Zeiss 85mm/1.4 with Olympus EP-2

[raid]

I bought into digital cameras mainly so that I could again use my SLR Zeiss lenses for the unreliable Rollei SL35 system. My favorite lens is the Zeiss 85/1.4. After many years of using it with film and the SL35, the aperture stopped changing, and after sending it to Eddy Smolov and then to DAG, I admitted to myself that the lens cannot be repaired. It was meant to be used wide open then.

I then got an Olympus EP-2 Micro 4/3 camera, and the 85mm lens was nearly always attached to the EP-2. It gives a 170mm crop with the depth of fieldd of a 85/1.4 wide open. The EP-2 allows a 10x magnification for focusing, which is essential with a 85/1.4 used wide open.

In a recent family trip to Canada, I used this lens again. Here are some snapshot exampes that I took. I have many more.

1. Montreal street concert at night

2. Montreal

3. Montreal

4. Montreal

 

[raid]

5. Quebec City Street Musicians

6. Quebec City

7. Quebec City

 

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8. Quebc City

9. Quebec City

10. Quebec City

11. Quebec City

12. Quebec City

 

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13. Quebec City (Lina takes photos)

14. Quebec City

15. Quebec City

16. Dana Sleeping (Toronto)

17. Lina Sleeping (Toronto)

 

[raid]

Any feedback is welcomed.

 

[Bingley]

Wow, Raid! Very nice shots! I particularly like 5, 8, 12, and 15-17. It looks like the aperture priority setting on the E-P2 effectively "repaired" your lens.

 

[raid]

Thank you Steve. It works on A and on P.

The EP-2 brought back the lens to be used. The lowest ISO is 100 which does not work well in bright sunshine at 1.4. The images will be overexposed. I use this set-up for indoors shots and for low light photos.

 

[Don Parsons]

Would like to see the peoples faces. You need to move in front of them.

 

[raid]

Hi Don,
I have many faces photographed, but I posted 6 photos out of 17 which did not show faces. I liked the composition. The 170mm perspective is not suited for facing people close up.

 

[heed]

Beautiful, thank you so much for sharing. Love the microcontrast, especially the cello player in #5 & #14; really brings out the beauty of the wood. Also, you have a beautiful family!

 

[raid]

Beautiful, thank you so much for sharing. Love the microcontrast, especially the cello player in #5 & #14; really brings out the beauty of the wood. Also, you have a beautiful family!

Thank you. Family is most important to me. I will look for another 85 /1.4 Zeiss online. This lens has superb OOF rendering. Maybe someone is selling his old SLR lens. The cello player was facing a 12.15 feet wide alley. I could not get her face easily so I took photos from a distance.

 

[raid]

The QBM mount 85/1.4 for the Rollei SL35 is selling on ebay for $1500 and $1900. I also have the Zeiss 35/1,4 whih I rarely use.

 

[ReeRay]

I have this lens but find it very unwieldy and difficult to use on Micro 4/3 cameras. Further, I read somewhere that it's weight is right on the verge for possible damage to the 4/3rds camera flange. However, it's a fantastic lens on my FF Canon.
You've certainly acheived better results on your Micro 4/3 camera than I could. Well done.

 

[raid]

Thanks. The warning is a good reminder to be careful.
I hold the lens and not the camera when using this lens on the EP2. The cost of a new EP2 does not exceed $250, so it is not a bad risk.

 

[ReeRay]

Zeiss 85mm F1.4 on Canon FF

 

[raid]

The images look great.