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Salzburg, Austria

"No place is boring if you've had a good night's sleep and a pocket full of film." - Robert Adams
​
"Tea first, then photography..." - Philip Lee Harvey

From an Article written by Philip Lee Harvey

Why I Choose to Use the Zeiss 35mm f/2 ZM

1/16/2017

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Picture
To some the picture above is some camera porn. For others it is a travesty to have a Zeiss lens on a Leica camera. To a Leica diehard the selection of a Leica camera is done in order to shoot their amazing glass. Let me explain why I love to shoot Zeiss 35mm f/2 ZM on my Leica M6 and ME.

We all know Leica makes amazing glass and we all understand that it is expensive. It would be very simple for me to point to the high cost as an underlying reason for moving to Zeiss but my decision is not that simple. Here is the thing...I LOVE Zeiss glass.  Full stop.  Lets leave the price discussion for the very end shall we?

I love the build quality of Zeiss. These lenses feel heavy, precise and perfectly balanced. When I pick it up I get the feeling of quality. I get the same feel with a Leica lens. I see no difference in their build quality. So lets call this part of the evaluation a tie.

Aperture is key on a ZM lens.  Since you select the aperture on the lens itself you should feel comfortable with the aperture ring. With the Zeiss lens I have ⅓ stop selections. I like this as it gives me plenty of room to fine tune the exposure. With Leica I get ½ stops. Not a deal breaker but I prefer the fine tuning of the Zeiss. The feel is very different as well. The aperture ring on Zeiss requires more pressure to change. Leica, just like my Voigtlander, has a much smoother aperture. Now "smoother" is not always a desirable quality. On the focus ring it is desirable but on the aperture ring I prefer to have it stay where I put it. On the Leica I have to check to make sure it has not accidentally changed. This round goes to Zeiss.

In terms of size, Leica has the Summicron lens which is smaller and does not block the viewfinder. The Zeiss does. So this round would have to go to Leica. The fact is that if you shoot the M system you will have some lenses that block the viewfinder. The fact that on the 35mm lens you have see the full view is interesting but I do not put too much weight on it.

In terms of optical performance we have an interesting story. From what I have read, the Zeiss is better than Leica. At worst lets call it equal. But here is the issue with Optical Performance, it does not weight that much. If a lens is poor then I clearly do not want it. But the fact that this Zeiss might be 5% better than Leica it would not justify the choice. With such a great lenses the minor difference is not normally visible. So while Zeiss edges Leica by a hair it is not worth really discussing it.

Unfortunately I do not have any images using the 35mm Summicron but I do have some from the Leica 28mm Summicron. Since the focal lengths are so different, and wider angle lenses are harder to make, I do not want to compare the lenses (although the 28mm Summicron is AMAZING) but do want to show how solid of a performer the Zeiss lens is.  
Picture
Here we have the Zeiss 35 f/2 ZM shot at f/2. I did not crop this image and very light post processing in order to show what the lens can do. You can see the buttery smooth bokeh and the lack of color fringing or chromatic aberration. Colors are bright and it is plenty sharp.
Picture
The picture above is from the Leica Summicron 28mm at f/2.8. This is an amazing lens and you can see that it is very close to the Zeiss. Obviously the 28mm is a tougher focal lens to make than a 35mm.
Picture
Here is the bokeh of the two lenses. Both are very nice but there is something about the rounder bokeh of the Zeiss. Again both are very nice.
Picture
In closing the fact is that I love this lens. The bokeh, sharpness and color rendition is amazing. It is a good size and wonderfully built. There is a character to this lens which is very pleasing and is the reason that I do not change it out for a Leica.

I would love the Leica 28mm lens. I had borrowed it from a friend and it is an incredible lens with great character. The challenge is that I love the Zeiss 35mm lens so much I rarely take it off my camera. 
So the reason I shoot a Zeiss Lens on a Leica camera is not the price difference it is that I LOVE this Zeiss lens. Even if it was priced the same as the Leica Summicron 35mm I would have to go for the Zeiss.  Now the 28mm might be a different story....

A quick post script before I end this entry...

The lens hood costs about USD 85 so I only bought one and keep moving it from the 35mm to the 50mm Zeiss lens I have. It is a great lens hood and I highly recommend it.
Picture
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    Patrick...confirmed film & digital photography addict.

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Photos used under Creative Commons from left-hand, Ant Jackson, Skley, mikecogh, Helen.Yang, TheeErin, Dean Hochman, CJS*64, DaveR1988, FootMassagez, Loco Steve, dmytrok, Christiaan Colen
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Vintage Cameras
    • Argus 75
    • Brownie Flash II
    • Contax G2
    • Ensign Selfix 820
    • FED-1 (PE0320)
    • Graflex Crown Graphic
    • Ihagee Exa
    • Leica M6
    • Nikon S2
    • Nikon F
    • Nikon F2
    • Nikon F3
    • Nikon FA
    • Olympus OM-1
    • Olympus OM-2 SPOT
    • Olympus Stylus
    • Pentacon Six
    • Pentax Spotmatic IIa
    • Rollei 35
    • Voigtlander 15mm ver III
    • Yashica C
    • Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2
  • Learning Composition
    • The Monochrome Diaries
    • Single & Multi Elements
    • Symmetry
    • Keep the Right Strong
    • Framing
    • Color in Composition
    • Deep Dive Bubble Man
    • Photo Assignments
  • Darkroom Lessons
    • Building a Sink
    • Air Ventilation
    • Analyser Pro
    • Development Hints
    • Primer for Film Photography
    • Bulk Loading Film
    • Pushing & Pulling Film
    • Color Development
    • Digital Contact Sheets
    • Stick to One Film Stock?
    • HP5+ Shot at 200 ISO
    • HP5 Shot at 1600 ISO
    • HP5 Shot at 3200 ISO
    • Medium Format
    • Washing Film
    • Split Grade Printing
    • Using Distilled Water in Film Development
    • Darkroom Paper
    • Foma100 EI 400
  • Photography Books & Films
    • Colin O'Brien
    • Lartigue Life in Color
    • Magnum Contact Sheets
    • Top Photography Movies
    • William Eggleston's Guide
    • Helen Levitt
    • Sally Mann Immediate Family
    • Saul Leiter Early B&W
    • Leica 100 yrs
    • Calendar Days of Asaya Hamaya
    • The Decisive Moment
    • Regarding Women
    • Robert Capa in Love and War
  • Single Image Deep Dive
    • Sergio Larrain "A Man After Dark"
    • Colin O'Brien 'Comings & Goings"
    • Erwitt Mother & Child
    • Man Running
    • Samuel Becket
    • Koudelka Wristwatch
    • Dovima with Elephants