Used Elmarit 28/2.8 Vs New Zeiss ZM 28/2.8

[Huck Finn]

Yes, Beniliam, it is very frustrating that Konica didn't do a better job marketing. I lost confidence because I felt that it reflected a lack of commitment to the product. What they really needed to do was to come out with a Hexar RF II, which had a more stable rangefinder & which made it absolutely clear that there were no back focus issues with Leica lenses. There were rumors that they were going to do exactly that, but the buy-out of Minolta seemed to occupy to much of their time & RF photography didn't seem to be as much of a priority as getting Minolta cameras & equipment to be more competitive. A friend who works at Konica-USA told me that there was also a clash of corporate cultures in the merger & I think that this slowed everything down.

Huck

 

[Huck Finn]

Hmmmm.... I should have paid more attention. I handled all of the Zeiss lenses at Photokina and shot about a week with the 50. The 21 Zeiss is definitely longer than the Elmarit, and the 50 seems larger than the Summicron, and in fact about the same size as the 50/1.4 ASPH. The others didn't make that much of an impression on me, although I did think that the 35 was quite large at Photokina. I had my 35/1.4 ASPH with me, and put the 35 Zeiss lens on the camera and shot some with it. It seemed quite large for an f/2.


At Photokina the 15 and 85 were locked under glass, but those two were _huge_.

In any case, thanks for pointing the measurement system out to me.

Henning

Henning, I think you have a point. It's my impression that some of the Zeiss lenses are a little wider than their Leica counterparts, but I can't find any information pulished on lens diameters, although filter size seems to support this. So, even where the lens length is the same or close, I think that one may be left with the impression that the Zeiss is a bigger lens.

Cheers,
Huck

 

[tajart]

wow, i'm a pretty dedicated 35 focal length shooter but have always loved the 28. when i first saw the cv 28/3.5 in use at the zen cafe, i thought, wow, this is compact and sweet. resulting photos were amazing too. i finally picked one up a few months ago, and yes, it is indeed sweet. but about a month later i had the opportunity to acquire a 3rd gen 28 elmarit, and it seems to be just a little bit better. yes, its faster, and yes too, its bigger. but geez it is nice. i'm lucky to have them both and can use them in different situations as my mood or need dictates.

 

[tajart]

and continuing, if you want compact i'd definitely say go with the cv 28/3.5; i haven't used the 28/1.9 but have heard good things about it.
if you need speed and don't mind a bigger lens and have extra cash, the elmarit is great. i think we've all seen really good pictures from this lens.

 

[Huck Finn]

I too love the 28/3.5 because it is so compact. I use 28 for outdoor shooting so speed is not an issue, I use 35 indoors & want a couple of extra stops there.

 

[flamingo]

When did they start making the 28 2.8 Elmarit in Canada ?
Are all Canadian made 28 2.8 Elmarits either 3rd or 4th generation ?
Any difference in quality between a Canadian made one and a German made specimen ?

Thanks

 

[awilder]

The first was made in Wetzlar, the second & third made in Canada and the fourth(current) version is made in Solms.