Originally posted by pHREDD D if anyone owns this lens and has used any pentax macro (35, 50 or 100mm) or the tamron 90mm I would gladly like to know how they compare (positives or negatives) as I enjoy using manual focusing lenses but not sure if the quality or difference in the captured picture is enough to purchase the Zeiss compared to the pentax/tamron?
also is the F/2 aperture useful?
I have the da 35mm, FA 50mm and the Tamron.
Thanks...
I have it and it's wonderful. I have also had both DFA100's and they are certainly highly respectable lenses, but I do prefer the Zeiss depth of color and "look". Only caveat would be that it doesn't do 1:1 like the Pentax's, if that is important to you. It does 1:2. If they had called it a close-focus lens instead of a macro that would have been fine with me, as I didn't buy it for that. The tactile qualities of using the Zeiss are
far better than any current Pentax lens. The best MF feel (along with the 100/2) of any lens I have ever used. f/2 is
absolutely useful and may be where you shoot it most often. It does get sharper if you stop down a little, as do pretty much all lenses, but it's plenty sharp wide open.
There is a guy over at ZeissImages.com that uses this lens pretty much exclusively for studio portraits and gets wonderful results. Better IQ with less distortion than the 50/1.4., though bigger, heavier, and more expensive. This is one of only 2 ZK's that popphoto.com has left. The 28/2 is the other. If you enjoy MF lenses and shooting 1:1 is not imperative to you, I would act quickly.