Your experience with ZM lenses

[Olsen]

I would argue that Carl Zeiss/Cosina have had a great sales success with their ZM line. They are the winners of the M8 launch. Probably more so than Leica.

Carl Zeiss is one of the leading lens designers. It is not that. It is the mechanical quality of these lenses, and the users experiences with them I would like to know more about.

What is your experience?

 

[Uncle Bill]

I have tried a 35 f2 Biogon on my M3 a few years back and was blown away at how nice the negs turned out.

 

[noimmunity]

I have had eight different Cosina-made ZM lenses, almost all of them in silver. They had, at the time I used them, quality equal to the M-Hexanons I've seen, better than CV lenses, and equal to Leica. I haven't used them long enough to comment on their long-term reliability. I have never experienced any of the "wobblies" reported by others.

 

[Roger Hicks]

My only complaint is that they should mimic the Leica lenses a little more closely with the framelines they bring up as well as possibly being pre-coded from the factory. Zeiss is already making progress in this area as newer lenses have a machined-in groove for coding and bring up proper framelines now at least.

Patents.

R.

 

[mfogiel]

I am using a whole bunch of ZM and ZF lenses, and they are generally top quality mechanically speaking. I have not encountered any problems except for a certain "rattling feeling" on one of my C Sonnars, but I have tightened the back screw somewhat myself, and this has been minimized. I can see a certain superiority of finish in the current Leica Elmarit 28 for example, but on the other hand this lens only has a half stop clicks, and I prefer the 1/3rd of the stop clicks from Zeiss. If I was asked what to change in these lens chassis, so to speak, I would say certainly to adopt a black hood mounting bayonet, as the silver one can cause unnecessary reflections, and to absolutely change the lens caps, as it is the only blunder of this lens line.

 

[scottwallick]

I have four ZM lenses (2,8/35, 2,8/35, 2/50, 4/85), and I love them all. They handle great, focus smoothly, click when I turn the aperture ring, and I have only been disappointed that they don't make coffee for me in the morning.

 

[Olsen]

I have a ZM Biogon 25 mm 2,8 which i bought together with my Zeiss Ikon right after the camera and the lenses were launched. It has worked flawlessly. This Biogon design is some of the best wide angle lenses ever made. It draws streight lines and produces both high resolution and high contrast. The lens shade and lens cap is better than on my Leica Summicron 35 mm 2,0. The drawback with this ZM 25 mm 2,8 is that it does not work well with the M8. Even if coded (mine is not) it 'confuses' the M8 with it's cam profile. Has this been changed at later ZM 25 mm 2,8 models..?

Then I bought a 2.hand ZM Planar 50 mm 2,0. After having it for half a year, - it was then two years old, I found that the inner barrel had a slack of half a millimetre or so. It is obvious that such 'slack' is no good for the optical quality. Although, I have not done any tests that really confirms this. I guess that such a slack will first be visible at close range when the barrel is in a far-out position. Also here; the sun shade and lens cap design works equal to or better than with my comparable Leica lenses (well, I have only one Leica 50 mm; the Noctilux).

I had a Canon 24-70 mm 2,8L zoom with the same sort of slack after I lost my 1Ds II out of my car (The shutter went off and that crashing sound of the mirror 'eating' the viewfinder glass was heartbreaking, - but it went well). The Canon service senter here in Oslo changed a plastic ring insde the lens and now it works OK. Still, I am not that impressed by the quality of many Canon lenses, - but they are cheap!

 

[scorpius73]

I have the 35mm f2 Biogon which has developed the dreaded wobble. I have Konica and CV glass as well. They have no problems. So, I'm calling the Zeiss lens mechanically average. But, boy is it sharp! I love the way my color and B&W images look with this lens.

 

[nksyoon]

I have the 25/2.8 (modified with the right mount) and am very happy with it. Mine is coded as an Elmarit 24/2.8. I've read that current production lenses bring up the right framelines on the the M8.

 

[ferider]

The 35/2 and 50/2 do show up quite frequently on the used market with a wobble. Much like the CV 50/1.5 and 35/1.7.

I used the 50 Sonnar for a while, and it did feel looser after some time than originally. OK I guess. But not better than CV M mount lenses, and similar to modern Leica lenses. Leica lenses from the 70s (Summicrons v3) and earlier have better built, IMO.

Roland.

 

[snausages]

my very new 50 planar's focus ring is wobbly/loose - not sure if it affects focus but it's distracting. makes me appreciate my rock solid 35 year old lux. is there an easy way to fix this? is it a matter of tightening some screws or is it more complicated? i'm wondering if nippon photo can fix it up relatively easily?

 

[x-ray]

I have three ZM lenses and had absolutely no problems. I unfortunately can't say the same about my current Leica lenses. My current Leica lenses have had a number of serious mechanical problems.

 

[thomasw_]

At one time or other I have owned the ZM 50/1.5, 50/2, 35/2, 28/2.8, 25/2.8.

I use black models only as I found it much easier to read the white numbers on the black barrel. Also, I prefer the stealthiness and lower mass of black lenses...

I found no problems optically or mechanically with any of my ZM lenses.

My Sonnar C ZM 50/1,5 is very robust, and I find it to be the equal in terms of build quality as my Leica lenses. I agree with Marek about the very Lame lens caps of the ZM line and the Hood mounts; they should be flat black. But I have another peeve about the ZM line: most of the hoods (except the zm25/21 rectangular hood). They could've all been rectangular but most of them are circular and vented. I find circular hoods less effective than the rectangular ones. Zeiss could've given us a choice.

 

[kbg32]

I have 3 ZM lenses as well - 18/4, 21/4.5, and 25/2.8. All excellent mechanicalvquality, superb image quality.

 

[Harry Lime]

I have the Zeiss ZF 1.4/50 Planar for Nikon F mount.

Very well made.

Not quite up to Leica standards, but way above average. Really very nice.

Also keep in mind that the hood and lens cap for the 50 Summilux-R probably costs as much as the ZF 50...

 

[benmacphoto]

I shoot with the 28mm f2.8 Biogon, and it is a great lens. Very happy with how the lens performs.

 

[back alley]

Well, in one case they do - with the 2,8/25 Biogon ZM you can opt for the rectangular hood (which also works with the 21mm) or the round one (which also works with the 28mm). I chose the rectangular, though if I had to do it again I'd probably go with the round. 😛

why go with the round? just curious.

i had not thought about using the rectangular one on the 28 before, does it work ok?

 

[sojournerphoto]

I have 25/2.8 and 35/2 Biogons, a 50/1.5 C Sonnar and 35/2 Distagon ZF. All are excellent optically and feel perfectly robust mechanically. No complaints - all are black apart from the C-Sonnar and 2 were secondhand.

AS good as a Leica, don't know. Happy, yes.

Mike

 

[back alley]

i am amazed at how so many people can continually ignore the reports of poorly assembled leica lenses.
what are you guys comparing the zm lenses to anyway?

 

[Bruin]

My 25/2.8 has an extremely tiny amount of wobble in the focus ring - I can feel it but can't see it. Focus doesn't quite feel identical while turning in each direction, and the dampening varies slightly sometimes. My M-Hex 50/2 is rock solid and flawless in comparison. I actually prefer 1/2-stop detents over the Zeiss 1/3 stop.

I agree that Zeiss should blacken the filter threads and redesign the lens caps, but otherwise I have no real complaints.