Just bought a 28mm ZM Biogon on impulse!

[sleepyhead]

Oh, I must be going a bit nuts...

I saw a 28mm Biogon on Ebay this morning - £350 including the hood - and bought it without even thinking about it, or checking if it was even a good price - seemed like a good price.

This will be my FIRST ZM product - I plan to use it with my Leica M4-p, Minolta CLE, and Epson RD-1. I'm lookign forwards to checking out it's image quality and build.

THE REASON THIS WAS NUTS is because i ALREADY have a 28mm Ultron AND a 28mm M-Rokkor! Both nice lenses in their own rights (the Ultron being SUPERB IMO)

SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAVE TO GO - three 28mm's is too many!

I would love to hear other people's experience with the 28mm Biogon - the pluses and the minuses.

THANKS

 

[sleepyhead]

Oh, forgot to ask, HOW NECESSARY IS THE HOOD?

 

[kshapero]

You are killing me. I gotta hear how this lens is because I am afraid of the same GAS attack. I use the little CV 28/3.5 which I like alot, but those ZM's are so nice.

 

[sleepyhead]

Great for you. Impulse buys is the best buys IMO.

You are the Devil...

 

[Rafael]

That sounds like a good deal. I have had my eyes on this lens for a while now. I look forward to hearing how you like it.

 

[2tcreative]

Same here. I currently have a Kobalux 28/3.5 but have been thinking it is too close to my ZM Biogon 35/2 and thought about the ZM 25mm. But would like to here the feedback on the ZM 28 as well.

 

[sherm]

I own the lens and it's on my M8 for at least 50% of the time!! As far as impulse buys go you did great. The ZM line up is terrific I recently purchased the 18/4 and already have the 25/28/50-1.5.

I'm curious about the quality of the 85 Sonnar as I already own the 75 APO CRON that I don't think can be beat at this time...........


Again, Congrats you'll LOVE that lens

 

[sleepyhead]

Initial Impressions - Smaller Than I Figured!

Initial Impressions - Smaller Than I Figured!

Hello all,

my "new" 28mm ZM Biogon arrived in the post a few moments ago!

My initial impressions (obviously haven't shot with it yet) are:

SMALLER/shorter THAN I THOUGHT (yeah!) - in fact, without the hood, it's just about the same protrusion from the camera as the 28mm M-Rokkor, just a bit thicker in diameter. Therefore, significantly shorter than the CV 28mm f/1.9.

LIGHTER THAN I THOUGHT, but the build quality seems good. Focus very smooth and aperture click stops are very nice.

0.5 METER CLOSE FOCUSING, albeit uncoupled will be fun to play with!

Can't wait to go out shooting.

Regards, Yaron

 

[Palaeoboy]

Yaron, I would love to see a side by side shot with the Rokkor if possible.

 

[sleepyhead]

Joel, I'll try to take one in the next day or so - I assume you mean OF the lenses, and not WITH the lenses???

 

[erikhaugsby]

Joel, I'll try to take one in the next day or so - I assume you mean OF the lenses, and not WITH the lenses???

Howbout both?

 

[sleepyhead]

Howbout both?

I'll try my best - it's my intention to do some kind of comparison of the THREE lenses (Zeiss Biogon, M-Rokkor, and CV 28/1.9) in order to decide which to keep and which to sell.

 

[baycrest]

I've also got the 28 Biogon and the 35 Biogon as well. I didn't buy the hoods and I haven't run into any flaring problems yet. You're going to really enjoy the lens, very well built and sharp. Great colours...
🙂
regards
Rob

 

[sepiareverb]

Fantastic Lens. Great detail in the negs & prints, great handling.

 

[sleepyhead]

Thanks for the input everyone. I haven't done any side-by-side comparisons yet, but with my RD-1, the pictures with the biogon have a certain "SNAP" that I haven't seen with my CV 28/1.9.

This needs substantiation with test pictures, and what this is due to needs examination.

 

[sleepyhead]

Tough Choice: decided to sell the Biogon!

Tough Choice: decided to sell the Biogon!

Hello again.

Well, I've shot with the CV 28/1.9 Ultron and the Zeiss 28/2.8 Biogon for about three weeks now (mostly RD-1, a little with Tri-X), and let me apologise right off the bat for not posting actual pictures to back up what I'm about to write - there's just not enough time in my life right now with little kids and work and Life...

I've been trying to decide which 28mm lens to keep - the CV or the Zeiss. I can't keep both because I need the money for other things.

GREAT THINGS ABOUT BOTH LENSES:
Both are sharp, the Biogon has a slight edge.

Both are flare resistant, the Biogon has a slight edge.

The CV is a bit lower contrast than the Biogon; the Biogon images are "punchier" (not by much).

Both lenses have nice ergonomics for me, the Biogon has a slight edge.

Both lenses have a solid and smooth build quality.


ADVANTAGES OF THE BIOGON:
Smaller and a bit lighter than the CV.

Un-coupled focus from 0.7 meter down to 0.5 meter.


ADVANTAGE OF THE CV ULTRON:
Extra stop! Better hand-hold-ability under low-light conditions.



Well, until this Sunday (my daughter's 6-year birthday party), I was leaning towards selling the Ultron. But, at her birthday party, I shot with the RD-1 (43mm equivalent focal length) and both lenses in our cozily (dimly) lit home. The RD-1 was set at 1600 ASA and the extra stop on the Ultron definitely came in handy (the difference between hand-holding at 1/30th and 1/15th with moving kids...).

After the party I looked at the images on my computer, and thought long and hard about MY USAGE OF THE 28MM FOCAL LENGTH.

I realised that I rarely use the 28mm on film cameras (I'm more of a 21-35-50mm kind of guy), but on the RD-1 the CV 28mm and the CV 40mm ARE my ALWAYS USE LENSES.

That realization clinched my decision: KEEP the Ultron, SELL the Biogon. For the RD-1, the extra speed trumps the Biogon's ability to focus closely and it's small size.

Sweet lens though, will be sad to see it go...

...to the RFF Classifieds later today.

 

[sebastel]

thanks for sharing your thoughts.
and i am happy to see the ultron serves you well still.

cheers
sebastian