Zeiss Distagon T*25/2,8 ZK - initial review

thePiRaTE!! · 04-18-2008, 09:00 AM

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I just hope they find a reason adjust my copy of the Distagon and not say "It is within spec" otherwise I will have to be sad

I anticipate some nice, sharp wide-angle goodness to share once it is adjusted

I was wondering about the Zeiss LBA thread too! To be honest, if someone hadn't done it by the time I bought the Makro Planar 50/2 - and assuming it was good enough for me to want to do so - I was going to do it, hehe. I've pre-ordered a copy, but no idea when it will get here.

Kelly.

k100d · 04-30-2008, 06:52 PM

did you manage to get your Zeiss fixed?

thePiRaTE!! · 04-30-2008, 08:08 PM

The time flies eh? I just realized how long I haven't had it now. AFAIK, its probably still in transit to Germany, if it has left my local shop at all. It was said on my repair slip 4-6 weeks minimum. *sigh*. I also just returned the DA35 that had the wonky inner threads mentioned in a previous thread and had to face the doubtful scrutiny of a d*ck manager (not the guys I normally deal with) who tried to insist the outer lens hood "had a flat spot" suggesting I'd dropped it... in four places, until I reminded him IT WAS PLASTIC... what a dumb*ss. Oh well, they took that back too in the end. Sometimes buying from stores has its happy moments.

Thanks for asking though K, I don't really have anyone locally that really cares where my Distagon is, so its nice to vent spleen to someone, ha! I'll be ecstatic to put it through its (hopefully upwardly advanced) paces upon return. I fully expect for the money and all its pedigree (and a very high MTF rating over at photozone) that it should present a MUCH better picture at infinity than my copy had. If it comes back the same or only slighly better, I'll part with it.

k100d · 05-01-2008, 04:44 PM

Originally posted by thePiRaTE!!

Thanks for asking though K, I don't really have anyone locally that really cares where my Distagon is, so its nice to vent spleen to someone, ha! I'll be ecstatic to put it through its (hopefully upwardly advanced) paces upon return. I fully expect for the money and all its pedigree (and a very high MTF rating over at photozone) that it should present a MUCH better picture at infinity than my copy had. If it comes back the same or only slighly better, I'll part with it.

everytime i think of zeiss, i think of your Distagon. it's nice that you take the time to show us samples and comparisons of how good the lenses are. hopefully you get it back soon!

thePiRaTE!! · 05-01-2008, 05:24 PM

Hey thanks, and no problem! The little voices in my mind are always asking if I could somehow be taking better pictures. The tests help me gain peace of mind, lol.

Some folks say I'm wasting my time, so it nice to know there are others who are curious. I guess I could be developing a cure for cancer in my spare time instead though eh? heh.

I ordered the 50/2 Makro-Planar too. I'm going to pit it against my VL58/1.4 and my sisters FA50/1.4 when it arrives. I already know that for the prices involved, the FA comes in at a distinct advantage, but if you use all 32x on your K20 back screen like I do you know where the money goes

K.

benjikan · 05-02-2008, 01:08 AM

Where can this lens be purchased?

Ben

k100d · 05-02-2008, 05:27 AM

not the cheapest prices but:
https://photo-shop.zeiss.com/epages/cz.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/CZ/Categories/Objektive/ZK

not in stock here, but they have other models in stock
zeiss zk | B&H Photo Video

aegisphan · 05-02-2008, 07:21 AM

I actually find that some eBayers from HK and Japan have these for a little less than B&H, and always in stock.

thePiRaTE!! · 05-02-2008, 08:25 AM

Originally posted by benjikan

Where can this lens be purchased?

Ben

I was very lucky that the local camera shop down the block carries some of the line now (wwwDOTthecamerastoreDOTcom) though I wouldn't necessarily recommend them as your purchase point. They had just 1 of each of the 28/2 and 25/2.8 for the Pentax and said it took them a year to get those, lol. In Canada, I've also seen zk at Harry's proshop in Toronto though they are higher in price than even Matsuiyastore, though Matsuiya only carry a few ZK models eBay Store - Matsuiyastore: ZF ZS ZK Lenses:

As Aegis has mentioned, there are a few others who pop up on Ebay - which is probably the only way I'd know to get a specific model in ZK, we seem to be the ugly duckling in the Zeiss market. At least we _can_ get them though!

roentarre · 05-02-2008, 06:31 PM

Fa 31 ltd looks more Ca prone comparing to your ZK copy.

p.s. that shot of a glass (?) looks rather nice

thePiRaTE!! · 05-14-2008, 04:16 AM

Originally posted by roentarre

Fa 31 ltd looks more Ca prone comparing to your ZK copy.

p.s. that shot of a glass (?) looks rather nice

The FA does fringe moreso than the T*, though the T* does also.

You're close on the glass guess, it was a close-up of a plastic water bottle held up to the light

thePiRaTE!! · 05-14-2008, 04:21 AM

Well, I had a bit of a let down in discovering my lens has only JUST gone in for repair to Zeiss due to an apparent strange request that they wish to have the customer send in the lens and not the retailer. I was told the store were eventually given the green light, a month later. The store did however have another copy of the T*25 in. I rather wished they'de have just swapped it for me, at first. I took the lens out into the parking lot and shot this:

Notes pasted from my flickr page: Handheld, f2.8, sharpness as shot. Don't read anything into the exposure as it was auto-adjusted by CS3 upon coversion to tif from dng. Short, medium and distant infinity shots. This was a quick test performed in the parking lot of The Camera Store on a second copy of the T*25, not my original (hopefully) adjusted one. I can see an improvement vs my original copy which gives me something to look forward to, but it still falls short for me. I felt this copy could have used a tweak too. I now fully appreciate the Voigtlanders over infinity buffer, and would really love to see it in the T*25 as well which currently needs full rotation to reach its best infinity performance... which again is seemingly not quite enough.

In short, I'm starting to doubt the T*25 is a serious wide angle, but we'll see if mine comes back with even further improvment, which I feel is entirely possible.

aegisphan · 05-14-2008, 07:26 AM

This copy doesn't seem to be quite there either. I guess the ZF version has less problem. Oh well, good luck on your repair.

thePiRaTE!! · 05-14-2008, 07:49 AM

Originally posted by aegisphan

This copy doesn't seem to be quite there either. I guess the ZF version has less problem. Oh well, good luck on your repair.

Thanks Hiep, I'm counting on all the good luck I can get. I really want to like this lens, it really is a lot of fun to shoot within its scope but I just feel a bit fleeced when I see its infinity performance. If I'd paid $50 I would just accept it, but thats not the case and I'm convinced that it will be able to be sharp. I'm going to use an old junker lens I've got here right now to learn lens surgery. If my T*25 comes back in the condition as above, I'll adjust it myself.

On that note - anyone know any good lens tech sites I might brush up on?

aegisphan · 05-14-2008, 10:43 AM

For conversion and infinity focus adjustment, you might want to check out manualfocus.org. There are many knowledgeable people over there. I've done some infinity focus adjustment, and from my experience, if the Distagon 25 is a double helicoid lens, it would be one hell of a lens to fix if thing goes wrong. And always remember to put down a reference mark on the lens.

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04-18-2008, 09:00 AM	#16
thePiRaTE!! Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Calgary, AB Photos: Gallery Posts: 942 Original Poster	Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. I just hope they find a reason adjust my copy of the Distagon and not say "It is within spec" otherwise I will have to be sad I anticipate some nice, sharp wide-angle goodness to share once it is adjusted I was wondering about the Zeiss LBA thread too! To be honest, if someone hadn't done it by the time I bought the Makro Planar 50/2 - and assuming it was good enough for me to want to do so - I was going to do it, hehe. I've pre-ordered a copy, but no idea when it will get here. Kelly.

04-30-2008, 06:52 PM	#17
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,911	did you manage to get your Zeiss fixed?

04-30-2008, 08:08 PM	#18
thePiRaTE!! Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Calgary, AB Photos: Gallery Posts: 942 Original Poster	The time flies eh? I just realized how long I haven't had it now. AFAIK, its probably still in transit to Germany, if it has left my local shop at all. It was said on my repair slip 4-6 weeks minimum. sigh. I also just returned the DA35 that had the wonky inner threads mentioned in a previous thread and had to face the doubtful scrutiny of a dck manager (not the guys I normally deal with) who tried to insist the outer lens hood "had a flat spot" suggesting I'd dropped it... in four places, until I reminded him IT WAS PLASTIC... what a dumbss. Oh well, they took that back too in the end. Sometimes buying from stores has its happy moments. Thanks for asking though K, I don't really have anyone locally that really cares where my Distagon is, so its nice to vent spleen to someone, ha! I'll be ecstatic to put it through its (hopefully upwardly advanced) paces upon return. I fully expect for the money and all its pedigree (and a very high MTF rating over at photozone) that it should present a MUCH better picture at infinity than my copy had. If it comes back the same or only slighly better, I'll part with it.

05-01-2008, 04:44 PM	#19
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,911	Originally posted by thePiRaTE!! Thanks for asking though K, I don't really have anyone locally that really cares where my Distagon is, so its nice to vent spleen to someone, ha! I'll be ecstatic to put it through its (hopefully upwardly advanced) paces upon return. I fully expect for the money and all its pedigree (and a very high MTF rating over at photozone) that it should present a MUCH better picture at infinity than my copy had. If it comes back the same or only slighly better, I'll part with it. everytime i think of zeiss, i think of your Distagon. it's nice that you take the time to show us samples and comparisons of how good the lenses are. hopefully you get it back soon!

05-01-2008, 05:24 PM	#20
thePiRaTE!! Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Calgary, AB Photos: Gallery Posts: 942 Original Poster	Hey thanks, and no problem! The little voices in my mind are always asking if I could somehow be taking better pictures. The tests help me gain peace of mind, lol. Some folks say I'm wasting my time, so it nice to know there are others who are curious. I guess I could be developing a cure for cancer in my spare time instead though eh? heh. I ordered the 50/2 Makro-Planar too. I'm going to pit it against my VL58/1.4 and my sisters FA50/1.4 when it arrives. I already know that for the prices involved, the FA comes in at a distinct advantage, but if you use all 32x on your K20 back screen like I do you know where the money goes K.

05-02-2008, 01:08 AM	#21
benjikan Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Paris, France Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,308	Where can this lens be purchased? Ben

05-02-2008, 05:27 AM	#22
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,911	not the cheapest prices but: https://photo-shop.zeiss.com/epages/cz.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/CZ/Categories/Objektive/ZK not in stock here, but they have other models in stock zeiss zk \| B&H Photo Video

05-02-2008, 07:21 AM	#23
aegisphan Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New Mexico Posts: 815	I actually find that some eBayers from HK and Japan have these for a little less than B&H, and always in stock.

05-02-2008, 08:25 AM	#24
thePiRaTE!! Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Calgary, AB Photos: Gallery Posts: 942 Original Poster	Originally posted by benjikan Where can this lens be purchased? Ben I was very lucky that the local camera shop down the block carries some of the line now (wwwDOTthecamerastoreDOTcom) though I wouldn't necessarily recommend them as your purchase point. They had just 1 of each of the 28/2 and 25/2.8 for the Pentax and said it took them a year to get those, lol. In Canada, I've also seen zk at Harry's proshop in Toronto though they are higher in price than even Matsuiyastore, though Matsuiya only carry a few ZK models eBay Store - Matsuiyastore: ZF ZS ZK Lenses: As Aegis has mentioned, there are a few others who pop up on Ebay - which is probably the only way I'd know to get a specific model in ZK, we seem to be the ugly duckling in the Zeiss market. At least we _can_ get them though!

05-02-2008, 06:31 PM	#25
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783	Fa 31 ltd looks more Ca prone comparing to your ZK copy. p.s. that shot of a glass (?) looks rather nice

05-14-2008, 04:16 AM	#26
thePiRaTE!! Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Calgary, AB Photos: Gallery Posts: 942 Original Poster	Originally posted by roentarre Fa 31 ltd looks more Ca prone comparing to your ZK copy. p.s. that shot of a glass (?) looks rather nice The FA does fringe moreso than the T, though the T does also. You're close on the glass guess, it was a close-up of a plastic water bottle held up to the light

05-14-2008, 04:21 AM	#27
thePiRaTE!! Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Calgary, AB Photos: Gallery Posts: 942 Original Poster	Well, I had a bit of a let down in discovering my lens has only JUST gone in for repair to Zeiss due to an apparent strange request that they wish to have the customer send in the lens and not the retailer. I was told the store were eventually given the green light, a month later. The store did however have another copy of the T25 in. I rather wished they'de have just swapped it for me, at first. I took the lens out into the parking lot and shot this: Notes pasted from my flickr page: Handheld, f2.8, sharpness as shot. Don't read anything into the exposure as it was auto-adjusted by CS3 upon coversion to tif from dng. Short, medium and distant infinity shots. This was a quick test performed in the parking lot of The Camera Store on a second copy of the T25, not my original (hopefully) adjusted one. I can see an improvement vs my original copy which gives me something to look forward to, but it still falls short for me. I felt this copy could have used a tweak too. I now fully appreciate the Voigtlanders over infinity buffer, and would really love to see it in the T25 as well which currently needs full rotation to reach its best infinity performance... which again is seemingly not quite enough. In short, I'm starting to doubt the T25 is a serious wide angle, but we'll see if mine comes back with even further improvment, which I feel is entirely possible.

05-14-2008, 07:26 AM	#28
aegisphan Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New Mexico Posts: 815	This copy doesn't seem to be quite there either. I guess the ZF version has less problem. Oh well, good luck on your repair.

05-14-2008, 07:49 AM	#29
thePiRaTE!! Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Calgary, AB Photos: Gallery Posts: 942 Original Poster	Originally posted by aegisphan This copy doesn't seem to be quite there either. I guess the ZF version has less problem. Oh well, good luck on your repair. Thanks Hiep, I'm counting on all the good luck I can get. I really want to like this lens, it really is a lot of fun to shoot within its scope but I just feel a bit fleeced when I see its infinity performance. If I'd paid $50 I would just accept it, but thats not the case and I'm convinced that it will be able to be sharp. I'm going to use an old junker lens I've got here right now to learn lens surgery. If my T*25 comes back in the condition as above, I'll adjust it myself. On that note - anyone know any good lens tech sites I might brush up on?

05-14-2008, 10:43 AM	#30
aegisphan Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New Mexico Posts: 815	For conversion and infinity focus adjustment, you might want to check out manualfocus.org. There are many knowledgeable people over there. I've done some infinity focus adjustment, and from my experience, if the Distagon 25 is a double helicoid lens, it would be one hell of a lens to fix if thing goes wrong. And always remember to put down a reference mark on the lens.