New Zeiss ZM 35 1.4 Distagon Leica M Mount lens IN STOCK!

19 Comments

1. Hi Steve,

   What are your thoughts on the viewfinder obstruction? I can’t compose through live view because I shoot film.

2. Thank you for the update! I have one overnighting to me now! I’ll send a few photos from my A7s tomorrow!

   • @ Sean Cook: Post a link if you can, that be great thanks!

3. I’ve had too many Zeiss lenses in M mount that started to wobble after a few years. Seemed rock solid at first but then started to have too much play. Much higher incidence than older Leica lenses. Not sure why but the rumors are true.

   • With heavy use this will happen also with Summicron-M 35mm Asph. Problems like loose aperture blades or loose lens group.

   • I had the same issues too with several zeiss lenses and after only few months and sometimes weeks.
     Since then I buy only leica lenses. I had some issue too with my 50 lux ASPH tough (a screw was too lose and the hood system felt appart. fortunately it was not a big issue and with no connection with the optical perfornance: fixed in 2minutes at a leica store). But that’s the only issue I had with my all system after few years.

     Problem with zeiss lenses: I want to love them, but they dont want to love me. I am really interested in this 35mm F1.4 though: my last chance for zeiss.

4. LLoyd Chambers doesn’t think this lens will work very well on the A7 series. I always take what he says with a grain of salt…he’s just way too technical for my tastes and sometimes the characteristics of the lens outweigh the amount of “fixing in post” one must do in order to achieve the desired result. That said; I’d sure like to hear your take Steve tested on the 7S.

   • It works fantastic on the A7s…its an amazing lens. I have seen samples and spoken with a few who use with Sony.

   • Sigh…I just look over at my Nikon 1 V1 (too cheap to buy a 32mm) and my strange collection of Contax G2, Minolta CLE,Leica CL, Nikon FA, Nikon FM3A……and wonder what you guys are talking about. However, Steve did convince me to cough up for a Stellar….still trying to figure out the myriad settings.

   • Don’t know if you’ve seen this, but an interesting review of it on the A7r. He seems much more optimistic (and in love) than DigLloyd.

     http://www.dearsusan.net/2015/01/26/317-zeiss-distagon-t-1-435-zm-full-review/

   • It should work fine because it’s a Distagon design. To my knowledge there are no distagon lenses with corner issues on ANY camera.

     The name Distagon refers to the long flange distance. It’s a design invented for use on DSLR lenses to clear the mirror.

5. Please review this lens!

   • +1

6. For the A7 camera, will wait for the native mount version, it’s out soon.

   • The announced Sony Zeiss FE 35mm f/1.4 is a completely different Sony design. From the released photos it looks several times larger than this Zeiss lens and potentially heavier. There’s no indication of Zeiss releasing an E-mount (Loxia) version of this lens in the near future. Unfortunately.

   • Will be much larger, fatter, longer and not quite as nice in the rendering… mark my words 😉

     • Mike & Steve : Ok, I thought it was really the same design, but with AF.
       I really don’t like adapters, I use some for my old Nikon AIS lenses, but I much prefer using netive FE lenses.

     • This is the first time that sony offer a ‘Zeiss’ lens that actually exists in the real Zeiss lineup, so they might copy the same exact optics from the ZM version. Even if it will be a bit bigger it will feature AF and it will work better with the a7 cameras (not only the a7s). In addition, The ZM has some problems with all a7 cameras when focused on infinity. Not to mention that the Sony version should be much cheaper and it’s native FE lens!
       Anyway i’m really looking forward to your review on this lens as it looks like the best lens for artists who want great quality lens.

       • Sony version will NOT be the same, at all. Totally different lens. This lens has no issues on the A7 and is beautiful on the A7s. This one will beat the sony for size, build, feel, and character.

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