You’ve done a remarkably good job in providing information that is not obtainable elsewhere and even though I am just beginning to read your comments and reviews the subscription was more than worth the price. It reminded me of the hints that Ansel Adams would give his students for real world shooting. I look forward to delving deeper into your reviews and counsel. — Ralph Z

Thank you for a great website, the ZF/ZE review is the best I have ever seen! — J

I really enjoyed the Zeiss 21mm review. Great work! It is the best review I have seen on this lens. Your pro reviews are very good value. I have learned a great deal from your reviews, especially about wide angle lenses and curvature of field. Keep up the good work!! — Dave C, New Zealand

I also must echo the comments of others regarding your Zeiss lens reviews. It made me aware of the unique traits of each lens I would not have gleaned from any other source, spared me great expense and disappointment had I bought one of the two I originally wanted and ultimately led me to choose one I would probably not have chosen otherwise. Zeiss should make it required reading for every potential new customer — Murray O

The review is payable, but worth every penny — dpreview.com forum

“These are some of the most thorough well presented lens tests I've ever had the pleasure of reading — FredMiranda.com forum

I'd like to take this opportunity to say how useful I've found it. I have bought the 25/2.8 and am delighted with it. The 35/2 and 21/2.8 are on the cards (awaiting your review of the latter), and the 100 macro in due course. Regarding the 25/2.8, I particularly found your discussion of field curvature for close-range focus very useful... Anyhow, thanks for your work on these lenses. If hadn't found your reviews, I would have hesitated further before trying out for myself. Now that I've seen it, I think I'll end up with just one AF zoom left in my bag, and my shooting habits will change quite a bit — Suvo M, Nov 27, 2008

Thanks Lloyd, I appreciate your response, and have great respect for the work you are doing - it is refreshing to find rigorous testing and comments that look at IQ from every important perspective. I have learned much in the last 24 hours... Finished the most excellent Zeiss review and am now convinced the 35mm and 100mm would both be excellent purchases for my needs in combination with my other Nikon lenses, and the Zeiss pair would even make a versatile small/light 2-lens kit for hiking and travel, with no compromise in IQ. Thanks again, you have a new fan here and I will refer others — Ross M, Sept 2008

First I want to thank you for a great piece of work. It's a fantastic read which helped me tremendously in determining which lens would fit me... heard about your review on fredmiranda.com. Someone said it was worth the money and a good read. He didn't lie, that's for sure! — Lennert W, Sept 2008

I have just read your Zeiss lens test and I am thrilled! Very good work and extremely helpful! — Rainer U., Aug 26, 2008

Lots of good information in your review. I can't say I've compared every pixel, but in general it answered my big questions about the Zeiss ZF/ZE line. Super job! Having attempted some lens comparisons myself I know how much effort you put into this...Regardless, you've provided ample useful information to make informed purchasing decisions in these areas. For which I am very grateful. Your reviews provide a level of substance seriously lacking in other reviewers — Dennis C., May 2008

Thanks for the wonderful review. Thinking of buying these lenses. — Beng C., May 15, 2008

...Excellent report, by the way — Molly H., May 10, 2008

It's got lots of useful information and must have taken a huge amount of work...It does a terrific job of making clear just how complex the behavior of a lens can be, and how challenging it is to do a good job of characterizing it — Oren G., May 09, 2008

I've read it over and over, just love it. And reading it is going to cost me way more than your fee. — Frank B., May 08, 2008

I've read and enjoyed very much your review. Lots of rich information that we never see on other reviews. Well worth the cost, and I'm very satisfied — Jeffrey S., May 03, 2008

I read your review and I think It's wonderful and really well done. I think you've done a really great job and produced IMHO the best review and comparison of lenses that I've ever seen (I'm currently buying 4-5 photographic magazines a month and surf around all international sites), because done with different samples, a lot of similar lens test (Nikon, Canon, Zeiss) on the same DSLR basing on real examples and basing on all the parameters: test chart, bokeh, tonal color rendition, curvature of field, contrast with real life examples images 100% crop (it would be fantastic to have images at full resolution not only crops). My congratulations —Ivo N., May 01, 2008

DIGLLOYD: full-resolution images would balloon the 300MB download size to 10-20GB or more, so it’s not really feasible at present. Some full-res images are now included. The entire-frame examples are complemented by one or more generously-sized and minimally-compressed actual-pixels crops for each image.

I wanted to pass along a few comments about your Zeiss ZF/ZE article. First of all, the practical photographic examples are very helpful as these demonstrate the unique image rendering characteristics of this lens line versus resolution targets. I was sold after reading your article and made my first investment in the 100/2 makro and the 28/2 to go with my Nikon D3...I will certainly be adding to my lens arsenal with a few more Zeiss ZF/ZE lenses. And thanks to you for your very complete and informative analysis of this wonderful lens line — Jeff B., April 30, 2008

Anyway, thanks again for your reviews. I'd much rather pay for thorough, well executed and documented reviews than left wanting with so many free reviews that one can find on the internet — Nico G., April 30, 2008:

I liked your Zeiss ZF/ZE review - perfect for making an exhaustively informed purchasing decision — Matthew C., April 26, 2008

Great review article on Zeiss ZF/ZE lens! Thanks for all your help the article answered all my questions — Richard L., April 25, 2008

I've learned of your site on ... and found your tests very interesting and well done — Ivo N., April 20, 2008

Thanks again for your fantastic review of Zeiss ZF/ZE lenses, they are most used on my D3. Have 28,35,50,100/2 and 85/1.4 and the pictures coming out are simply stunning using Nikon/Zeiss combination — Jaka S., April 20, 2008

Your Zeiss lens review was well worth the money. I learned a lot about lenses in general besides the Zeiss line. I look forward to purchasing them— F.G., April 8, 2008

The review is very interesting. I'm not halfway through it yet and I already learned a lot of things. I'm getting a better understanding of these wonderful lenses and I'll get more out of them after reading your
review...The review is great and is worth every penny — Hans V, March 29, 2008

I compare your work in this review of the ZF/ZE lenses to the appraisal of the value versus price of the ZF/ZE 100/2....A BARGAIN! Very well done! ... Back to your review, your comparisons lens vs lens are priceless. The depth you enter into is wonderful. I like the mouse overs! Your writing style gave me the feeling of talking with a peer, relaxed, looking at slides atmosphere, but someone who knows his stuff — Gary K, March 19, 2008

I learned a lot about field curvature, (25 & 28mm) and its uses to enhance photos. Very useful. I can see a use for this "predictable defect" with trains at night. Again, the review brings this out, knowing the lens displays this defect and buying it is one thing, etc. Very helpful. I can only recall seeing this defect mentioned in ANY lens review on one other reviewers site!

Very helpful writing contrasting the 25 and 28. I will take your advice and go for the 28/2 and the 100/2. For now. I can see where the 100/2 could be "different" focusing for night shots, after focusing the 35/2. I believe using these ZF/ZE lenses, and reading your review of them make me a better photographer. Not easy to do, LOL!

I'm very impressed and grateful for your time and effort in this masterful review. Well Done!

I just wanted to say, that after reading your Zeiss Lens review over and over again (it is really worth the money, I can easily see how much effort has gone into it). Your example images show so much rendered beauty, that I need to get them — Michael G, March 12, 2008

One bright spot in this otherwise dull month is that I've whiled away a number of hours perusing Lloyd Chambers' voluminous and detailed reviews of the Zeiss manual-focus single-focal-length lenses manufactured in Japan and available for both Nikon and Pentax mounts ... Lloyd's lens reviews may not say everything that could possibly be said, but they invite that conclusion, and he hits a nice balance between technical tests and descriptions and practical visual information. I can certainly appreciate the immense amount of work and preparation that go into his reviews. [more] — Mike Johnston of The Online Photographer, Feb 19 2008

Your Zeiss ZF/ZE review was very good and informative — Samuli V, 25 February 2008

I have read a good portion of the review and am very pleased to say the least. There is a lot more in there to digest other than just the information about the Zeiss lens. I think it is great and I know I will use it as a resource again and again over time — Al D, 08 February 2008

Thank you for extremely useful/interesting and differently prepared review, got some new ideas — Janez S, 28 january 2008

Still not sure? See this forum thread.

Already a subscriber? Start reading.

Thinking about subscribing? View the table of contents or you can search for Zeiss ZF or search for Zeiss ZE for past blog commentary and examples.

This lens review covers all nine of the Zeiss ZF/ZF.2 and Zeiss ZE lenses. An ongoing review, with new material added regularly, new lenses are included as soon as they become available, and new images are added as new cameras appear. Your purchase entitles you to everything currently available, plus updates for a year.

The Guide captures what was learned in well over two years of ongoing use of Zeiss ZF/ZE lenses under field conditions. You’ll get a head start understanding the strengths and limitations of these remarkable lenses. It is not one of those “by the numbers” reviews (although resolution charts do form a part it). It’s a review from the perspective of a photographer wishing to make satisfying and compelling images.

• Super wides: 18/3.5 and 21/2.8 Distagons;
• Wides: 25/2.8 and 28/2 and 35/2 Distagons;
• Fast: 50/1.4 and 85/1.4 Planars;
• Macro: 50/2 and 100/2 Makro-Planars.

Canon EOS users

The Zeiss ZE (Canon EF mount) lenses are optically identical to the Zeiss ZF and Zeiss ZF.2 lenses for Nikon. This review was shot on both Nikon and Canon bodies, so you’ll get “the picture” either way. A special page discusses the salient differences between ZF, ZF.2, and ZE, including how and why Canon shooters might in some cases choose the Nikon mount ZF lenses preferentially.

ZF.2 versus ZF

The Guide covers the differences between the ZF.2 and ZF line. The ZF and ZF.2 lenses are optically identical to each other and to the ZE line.

More information

Search for what’s available free at diglloyd.com: Zeiss, Distagon, Planar

Hundreds of hours of shooting, tests, and analysis went into preparing this review from June 2007 ongoing into 2009; this is the most complete and comprehensive review of the Zeiss ZF/ZE lens line available today. Nothing like it is available anywhere else, at any price. The following are included as general topics:

• A general overview and discussion of the Zeiss ZF and Zeiss ZE lens line, based on over a year of shooting all the ZF/ZE lenses;
• MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) discussion in general, and for each lens;
• Curvature of field (for certain models);
• Extensive discussion of resolution chart and testing issues;
• A general discussion on bokeh (out of focus image rendition) with extensive examples for each lens;
• Sensor size and lens performance on different sensor sizes;
• Sample variation discussion based on two samples of each lens;
• Subtleties of image rendition;
• Focus shift and how to mitigate it;
• Tips for accurate focusing.
• Advice and recommendations.

There are numerous examples, minimally compressed—that’s why the review is over a terabyte! In addition, each lens in the review includes the following:

• Overview and discussion of each lens;
• Multiple examples, including 1536-pixel-wide and larger actual-pixels crops, all minimally compressed for maximum detail and fidelity to the originals;
• Bokeh (out of focus image rendition);
• Resolution chart;
• Direct A/B comparison(s) with other lenses (Canon EF and/or Nikon). For example, the Zeiss 100/2 Makro-Planar against the Leica 100/2.8 APO-macro-Elmarit-R!
• Extras: color correction Photoshop layers for the 18/3.5 Distagon.

Learn and save

The Zeiss ZF/ZF.2/ZE Lenses review captures what was learned in over two years of ongoing use of Zeiss ZF/ZE lenses to make real images under field conditions (not a test lab). It’s a review from the perspective of a photographer wishing to make satisfying and compelling images.

You’ll get a massive head start understanding the strengths and limitations of these remarkable lenses, so even if you already own one or more of them, the insights presented will help you use them to their potential.

Readers have reported that the detailed coverage in the review saved them money by helping them choose the right focal length(s) prior to purchase.

Tested on both Canon and Nikon

The Zeiss ZF/ZF.2/ZE lens line uses the Nikon “F” lens mount, but much of the earlier testing was done using Canon digital bodies, mounting the ZF lenses using adapters (but see 2nd paragraph below). Current testing uses the Zeiss ZF.2 and Zeiss ZE lenses on the Nikon D3, D3x, Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 1Ds Mark III and Canon 1D Mark IV.

When the Zeiss ZF lenses were first released, using Canon bodies was the only choice to explore the full performance of the ZF lenses — there was no full-frame Nikon camera. Testing the lenses on the relatively small Nikon “DX” sensor cameras would have meant testing only 43% of the sensor/film area the lenses are designed to cover. So the decision was made to test on Canon EOS bodies so as to provide a more accurate view of lens performance on large sensors.

The current version of Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses is not a “redo” for the Nikon D3x, but ngoing updates use the 24.4MP Nikon D3x for most examples. Commentary is included on smaller and larger sensor sizes; the review is eminently suitable for all sensor sizes.

Update policy

When you subscribe, you not only get all current pages, you get all updates for a full year. When a new ZF/ZF.2/ZE lens arrives,it goes into the review. When a new camera arrives (eg the D3x), more examples are added.

Get it

Purchase via PayPal (preferred) or personal check or money order (contact me for the latter). You do not need a PayPal account to buy via PayPal, just a credit card.