Current APS-C E-mount camera owners will soon be able to get the next new native E-mount lens. The lens will ship on May 27 according to BHphoto (Click here).
Photographyblog tested the lens (X-mount version) and writes:
For macro photographers who absolutely need 1:1 recording along with and stellar image and build quality, the Carl Zeiss Touit Makro Planar 2.8/50mm T* lens certainly won’t disappoint. More casual users would be better served by the significantly cheaper Fujifilm and Sony equivalents.
50mm macro Touit at BHphoto (Click here) or Adorama (Click here).
Lens Hood at BHphoto (Click here) or Adorama (Click here).
0 Responses
Only 999$ for an 50mm f/2.8, how cheap 😀
Umm.. it’s a 1:1 macro lens, it can’t really be faster.
But it could be longer. 50 on APS-C is quite awkward.
Well, it’s versatile. Of course it’s not your go to macro for insect or animal shots, but as a general, sharp 50mm lens for product-, food- or still life photography, as a longer landscape lens, as a studio portrait lens – it should be really awesome.
too little too late
jkl
Also, too big (for the NEX) and too pricey. Fabulous combo! 😉
Why would anyone buy this lens when the full frame Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA Lens is selling for almost the same price? Oh, the Touit is a macro lens. Nevermind…
Your right anyone who buys this lens needs to be slapped.
I just want to see Sony release a compact 85mm f/2.0 for the A7, its the future of the e-mount.
Designing Zeiss lenses optimized for APS-C sized sensors is a bad idea/waste of resources.
Sony needs to concentrate on FE, I’m sure this Touit was in the pipeline for quite a while but a $1000 lens that’s only usable on an APS-C (mid-range consumer camera) would be a foolish investment for both Sony and the consumer.
The touit line has nothing to do with Sony, they are all Zeiss and they are not exclusive to Sony as they also come with the Fuji’s x-mount.
f1.4 at least
Really? Because I feel good spending the money on this lens. It’s one of the most versatile lenses you can find, and that at an insanely high quality.
Don’t currently own an APS-C F mount camera but if I did the only lenses considered for purchase would be FE, not many people would buy a $1000+ dollar lens for a 400- 600 camera.
FE lenses will not get you to the wide end. And they are oversized for the camera.
I agree the touits are too expensive but a having a lens 2 or 3 times as expensive as the body on a camera is commonplace. Actually, it’s less than 2 times since the most likely body here is an a6000 or nex7.
Now, if APS-C doesn’t do what you want to do, that’s a different thing. Probably can’t be fixed with any lens.
Ha Ha … 1000 bucks! … Insane…
Pricewise, it’s between the two other Touits when they launched, so it seems about right.
No it’s just that all 3 are insanely priced.
I don’t think so. The 12mm Touit is a stellar performer. And while I don’t own the 32, it’s much cheaper than the other Touits, so I guess it’s worth it’s price too.
I won’t buy this lens as macro is not my thing, but as an NEX-7 owner it is encouraging to see Zeiss finding it worthwhile to continue making Touit Emounts.
1000$ for that, they are joking I hope. I can get a decent 50/1.4 lens for 200$ on e-bay, just shoot with an adapter, and a 50 Makro for the same price.
good luck with that.
Yep, good luck with that from me too. If you seriously think you get good quality with a cheap reverse- or extension tube-mounted 50 1.4 …
I’m using the Minolta MD 50mm f3.5 manual lens , it’s cheap and yet super sharp.. only $59 on ebay for a very clean one with it’s adapter .. add $10 for minolta md – e-mount adapter that’s $69.
who needs AF for macro anyway!
A $200 50mm F1.4 would be a POS.
Pre-ordered it in January – about time they’re shipping it. But seemed at least like it was worth waiting for – totally awesome color rendition and pretty sharp.
That dirty rubber….
The Touit 32mm for Fuji was not as good as the Fuji XF 35mm and the 12mm was almost murdered by the XF 14mm.
My XF 60mm is a very fine lens and although it does not do 1:1, I doubt this is any better.
Disclaimer: I own a Ziess FE 35mm 2.8.
Oh well off to the woods, stuff is blooming all over.
Do you have any samples to back up these statements comparing the Zeiss to the Fuji? We would all like to see them.
There were various comparisons done, I’m sure Google would find them for you and even the Ziess lovers were going on about character etc, so … ya know.
Anyway I don’t save up links and I don’t care enough to go dig, so if you do , it’s up to you.
Right, so you’re just regurgitating second and third hand information but have no real knowledge of these lenses. Thanks for clearing that up.
And you do? I had an XF 14mm for a while and it was among the finest lenses I have ever used. I go back quite a way. I thought it was interesting how good the Fuji lenses turned out to be. It also explains why they had no trouble with Zeiss making lenses for the X series and adding them to their roadmap:
http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/xf_lens/roadmap/
They knew theirs were as good or better.
I like Zeiss, I just don’t think they are in a class by themselves, that would be Leica.
You lost that argument big time.
It looks like a cheap plastic toy.
$300 is ok.
Well it’s certainly not, and statements like that make you look like an idiot. It’s over priced perhaps but it is indeed a well built lens, just designed for the wrong format.
I think the problem with this lens is that essentially all macro lenses are excellent at the apertures which are typically used for macro shooting. AF is not critical for most macro work so pretty much any macro lens made in the last 40yrs will be capable of doing excellent work. For other applications such as portraits work , its a bit on the short side and F2.8 on APS is not really that clever.
This lens will be a good one for those who need it I am sure.
However for my taste they have chosen the wrong focal length for the design.
The APS-C users are well equipped with more affordable lenses in that range (the 50/1.8 is very good, and the Sigma 60mm is even better – of course no macro lenses). Meaning that besides the pure macro usage the lens will certainly for many not being worth the price.
There is still no short tele prime, so in my opinion it would have made more sense to design a 90 or 100mm macro which could be used as portrait lens too.
I think quite the opposite, actually. Zeiss aims this lens not mainly at macro shooters. They advertise it for its versatility. And I agree – it should be a stunning performer for food, landscape, still-life and product photography. Even for studio portraiture, this lens is going to be great. Just because it’s not a speciality lens with a super fast aperture or a lens that focuses all its efforts on macro photos doesn’t mean it’s useless by any means.
Dude, I assume you got me wrong.
The lens will for sure be very capable of capturing any image requiring this focal length.
What I meant was, that if you just occasionally shoot macro, it might be a better choice to go for the 50/1.8 and the 30 macro due to summing up to just half the price of the Zeiss.
Sure it can be assumed that on 50mm there will be a plus in IQ in advantage of the Zeiss, but man need to consider if this plus justifies the high price tag.
this price > no rush.
So that’s £1000 for a 50mm Zeiss macro… The G macro will sell like hotcakes!