think there's any chance of a high speed zeiss 35mm soon?

[papasnap]

Hello all!

I'd like to get another fast 35mm m-mount lens, to complement my nokton 35mm f1.2 (my main lens). Is there any reason to think Zeiss will offer one in the near future? Any plausible rumours etc?

My wishful thinking dream lens would be an ultra speed Zeiss 35mm f1.0 - even if it was a slightly "eccentric" performer. But more realistically I'd also be very interested in a high performing 35mm f1.4, sized somewhere between the 35mm biogon and the voigtlander 35mm f1.2.

(The leica 35mm summilux asph is an obvious candidate, and ticks pretty much all the right boxes, but is too costly to justify at the moment (I'd more likely wind up simply buying a second nokton f1.2, which also has a half stop edge). The older non-asph summilux is better priced, but the one metre closest focusing distance is a deal breaker for me - and I generally prefer the more modern high contrast/high sharpness lenses.)

Taken on 35mm f1.2 nokton / Provia 400X + 2 stops:

 

[Roger Hicks]

Why would there be? It would only take away sales from the 35/1.2. I don't think a 35/1 is feasible -- I'm not sure -- but if it were, it would be vast and cost more than anything else on the market: Zeiss-built Zeiss lenses are not cheap, and I don't think Cosina would make it.

Also, how does a second ultra-fast 35 'complement' your 35/1.2? I decided not to buy a 35/1.2 because I already have a 35/1.4 pre-aspheric: arguably not as good a lens, and half a stop slower, but a lot smaller. I can employ my time better in taking pictures than I can in deciding which of two 35mm lenses to use -- though I could understand buying a smaller 35mm for when you don't want the bulk of the Nokton, just as a Sonnar 'complements' a Noctilux.

Cheers,

R.

 

[papasnap]

Why would there be? It would only take away sales from the 35/1.2.

Yeah, which does make it unlikely. I'd still love one that would play "ikon" to the voightlanders "bessa", if you know what I mean. But it's a good point that if they were to release such an exotic lens as an f1.0/35mm it would be one of the "made in germany" ones, probably priced out of my reach.

Also, how does a second ultra-fast 35 'complement' your 35/1.2?

Hahah oh I'd find a way 🙂 It'd really depend on the kind of lens - a smaller fast f1.4, that becomes my daily shooter (with the nokton for v low light); or with a bigger f1.0 keep the nokton as daily shooter and switch to the big one at night. Or use both at the same time, one on my Zeiss Ikon, the other on my M7.

Until a couple of months ago I used leica 35mm summicron asph for day/evening and the f1.2 nokton for night, but then I accidentally left the summicron in a taxi late one night (and tragically, it was attached to an M6 TTL 0.58x at the time :bang🙂.

 

[papasnap]

I would LOVE a fast ZM. I don't know, though... Zeiss doesn't normally "do" fast.

Yeah, I know what you mean. The zeiss "C" lenses are philisophically pretty much the exact opposite!

 

[Tom A]

Cost and size of a Zeiss ZM f1.0 35mm would be staggering. The problem in making something like that is the exit pupil in the back. It's maximum size is limited to what can fit inside a M-bayonet and to do a f1.0 35m, the front element would probably be 72-77 mm diameter!!
When the 35f1.2 was "concieved" I asked about the possibility of a f1.0 and was told that though possible (use of very rare, very fragile and expensive glass - it could be done, but performance would be a bit ho-hum even then).
There is a reason why the 35f1.2 is the only one of its kind. It is a very sophisticated design and brilliantly executed. Dont you think that if Leica/Zeiss could have done it - they would!
Just get one of those Dymo label machines and have it spell Zeiss Planar 35mm f1.0 and stick it on the front - nobody would be any wiser and you saved yourself several $1000's.

 

[35mmdelux]

My 35mm Summilux ASPH complements my Noctilux well. However, ZEISS would do well be cranking out some high speed wides.

 

[papasnap]

Just get one of those Dymo label machines and have it spell Zeiss Planar 35mm f1.0 and stick it on the front - nobody would be any wiser and you saved yourself several $1000's.

hahahah yes point(s) taken - for all those good reasons I won't be expecting one soon. I suppose you'd only be able to see about 1/4 of the frame out of the viewfinder anyway! 🙂

And being "stuck" with the nokton f1.2 is really no hardship. It's an astounding lens at any price, the fact that it's just ~US$800 is a real wonder!

Alas my big nokton is broken at the moment - got a nasty knock while climbing up onto a roof to take amongst others, this pic below. The front third of the barrel (and so front elements) become wobbly, then the aperture ring came disengaged. Totally messed the focus on a lot of the shots I took that day, which is a shame! Unless I held the barrel precisely in place they're way out. I don't think it's any reflection on the build quality - it had a knock that would mess up any lens I think (and I think a seperate, recent repair job I had on it might not have been done quite right) - but shows the importance of having backups!

 

[slungu]

I can not really explain why Zeiss has no fast lenses for the ZM line. For Contax they had a very good 35/1.4, a good 50/1.4 and 85/1.4 and those special editions of the 55 and 85 lenses with 1.2 aperture. And they used to do staggering wide lenses both for Contax RTS and G1/G2 - think only of the respective 21mm lenses. Hope they will go on with the development of this line.

 

[snausages]

Cost and size of a Zeiss ZM f1.0 35mm would be staggering. The problem in making something like that is the exit pupil in the back. It's maximum size is limited to what can fit inside a M-bayonet and to do a f1.0 35m, the front element would probably be 72-77 mm diameter!!
When the 35f1.2 was "concieved" I asked about the possibility of a f1.0 and was told that though possible (use of very rare, very fragile and expensive glass - it could be done, but performance would be a bit ho-hum even then).
There is a reason why the 35f1.2 is the only one of its kind. It is a very sophisticated design and brilliantly executed. Dont you think that if Leica/Zeiss could have done it - they would!
Just get one of those Dymo label machines and have it spell Zeiss Planar 35mm f1.0 and stick it on the front - nobody would be any wiser and you saved yourself several $1000's.

Thanks for this info Tom - I love hearing explanations of this stuff.

Really seems like the Nokton 1.2 is a marvel, especially given the price relative to Luxes.

 

[italy74]

Ciao Papasnap
I don't know or figure anything but please be aware that I liked a lot both your images for composition, colors and global effect and want to use a typical italian word used worldwide for such cases: BRAVO !

 

[jmarcus]

I have been waiting a long time for a Zeiss 35mm f/1.4

 

[ZeissFan]

And I think you/we will be waiting for an even longer time.

But you never know ... still, I think a Carl Zeiss design might be prohibitively expensive.

 

[kram]

I hope so. A 35mm f1.4 seems to be the lens which quite a few people would like in the ZM range. With VC bring out a 50mm f1.1, if Zeiss produced a fast 50mm , my money would be on a f1.2 50mm (they would leave the 'super' fast stuff to VC e.g. 35mm f1.2 and 50mm f1.1).
With Leica going the whole hog with their f1.4 wides, Zeiss could go for a 28mm f1.4 or f2 and a f2 25mm.
I wonder how the 35mm f2.8 an 85mm f4 are selling compared to other lens in their range?

 

[presspass]

I would like to see Zeiss, Cosina, or even, if I could afford it, Leica, do a 28mm f1.4. That would be useable with all internal frames except the .85 Leicas and the R3 Bessa. We've been offered 1.4 lenses in 35, 34, and 21. Why not 28?

 

[noimmunity]

It seems to me just a matter of time before Leica does it.
There was also a rumor recently that CV was working on the design for a fast (f/2?) wide in the 25 range.

 

[koji]

Isn't Irwin Puts article about M9 review mentioning upcoming (hopefully) 1.4/35 ZM lens?
It is newly redesigned and has a floating element, I am not sure why he is actually
talking about thou.

 

[reuno]

That would be a huuuuuuuge lens seeing how "fat" the actual biogon looks mounted on a M.

 

[noimmunity]

has a floating element

😱 Yikes! another astronomically-priced made in Germany lens...

 

[papasnap]

I was thinking a bit more on this last night, and leaving aside the practicality of it, the thought occurred that it would be great if Zeiss would make a 35mm equivalent to their 50mm f1.5 C-Sonnar - something with a lot of character. No doubt it's not likely, but it would be very nice!


italy74, thanks! here's another example of the 35mm f1.2 hard at work, taken in bangkok thailand last year:





koji, I didn't spot a mention of a ZM in the review? I only skimmed it though.. will go back and check again.

 

[myM8yogi]

I would dearly love a Zeiss Biogon 21mm f/2.
Would be fantastic on full frame or 1.3 crop or 1.6 crop.
Currently there is a massive jump in price between the wide luxes and te 2.8 or slower varieties. Given that a 21/2 would be priced significantly less than the 21 lux it would sell in HUGE numbers.
Please Zeiss.... please................