Is the 28mm Biogon the ugly stepchild?

[Honus]

The praise for the 35mm and 25mm Biogon is universal at photo forums on the web. It is hard to find the same warm and fuzzy feelings for the 28mm. The size and field of view of the 28mm would fit my kit quite nicely. I also want to see what the Zeiss zeitgeist is all about.

If anyone wants to convince me to get/avoid the 28mm Biogon - here is your chance. 😀

 

[Roger Hicks]

I think it's the focal length that is the ugly stepchild. It used to be the definitive ultrawide, until 21mm appeared, then it was neither 'wide standard' nor seriously wide.

It's a very nice lens: Zeiss lent me one. But I'd rather have a 25. That's just me. If it suits you -- go for it.

Cheers,

R.

 

[sepiareverb]

Much like the 25 in how it draws, smoother even if possible, but certainly not because of lack of detail. Smaller than the 25 also, a nice size on the M.

 

[visiondr]

If they made an f/2 version, I'd be all over it like white on rice. As it stands at f/2.8 the biogon just looks to me like any other f/2.8 28 mm. To me, pardon my philistinism, they all look the same.

 

[Steve Bellayr]

From what I have read (I do not own one.) it is sharper and less expensive than the Leica 28mm. You did not say which camera it was to go on. If you like the 35mm or already have a 35mm especially the Summicron it might be overlap. For owners of the M6 framelines only go to 28mm therefore less than 28mm you will need an accessory viewfinder which I find defeats the purpose of a Leica. IMOP.

 

[dpetrzelka]

Robert-
The build quality on the Zeiss lenses is impeccable- I feel they are built every bit as well as the current Leica glass I've owned. Zeiss is well-known for its uniformity of imaging/drawing across its line up. If you've been excited about the image quality you've seen from the 35 and 25, you will not be dissappointed by the 28 Biogon.

As for the 28 - I owned one for a while, and loved its performance, great size as well- not so small as some well know 35s, you can easily get your fingers in there to focus, and yet the lesn does not get in the way- I just found that 28 was not the right FOV for my style.

Here is one recent photo:

 

[Trius]

Robert: You should definitely get it, here's why...

If dpetrzelka is correct regarding the lens characteristics (and I have no doubt), then I would love to see what you could do with it. I won't be able to acquire one for awhile, though I think this 28, the Nokton 40 and maybe the Hex 50 might be an almost perfect kit for me.

So please be my test driver with respect to the Zeiss 28. 😀

(And I do agree about the speed ... f2 or 1.7 would be sweet.)

 

[kshapero]

I found the 24/25mm to be a better fit for me. A little more distinction.

 

[dpetrzelka]

I couldn't agree with you more- a 2.0 or faster 28 from Zeiss would be much more usable, especially indoors. However with that wide of FOV, I guess you can get away with slower shutter speeds.

Robert - if you like what you've seen from the others in the Zeiss lineup (save the 1,5/50 Sonnar - as its a unigue character) - I bet you'll be well served by the 28 Biogon.

And if you are using an M4-P/M6 you won't need an external viewfinder.

 

[sepiareverb]

...I think the 25 resolves a wee bit more sharply. That may or may not be to your liking.

This may be that 'smoothness' coming into play. I don't think anyone will go wrong with any of these ZM wides.

The 25 and the 21 are a bit big for me, but I can't quibble with their drawing.

 

[Hephaestus]

If you like the focal lenght then I don't think you'll find anything to complain about. 🙂

 

[Honus]

Lots of good info to chew on here. Thanks to all for your input.

I just picked up a M6 to go with my M2 and R-D1. I'll be travelling to China next month and I wanted something wider than my 35 without having to use an external finder. The 28 would fit nicely on both the R-D1 and M6.

To finance this personal largesse I'm afraid my Plaubel Makina 67 will have to again hit the chopping block.

Earl - I'll do my best to put the lens through it's paces and yes, f2.0 would be sweet.

 

[Trius]

I do believe FrankS needs a third Makina. 😀

 

[sepiareverb]

I'd trade my 28 for a Makina 😀

 

[Rayt]

Nothing wrong with the ZM28 but the ZM25 and ZM35 are the stars of line so if you get both and many do then why bother with the 28?

 

[SDK]

28mm is my favorite focal length in 35mm format, and the Zeiss 28mm/2.8 ZM is one of the best I have used. It is quite high resolution and contrast with very smooth OOF rendition. It is more like the Zeiss 25mm ZM than the 35mm ZM. I did eventually part with it when the Leica 28mm/2.8 ASPH came out. From middle distances to infinity, the 28mm ZM and new Leica are actually really similar, though the Zeiss is smoother in the close range (around 1 meter to minimum distance). I just wanted a smaller, lighter lens, not that the 28mm ZM is big, just that the Leica is so small, so I sold the Zeiss and kept the Leica. See #23, 24, 25 of this old thread for some comparison shots. I find the 28mm to be about as wide as you can usually go without calling attention to the fact that you are using a wideangle.

One big advantage of 28mm with most Leicas is the finder compatibility. The ability to get parallax correction and see a little around the framelines is great for my brain's photo-composition functions, especially with rapidly changing scenes. To get the same with a 24-25mm M mount lens, I would have to buy a Bessa R4A or R4M. The 0.58X Leicas and 0.6X Hexar RF finders do work fairly well if you use the whole view for the 25mm Biogon, but it is just not the same as using a 28mm on a 0.58X or a even 0.72X Leica. Unfortunately, the HexarRF has a poor 28mm frameline due to Konica's placement of the meter LEDs ruing the left side brightline.

 

[Honus]

Steven - Thank you. Very helpful information.

 

[ampguy]

Hi Robert,

I have a few dozen film rolls through my ZM 28 biogon, and maybe a hundred or so through the RD1, mostly of downtown SF. Let me know if you want me to post. I find the lens sharp, high contrast (not like a 30s Leica lens), and flare resistant, never once thought I needed the custom hood for it. The wide angle gives a lot of DOF unless you're wide open with a close subject.

 

[Jamie Pillers]

Why not the CV 28 Ultron? f/1.9, less $$.

 

[Honus]

Ted - thanks for info. The flare resistance of the Biogons is particularly appealing. I like the size without a hood.

Jamie - the CV 28 Ultron is a nice optic. Size matters to me though, and it's a bit larger than I would prefer. I also don't anticipate needing the extra speed with a 28. The price is certainly an improvement.