Reader Delighted With Zeiss Primes for Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 7D
Reader Michael B writes:
Lloyd,
Thanks for your extensive articles on the Zeiss lens line. In rebuilding my camera gear after a theft, I decided to switch from zooms to primes, and purchased the ZE 21/2.8, 35/2, and 50/2 Makro Planar to use on the 5D Mk2 and 7D after reading your articles
I couldn't be happier. The color I used to get on slide film with my former Contax G2 is now showing up in my digital files. My results are noticeably sharper, even when hand-held. Having used manual focus lenses for decades, it sure feels great to be back in my old familiar mode of shooting.
As a basic strategy, I find that putting the camera in aperture-priority mode, metering the highlights using the spot-metering function, engaging exposure lock and then recomposing, focusing, and taking the picture is very close to how I shot for years using film, an approach which works equally well in digital (avoiding blown highlights along the way).
The 50/2 is a great portrait lens on the 7D, and the other two lenses work equally well as a 'normal' and a moderate wide angle - the sharpness and sheer vibrancy of the images using the reduced-frame sensor through the sweet spot of the lenses is really something. Thanks for the time you have put into clearly describing (and showing) the performance of these remarkable lenses in a very useful way.
DIGLLOYD: I also love the working style with the Zeiss primes, and the color and contrast of the images they produce. When not testing other stuff, I shoot the Zeiss primes almost exclusively.