The great Zeiss sell-off

[astrobuoy]

I put this as a comment under someone's sale in the Classifieds, but maybe it actually belongs here. Why is everyone getting rid of their Zeiss 50mm f2 Planars and 28mm Biogons? There are currently no fewer than three listings for 28/2.8 ZM Biogons and three listings for 50/2 ZM Planars in the Classifieds right now. It feels like a stock that everyone's suddenly rushing to offload.

What's going on? What do you guys know that I don't (well, plenty, I'm sure, but specifically about these two lenses)?

Or is it just a very weird coincidence?

Or does it have to do with the new Voigtlander 50/1.5 ASPH Mk II and an anticipated Vintage Line 28mm 2.8?

 

[Beemermark]

$3 classifieds?

 

[splitimageview]

I wouldn’t chalk it up to anything in particular, as every user has different priorities.

Classifieds here seem to go for long dry spells followed by a small flood. 🙂 $3 ads helps too.

 

[f.hayek]

I put this as a comment under someone's sale in the Classifieds, but maybe it actually belongs here. Why is everyone getting rid of their Zeiss 50mm f2 Planars and 28mm Biogons? There are currently no fewer than three listings for 28/2.8 ZM Biogons and three listings for 50/2 ZM Planars in the Classifieds right now. It feels like a stock that everyone's suddenly rushing to offload.

What's going on? What do you guys know that I don't (well, plenty, I'm sure, but specifically about these two lenses)?

Or is it just a very weird coincidence?

Or does it have to do with the new Voigtlander 50/1.5 ASPH Mk II and an anticipated Vintage Line 28mm 2.8?

With the exception of the 1,4/35, the whole Zeiss line was designed in the film era (late 1990s-early 2000s). Acute ray angles have rendered some of the wide lenses unusable on digital.

The Leica 28 Elmarit was adjusted for digital in 2016 (without a change in optical formula) whilst the Zeiss was not. As you mention, Cosina's digital lens lineup is superb and may be the death knell of the ZM line.

I wonder if all we are seeing at retailers is new-old stock with most of the ZM line.
The 1,4 & 2,8/35's and 1,5/50 Sonnar, excepted.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

With the exception of the 1,4/35, the whole Zeiss line was designed in the film era (late 1990s-early 2000s). Acute ray angles have rendered some of the wide lenses unusable on digital.

The Leica 28 Elmarit was adjusted for digital in 2016 (without a change in optical formula) whilst the Zeiss was not. As you mention, Cosina's digital lens lineup is superb and may be the death knell of the ZM line.

I wonder if all we are seeing at retailers is new-old stock with most of the ZM line.
The 1,4 & 2,8/35's and 1,5/50 Sonnar, excepted.

ZM 28 2.8, 35 2.8, 50/2 are totally awesome lenses on digital.
My ZM 50/2 was no focus shifts lens on digital, while non APO Crons were focus shifting.
50/1.5 ZM is focus shifting more than J-3, it seems, on digital.

Leitz Elmarit-M 28 2.8 III was very good lens on my M-E 220. Zero flaws optically on digital. I only sold it because it is Canadian Percheron in size.

 

[f.hayek]

ZM 28 2.8, 35 2.8, 50/2 are totally awesome lenses on digital.
My ZM 50/2 was no focus shifts lens on digital, while non APO Crons were focus shifting.
50/1.5 ZM is focus shifting more than J-3, it seems, on digital.

Completely agree. They are fantastic; my only 35 is the Biogon C. The 35 Summicron ASPH shifted and blew too many images for me.
The 2/50 is competent if not exciting but it did not shift like my 50 Summicron.
Never used the 28 but when I was looking at a slower 28, it was larger & heavier than the Elmarit.

 

[astrosecret]

no sure... back when i was printing and developing at home i tested the 50mm planar and the current summicron 50 and there was little if any difference, the zeiss maybe a bit sharper. needless to say sold the summicron... then the zeiss. i only have a hexar af now

 

[f.hayek]

Thought I read somewhere the Hexar was a rough copy of a Summicron

 

[hap]

Fooled by randomness

 

[f.hayek]

Fooled by randomness

Then illuminate us, haphazard.

 

[hap]

Then illuminate us, haphazard.

randomness has a quality of producing things (event clusters, strings, "hot hands") that we perceive as "patterns"...and then the explanation inclination goes into high gear. It's fun to speculate about reasons for things and to find correlations.....and even wade into the muck of cause and effect.

I'm not saying you or anybody that comes up with a reason is wrong. If you want a more academic like answer then read Fooled by Randomness.

It is interesting that a bunch of Zeiss lenses are up for sale. But not to make that much out of it. And if you are in the market, then maybe you can make a good deal.

 

[astrobuoy]

I think you’re probably right and it is randomness (and the $3 classifieds), but it’s just interesting to me in this particular case that three different sellers are all selling both the 50/2 Planar and 28/2.8 Biogon ZM lenses within the same week of each other. I used to own the Planar and Biogon at different times, and though I ultimately sold them it wasn’t because they had any kind of fault, they just weren’t for me. That may the case here too, but just curious if there might be some other pattern or trend at play. On a few other sites (Fred Miranda and some Facebook camera buy/sell groups) I’ve especially noticed a preponderance of 50/2 Planars for sale these days especially. Curious.

 

[Beemermark]

To me the main issue with Zeiss is the size. Saying that I have the M mount 50/1.5 and I really, really like it (and I have a lot of 50's). But then there is the back focus issue. People looking for a cheaper alternative to Leica lenses have a plethora of lenses to choose from, Voightander and even cheaper, China which look to be very good.

It's a tough market.

 

[madNbad]

It's the 43 mm filter size. I had a nice set of 39 mm filters and then decided to buy a 35 2.8 Biogon. After investing in several odd sized filters that didn't fit any other lens, it was part of a trade for a 28 2.8 Elmarit.

 

[Archiver]

Perhaps for similar reasons why like-plotted movies are made around the same time. Like Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down. Maybe it's something in the air!

I'm wondering if there are lenses that essentially replace the Planar 50 and Biogon 28? Voigtlander hasn't made a 28mm for a while, the Nokton 50 has been discontinued, and the 50/1.2 is a lot bigger than the Planar.

 

[Rayt]

I tend not to sell my Leica and CV lenses but if I needed cash then the ZM lenses were the first to go. I had nearly all of them and now only an S mount Sonnar. Wonder why? Where’s my Magic 8 Ball?

 

[fdarnell]

Maybe it's that things are slow. No second Trump check yet (if ever?), unemployment benefits reduced. We still have to wear the masks. Zeiss lens has a lot of value. I'm not selling a 28 but my 35mm C-Biogon. It's the sharpest lens I've owned and it's beautiful on the M9, but alas the M9 had a stuck pixel and hence pixel row. It's ok on the Sony A7II's at f/8 and on the Nikon Z6 it seemed even better. But in the end, film lenses for film, digital lens for digital.

I'm sticking with my G1 and 35mm f/2.

 

[Hern]

Perhaps for similar reasons why like-plotted movies are made around the same time. Like Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down. Maybe it's something in the air!

I'm wondering if there are lenses that essentially replace the Planar 50 and Biogon 28? Voigtlander hasn't made a 28mm for a while, the Nokton 50 has been discontinued, and the 50/1.2 is a lot bigger than the Planar.

The new Nokton 50 1.5 II is coming soon, and the 28 2.0 Ultron has been in production for quite a while now. I don't think that Zeiss really has to compete with Voigtlander though, very different renderings.

 

[PhotoGog]

Personally, I am waiting for the possibility of Voigtlander releasing a non-Vintage line 35/2. That lens in a well designed all black barrel without that focusing stick would really appeal to me and others I suspect!

 

[David Hughes]

Then illuminate us, haphazard.

What we used to say and might still do; two swallows don't make it summer*.


Statistically speaking you need a large sample size to be certain. A sample of about 200 will give reasonable accuracy but not as much as 2000.


Regards, David





*They migrate from Africa and start arriving in the UK by April...