anyone buy the new 35/2.8 yet?

I will order one this weekend. Sometime next week I should be able to receive it. I could then do a comparison with the 35/2 Biogon. When I get it, I will ask for tips on how to do a proficient comparison, if somebody else has not yet done it.
 
noimmunity said:
exactly the way the lens is priced in japan.
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Interesting! I wonder why the US/UK is different? I think pricing them so close together will surely hurt profits not help them. The CV pancake 2 is half the price and smaller still and for a few $ more you get a faster biogon. At $700 it would be fairly priced. I have the f2 and would buy it again at the present prices. If buying now and the f2.8 was $650-700 then I would considere the 2.8, assuming and ONLY assuming it matched or exceeded the f2 version at 2.8 (and the f2 is plenty sharp enough at this aperture)

I personally think Zeiss pitched their 21 4.5 and 35 2.8 a wee bit too high in the US and UK. I own a CV 21 f4 partly because of that. $420 vs $970 for the 21 4.5 zeiss. I was just about to get the zeiss from Popflash but when they hopped from $920 to $970 I said screw it.
 
Unfortunately I don,t own the 35mm f2.8 biogon. But I do own the 35mm F2.8 distagon and that one is amazing wide open. So I guess the biogon will be no less.
 
I did use the 35mm f2.8 Biogon in Japan the last week. The sample I had was a pre-production one and there is a slight change in the production version (slightly larger diameter aperture ring as the pre-sample had you shift the focus when you changed the aperture). As we came back yesterday I haven't had a chance to "soup" the films yet, but I will post shots later. Small and quite compact, compared with the 35f2 Biogon - about the same size as the 35mm f1.4 Nokton!
I have been told that it is very sharp and I am looking forward to see that in the negs. The 35mm f2.0 Biogon is no slouch in this department so it is up against heavy competition.
 
I am very happy with my f2 35mm, (and would be very interested on how any future f1.4 shaps up) the f2.8 being 200 euros cheaper makes sense, unlike the current UK price
the pre-sample had you shift the focus when you changed the aperture)
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- please tell me this is not so on the production version- after Zeiss originally declared that thier lens had beeN specifically designed to correct this (apartm from the Sonnar of course).
 
kram said:
I am very happy with my f2 35mm, (and would be very interested on how any future f1.4 shaps up) the f2.8 being 200 euros cheaper makes sense, unlike the current UK price - please tell me this is not so on the production version- after Zeiss originally declared that thier lens had beeN specifically designed to correct this (apartm from the Sonnar of course).
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Sorry, better clarify this. It is not an optical focus shift - its mechanical. The diameter of the aperture ring was slightly less than the focussing ring so when you reset the aperture is is to easy to shift the focussing. As for optical performance, that has to wait until I am through with the film processing!
 
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Sorry, better clarify this. It is not an optical focus shift - its mechanical. The diameter of the aperture ring was slightly less than the focussing ring so when you reset the aperture is is to easy to shift the aperture.
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-Phew, thanks for clarifying that.
 
No datasheet at zeiss.com yet. Probably a good idea with a more compact lens fpor those who don't like the length of the 35/2 Biogon. Should be expected a bit more cheaper.
 
Tom A said:
Sorry, better clarify this. It is not an optical focus shift - its mechanical. The diameter of the aperture ring was slightly less than the focussing ring so when you reset the aperture is is to easy to shift the focussing. As for optical performance, that has to wait until I am through with the film processing!
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just wonder if u did any bokeh test shot in this roll of film that make use of this lens.
 
I have not done a specific "bokeh" test - there are some shots done at f2.8/f4 among the shots and the bokeh looks OK - at least to my eyes. I am not a great fan of bokeh tests as I regard it it as the "fuzzy" stuff that occur when you dont stop down enough.
I am halfway through processing the 400 asa films from Japan. Another 15 or so to go + assorted Neopan SS and Double XX. Will start posting later this week or over the weekend - if the eweather stays as bad as promised.
 
I just finished "tagging" 32 shots with the C Biogon 35mm f2.8 on our Flickr site. Use the tag "Zeiss C Biogon 35mm f2.8" to find them. They were all shot in Japan last week and last monday. Various films (XX, Tmax2-400 and Presto 400) all in Pyrocat HD.
Nice lens, very sharp and medium contrast. Resolution is remarkable actually, even at f2.8. Not as small as a VC 35/2.5 or a Summicron 35f2 IV - but certainly smaller than the 35f2 Biogon. Good choice if you really dont need the extra stop from a f2 or 2 stops from a 1.4.
 
There is not much to set the Biogon 35f2 and f2.8 apart. There is a bit more "snap" to the 2.8 at 2.8-4 and I think that close up performance is slightly better with the 2.8.
Biggest difference is the size. The f2.8 feels positively diminutive compared with the 2.0.
I haven't really done any "resolution" tests with either of them, but to quote the Rolls Royce salesman when the customer asked about "how many horsepowers does it have? and the salesman said "Sufficient". I suspect both lenses will pretty well outperform any film or sensor you throw at it.
Fits great on a M2 - my benchmark for any lens.
 
thanks tom.

my greatest fear about this lens was that it was going to be great, as great as the 2, and that the deciding factor would be size.

i honestly can't use speed as a deciding factor for my normal shooting and i have the cv 1.4 if i want fast.

joe
 
Tom A said:
There is not much to set the Biogon 35f2 and f2.8 apart.
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There was some hope that the 2.8 lens would have a different rendition harkening back to the classic pre-war Biogon, kind of like the other two C lenses in the current ZM line up.

When the lens was first announced I noticed that the explanation of the "C" was for "compact", but later on it mutated into "C for compact and classic". Hmmm...

I just purchased a black one from Matsuiyastore.
 
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