Zeiss 3D Effect?

Here's a biogon shot
p837875648-4.jpg
 
Trius said:
Who cares how it is achieved as long as a viewer perceives the effect?

It helps to know how to achieve the effect, that way you can make the viewer perceive it!
 
cmogi10 said:
I don't really think that's a fair comparison, they're two completely different lenses.
I love the Biogon, and I've only briefly used the 40 Nokton. I prefer the Biogon but they're two very different lenses.

Hey.. I'm only asking the question based on Rich's comment :)

I got rid of the Nokton because I just couldn't get my head around it on anything other than a CL or R3A/M - and I've owned the lens twice .. I'm not stating it's "bad" but it's just not for me..

Dave
 
The comment wasn't arguing with you don't worry, just the easier one to quote.

:)

I'd rather get a 50 lux the a Nokton, so no nokton for me.
 
3d

3d

Millanos - Hi! Didn't know you were a member here. You're welcome. Liked it so much am thinking of getting it in ZM mount.

As for the effect - it is real. Naturally it's in our heads, otherwise it wouldn't be labeled an 'effect' and Zeiss units would come shipped with funny cardboard glasses.

I was just curious if the ZM units still exhibited it. How it happens is irrelevant, but an interesting debate. The Zeiss '3D Effect' is a much (and long) discussed issue on many forums, especialy the alt forum on FM. Some like it, some don't.

The effect itself is simply the very realistic (as in binocular vision) manner in which some Zeiss lenses separate the main subject from the background of the image. My first experience with it was a quick shot with my 1Ds2 and a CZ 50/1.7MM

Most attribute to the effect on contrast of the T* coatings. Maybe it's German Pixie dust. Who knows. As for Zeiss glass being low-contrast, that would be a first in my experience.

Nice shots folks.
 
Pherdinand said:
...You definitely DO NOT need super special or expensive lenses to achieve it....

True enough. But some from some lenses it just seems to come more often or easier than others. I'd put the 35/2 Biogon in that category----and from only shooting about 6-7 rolls thru it so far...
 
Read MY posts again. I am not talking about "mothra vs. godzilla" 3D, but the ability for most Zeiss glass, with how it treats contrast, to seperate the primary subject from the background - creating a well-known and long-attributed to Zeiss so-called 3D effect with the primary subject. Can it be accomlished with other glass? Yup.

You ask a simple question and the next thing you know you're into page two of a debate. A question, btw, that had zippo to do with whether the well-known effect existed, what caused it, or if Zeiss/Leica/Nikon/CV/Canon etc made the best glass in the known universe.

Personally, my question was answered many posts ago (thanks) .

For those who want carry on the academic debate and endless cycle of post misinterpretations and frustrated clarifications - feel free.
 
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wassup, Conner? you can't bear with a discussion that does not go your way??
Sounds like you are just out of the army, or such.
Take it easy, sir!
 
A Little Clarification

A Little Clarification

There are low contrast lenses with excellent micro contrast. A good Summitar or a Biogon (I own both) have this characteristic. As the image decays through depth of field, a broader tonality of the image is drawn in greater detail than with a high contrast lens. This is the '3D effect'. I guess you could call this 'mid range bokeh'.

As always a 'compared to what' is in order. A 35mm ASPH Summicron is a modern high contrast lens, a Zeiss Biogon is a modern low contrast lens.

I am constantly preaching the praises of Kodak Porta film. NC is very low contrast film in density although its depth is as goods any other major brand color negative film.

No color negative film can approach the density of slide film, hence the battle with noise generated in areas of darker tones when scanning and with the use of high contrast lenses and films. However, if one pairs a lens with excellent micro contrast characteristics (usually a low contrast lens) with a low contrast film there is almost no noise at all. As scanned, the image is very washed out, but corrected in the computer a very dense, noiseless, reasonably saturated image can be made by using compression techniques.

This is a tad bit involved for discussion here. The most important thing to remember is that low contrast lenses with superior micro contrast and lower contrast film gives the greatest amount of information to play with.

The goal is not to give a 3d effect, but with right image that is just a bonus.

Disadvatages? I know of no algorithm for batch recreation of this technique. One has to slug out the process one image at a time.
 
rich815 said:
True enough. But some from some lenses it just seems to come more often or easier than others. I'd put the 35/2 Biogon in that category----and from only shooting about 6-7 rolls thru it so far...

I agree, obviously Leitz lenses (even the "lowly" Elmar-M) also exhibit this characteristic wth ease. Although I have to agree with Pherdinand also that sometimes a "cheap" lens surprises me with the result, for instance the AR mount Konica Hexanon 50/1.4 and the CZJ Biotar 58/2.
 
Conner999 said:
Am in the process of shifting a lot of my shooting from DSLR to a soon-to-be-acquired M8. As result am in process of building a short list of starter lenses.

having had experience with Contax Zeiss (50,60 MP, 28mm) and Zeiss ZF lenses(35/2) on the 5D, etc., I had a question for Zeiss ZM users.

The aforementioned Zeiss lenses are reknowed for producing a 3D effect some attribute to the T* coatings and micro-contrast, some to how Zeiss handles bokeh.

Has anyone seen this in ZM glass?

Secondly, does anyone know where to find a review of the 85/2?

Thanks

Several here don't seem to know what you are talking about, but a '3D effect' is indeed a good way to describe the properties of Zeiss Lenses (from Hasselblad, Contax to Leica M). I use the same description. Although several of the Leica lenses have the same effect. Even Voigtländer offers excellent glas for the M-system. - Which is typical for the M-rangefinder system. Here you can choose between some very good glas. One of the best test sites for M-lenses are: http://www.reidreviews.com/reidreviews/ and.. Erwin Puts is a name you should look for on the Net. His excellent Leica site seems to be down or on the move.

I have two Zeiss lenses for the M-system; ZM 25 mm 2,8 and the ZM 50 mm 2,0. Of these I would strongly reccommend the 25 mm - since it is smart to go for anything wide on the M8 which has a crop factor of 1,33. The ZM 25 mm is the 135-sytem equaliant to the Hasselblad SWC - probably one of the world's best cameras. It draws practically streight lines and with a resolution and micro contrast , and thus this 3D effect, equal to very few lenses on the market. - If any.
 
Dektol Dan,
What you say is true, but also the inverse can be true. I particularly like the combination of the C Sonnar with chromogenic films, as they seem to enhance that lense's characteristics:

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1809723689&size=l
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1019892254&size=l

On the other hand, the SWC/M shots made with Delta 100 exhibit incredible contrast, but still are very 3d in rendering and the same can be said of the Planar 50/2 ZF for example, so although the 3d is in a way enhanced by this soft yet high resolution image, it can be seen to a great extent even in the digital high contrast shots.
 
OT: Some excelent photos from Singapore on your Flickr, Northernlight (wonder if you have ever seen northern light - aurora borealis. Where i live it is common every automn and early winter..) Frank Sinatra lost his heart in San Fransisco. I didn't. I lost mine in Singapore. A pearl of a city.
 
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