Carl Zeiss Distagon 24/2.8

**Ray Cox** · 01-13-2017, 12:11 PM

Looking for some advice and information. I am interested in adding the Carl Zeiss Distagon 25mm 2.8 to my K1 lenses with the use of the Leitax adapter. I see this lens is available as a Contax MM mount lens, Nikon ZF, and NikonZF2. Is there an advantage of any one of these over the other? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Last edited by Ray Cox; 01-15-2017 at 11:31 AM.

tuco · 01-13-2017, 12:44 PM

Perhaps the ZF2 mount would give you more of an audience to sell to if/when the time comes. I have the Biogon 25/2.8 in a ZM mount.

**Ray Cox** · 01-13-2017, 12:49 PM

Originally posted by tuco

Perhaps the ZF2 mount would give you more of an audience to sell to if/when the time comes. I have the Biogon 25/2.8 in a ZM mount.

Thanks tuco,

Just found the lens club on the forum! Should have looked further.

dsmithhfx · 01-13-2017, 05:24 PM

Originally posted by Ray Cox

Looking for some advice and information. I am interested in adding the Carl Zeiss Distagon 25mm 2.8 to my K1 lenses with the use of the Leitax adapter. I see this lens is available as a Contax MM mount lens, Nikon ZF, and NikonZF2. Is there an advantage of any one of these over the other? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

This is an awesome lens. I had one in rollei mount many moons ago, until it fell out of my bag and I lost it.

**erichope** · 01-13-2017, 07:52 PM

Originally posted by Ray Cox

Looking for some advice and information. I am interested in adding the Carl Zeiss Distagon 25mm 2.8 to my K1 lenses with the use of the Leitax adapter. I see this lens is available as a Contax MM mount lens, Nikon ZF, and NikonZF2. Is there an advantage of any one of these over the other? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Why not just buy a ZK lens and avoid the fuss of an adapter? And you get the full functionality of an A lens. I bought a Zeiss 25/2.8 off eBay a couple years ago and, although listed as used, it seemed absolutely new: complete with original caps & paperwork, not a speck of dust, no fingerprints.. I suspect that many of the Zeiss ZK lenses on eBay (usually from Japan) will be the same. Great lens.

**jumbleview** · 01-13-2017, 11:19 PM

Do you need exactly Zeiss 25mm. There is Zeiss 28 mm 2.0 on sale here:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/24-photographic-equipment-sale/337517-sal...-fa-macro.html
Did you see it?

veraikon · 01-14-2017, 06:32 AM

Originally posted by tuco

Perhaps the ZF2 mount would give you more of an audience to sell to if/when the time comes. I have the Biogon 25/2.8 in a ZM mount.

Tuco, Carl Zeiss ZF.2 lenses are chipped . If you uses ist on a Pentax dSLR (K1?) you have to change the mount (Leitax) I don´t believe that would be better to handle than a unchipped lens - and i don´t know if there are Leitax mounts for ZF.2 lenses. Second in Zeiss nomenclature a "Biogon" (ZM for Leica M) is a real wide angel lens, a "Distagon" always a lens in retro wide angle design- you can´t really compare this two construction principles.

veraikon · 01-15-2017, 08:53 AM

Originally posted by Ray Cox

Looking for some advice and information. I am interested in adding the Carl Zeiss Distagon 25mm 2.8 to my K1 lenses with the use of the Leitax adapter. I see this lens is available as a Contax MM mount lens, Nikon ZF, and NikonZF2. Is there an advantage of any one of these over the other? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Ray, the Carl Zeiss Distagon 25/2.8 for Contax/Yashica is an "older" construction (late 70ies ). The construction was also used with the Distagon 25/2.8 for ZF/ZE/ZK The recent ZF/ZE Distagon 25/2.0 is more modern (11 lenses 10 groups, aspherical lens, special glases (higher dispersion), FLE (floating lens elements) design. The Contax C/Y MM you can modify with an Leitax mount for the K1 . At the ZF/ZE it isn´t possible (as far as I know). An maybe alternative ist the ZS (M42) mount (industrial lens) and a K-adaptor Please write to your local Carl Zeiss centre that you want this Distagon 25/2.0 in PK mount They will answer you only blabla, but hope dies last ...

**Ray Cox** · 01-15-2017, 09:59 AM

Originally posted by veraikon

Ray, the Carl Zeiss Distagon 25/2.8 for Contax/Yashica is an "older" construction (late 70ies ). The construction was also used with the Distagon 25/2.8 for ZF/ZE/ZK The recent ZF/ZE Distagon 25/2.0 is more modern (11 lenses 10 groups, aspherical lens, special glases (higher dispersion), FLE (floating lens elements) design. The Contax C/Y MM you can modify with an Leitax mount for the K1 . At the ZF/ZE it isn´t possible (as far as I know). An maybe alternative ist the ZS (M42) mount (industrial lens) and a K-adaptor Please write to your local Carl Zeiss centre that you want this Distagon 25/2.0 in PK mount They will answer you only blabla, but hope dies last ...

veraikon, thanks for the reply and information. After contacting David @ Leitax, I decided to get the ZF version of the 25/2.8 lens. The lens and adapter are " in the mail ". There is available a Distagon 25/2.8 ZK available on Ebay @ $920. While I realize that it would be a direct fit, I will have half of that invested. I am currently testing the Contax Vario-Sonnar 35-70 lens with a Leitax mount. Hope to be able to post results here from both lenses soon, likely in the lens club section. Yes, it would be great to have direct fit lenses, hopefully Pentax will fill the void. In the mean time we will use what is available with this great tool ( K1 ). K5, K3, K1, 645D, and 645Z. All that and I will grab the K1 first

Go figure! Thanks again for the reply

Ray

veraikon · 01-15-2017, 11:48 AM

Originally posted by Ray Cox

veraikon, thanks for the reply and information. After contacting David @ Leitax, I decided to get the ZF version of the 25/2.8 lens. The lens and adapter are " in the mail ". There is available a Distagon 25/2.8 ZK available on Ebay @ $920. While I realize that it would be a direct fit, I will have half of that invested. I am currently testing the Contax Vario-Sonnar 35-70 lens with a Leitax mount. Hope to be able to post results here from both lenses soon, likely in the lens club section. Yes, it would be great to have direct fit lenses, hopefully Pentax will fill the void. In the mean time we will use what is available with this great tool ( K1 ). K5, K3, K1, 645D, and 645Z. All that and I will grab the K1 first

Go figure! Thanks again for the reply

Ray

thanks Ray for the informatiion that there are Leitax mounts ZF -> PK - I didn´t know that. Never the less the 25./2.0 (the modern type with aspherical lens, FLE and "Sonderglas" ) would be imho the better choice. ,)

Quote:

... As a German website we'd love to report that we've seen another great Zeiss lens (home, sweet home after all) but at the end of the day the proof is in the pudding (or maybe in the "Kraut" here) and it just doesn't taste all that good. The Zeiss Distagon T* 25mm f/2.8 ZF performed pretty good in our Nikon APS-C review but it didn't impress during our full format lab tests.

Zeiss Distagon T* 25mm f/2.8 ZF (FX) - Review / Test Report But as I know the Zeiss Distagon 25/2.8 focuses from 0.17m , you can use it like a macro lens - the Distagon 25/2.0 not (0.25m)

01-13-2017, 12:11 PM	#1
Ray Cox Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Utica,Il Posts: 184	Carl Zeiss Distagon 25/2.8 Looking for some advice and information. I am interested in adding the Carl Zeiss Distagon 25mm 2.8 to my K1 lenses with the use of the Leitax adapter. I see this lens is available as a Contax MM mount lens, Nikon ZF, and NikonZF2. Is there an advantage of any one of these over the other? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Last edited by Ray Cox; 01-15-2017 at 11:31 AM.

01-13-2017, 07:52 PM	#5
erichope Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Winnipeg, MB Posts: 36	Originally posted by Ray Cox Looking for some advice and information. I am interested in adding the Carl Zeiss Distagon 25mm 2.8 to my K1 lenses with the use of the Leitax adapter. I see this lens is available as a Contax MM mount lens, Nikon ZF, and NikonZF2. Is there an advantage of any one of these over the other? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Why not just buy a ZK lens and avoid the fuss of an adapter? And you get the full functionality of an A lens. I bought a Zeiss 25/2.8 off eBay a couple years ago and, although listed as used, it seemed absolutely new: complete with original caps & paperwork, not a speck of dust, no fingerprints.. I suspect that many of the Zeiss ZK lenses on eBay (usually from Japan) will be the same. Great lens. Last edited by erichope; 01-14-2017 at 08:56 AM. Reason: Clarification

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01-13-2017, 12:44 PM	#2
tuco Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pugetopolis Posts: 11,026	Perhaps the ZF2 mount would give you more of an audience to sell to if/when the time comes. I have the Biogon 25/2.8 in a ZM mount.

01-13-2017, 12:49 PM	#3
Ray Cox Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Utica,Il Posts: 184 Original Poster	Originally posted by tuco Perhaps the ZF2 mount would give you more of an audience to sell to if/when the time comes. I have the Biogon 25/2.8 in a ZM mount. Thanks tuco, Just found the lens club on the forum! Should have looked further.

01-13-2017, 05:24 PM	#4
dsmithhfx Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Toronto Posts: 5,146	Originally posted by Ray Cox Looking for some advice and information. I am interested in adding the Carl Zeiss Distagon 25mm 2.8 to my K1 lenses with the use of the Leitax adapter. I see this lens is available as a Contax MM mount lens, Nikon ZF, and NikonZF2. Is there an advantage of any one of these over the other? Any thoughts would be appreciated. This is an awesome lens. I had one in rollei mount many moons ago, until it fell out of my bag and I lost it.

01-13-2017, 11:19 PM	#6
jumbleview Site Supporter Join Date: May 2012 Location: Concord, CA Posts: 1,069	Do you need exactly Zeiss 25mm. There is Zeiss 28 mm 2.0 on sale here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/24-photographic-equipment-sale/337517-sal...-fa-macro.html Did you see it?

01-14-2017, 06:32 AM	#7
veraikon Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Inside the Blue Banana ;) Posts: 255	Originally posted by tuco Perhaps the ZF2 mount would give you more of an audience to sell to if/when the time comes. I have the Biogon 25/2.8 in a ZM mount. Tuco, Carl Zeiss ZF.2 lenses are chipped . If you uses ist on a Pentax dSLR (K1?) you have to change the mount (Leitax) I don´t believe that would be better to handle than a unchipped lens - and i don´t know if there are Leitax mounts for ZF.2 lenses. Second in Zeiss nomenclature a "Biogon" (ZM for Leica M) is a real wide angel lens, a "Distagon" always a lens in retro wide angle design- you can´t really compare this two construction principles.

01-15-2017, 08:53 AM	#8
veraikon Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Inside the Blue Banana ;) Posts: 255	Originally posted by Ray Cox Looking for some advice and information. I am interested in adding the Carl Zeiss Distagon 25mm 2.8 to my K1 lenses with the use of the Leitax adapter. I see this lens is available as a Contax MM mount lens, Nikon ZF, and NikonZF2. Is there an advantage of any one of these over the other? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Ray, the Carl Zeiss Distagon 25/2.8 for Contax/Yashica is an "older" construction (late 70ies ). The construction was also used with the Distagon 25/2.8 for ZF/ZE/ZK The recent ZF/ZE Distagon 25/2.0 is more modern (11 lenses 10 groups, aspherical lens, special glases (higher dispersion), FLE (floating lens elements) design. The Contax C/Y MM you can modify with an Leitax mount for the K1 . At the ZF/ZE it isn´t possible (as far as I know). An maybe alternative ist the ZS (M42) mount (industrial lens) and a K-adaptor Please write to your local Carl Zeiss centre that you want this Distagon 25/2.0 in PK mount They will answer you only blabla, but hope dies last ...

01-15-2017, 09:59 AM	#9
Ray Cox Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Utica,Il Posts: 184 Original Poster	Originally posted by veraikon Ray, the Carl Zeiss Distagon 25/2.8 for Contax/Yashica is an "older" construction (late 70ies ). The construction was also used with the Distagon 25/2.8 for ZF/ZE/ZK The recent ZF/ZE Distagon 25/2.0 is more modern (11 lenses 10 groups, aspherical lens, special glases (higher dispersion), FLE (floating lens elements) design. The Contax C/Y MM you can modify with an Leitax mount for the K1 . At the ZF/ZE it isn´t possible (as far as I know). An maybe alternative ist the ZS (M42) mount (industrial lens) and a K-adaptor Please write to your local Carl Zeiss centre that you want this Distagon 25/2.0 in PK mount They will answer you only blabla, but hope dies last ... veraikon, thanks for the reply and information. After contacting David @ Leitax, I decided to get the ZF version of the 25/2.8 lens. The lens and adapter are " in the mail ". There is available a Distagon 25/2.8 ZK available on Ebay @ $920. While I realize that it would be a direct fit, I will have half of that invested. I am currently testing the Contax Vario-Sonnar 35-70 lens with a Leitax mount. Hope to be able to post results here from both lenses soon, likely in the lens club section. Yes, it would be great to have direct fit lenses, hopefully Pentax will fill the void. In the mean time we will use what is available with this great tool ( K1 ). K5, K3, K1, 645D, and 645Z. All that and I will grab the K1 first Go figure! Thanks again for the reply Ray

01-15-2017, 11:48 AM	#10
veraikon Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Inside the Blue Banana ;) Posts: 255	Originally posted by Ray Cox veraikon, thanks for the reply and information. After contacting David @ Leitax, I decided to get the ZF version of the 25/2.8 lens. The lens and adapter are " in the mail ". There is available a Distagon 25/2.8 ZK available on Ebay @ $920. While I realize that it would be a direct fit, I will have half of that invested. I am currently testing the Contax Vario-Sonnar 35-70 lens with a Leitax mount. Hope to be able to post results here from both lenses soon, likely in the lens club section. Yes, it would be great to have direct fit lenses, hopefully Pentax will fill the void. In the mean time we will use what is available with this great tool ( K1 ). K5, K3, K1, 645D, and 645Z. All that and I will grab the K1 first Go figure! Thanks again for the reply Ray thanks Ray for the informatiion that there are Leitax mounts ZF -> PK - I didn´t know that. Never the less the 25./2.0 (the modern type with aspherical lens, FLE and "Sonderglas" ) would be imho the better choice. ,) Quote: ... As a German website we'd love to report that we've seen another great Zeiss lens (home, sweet home after all) but at the end of the day the proof is in the pudding (or maybe in the "Kraut" here) and it just doesn't taste all that good. The Zeiss Distagon T* 25mm f/2.8 ZF performed pretty good in our Nikon APS-C review but it didn't impress during our full format lab tests. Zeiss Distagon T* 25mm f/2.8 ZF (FX) - Review / Test Report But as I know the Zeiss Distagon 25/2.8 focuses from 0.17m , you can use it like a macro lens - the Distagon 25/2.0 not (0.25m)