Zm 18/4

I am not looking for a superwide lens, as I just don't *need* any lens wider than 25mm; but if I was, then this ZM 18/4 would be the one for me. Perhaps in time I will look at getting a used specimen if the results with it are as pleasing as zeiss claims.
 
Give Popflash a call or send them an email. I am sure they can tell you. But beyond professional lens coding, there are likely other ways. Recently I noticed a thread by a guy who was making -- and going to market -- a type of measured instrument for coding lenses. IIRC it was made out of plastic.
 
Timing is everything! My 18f4 arrived this afternoon and considering that our flight leaves tomorrow at 7 am, this simplified my lens selection for the LHSA meetiung in Rochester this coming week end. 18/25/35/50 and a R4M/M2 & MP.
First impressions is that it is a nicely balanced lens. It somehow feels smaller than the one I tried at PIE in Tokyo in March. Still a 58mm filterthread though - a bit of a "coke-bottle" neck to it too.
I also got the finder with it. I dont know how Mr Kobayashi does this! The Zeiss finders defy all law of physics by being brighter than the "real" life. It looks like they suck in light and amplify it somehow. The hood is a typical "tulip" style hood with ears around the glass. The spring loaded Zeiss cap has already gone flying a couple of times.
I did a quick shoot with the lens in grey. dismal weather down on the beach. If the film is dry enough tonight I will try to scan some images on to the Flickr site under the "Zeiss Distagon 18mm f4.0" tag.
 
The price is really $1055 + $347 = $1402, unless you want to guess an 18mm fov - impossible, actually ridiculous for me anyway. I would love one, but will wait quite a while at that price. Had a 17mm Canon FD, which was quite entertaining. I also figure the 18 will go well as an 18/25/35 wide angle combo. 20 or 21 would be too close to the 25; different, but close. I once had a 20/28 combo (Nikon SLR then) & found them a little too close after a while.
The 15 mm Heliar is exceptional consolation, fortunately.
 
Tom A said:
.......My 18f4 arrived this afternoon........I did a quick shoot with the lens in grey. dismal weather down on the beach. If the film is dry enough tonight I will try to scan some images on to the Flickr site under the "Zeiss Distagon 18mm f4.0" tag.
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Looking forward to this upload, Tom! Congratulations on the acquisition.
 
Just put 11 shots on my Flickr site - taken with the 18f4 in a wild rush on the beach. Total time shooting, maybe 11-12 minutes - just slightly longer than it took to develop the film!
The Lucky 400 ASA film is not a fine grain film by any means, but it was miserable and rainy, so most everything was shot at 1/60 and f5.6 with the Zeiss ZM body on AE.
The lens is impressive insofar that I have never seen a utlra wide angle with so little fall off! It is very even across the board, just like all of the ZM lenses that I have. It is a bit of an optical "miracle" to be able to make a series of lenses that are so consistent across from 18 to 50mm ( i dont have the 15f2.8 and the 85f2 and I am not that interested in them either. Too big and too heavy - and way too much money).
Well one roll does not constitute a proper test. I hope to be bale to find some sun and bright spots in either Toronto or Rochester for the next 6 days.
You can use the 18 on the R4M/A and by using the whole frame, you can approximate the 18mm frame. However, you really have no idea what is going on in the lower right hand corner as the lens, with the hood, blocks a good 20-25% of the view. You quickly develop a "check sweep" when you shoot with the Bessa R4's to find out what is lurking there.
 
I talked to Tony Rose at Popflash and it seems that Zeiss USA will put a bayonet mount on the 16f4 that can take the coding. The ring on the first 18/4's did key in the 50mm frame, but the replacement ring will do the 28 frame. It is a free service by Zeiss USA (good for them!). You will have to code it yourself with a marker or get Tim Isaacs M-coder.
I dont have a M8 so I dont really know how importatnt this is. The lens is quite remarkable as to lack of edge fall off. Very even image across the whole negative. I did post some more stuff on the Flickr site. Use the tag " Zeiss Distagon 18mm f4.0" and you get them all.
 
Hi Tom,

Thanks for posting this info and the pics from the 18mm f4.

A couple of questions:

1. When you say lack of edge fall-off...are you refering to light fall-off or resolution fall-off?

2. Although different focal lengths...how would you compare this lens vs. the CV 15mm f4.5 in terms of center and edge resolution. I relaize light fall-off will be greater with the VC..it's resolution and contrast I'm interested between the two.

3. LAstly this is good news regarding change of the mount by Zeiss USA. I hope it's a change on their part sicne up until now, it's beeen difficult to get them to change the mount on their 25mm f2.8 Zm lens or to even get an extra mount and do it yourself. Zeiss in Germany is more than willing to do this.

Look forward to your responses.

Dave
 
Tom A said:
I talked to Tony Rose at Popflash and it seems that Zeiss USA will put a bayonet mount on the 16f4 that can take the coding. The ring on the first 18/4s did key in the 50mm frame, but the replacement ring will do the 28 frame. It is a free service by Zeiss USA (good for them!). You will have to code it yourself with a marker or get Tim Isaacs M-coder...
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This is good news...

I had the same conversation with Tony this morning. FWIW, the 18mm/f4 brings up the 24/35 frame lines (not the 50). The 28mm frame lines are required for the WATE.

The mount (and proper frame lines) work in harmony with the lens coding. The correct frame lines are important (matching the coding) or the lens identification will not work properly, confusing the camera's firmware.

The way the RF mount brings up the frame lines is there is an extension on the lens mount - the 28/90 frame lines have the longest, then the 50/75, then the 35/24 (or 135). If it were the other way around the mount could be shaved.

Zeiss will replace the 35/24 mount with the 28/90 mount for no charge. The mount could then be coded for a WATE.

By way of example, if you own a 40mm f/1.4 Nokton (which brings up the 50/75 frame lines) and have it coded for a 35mm f/1.4, unless you also modify the mount the lens will not be read properly by the camera.
 
Dave, in this case it is the light fall off. Very little and considerably less than the 15f4.5. The resolution is very good, even in the corners. Shooting wide open there is a slight softening at the extreme corners, but certainly not enough to worry about it.
Image quality is very close to the 21.4,5 Biogon (my new benchmark for 21's by the way!).
The Utra wide Heliar has more fall off, but as to resolution - I cant really see the difference, but I haven't stuck this negs under a microscope and looked either. There is certainly enough resolution to print a 16x20 without problems!
At the moment I am shooting the 12/15/18/21/25/28 set with Acros 100. The weather is clear and sunny so that will tell me something once the film is souped. I might even breakdown and bring out a tripod for a wide-open/mid range/fully stopped down series of a brick wall. It all depends on how energetic I feel and how long the sun is out.
Bill, my mistake - I have been using the 18 on the R4M and forgot that you actually have to switch in the frames yourself! It was sitting on the 50 frame when I looked through it. I have found that you can use the R4M finder as a improvised 18 finder - just use the outer edges of what you can see and it is pretty close. On the other hand - that finder is so bright that it is almost worth it for that alone!
 
Hi Tom, Bill & All.

First Tom.....Thanks ever so much for your reply and clarification that the fall-off you were refering to was "light" fall-off. If you do decide to look a bit closer at resolution differences between the VC 15mm and Zeiss 18mm...I'd be extreamly interested..not only at a few f-stops but also any differences seen in the center and corners.

Bill...I wonder if the mount that comes standard on the Zeiss 18mm that brings up the 24/35mm framelines...is exactly the same mount that is needed for the Zeiss 25mm f2.8 lens when used on an M8 (since this lens brings up the 28mm framelines). If so, then I have an idea for those that are planning to purchase both the Zeiss 25mm and 18mm for use on the M8. Why not just switch the mounts between these two lenses..then the 18mm will bring up the correct 28mm framelines in order to code the lens and the 25mm lens will bring up the correct 24/35mm framel;ines and this lens can also be coded. Think this is workable?

Dave
 
Oh, one more thing to my post directly above. If the mounts can be successfully switched between these two lenses then if someone owned one lens...and another person owned the other...they could swap mounts so each could have a lens that brings up the correct framelines for coding. Thats assuming that the monts are milled the same for correct focusing..especially at infinity.

Dave
 
D&A said:
... I have an idea for those that are planning to purchase both the Zeiss 25mm and 18mm for use on the M8. Why not just switch the mounts between these two lenses... then the 18mm will bring up the correct 28mm framelines in order to code the lens and the 25mm lens will bring up the correct 24/35mm framelines and this lens can also be coded. Think this is workable?
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Good idea. As long as the screw-holes line up the same on each of the two mounts (I believe they do) then this should work like a charm.
 
BillBlackwell said:
Good idea. As long as the screw-holes line up the same on each of the two mounts (I believe they do) then this should work like a charm.
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But doing so, you can kiss the warranty good-bye.
Zeiss will made the change by them self, they don't sell you a new flange.

I have this lens, since 24 days now, and i love it much as a 24mm on the M8 (i don't use IR filter or coding by now).
Strangely enough, it shows more vignetting on the M8 as with the M6 as a 18mm wide angle.
 
Tom A said:
I talked to Tony Rose at Popflash and it seems that Zeiss USA will put a bayonet mount on the 16f4 that can take the coding. The ring on the first 18/4's did key in the 50mm frame, but the replacement ring will do the 28 frame. It is a free service by Zeiss USA (good for them!). You will have to code it yourself with a marker or get Tim Isaacs M-coder.
I dont have a M8 so I dont really know how importatnt this is. The lens is quite remarkable as to lack of edge fall off. Very even image across the whole negative. I did post some more stuff on the Flickr site. Use the tag " Zeiss Distagon 18mm f4.0" and you get them all.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for this posting, Tom! I think this might be a lens I purchase from Tony. I think I would prefer the 28 lines coming up on my .58 MP over the 50. That said, I would like I'd require the auxillary finder for this lens. Have you had a chance to use the Zeiss 18 mm finder?
 
I do have the 18mm finder for the Zeiss. As per usual, it is brilliant. There is something about the Zeiss finder line (18/21/25-28) that is unique. It seems like they amplify the light coming in by 1/2-1 stop. The view is brighter than reality! There is a slight curvature to the view, at least in the edges, but as the lens is straight in its rendition, I dont care. Obviously, to make a finder that gave a straight edge view, it would have to be larger and I rather have the convinience of a smallish finder and the nominal field curvature.
The 18 is not a small lens, the 58mm front thread is one indication of its size! As a street shooting lens it is big and I feel that if you are hauling it around everyday, the compact 21/4,5 Biogon is a better choice. IF, however, you need those extra 3mm of wide view - go fo it. With the Can$ at US1.05I doubt that it will ever be cheaper! I think Tony Rose has it on for about US$1400 with the finder!
Remember the Swap meet at the Croatian Center on Novemebr 11!
 
Philippe D. said:
... I have this lens, since 24 days now, and i love it much as a 24mm on the M8 (i don't use IR filter or coding by now).
Strangely enough, it shows more vignetting on the M8 as with the M6 as a 18mm wide angle.
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Hi Philippe,
Could you post some example photos from the M8 using the 18mm to show the vignetting.

I am considering buying this lens to use with my Epson R-D1s. Vignetting is my main concern. I suppose we won't really know how much it vignettes on the Epson until we see photos from the Epson, but M8 photos will give us the best approximation.

Cheers,

Phil
 
As to the finder- I had a look at the Leica 16-28 finder and at 18 there is some distortion, but the framelines seem to curve to compensate? That is one mechanical marvel.

The ZM 18 is a tempting lens for sure. I think I'll be going for it eventually.
 
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