Dongzheng Optics Kerlee 35 mm f/1.2

David L · 06-23-2016, 06:08 PM

This lens is now available on Chinese online shopping site Taobao for RMB2980, roughly US$500:
https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=530799365876&toSite=main

panoguy · 06-25-2016, 11:19 AM

Originally posted by Clinton

Well expletive, where do I buy this thing?

I was told it will be available online (either eBay or a US retailer) in early July. Final price is TBD, but I think the current "around $500" is a domestic China introductory price.

Also, I received an update that they've further refined the lens (coatings, I presume at this point) to reduce the "glowiness" and veiling flare.

**Digitalis** · 06-25-2016, 07:24 PM

Originally posted by panoguy

I received an update that they've further refined the lens (coatings, I presume at this point) to reduce the "glowiness" and veiling flare.

How delightfully naive, it would take a lens re-design to accomplish sufficient corrections for such optical shortcomings..

panoguy · 06-26-2016, 04:23 AM

Originally posted by Digitalis

How delightfully naive, it would take a lens re-design to accomplish sufficient corrections for such optical shortcomings..

Well, of course I'm naive. I'm not an optical engineer (where's bdery when you need him?), so I don't really know what they're doing, if anything. I'm just guessing based on what their marketing person told me and the time to market. Personally, I'd be fine with what they've delivered already, but there's always room for improvements!

Na Horuk · 06-26-2016, 04:28 AM

Originally posted by Digitalis

How delightfully naive, it would take a lens re-design to accomplish sufficient corrections for such optical shortcomings..

But lens coatings can help with flare, contrast, ghosting, right? So while they might not directly fight the optical problem of veiling, they can still affect the rendering in such a way that it is less apparent than it would be otherwise

**Digitalis** · 06-26-2016, 05:34 PM

Originally posted by panoguy

guessing based on what their marketing person told me and the time to market.

Marketers aren't optical engineers, I wouldn't trust the word of the marketing department as far as I could throw them.

**ChrisPlatt** · 06-26-2016, 05:39 PM - **1 Like**

I'd rather have the SMC Pentax-M 35/1.4 lens...

Chris

Phenix · 06-26-2016, 07:41 PM

TBH for $500 I can get a Samyang 35 1.4 with A setting and have some money left for filter and beer.

Mistral75 · 06-29-2016, 06:18 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Mistral75

(...)

The Australian photographer Richard Wong has published a hands-on review including about 15 pictures taken with a Nikon D800:

Review By Richard | KERLEE 1.2/35 (35mm f/1.2) review

(...)

Richard Wong just added to his review of two pre-series copies of the Dongzheng Optics Kerlee 35mm f/1.2 (serial numbers 000007 and 000010) a comparison with two Nikon lenses (AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G and AI-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4) concerning sharpness and bokeh, together with around 15 pictures taken with a Nikon Df.

D1N0 · 07-05-2016, 03:38 AM

ephotozine did a review: https://www.ephotozine.com/article/dzoptics-kerlee-35mm-f-1-2-lens-review-29539

Na Horuk · 07-05-2016, 04:13 AM

Good. Looks like by f8 and f11 it can even be used for landscapes, even on FF. On APSC this should appear even better, as the edges get cut off. Wide open its not super sharp, but then again, which 1.2 lens is? With such a shallow DoF and dreamy bokeh, the main priority is not astounding sharpness.
All in all, results seem to be good, especially considering how outstanding, unusual the 35mm and f1.2 combination is.

**Digitalis** · 07-05-2016, 07:08 AM

Originally posted by Na Horuk

which 1.2 lens is?

The Contax 85mm f/1.2, Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II, Leitz Noctilux 50mm f/1.2, Konica Hexanon 60mm f/1.2, Voigtlander 35mm f/1.2 are lenses that spring to mind to counter this argument.

Na Horuk · 07-05-2016, 11:04 AM

Originally posted by Digitalis

The Contax 85mm f/1.2, Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II, Leitz Noctilux 50mm f/1.2, Konica Hexanon 60mm f/1.2, Voigtlander 35mm f/1.2 are lenses that spring to mind to counter this argument.

Why must you hurt me so

osv · 07-05-2016, 11:08 AM

Originally posted by Mistral75

Richard Wong just added to his review of two pre-series copies of the Dongzheng Optics Kerlee 35mm f/1.2 (serial numbers 000007 and 000010) a comparison with two Nikon lenses (AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G and AI-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4) concerning sharpness and bokeh, together with around 15 pictures taken with a Nikon Df.

that was interesting, thx for the link... wish that he would have used a 36mp camera instead of a 16mp camera for the landscape pics.

---------- Post added 07-05-16 at 11:10 AM ----------

Originally posted by Na Horuk

Why must you hurt me so

lol... he didn't provide any evidence either way, but it would be interesting to see how they all compare.

**Digitalis** · 07-05-2016, 05:45 PM

Originally posted by osv

he didn't provide any evidence either way, but it would be interesting to see how they all compare.

The evidence is out there, and lens reviews would concur. I'd be particularly interested in seeing how the voigtlander 35mm f/1.2 compares to this lens - a mirrorless body ought to simplify that comparison. Historically short telephoto lenses like the Contax 85mm f/1.2 and Hexanon 60mm f/1.2 are nearly always decent performers, though it isn't entirely fair to compare them to a superfast wide lens such as a 35mm f/1.2 which are notoriously very difficult to design: there are so many things that can go wrong with them. The voigtlander lens is the lens to beat, many lens reviewers and colleagues of mine remark on how similar it renders to Leica lenses - it is a bit of an oddity in that regard, of all the nokton lenses voigtlander make.

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06-23-2016, 06:08 PM	#31
David L Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery Posts: 95	This lens is now available on Chinese online shopping site Taobao for RMB2980, roughly US$500: https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=530799365876&toSite=main

06-25-2016, 11:19 AM	#32
panoguy Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Washington, D.C. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,327	Originally posted by Clinton Well expletive, where do I buy this thing? I was told it will be available online (either eBay or a US retailer) in early July. Final price is TBD, but I think the current "around $500" is a domestic China introductory price. Also, I received an update that they've further refined the lens (coatings, I presume at this point) to reduce the "glowiness" and veiling flare.

06-25-2016, 07:24 PM	#33
Digitalis Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,694	Originally posted by panoguy I received an update that they've further refined the lens (coatings, I presume at this point) to reduce the "glowiness" and veiling flare. How delightfully naive, it would take a lens re-design to accomplish sufficient corrections for such optical shortcomings..

06-26-2016, 04:23 AM	#34
panoguy Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Washington, D.C. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,327	Originally posted by Digitalis How delightfully naive, it would take a lens re-design to accomplish sufficient corrections for such optical shortcomings.. Well, of course I'm naive. I'm not an optical engineer (where's bdery when you need him?), so I don't really know what they're doing, if anything. I'm just guessing based on what their marketing person told me and the time to market. Personally, I'd be fine with what they've delivered already, but there's always room for improvements!

06-26-2016, 04:28 AM	#35
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	Originally posted by Digitalis How delightfully naive, it would take a lens re-design to accomplish sufficient corrections for such optical shortcomings.. But lens coatings can help with flare, contrast, ghosting, right? So while they might not directly fight the optical problem of veiling, they can still affect the rendering in such a way that it is less apparent than it would be otherwise

06-26-2016, 05:34 PM	#36
Digitalis Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,694	Originally posted by panoguy guessing based on what their marketing person told me and the time to market. Marketers aren't optical engineers, I wouldn't trust the word of the marketing department as far as I could throw them.

06-26-2016, 05:39 PM - 1 Like	#37
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,692	I'd rather have the SMC Pentax-M 35/1.4 lens... Chris

06-26-2016, 07:41 PM	#38
Phenix Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 47	TBH for $500 I can get a Samyang 35 1.4 with A setting and have some money left for filter and beer.

06-29-2016, 06:18 AM - 1 Like	#39
Mistral75 Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Paris, France Posts: 7,526 Original Poster	Originally posted by Mistral75 (...) The Australian photographer Richard Wong has published a hands-on review including about 15 pictures taken with a Nikon D800: Review By Richard \| KERLEE 1.2/35 (35mm f/1.2) review (...) Richard Wong just added to his review of two pre-series copies of the Dongzheng Optics Kerlee 35mm f/1.2 (serial numbers 000007 and 000010) a comparison with two Nikon lenses (AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G and AI-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4) concerning sharpness and bokeh, together with around 15 pictures taken with a Nikon Df.

07-05-2016, 03:38 AM	#40
D1N0 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2012 Location: --- Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,802	ephotozine did a review: https://www.ephotozine.com/article/dzoptics-kerlee-35mm-f-1-2-lens-review-29539

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07-05-2016, 04:13 AM	#41
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	Good. Looks like by f8 and f11 it can even be used for landscapes, even on FF. On APSC this should appear even better, as the edges get cut off. Wide open its not super sharp, but then again, which 1.2 lens is? With such a shallow DoF and dreamy bokeh, the main priority is not astounding sharpness. All in all, results seem to be good, especially considering how outstanding, unusual the 35mm and f1.2 combination is.

07-05-2016, 07:08 AM	#42
Digitalis Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,694	Originally posted by Na Horuk which 1.2 lens is? The Contax 85mm f/1.2, Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II, Leitz Noctilux 50mm f/1.2, Konica Hexanon 60mm f/1.2, Voigtlander 35mm f/1.2 are lenses that spring to mind to counter this argument.

07-05-2016, 11:04 AM	#43
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	Originally posted by Digitalis The Contax 85mm f/1.2, Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II, Leitz Noctilux 50mm f/1.2, Konica Hexanon 60mm f/1.2, Voigtlander 35mm f/1.2 are lenses that spring to mind to counter this argument. Why must you hurt me so

07-05-2016, 11:08 AM	#44
osv Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: So Cal Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,080	Originally posted by Mistral75 Richard Wong just added to his review of two pre-series copies of the Dongzheng Optics Kerlee 35mm f/1.2 (serial numbers 000007 and 000010) a comparison with two Nikon lenses (AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G and AI-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4) concerning sharpness and bokeh, together with around 15 pictures taken with a Nikon Df. that was interesting, thx for the link... wish that he would have used a 36mp camera instead of a 16mp camera for the landscape pics. ---------- Post added 07-05-16 at 11:10 AM ---------- Originally posted by Na Horuk Why must you hurt me so lol... he didn't provide any evidence either way, but it would be interesting to see how they all compare.

07-05-2016, 05:45 PM	#45
Digitalis Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,694	Originally posted by osv he didn't provide any evidence either way, but it would be interesting to see how they all compare. The evidence is out there, and lens reviews would concur. I'd be particularly interested in seeing how the voigtlander 35mm f/1.2 compares to this lens - a mirrorless body ought to simplify that comparison. Historically short telephoto lenses like the Contax 85mm f/1.2 and Hexanon 60mm f/1.2 are nearly always decent performers, though it isn't entirely fair to compare them to a superfast wide lens such as a 35mm f/1.2 which are notoriously very difficult to design: there are so many things that can go wrong with them. The voigtlander lens is the lens to beat, many lens reviewers and colleagues of mine remark on how similar it renders to Leica lenses - it is a bit of an oddity in that regard, of all the nokton lenses voigtlander make.