haempe
Well-known
This lens is no longer on the zeiss page available.
Does anyone have more info?
Does anyone have more info?
tlitody
Well-known
I hope it's still in production. I just emailed them to check but I doubt I'll get a response untill the middle of next week. I notice that it is not listed on Robert Whites website but I don't know if it ever was.
efix
RF user by conviction
It's neither on the German site, but still on the Cosina site, and not mentioned as discontinued. But Cosina are slow to update their site, so I don't know if that means anything ...
mfunnell
Shaken, so blurred
I thought this was one of the few (perhaps the only) of the ZM lenses not manufactured by Cosina 
.
...Mike
....Mike
tlitody
Well-known
the F4 is so much cheaper that I doubt they ever sold many. I suspect they introduced the F4 because the F2 didn't sell well enough.
sojournerphoto
Veteran
I bought one before the recent UK price hike. Ffordes are still listing it at £2,499
Mike
Mike
mfunnell
Shaken, so blurred
Yikes!
. And I thought my Summilux 75/1.4 was expensive, back in the day. No doubt it's a wonderful lens. But at that price I doubt I'll ever know. I'd love to see some shots, though. (Hint, hint.)...Mike
tlitody
Well-known
Just spoke to a dealer who hadn't heard but looked on the zeiss dealer web page and couldn't find it. Not looking good.
sanmich
Veteran
I'm really puzzled by Zeiss:
The whole ZM line is kind of "Leica quality for reasonable price".
And then, this lens, in a focal length not that popular in RF, priced totally crazy.
I just don't get the logics...
The whole ZM line is kind of "Leica quality for reasonable price".
And then, this lens, in a focal length not that popular in RF, priced totally crazy.
I just don't get the logics...
pphuang
brain drain...
My understanding is that its a more complicated design (with higher tolerances and a floating element), and so needed to be done in Germany rather than outsourced to Cosina. This results in a much higher overhead, and thus much higher prices.
f16sunshine
Moderator
I find it an odd lens as well. Zeiss basically re-issued the Sonnar f1.5/50mm from the Contax era flaws and all. Why not do the same with the Sonnar f2/85mm? I have the original Opton 85mm it's a great lens with a classic look... flaws and all. The ZM sonnar 85 is not even a Sonnar :? I would love ZM version with modern T* coatings Classic Sonnar f2/85. Considering that it is a relatively simple design Zeiss could offer it for a relatively simple price.
f16sunshine
Moderator
From the Contax RF Sonnar f2/85mm 
haempe
Well-known
Andy, this is a really great image...
Krosya
Konicaze
Exactly! I agree 100%. And few images I have seem from the 85/2 ZM lens didnt impress me. While old Sonnars, such as Jupiter or Nikkor 85/2 are superb - Zeiss just should have updated them - would be cheaper for them and for us. Oh well - I got my Nikkor and I'm happy.
jarski
Veteran
Tim Gray
Well-known
That is a great photo.
Yeah the 85/2 and 85/4 both seemed to be odd choices if you ask me. I think a lot of us would have been happy with a reasonably compact 85/2.8 Sonnar. Something like the Contax/Yashica one.
Yeah the 85/2 and 85/4 both seemed to be odd choices if you ask me. I think a lot of us would have been happy with a reasonably compact 85/2.8 Sonnar. Something like the Contax/Yashica one.
f16sunshine
Moderator
I love that CY f2.8/85 as well. It's essentially an Ernostar scheme iirc rather than a true sonnar. Zeiss used the same scheme in the Contax G-series f2.8/90mm. So did Konica in their f2.8/90 in M mount. Here is another from the old Contax rf lens. This one in color and with lotsa bokey at mid distance. 
goo0h
Well-known
Yeah, why didn't they do a f2.8/85???? The f2.0 is way more expensive than I could ever justify, and seems mighty big and heavy from the images of it. The f4 seems way too slow. Even an f3.5 would be better, I think. But if they could do an f2.8/85, seems like that would hit the sweet spot and would probably sell much better anyway.....
sebastel
coarse art umbrascriptor
i had the pleasure to use it for a few minutes, and i can assure to you - it is neither.
unfortunately i use this focal length about once in three years, and its price is trully outrageous. but for the mere feeling in my hands, i'd like to get one ... (not really. sorry Mr. Zeiss!)
regards,
sebastian
Roger Hicks
Veteran
The logic of making these two in Germany is that both the 2,8/15 and 2/85 were intended to be 'landmark' lenses, the finest that could be made, regardless of cost. I was told this to my face at Oberkochen.
The drawbacks (my reading, not the Zeiss Party Line) are that (a) both are so staggeringly expensive that few people will ever find out and (b) the specifications are of limited interest to most people: few need a 15mm that fast, and there are quite a lot of fast 85mm and 90mm lenses on the market.
One might also add (c) that so many people are obsessed with 'character' that there wasn't as big a market as they expected for a technically superb 85mm, though I suspect that a lot of 'character' lovers are rationalizing and don't buy 'better' lenses because they are too expensive or too big and heavy: certainly, both factors weigh more against my buying the current 35 Summilux than the 'character' of my pre-aspheric lens.
It was originally intended that occasionally, other 'landmarks' would appear from time to time, but I am not sure that this will now happen, given the current economic climate.
Cheers,
R.
The drawbacks (my reading, not the Zeiss Party Line) are that (a) both are so staggeringly expensive that few people will ever find out and (b) the specifications are of limited interest to most people: few need a 15mm that fast, and there are quite a lot of fast 85mm and 90mm lenses on the market.
One might also add (c) that so many people are obsessed with 'character' that there wasn't as big a market as they expected for a technically superb 85mm, though I suspect that a lot of 'character' lovers are rationalizing and don't buy 'better' lenses because they are too expensive or too big and heavy: certainly, both factors weigh more against my buying the current 35 Summilux than the 'character' of my pre-aspheric lens.
It was originally intended that occasionally, other 'landmarks' would appear from time to time, but I am not sure that this will now happen, given the current economic climate.
Cheers,
R.