I am sure Zeiss will release many more new Loxia FE lenses in 2015. Now let us help them to decide which one they should release first! Let’s guess for a moment that they will base their new Loxia lenses on the ZM lens design. Here are all of them:
[shoplink 10875 ebay]Distagon T* 2,8/15 ZM (Click here to see price on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 9803 ebay]Distagon T* 4/18 ZM (Click here to see price on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 9804 ebay]Biogon T* 2,8/21 ZM (Click here to see price on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 9804 ebay]C Biogon T* 4,5/21 ZM (Click here to see price on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 9805 ebay]Biogon T* 2,8/25 ZM (Click here to see price on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 9806 ebay]Biogon T* 2,8/28 ZM (Click here to see price on eBay)[/shoplink].
Distagon T* 1,4/35 ZM (brand new here at BHphoto)
[shoplink 9808 ebay]C Biogon T* 2,8/35 ZM (Click here to see price on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 9809 ebay]C Sonnar T* 1,5/50 ZM (Click here to see price on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 9810 ebay]Sonnar T* 2/85 ZM (Click here to see price on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 9810 ebay]Tele-Tessar T* 4/85 ZM (Click here to see price on eBay)[/shoplink].
Now, the question is, which three ZM lenses should they make first in a proper “Loxia” version?
[poll id=”195″]
Hope Zeiss will listen to you!!!
Zeiss Loxia preorders:
Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2 Planar T* Lens for Sony E Mount at BHphoto, Adorama., WexUK, CameraPro.
Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Biogon T* Lens for Sony E Mount at BHphoto, Adorama, WexUK, CameraPro.
Zeiss Lens Hood for Loxia 50mm f/2 Planar T* Lens at BHphoto and Adorama.
Zeiss Lens Hood for Loxia 35mm f/2 Biogon T* Lens at BHphoto and Adorama.
Zeiss 52mm Front Lens Cap for Touit and Loxia Lenses at BHphoto and Adorama.
Zeiss De-Click Key for Loxia Lenses (5-Piece Set) at BHphoto and Adorama.
Zeiss Rear Lens Cap for Loxia E-Mount Lenses at BHphoto and Adorama.
0 Responses
I need sonnar 40mm f2.8
A sonnar 43/2 would also be acceptable.
The ZM 85/4 is useful as is. I will not replace the Leica AA Summicron 75/2 with a Sonnar. The 50/1.5 C-Sonnar is a no go (A Jupiter-3 works just as well). 35mm f/2.4 Summarit is not only beautiful but also delivers.
So, 15mm and 18mm Distagons and the 35/2 without corner mush.
LOL the 35/2 is already a thing of the past. Maybe they can fix the Distagon 35/1.4 for that…
Then Zeiss loses.
The special effects lenses are dime a dozen and can be had for a dime or a nickel.
I still don’t get you Vivek
What is the problem with the just released 35 F2 Loxia? Did you get it? It’s a good lens on the A7 though it’s a Biogon
85/2 and 21/2.8 will complete my holy trinity lens set with the diminutive but excellent FE 35mm f2.8. Yummy
Not sure if anybody from Zeiss reads this website 😉
Exactly, and if they do, if they realy care about the opinion of this small amount of technonerds (as we mostly are) are wanting. Many of the voeres will not buy any of these lenses as they think they are to expensive.
If Loxia was only a choice of remade ZMs, then were would the macro or tilt-shifts be? I don’t really use them, but they are worthwhile lenses to have for many photographers that like MF and would like excellent performance in a smaller package than AF lenses. What about par-focal zooms for film makers? Ever thought of that on a A7s?
Exactly. It would’ve been nice to include some macro lenses and other non-M lens designs. I would love a 50 f2 macro planar.
next year Sony comes with a 0,06sec. AF so we need more AF-Lenses not this MF stuff.
These lenses are for those who appreciate and prefer MF lenses for various reasons. WE don’t need anyone telling us what WE need.
This isn’t Sony (or Sony Zeiss, which is Sony). Zeiss can independently release whatever lenses they like for whichever camera system and Zeiss doesn’t do autofocus.
Zeiss seem committed to a 52mm filter thread for the Loxia range.
I think these are out of the question: 2.8/15, 3.5/18, 2.8/21, 1.4/35 (you gotta be kidding), 1.5/50, 2/85
2.8/25 and 2.8/85 just maybe
These look definitely ok: 2.8/28, 2.8/35, 4/85
Oh, and the one I’d like is the 1.5/50 for its character. Otherwise I’d rather have AF zooms.
1.4/35 isn’t out of the question since the new M-mount version has a 49mm filter thread. However, it is fatter towards the mount and if depending on other needs for the E-mount version (shorter flange distance, closer focusing) it might not be possible to keep lens size within 60mm diameter.
Well, they can simply change the filter thread for some of the lenses, such as the UWAs. That’s what they did with the Contax line, for example.
Olympus had small OM lenses 21/2, 24/2.8, 85/2 and 100/2.8, all with 49mm filter thread.
Same or better must be possible with shorter register. Oh, and ZM 35/1.4 has 49 too.
Certainly some lens designs are fine for a Loxia 52mm filter, E mount short flange, and the E mount’s not-that-wide throat. I think less than half of the *ZM lenses* in the poll are possible.
The ZM 21/2.8 and 4.5, 25/2.8, 28/2.8, 35/2.8 and 50/1.5 all have a 46mm filter thread. So there is no reason they could not have a 52mm filter thread in the Loxia line.
Besides I don’t think Zeiss is committed to only one filter size. It’s only the the lenses in the ZM line with 46mm filter thread that gets 52mm in the Loxia line. Other lenses may get a wider filter thread just as in the ZM line.
The Loxia 35 is a Biogon design! Only difference to the ZM 35/2 lens is smaller differences in thickness of some elements and distance between some elements. All according to Zeiss themselves.
I’d like to see some more intersting apertures on fast primes, like 26, 32, 40, 70 or 90 mm.
The ones I want aren’t listed :
Sonar 90mm F2.8 : I don’t like the 85mm; they look as if they just missed the right focal length. And at this length and the FF format we don’t need F2. I prefer light lenses to faster but heavier ones.
I’d also like a 21mm F2.8 and a 24mm F2.8. But for wides I fear that a Biogon design won’t be adapted to the A7 series. I need a wide angle for architecture, one with nearly imperceptible distorsion, but sharp from edge to edge (@ F8 or better @F5.6). Hopefully they will be able to deliver those, may be using a Distagon design ?
So privilege small, sharp and imperceptible distorsion over fast lenses.
Buy Voigtlander
As this man says, check out the voigtlander 21mm f1.8, its not small but a modern very sharp design. Their new designs seem to be designed for digital so I would expect the new 35mm 1.7 to be good as well (especially seeing as the old 35mm f1.7 apparently worked well too).
The 21mm is too big and all the others provide smear and color cast in the corners, just like the Zeiss ZM, the Zeiss Contax G (which I own) and the Leica wides.. So to summarize : most of the legacy RF lenses aren’t faring well with the A7r
I don’t think a Zeiss 21mm 2.8 will be significantly smaller. Also, your summary is incorrect. Most wide angle RF lenses don’t fare well with digital sensors.
What’s going on??
The market is flooded, saturated, overwhelmed and ridiculously overstocked with short lenses.
Just how many lenses of 20,22,23,25,27,30 etc mm lenses does anyone want. Yet the manufacturers keep rolling out more and more in an effort to appease the small minority who want the best lens ever to fit onto mini cameras to go streetshooting with and who don’t want to be caught out by their peers using a lesser lens. What a laugh.
I’d say there’s a good reason for that. They are simply more useful to most people out there.
Flooded and saturated with lenses that actually work well on the A7?
Please list several lenses from 20-24mm that work well on the A7. There aren’t many
this sport/proffession/hobby is just as much about the user experience as it is about the tools. People like those focal lengths and they like a lot of them. I agree though- it gets boring after awhile.
Where is the choice here?
These are all the same old wa,normal, portrait …boring lenses that the market is filled with….how many of the same old lenses do we need.
My vote is none of the above…and since I am allowed to vote 36x I vote for none of the above 3x
what do you want? fisheye? 500mm F2.8 for birding? Jeeeez Barry, those lenses are the obvious usable manual focus lenses, so the ones Zeiss should consider. The first three in the poll result, 85, 21 and 15mm all don’t exist in E-mount yet, adapted lenses are really just a compromise and I don’t even think they could fill the demand of it was the only option. Zeiss would have great sales if they could introduce those focal lengths as e-mount primes first.
Personally..I wold like..
A 200-600 f4.8-5.6
100-30o f4 MACRO
A really inovative lens for someone to make would be a long off axis reflex…before my critics tell me its imposstible I figured out how to build it economically and super high quality.
Begin with 2 tilted convex mirrors in a configuration similar to the Yolo telescope.
The primary would be an 8″ spherical miror, and the secondary would be ground to a torroid shape by use of a warping harness durring the grinding.
This would completely compensate for coma(astigmatism) .
All non optical inerior surfaces would be coated with a new carbon nanofiber materiel that absorbs virtually 100% of the light therefore increasing contrast and reducing the need for complex interior baffles.
A diaphragm can be incorporated into the lightpath.
If we start…for an example of how it would work…with an 8″ lens with a focal length of 2035mm it would be about f10.
We now make a high quality 100mm positive lens ( focal reducer) that would make it approximately a f 6.3 1350mm lens. We make this removable.
Because the secondary mirror does not block the lightpath feateres such as oss an af can be incorporated just lke a glass lens.
This lens should be of superb quality , relatively compact , lightwieght, and economiclal to produce.
The desighn would work best for long lenses.
Use of various focal length focal reducers would increase the versatilty of the lens.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!!!!!! What a rain man, astronomer wanna-be.
I haven’t had such a good laugh in a long time.
Clearly you do not have time to even bother to google Yolo telescope. ..nor have you bothered to to see the coma problem and how it was resolveed in the manor I described. ..nor have you compared my focal specs to existng 8″ telescopes and focal reducers such as celestron and mead.
Nor have you read about the new nanofiber coating….or you would probably realize that this desighn will actually work.
But with so little time to actually look at any of this stuff you still find time to demonstrate your ignorance.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
CLASSIC !!!
I didn’t think it could get any better, but I was wrong!
You are a poster child for sociopathy.
Design it and put your plans up on kickstarter. If it’s feasible, practical to produce and desirable you may get the funds to build it.
There is nothing more boring than you, you miserable old goat.
Just because a certain lens can’t photograph an animal’s b*llocks from 500 yards, it doesn’t mean it is boring.
I wonder why people are voting for Distagon 1.4/35 for a Loxia. I mean we’ve got a native one with AF coming up, and it will probably be cheaper than the ZM one ($2.3k) that was launched at Photokina, just because of competitive pressure from Canon, Nikon and Sigma (all their 35/1.4s cost much less)… What would a Loxia one add?
Superior manual focus feel for all those snobbery manual shooters (I’m one :D). I greatly prefer the draw, size and weight of the ZM over the Sigma Art (the closest competitor at the moment in term of sheer optical performance).
A mechanical focus ring.
They promised uniform focus throw and filter thread for the whole line. Nice but not important of course. The fact that they released a better lens for M-mount shows that they don’t consider E mount too serious.
85 mm and 15 mm is exactly what i want. Im gonna order two lenses before january. 35 mm Loxia and FE 55 f.1,8. So if they got me a 15 mm f.2,8, and a 85 mm f.2,0 or even better 1,4. Than i would welcome this
It’s really dissapointing that you didn’t list a 135mm F4. That is a completely realistic option and I believe it would be a solid addition if Zeiss made if available.
That 15mm would be an expensive piece of gear. The new Voigtlander would cover that FL very nicely. Better to wait for the 18mm.
Biogon is a small and light design with good IQ, PROVIDED you are using analogue film cameras.
For digital cameras the steep angles of outgoing light rays from Biogon type lenses will give trouble at the borders of the image sensor, such as colour shifts, unsharpness, vignetting.
Distagon is a retrofocus design, aimed to solve such problems. This design will necessary be bigger and heavier, but still this is what you’ll want for your digital cameras.
.
Well,the Loxia 35 is a Biogon design! Only difference to the ZM 35/2 lens is smaller differences in thickness of some elements and distance between some elements. All according to Zeiss themselves.
It may be possible to do the same tweaking to the other Biogon designs as well. I Think we should wait for the next Loxia lenses to be released and tested before making some general statements.
Oh no!
We are making general statements BEFORE the lenses are released and tested, and specific statements AFTER.
.
Well, the Loxia 35 with Biogon design is already released and tested showing much improved performance at the corners compared to the ZM version…
I believe many will think the performance of the Loxia 35 is good enough and prefer it to a much bigger lens that may be a tiny bit sharper at the edges.
Also it is notable that except for the ZM Biogon C. 35/2.8 and the latest ZM 35/1.4 all other lenses in the ZM line have focal length and aperature combinations missing in the Sony FE lens program and roadmap. So in theory Zeiss could convert many of the ZM lenses to Loxia.
“Hope Zeiss will listen to you!!!” – hope not, last we need is 85 that will double with the sony one, or unwieldy 15/2.8. Small wides is what we need
14mm!
Well – They should announce something wider (not THAT important if it´s a 21, 24 or 25mm for example) and something in the portrait range (85 or 90mm or so). F2, F2.8 or F4 – All ok (as far as they don´t get too big again – And as far as they don´t get too pricey). A good “middle way” would be a F2.8 wide angle and a F4.0 short tele / portrait lens with good optical performance wide open …
I’m going through rumor withdraw- I have the symptoms. Nervousness, pacing and a slight fever. I think it’s been about two days since the last real rumor. I’m Jonesing over here!
Admin will only release a tiny dose of rumor at a time so you dont overdose now…then go through withdrawal when the supply dries up.
He just got in a big megapixel load of fresh rumors but is keeping most of it for himself.
Is he really, Mr animals, or did you just make that up?
35/1.4 ZM seems to be OK on A7r (see one corner test on http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2014/10/03/testing-the-zeiss-loxia-zm-35-1-4-and-otus-lenses-on-the-a7r-by-dirk-de-paepe/ —Pics15-16).
Interpreting the comments and reactions to my questions and assumptions by the Zeiss guy at Photokina the next three Loxias coming will likely be 18-21mm, 85mm and a macro 50-100.
I am hoping for an 18mm, the 20-21 are covered for the time being by VL.
I voted for the two 35s and the 50 just for a laugh.
Dear Zeiss,
Please give us the ultimate landscape lens!
Zeiss Loxia 14mm f/ whatever – Ultra Wide Angle Prime – Minimum chromatic, Super Duper Sharp, Minimum Distortion, High Contrast and WITH FILTER THREAD!
Aperture doesn’t matter as long it is ridiculously sharp and high contrast at f/11-22 like the FE 55mm
Thank you in advanced Zeiss Team!
Ultimate landscape lens sounds sexy. I think need to sit down just thinking about it.
I don’t understand that infatuation with ultra wide lenses : you get so much foreground that everything disappear behind it! For landscapes, I prefer short tele.
For the rest, give us a wide angle first : something like 24mm or 21mm would have my preference. But I’m sure they will first issue a 28mm F2.8
They’re for those landscapes that have sufficient foreground. If you’ve got nothing of interest right in front of you then they’re not for that situation.
I find real wide lenses to be mostly useless for landscape. Now studies of natural things can benefit a lot from an extreme wide view. I like a 35mm on FF for general landscape use, but use longer lenses a lot.
I wonder if all those who vote for an 85/2 lens, only want to use it on a tripod, or if they have ever tried manual focusing with viewfinder magnification and a non-stabilised longer-than-50 lens on an A7 / A7R body. I have done this several times and it’s just a pain in the ass. With the 35, it’s fairly easy as the magnified viewfinder is still stable enough, but with an 85? erm…. no.
Also, the high build quality and good centering etc. of Zeiss optics would be much more welcome for a new wide-angle lens. That’s why I would always like to see them make a 25, 21 or 18 first before they go for any manual-focus telephoto primes.
It’s been like 6 years since the whole mirrorless ordeal begun.. and still no 85 1.8 … damn you sony.
Four years.
The 55mm is about 85mm on all the aps-c e mount bodies. Seems like a great 85mm equivalent and it is 1.8.
Or were you only referring to full frame only? If this is the case, then this “ordeal” that Sony has forced on you has been going on for only 10 months.
Plus one. Not to mention the 50mm 1.8, which was released even earlier and delivers great performance at a very decent cost.
I really NEED/WANT a WIDE prime lens… 14-21mm f2.8 or faster!
Why would you need an uwa faster than 2.8?
astrophotography
precisely
milky way pix, general nightscapes, etc.
Didn’t thought about astrophotography when I asked this question. 🙂
General nightscapes? Interesting different styles of shooting – I am saying so, because I am always using my tripod for that.
true, however, it still doesnt hurt to have the option of a shorter exposure with a wider aperture… or thinner dof… it just depends! I like have the capabilities with fast glass because you can always stop down.
As suggested above, get te Voigtlander 21mm.
I would rather have a native lens if possible… especially when dealing with my a7r since its more sensitive to wide angle lenses.
Of course, but I just don’t see it happening for the near future. So, Voigtlander 🙂
I hate the fact that I agree with you 😛
All they need now is a 20mm f4 , 85mm f2 , 135mm f2 and a 110 or even 200mm macro f4 or faster.
This might interest some of you guys! Cool article! http://ilovehatephoto.com/2014/06/17/choosing-the-right-75-85-90mm-portrait-lens-for-the-sony-a7/
where is the option for NEITHER?
maybe there are a few who pay a thousand for last century MANUAL FOCUS lense without OSS, but im not one of them
Obviously, your option is to not answer the poll.
Keep in mind the Loxia line will all have 52mm threads (as stated by Zeiss). That narrows down the list further.
Zeiss should be capable of making a semi compact 75mm 1.4, just like Leica does. I make my living with fashion, commercial portraiture. Would really appreciate an f1.4 prime in the 65-75mm range. Not much reasonably priced competition in that range. I prefer a little shorter than another 85mm. Can get those all day long.
I too have always wanted someone to make an F1.4 65mm or 70mm lens! Sometimes a 50mm shows too much of the background in a 3/4 portrait and an 85mm shows too little!
A while ago I even considered buying a 1.4x teleconverter for my 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM lens, bought I figured the teleconverter would degrade image quality more than cropping the image would (or using APS-C mode would).
Someone should definitely make an F1.4 lens in this range!
Heliar 75 1.8 or Pentax 77mm 1.8?
I would like to have a 100mm 🙂
I also like 135mm a lot but with 52mm thread that one would be pretty slow.
The idea to have nice and small lenses for E-Mount is perfect, but 100mm and 135mm with native E-Mount would also be good to have.
I don’t like adapters…
I guess something akin to the nikon 105/2,5 with AF and similar size would be lovely but I doubt it is doable. Looking at the Nikon 85/1.8 G and 50/1.8 G makes me think fine optics with fine movement is never small. So I am not actually sure what I want. may be 105/2,5 even with some added bulk will be best compromise.
That would be it for me, a 105mm, the 50mm, a 24mm and maybe an UWW and I am fine.
The other line would be 18mm, 35mm, 85mm and propably 135mm.
There is no need for me to buy the 35mm and the 50mm as they are pretty close together, same goes to 85mm and 100mm, almost the same.
So what Kind of shooter are you: 24mm/50mm/100mm oder 18mm/35mm/85mm? That is the relevant question for me 🙂
24/1.4, would that even work on a 52mm filter thread?
Meh. I have a Leica 60/2.8 R Macro lined up. Good deals on these can be found.
Instead of voting on 3 lenses can I vote for the Sonnar T* 2/85 3 times? 🙂
I voted for the new 35mm f1.4 as this is the only one I would consider buying. I have the 50mm f1.5 in Leica M mount so would see no reason to change. I would probably buy the Leica M version over the Sony anyway, only reason to go e-mount seems to be exif data. M-mounts on a helicoid mount even focus closer!
I was hoping for a 4mm .95 but no dice.
The 50 f1.5 is quite an amazing lens. I am not sure all them are that good.
LOL everyone wants the good old 85/2.
LOL, I don’t think this vote reflects the market need at all. Do people even realize that the 15/2.8 is a $5000 lens? It would be a very very niche product. Personally, I would like a 25/2.8. It is very compact, the price is not outrageous, it is one of the most highly regarded ZM lenses and it would be a perfect companion for my 55/1.8 FE.
I won’t buy any of those from Zeiss. Samyang is good(cheap) enough for my needs.
Doubt people who voted for the 15/2.8 have a clue about how much it would cost. I guess they’re just looking for reason to keep the whine pouring here.
If Zeiss continues to follow Sony’s lead, the next lenses will be a Loxia 2.8/28 and 1.4/35.
Regardless, the lenses most needed are a wide angle and a portrait lens.
In my opinion the most needed lenses are real macro and long focal primes. 100mm macro, 150mm macro, 300mm for instance. But that’s because I do a lot of macros 😉
https://www.flickr.com/photos/idealuz_photography/