REVIEWS - Zeiss 28mm F2 Distagon ZE

OVERVIEW

The Zeiss 28mm F2 Distagon ZE is an evolution of the original Contax 28mm "Hollywood" RTS lens. The new(er) ZE version has an updated optical formula and adds automatic aperture operation, EXIF data, focus confirmation and a native Canon EF mount (also available in Nikon F mount as well). The Zeiss 28mm F2 Distagon ZE has been discontinued and now the Zeiss 28mm Otus ZE is the only in-production option remaining.

BUILD QUALITY

The Zeiss 28/2 ZE has a dense, substantial feel to it. The manual focus ring turns smoothly with a wonderfully dampened feel. The body construction is solid with no hints of wobble or flex. The Zeiss 28mm F2 ZE mounts smoothly and easily on the 1Ds Mark III. When mounted there is no rotational play.

A metal lens hood is included. It rotates and locks into place. The aperture and focus distance markings are engraved. The knurling on the focus ring is very fine. My only gripe with the build quality is the front lens caps. These new style Zeiss front lens caps pop off far too easily. A slight twist locks them down into the threads, and helps reduce the chance of the cap coming off in the bag.

HANDLING

The Zeiss 28mm ZE has 10 elements in a relatively short barrel length, resulting in a dense feeling lens. Focus confirmation works fine with the Canon 1Ds Mark III. The focus throw is on longer side, which is nice when making fine adjustments. The trade-off is a slower focus - going from near focus to distance focus requires a healthy turn, plus the time to finesse focus.

On the ZE lenses the aperture is 100% automatic. In the past I have missed my fair share of pictures due to the time required for stop down metering, so I welcome the electronic aperture. With the ZE lenses (and the ZF.2 on a Nikon dSLR) aperture control is like any other Canon lens and set via the Canon camera body. The aperture remains wide open at all times and closes down when the shot is being taken.

A side note about the Nikon ZF version - the aperture ring is quite close to the camera body and recessed in a valley. With the Zeiss 100/2 ZF and 50/2 ZF, I found the aperture ring difficult to access. The Zeiss ZF versions are nice if adapting to a camera that does not offer electronic aperture control, but the trade-off is some not-so-great ergonomics (with the aperture ring placement).

PERFORMANCE

The most impressive aspect of the 28mm Distagon ZE has been its resolution at near and mid focus distances. I compared some product shots taken with the Canon 50mm F2.5 Macro and the 28mm ZE; the Zeiss 28mm images looked as sharp and as detailed as the 50mm Macro images. Resolution is equally impressive at 5, 10 or 12 feet. The 28mm ZE appears to do well as traditional wide angle lens as well. But I feel that F8-F11 images focused at infinity sort of miss the point of this lens.

Thus far I have not come across any objectionable color fringing (chromatic aberrations). There have been traces, but only visible when reviewing the images at 100%. As for the curvature in the focus field, I have not noticed any in my pictures. Thus far most of my pictures have been at wider apertures at near or mid focus distances, so the curvature could be there, but because of the style, I am not seeing it.

Other reviews on-line discussions have complained of field of curvature issues. In my use I did not run across those problems. That might be because most of my picture were at F2 or close to F2. The shallow depth of field and selection focus likely hid or masked any curvature issues in my pictures. If buying this lens for stopped down landscapes and such, I feel that sort of misses the point of having an F2 aperture.

CONCLUSION

So does this new ZE version still have the "magic" of the original Contax 28mm F2 Distagon? Given a choice between the original Contax 28mm F2 Distagon and the Zeiss 28mm F2 Distagon ZE, I would select the Zeiss 28mm F2 ZE -

• Close-up performance at wide apertures is better than the Contax 28mm F2’s.
• Colors are rich and contrast is nicely balanced.
• Images are consistently sharp with good resolution.
• The fully automatic aperture makes the lens easier to use (than Contax's).
• All the EXIF data is captured (lens name, aperture setting, etc).
• There is no need for a lens adapter; no concerns about mirror clearance.
• Costs less than a Contax 28mm F2 + adapter + 55-86 ring + metal hood.
• Contax AE lenses are no longer serviced by Zeiss.

If in the market for a fast apertured 28mm, the Zeiss 28mm F2 Distagon ZE definitely merits consideration and won't break the bank like a 28mm Otus.

But whether the newer ZE version retains the look of the original Hollywood, that is a difficult question. I owned several the Hollywoods and optical calibration is mission-critical. A poorly aligned Hollywood has horrible CA and edge performance. One that is proper operating specification can be quite impressive. If collecting Contax lenses, I would probably own one. If buying the lens for more a real-use type of scenario, I would more likely pick a newer lens that was not so finicky in terms of optical calibration.