Carl Zeiss Planar 85mm f/1.4 for landscapes on Nikon D810:is it a right choice?

[Jedi]

I know that Zeiss lenses have their fameand their excellence first of all for their colour and boken, than their sharpness (and Zeiss sharpness is equally excellent!!!!).

[Jedi]

I do not return lenses without adequate testing,  ...,  that 85/1.4 Planar was one of the worst performers I have seen for years.

Although I had already paid for the lens, one look at the test images and the dealer refunded the costs.

My point in bringing this up is that not even the 'Zeiss' branding does guarantee a good performing lens.

Thank you for your valuable opinion, master!

[Jedi]

Are you sure you need a so wide aperture for landscape ?

Even if you stop down to use use your lense at its best (2 stops) you have still plenty light with a ''normal'' lens (f/2, f/2.8. f/3.5 ), unless you make night landscapes...

I am very happy,  for instance, using my Voitglander 90mm apo lanthar. Light weight, sharp and, in addition, not very expansive.

Don't fall into the trap consisting , when you see very beautiful shots, to believe you could do the same shots with the same lens : filters can enhance a picture, also the framing, lights and post-processing.

Just my opinion...

Than you, but it isn't true that the best lenses are often the most fast? I shoot, for landscapes, at f/6.3 - f/8, also f/11, but first of all f/8.

[Jedi]

Why not use a wider lens for landscapes, like the Zeiss Milvus 18mm, which has a great reputation?

For landscapes you can also use tele focals, not only wide, aren't you agree? Also a 300mm for geometric lines of a flowering field!!

[Jedi]

No, I stay away from that  brand from now on. Do note this was an item carrying a signed test certificate to indicate it performed to specification, yet what did it deliver? Look below to see a corner of a landscape shot.

 

[Jedi]

Which version of the Zeiss 85/1.4 ZF.2 are you discussing, the Classic or the Milvus? They are entirely different optical designs.

I talk about classic version.

[bjornthun]

ZF.2 is presumable the 'Classic' version?

Probably, and the barrel will give it away. The Classic looks like a classic MF lens and is a six element double Gauss. The Milvus is a ten element design, weighs more than a kilogram (1.2 kg if memory serves) and looks almost like an AF lens, though it's MF only.

If, I'm not mistaken the Ai-S Nikkor 85/1.4 is a six element double Gauss.

[Jedi]

Many successful landscape captures are done with longer lenses.

Great master!

[Jedi]

ZF.2 is presumable the 'Classic' version?

No, I know that "ZF.2" is used to indicate the presence of contacts which can allow to you to word at aperture priority, such as AI-S lenses.

[Jedi]

Excuse me, but I would to know if the Zeiss Planar 85mm f/1.4 (classic) can be used with excellent results also for landscape. Is it true?

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The lens that I purchased, tested, and returned, was a Zeiss T* Planar 85 mm f/1.4 ZF.2 ('classic').

[simsurace]

No, I stay away from that  brand from now on. Do note this was an item carrying a signed test certificate to indicate it performed to specification, yet what did it deliver? Look below to see a corner of a landscape shot.

I don't have any experience with this lens (I only own 35mm and 135mm Zeiss lenses, which are both excellent), but this looks horrible. The lens might have been knocked during transportation, since it is quite unlikely that this is the certified performance.

I'm curious why you looked at this lens specifically? Were you searching a lens for a special application?

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I had in mind a manual medium short lens for my Df. The lens came in the original box, all wrappings and paperwork intact, and was absolutely pristine in external appearance. Not a speck of dust anywhere. No signs it ever had been out of its box.

[simsurace]

Very strange indeed and frustrating to say the least.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

As I said, 'Zeiss' is no guarantee for quality.