Question: Does this new Zeiss 15mm lens advance our ability to use our DSLR's and how?

[Asher Kelman]

Zeiss Image: 15 mm Zeiss distagon 110" and wonderful!

Zeiss makes great lenses, that we all accept.

"The new super wide angle Distagon T* 2,8/15] lens has arrived. With a large angle of view of 110 degrees in combination with a fast f/2.8 aperture, the lens enables the features for dramatic perspectives and performance demanded by the most ambitious landscape and architectural photographers. With a unique ability to capture events in a natural and extraordinary manner, it is also an ideal companion for advertising, journalism and commercial photography. It will be available with an EF (ZE) or F bayonet (ZF.2).

With ever increasing compactness of sensor wells, such as in the > 20 MP sensors in the Canon, Nikon full 35mm frames DSLRs, the lens must be able to deliver the potential detail to the sensor. It also has to be of sufficient contrast and color fidelity.

"

So where are we with quality of lenses compared to packed sensors with tiny pixels?

The new Zeiss 15mm rectilinear lens is for sure going to be a beauty, but at ~ $3,000 is it needed to exploit fully our camera? Not that it isn't wonderful to have a high quality and likely hand built lens, but do we currently have a gap, (with the Canon or Nikon lenses), between what their sensors can define well and what their lenses can effectively deliver offer them?

Theres' no doubt that wide angle lenses are packing a lot of information into a small space. So, it might indeed be an advantage to buy such a lens. but how much of an advantage do you think there's likely to be comapred to previous Zeiss lenses offered for Canon, Nikon and other DSLR's? For example, how would a stitch of two overlapping frames taken with the Canon TSE 24mm II stand up to the new Zeiss super-lens?

Asher

[Bob Latham]

Many things photographic can be assessed by simply disecting the specifications and reading the experiences of others but a lens like this will probably require a "hands on" approach to determine whether the cost is justified to the individual.

I have three of Zeiss' ZE offerings sitting on my shelf and will freely bestowe praise on two of them....their sibling singularly fails to impress. I'm not saying it's below par when compared to other marques but it doesn't come close to the expectations I had from using the other two.

I have the TS-E24 MkII (that you mentioned) and hence can attain 15mm rectilinear albeit with multiple shots stitched. I also have the 14/2.8 MkII but I suspect that it probably shouldn't be mentioned on the same page as the new wide Zeiss.

Bob

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Asher,

In any case, that is certainly an exquisite shot!

Best regards,

Doug

[Michael Nagel]

When I saw the announcement, I had to think of the K 15/3.5 AL. There has been talk of a common development that time.

The lens cut of the new design is different, let's see how this lens performs.

Best regards,
Michael