - no paint will rub off when the hood is attached and removed. But again, the silver does stand out which may or may not be a good thing. Though, the silver gives the 50mm Makro a bit of bling.
The lens has 9 aperture blades which maintain a fairly round opening up to F5.6. By F8 the 9 sided polygon is pretty clear. Maximum aperture is F22. The aperture marking are in full stops; the aperture ring steps in 1/2 stop increments (more on this later). The lens includes a hood and the usual Zeiss documentation - including a signed inspection card. A lens pouch is NOT included. The Zeiss 50mm Makro is backed with a 2-year USA warranty.
MANUAL FOCUS
The focus ring travels about 300 degrees to go from infinity to the minimum focus distance. Macro lenses typically have very long focus throws, thus allowing for subtle focus changes. As such, macros are not known as fast focusing lenses. Since I will be using the 50mm Makro-Planar for walk around pictures, this is a draw back. When the Zeiss 50mm Makro-Planar is focused to its maximum extension, the 50mm telescopes ~1.25 inches.
THE APERTURE RING
On my Contax lenses the aperture rings move smoothly and step gracefully across the stops. The 50mm Makro is very abrupt and the stops have considerable resistance. The 3:00 and 9:00 position on the aperture ring have raised grooves. Those grooves are needed because it takes a death-claw-scissors-grip to turn the aperture. Maintaining focus while stopping down is not easy. (continue)
Carl Zeiss 50mm T* F2 Makro-Planar ZF Lens
Lens Composition
Angular Field of View
Focus
Minimum Focus
Magnification
Diaphragm Action
Aperture Blades
F-Stop Scale
Filter Size
Metal Lens Hood
Lens Pouch
Weight
Size
8 Elements / 6 Groups
38.5 Degrees at Horizontal @ Infinity
Manual Focus
6.4” / .24 Meters
1 : 2
Mechanical, Automatic on AIS Nikons
9
F2.8 to F22 in 1/2 Stop Increments
67mm, Front Thread, Non-rotating
Included (Part Number TBD)
None Included
1.1 pounds / 530 Grams
W 2.8” x L 2.5” (Excluding Hood)
W 72mm x L 65mm (Excluding Hood)
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First Published Tuesday, May 6, 2008