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Carl Zeiss is a brand that needs no introduction. Their lenses are highly prized by photographers and cinematographers, providing the sharpest images and most accurate color reproduction available in the industry.
When you hear the words Carl Zeiss what do you think of? For most photographers, it’s a name synonymous with a standard of optical excellence.
In fact, when I was in college, it was almost like a badge of honor when you could say that your equipment had been developed to Carl Zeiss standards.
But what exactly is a Carl Zeiss lens?
Technically speaking, it’s any lens manufactured by the German company Carl Zeiss AG. But the term has become synonymous with high-end lenses that have been designed to meet exceptionally high standards and specifications.
While there are many companies that manufacture lenses that are considered to be of excellent quality, Carl Zeiss is one of the few names that is well known throughout the world and has been associated with some of the best photographic lenses ever made.
There’s a reason why Carl Zeiss has become a byword for quality optics — Carl Zeiss lenses are known for their precision and quality.
If you want to buy a new lens, then Carl Zeiss is the way to go. Here are just some of the best Carl Zeiss lenses available on the market today.
Best Carl Zeiss Lenses
Let’s kick off our list of the best Carl Zeiss lenses.
Gear picks at a glance
| # | Lens |
|---|---|
| 1 | Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2 CF |
| 2 | Zeiss Milvus 15mm f/2.8 |
| 3 | Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 Apo |
| 4 | Zeiss Batis Distagon 18mm f/2.8 |
| 5 | Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 |
| 6 | Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4 |
| 7 | Zeiss Milvus 21mm f/2.8 |
| 8 | Zeiss Planar T* FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA |
| 9 | Zeiss Otus Apo-Sonnar 100mm f/1.4 |
| 10 | Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 |
| 11 | Zeiss Loxia 25mm f/2.4 |
| 12 | Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 |
| 13 | Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO |
| 14 | Zeiss Otus 28mm f/1.4 APO |
1. Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2 CF
The Batis 40mm f/2 CF is a close-focus prime in the five-lens Batis family (18mm f/2.8, 25mm f/2, 40mm f/2, 85mm f/1.8, and 135mm f/2.8).1 It’s a compact, weather-sealed autofocus lens for Sony E-mount, and it does not have optical image stabilization.
The Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2 CF is a high-end standard prime lens for Sony’s full-frame E-mount mirrorless cameras.
As you’d expect from a lens of this type, the Batis 40mm is designed for use on both high and low resolution cameras, and features an optical design optimized for resolution across the entire frame.
The wide f/2 aperture allows for shooting in lower light conditions as well as producing shallower depth of field effects. ZEISS rates the closest focus at 0.24 m (9.45 in), with a magnification of 1:3.3.2
The lens weighs 361 g (0.80 lb) and has a dust and moisture resistant design.1
ZEISS
- VERSATILE FULL-FRAME LENS: The powerful lens for the mirrorless full-frame system of Sony fulfills the highest requirements. Despite its compact design, the image meets the expectations of professional photographers.
- EXCELLENT RESOLUTION AND HIGH CONTRAST: ZEISS combines various specially developed technologies to reduce undesirable effects of stray light. The end results are richly saturated and vivid colors.
- ROBUST AND WEATHERPROOF METAL CONSTRUCTION: Thanks to features that are designed to keep out dust and spray water, the lens is perfectly suited for critical outdoor conditions. It is also designed for many years of intensive use.
- INNOVATIVE OLED DISPLAY: For the first time, you can accurately read the focus distance and depth of field simply and intuitively on the OLED display on the lens. Especially in poor light conditions - excellent readability is always guaranteed.
- SMOOTH AND RELIABLE AUTOFOCUS: The focusing system of ZEISS lenses is designed to ensure a robust and smooth-running autofocus mechanism with the best imaging performance.
VERSATILE FULL-FRAME LENS: The powerful lens for the mirrorless full-frame system of Sony fulfills the highest requirements. Despite its compact design, the image meets the expectations of professional photographers. EXCELLENT RESOLUTION AND HIGH CONTRAST: ZEISS combines various specially developed technologies to reduce undesirable effects of stray light. The end results are richly saturated and vivid colors.
View on Amazon2. Zeiss Milvus 15mm f/2.8
The ZEISS Milvus 15mm f/2.8 T is a wide-angle prime lens designed for Canon EF mount full-frame DSLR cameras.
It offers the maximum field of view that you can get on a full-frame camera using a 15mm lens and will also work on APS-C cameras.
The ZEISS Milvus 15mm f/2.8 was announced in September 2015, along with the rest of the Milvus range of lenses.
The lens features a robust build quality and weather sealing to help handle any weather conditions.
Autofocus is not supported, but the manual focus ring has been improved over previously released ZEISS lenses to offer a more smooth and quiet action
The lens is manual focus only and has no image stabilization. It mounts on Canon EF bodies, including the EOS 5DS R, 5D Mark IV, and 6D Mark II.
3. Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 Apo
The ZEISS Batis 135mm f/2.8 Apo is a medium telephoto lens with a fast, fixed aperture.
It is the longest focal length in the Batis range. Its f/2.8 maximum aperture is slower than the Batis 85mm f/1.8, and, like the 85mm, this 135mm has optical image stabilization.1
The Batis 135mm is slightly weighted towards portraiture. On a full-frame camera it is a 135mm lens. On a Sony APS-C body the angle of view is closer to a 200mm lens, so it has a lot of reach for shooting subjects that are some distance away from you.
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It can also provide some nice background blur (bokeh) thanks to its wide maximum aperture.
It’s not designed exclusively for portrait photography though. You can also use it to take pictures of details like flowers or other small, close-up subjects.
ZEISS
- VERSATILE FULL-FRAME LENS: The powerful lens for the mirrorless full-frame system of Sony fulfills the highest requirements. Despite its compact design, the image meets the expectations of professional photographers.
- EXCELLENT RESOLUTION AND HIGH CONTRAST: ZEISS combines various specially developed technologies to reduce undesirable effects of stray light. The end results are richly saturated and vivid colors.
- ROBUST AND WEATHERPROOF METAL CONSTRUCTION: Thanks to features that are designed to keep out dust and spray water, the lens is perfectly suited for critical outdoor conditions. It is also designed for many years of intensive use.
- INNOVATIVE OLED DISPLAY: For the first time, you can accurately read the focus distance and depth of field simply and intuitively on the OLED display on the lens. Especially in poor light conditions - excellent readability is always guaranteed.
- SMOOTH AND RELIABLE AUTOFOCUS: The design of the autofocus system requires an extremely accurate shifting of lens groups. The focusing system of ZEISS lenses is designed to ensure a robust and smooth-running autofocus with the best imaging performance.
VERSATILE FULL-FRAME LENS: The powerful lens for the mirrorless full-frame system of Sony fulfills the highest requirements. Despite its compact design, the image meets the expectations of professional photographers. EXCELLENT RESOLUTION AND HIGH CONTRAST: ZEISS combines various specially developed technologies to reduce undesirable effects of stray light. The end results are richly saturated and vivid colors.
View on Amazon4. Zeiss Batis Distagon 18mm f/2.8
Zeiss Batis Distagon 18mm f/2.8 is the widest lens in the Zeiss Batis lineup. It is an autofocus lens, optimized for the high-resolution sensors of Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras.
It weighs 330 g and takes 77mm filters.1 It is also very expensive, but it delivers outstanding image quality.
The Zeiss Batis Distagon 18mm f/2.8 is a compact, weather-resistant wide-angle prime lens for Sony mirrorless cameras.
On a full-frame E-mount camera it is an 18mm lens. On a Sony APS-C body the angle of view is about 27mm equivalent.
Like its sibling, the Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8, the 18mm f/2.8 features an OLED display that indicates the focus distance and depth of field for the current aperture setting.1
The display can be turned off via a dedicated switch if desired.
ZEISS
- VERSATILE FULL-FRAME LENS: The powerful lens for the mirrorless full-frame system of Sony fulfills the highest requirements. Despite its compact design, the image meets the expectations of professional photographers
- EXCELLENT RESOLUTION AND HIGH CONTRAST: ZEISS combines various specially developed technologies to reduce undesirable effects of stray light. The end results are richly saturated and vivid colors
- ROBUST AND WEATHERPROOF METAL CONSTRUCTION: Thanks to features that are designed to keep out dust and spray water, the lens is perfectly suited for critical outdoor conditions. It is also designed for many years of intensive use
- INNOVATIVE OLED DISPLAY: For the first time, you can accurately read the focus distance and depth of field simply and intuitively on the OLED display on the lens. Especially in poor light conditions - excellent readability is always guaranteed
- SMOOTH AND RELIABLE AUTOFOCUS: The design of the autofocus system requires an extremely accurate shifting of lens groups. The focusing system of ZEISS lenses is designed to ensure a robust and smooth-running autofocus with the best imaging performance
VERSATILE FULL-FRAME LENS: The powerful lens for the mirrorless full-frame system of Sony fulfills the highest requirements. Despite its compact design, the image meets the expectations of professional photographers EXCELLENT RESOLUTION AND HIGH CONTRAST: ZEISS combines various specially developed technologies to reduce undesirable effects of stray light. The end results are richly saturated and vivid colors
View on Amazon5. Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8
The Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 is a moderate wide-angle prime lens designed for full-frame Nikon and Canon DSLRs.
The Milvus line, introduced in August 2015, replaces the long-running Zeiss ZF.2 and ZE series of lenses, offering better weather sealing and an updated design that makes it easier to use on mirrorless cameras via adapters.
The Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 is a manual focus lens only, so you’ll have to use the camera’s focus confirmation features (typically a magnified view) to ensure accurate focus.
However, some third-party adapters with chips can send information about the lens’ distance setting to help autofocus systems perform better.
ZEISS
- CREATIVE STILL AND VIDEO PHOTOGRAPHY THROUGH PRECISE MANUAL FOCUSING: ZEISS Milvus lenses feature a large rotation angle which enables pinpoint focusing. The top-quality focusing mechanism moves smoothly without backlash, optimally supporting the photographer's creative interplay with the focal plane of high-speed fixed focal lengths. Engraving in both meters and feet and the focus scale provide additional support for manual focusing. The continuous aperture setting (de-click function with ZF.2 mount) and the long focusing range lay optimal conditions for video photography.
- FUTURE-PROOF SOLUTION FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION CAMERA SYSTEMS: The excellent image performance of the ZEISS Milvus lenses is sharply focused on the requirements of current and future high-performance digital cameras. Thanks to the low level of stray light allowed by the lens design, high-contrast images are possible with increasing high dynamic ranges of the sensors (HDR). The minimization of coma, astigmatism and spherical aberrations enables consistently high resolution over the entire image field. The optics are designed to ensure full utilization of the performance provided by high-resolution camera systems.
- EXCELLENT IMAGERY, EVEN IN DIFFICULT LIGHT CONDITIONS: All lenses features ZEISS T* antireflective coating. In addition, all lens edges are finished with a special pitch-black lacquer in a complex manual process. Light traps in mechanical components and specially designed surfaces are integrated to prevent the occurrence of reflections.
- STABLE IMAGE PERFORMANCE OVER THE ENTIRE FOCUSING RANGE: State-of-the-art camera systems and high-resolution digital image sensors demand more and more performance from the lens. The Floating Elements Design permits constantly high image performance in the focal plane from the minimum object distance to infinity.
CREATIVE STILL AND VIDEO PHOTOGRAPHY THROUGH PRECISE MANUAL FOCUSING: ZEISS Milvus lenses feature a large rotation angle which enables pinpoint focusing. The top-quality focusing mechanism moves smoothly without backlash, optimally supporting the photographer's creative interplay with the focal plane of high-speed fixed focal lengths. Engraving in both meters and feet and the focus scale provide additional support for manual focusing. The continuous aperture setting (de-click function with ZF.2 mount) and the long focusing range lay optimal conditions for video photography. FUTURE-PROOF SOLUTION FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION CAMERA SYSTEMS: The excellent image performance of the ZEISS Milvus lenses is sharply focused on the requirements of current and future high-performance digital cameras. Thanks to the low level of stray light allowed by the lens design, high-contrast images are possible with increasing high dynamic ranges of the sensors (HDR). The minimization of coma, astigmatism and spherical aberrations enables consistently high resolution over the entire image field. The optics are designed to ensure full utilization of the performance provided by high-resolution camera systems.
View on AmazonWhat Are Carl Zeiss Lenses?
Carl Zeiss lenses are made by a company that has been in the business for more than 100 years.
Carl Zeiss opened his workshop in Jena in 1846, and the company has since become a global powerhouse when it comes to optics.3
It’s no accident that Carl Zeiss lenses are often found on DSLRs, as they produce stunning images with exceptional clarity and color accuracy.
Today, there is a wide variety of focal lengths available ranging from 8mm all the way to 500mm (and everything in between).
Though these lenses are pricey, they will provide you with excellent service for many years thanks to bulletproof build quality and high-end materials used throughout construction.
If you’re looking for an investment piece of equipment or just want something better than what is available for the average consumer, these lenses might be of interest to you.
6. Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4
The Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4 is an excellent standard portrait lens for professionals and serious enthusiasts who shoot full-frame Canon or Nikon DSLRs.
The Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4 is a fast, short telephoto lens designed for full-frame cameras. It’s available in Canon EF and Nikon F mounts.
The Milvus 85mm f/1.4 is a short telephoto in the manual-focus Milvus lineup for Canon EF and Nikon F.
The Milvus lenses are designed to be used with modern high-resolution DSLR cameras, such as the Canon EOS 5DS and Nikon D810, which means they’re optically optimized for filter stacks at the rear of the lens instead of closer to the front element.
The Milvus 85mm uses a metal barrel with seals against dust and splashes.
ZEISS lists the weight at 1,280 g for the Canon ZE version and 1,210 g for the Nikon ZF.2 version. Length without caps is 113 mm (ZE) or 110 mm (ZF.2).4
ZEISS
- CREATIVE STILL AND VIDEO PHOTOGRAPHY THROUGH PRECISE MANUAL FOCUSING: The top-quality focusing mechanism moves smoothly without backlash, optimally supporting the photographer's creative interplay with the focal plane of high-speed fixed focal lengths.
- FUTURE-PROOF SOLUTION FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION CAMERA SYSTEMS: The excellent image performance of the ZEISS Milvus lenses is sharply focused on the requirements of current and future high-performance digital cameras.
- EXCELLENT IMAGERY, EVEN IN DIFFICULT LIGHT CONDITIONS: All lenses features ZEISS T* antireflective coating. In addition, all lens edges are finished with a special pitch-black lacquer in a complex manual process to prevent the occurrence of reflections.
- STABLE IMAGE PERFORMANCE OVER THE ENTIRE FOCUSING RANGE: State-of-the-art camera systems and high-resolution digital image sensors demand more and more performance from the lens. The Floating Elements Design permits constantly high image performance.
- DURABILITY AND PROTECTION AGAINST THE ELEMENTS: The all-metal housing has special seals for protection against dust and splashes to expand the photographer's creative potential by guaranteeing the system's functional reliability.
CREATIVE STILL AND VIDEO PHOTOGRAPHY THROUGH PRECISE MANUAL FOCUSING: The top-quality focusing mechanism moves smoothly without backlash, optimally supporting the photographer's creative interplay with the focal plane of high-speed fixed focal lengths. FUTURE-PROOF SOLUTION FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION CAMERA SYSTEMS: The excellent image performance of the ZEISS Milvus lenses is sharply focused on the requirements of current and future high-performance digital cameras.
View on Amazon7. Zeiss Milvus 21mm f/2.8
The Zeiss Milvus 21mm f/2.8 is an ultra-wide prime lens designed specifically for use with full-frame DSLR cameras.
In terms of its construction quality, the Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 features a robust all-metal build, with rubberized focus and aperture rings. Seals protect against dust and splashes.
It has a minimum focus distance of 0.25m and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:8, which means it can be used for close-up work as well as landscape photography.
ZEISS lists the weight at 735 g for the Nikon ZF.2 version and 851 g for the Canon ZE version, so it can still be used handheld without too much trouble.5
ZEISS
- CREATIVE STILL AND VIDEO PHOTOGRAPHY THROUGH PRECISE MANUAL FOCUSING: The top-quality focusing mechanism moves smoothly without backlash, optimally supporting the photographer's creative interplay with the focal plane of high-speed fixed focal lengths.
- FUTURE-PROOF SOLUTION FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION CAMERA SYSTEMS: The excellent image performance of the ZEISS Milvus lenses is sharply focused on the requirements of current and future high-performance digital cameras.
- EXCELLENT IMAGERY, EVEN IN DIFFICULT LIGHT CONDITIONS: All lenses feature ZEISS T* antireflective coating. In addition, all lens edges are finished with a special pitch-black lacquer in a complex manual process to prevent the occurrence of reflections.
- STABLE IMAGE PERFORMANCE OVER THE ENTIRE FOCUSING RANGE: State-of-the-art camera systems and high-resolution digital image sensors demand more and more performance from the lens. The Floating Elements Design permits constantly high image performance.
- DURABILITY AND PROTECTION AGAINST THE ELEMENTS: The all-metal housing has special seals for protection against dust and splashes to expand the photographer's creative potential by guaranteeing the system's functional reliability.
CREATIVE STILL AND VIDEO PHOTOGRAPHY THROUGH PRECISE MANUAL FOCUSING: The top-quality focusing mechanism moves smoothly without backlash, optimally supporting the photographer's creative interplay with the focal plane of high-speed fixed focal lengths. FUTURE-PROOF SOLUTION FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION CAMERA SYSTEMS: The excellent image performance of the ZEISS Milvus lenses is sharply focused on the requirements of current and future high-performance digital cameras.
View on Amazon8. Zeiss Planar T* FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA
The Zeiss Planar T* FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA Lens is a fast, normal-length prime lens for Sony’s full-frame E-mount mirrorless digital cameras.
Sony’s optical design uses 12 elements in 9 groups. ZEISS T* coating is applied to reduce flare and ghosting.
An 11-blade circular diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality.6
Autofocus is driven by a ring-drive SSM motor, with an AF/MF switch. Minimum focus is 0.45 m (1.48 ft).6
The barrel has a physical aperture ring, with a switch to turn the click stops on or off.6
Sony
- 50mm wide aperture Prime lens with ZEISS Planar design, Center to corner sharpness with outstanding resolution, Bright F14 maximum aperture with excellent low light performance,Lens Groups / Elements:9 / 12
- Sony E-mount.Filter Diameter (mm): 72 mm.ZEISS T coating delivers superior contrast and resolution, 11-blade aperture and aspheric elements for gorgeous bokeh, 11-blade circular aperture for gorgeous bokeh
- 11-blade aperture and aspheric elements for smoothly defocused backgrounds, 12 Elements in 9 Groups with Advanced Aspheric and ED glass, Ring Drive SSM for fast, quiet and precise focusing
- Aperture ring with a selectable click ON/OFF switch, AF/MF switch for direct auto/manual focus control, Dust and moisture resistant for robust reliability. Focal Length- 50 mm. Minimum focus distance- 0.45 m (1.48 ft)
50mm wide aperture Prime lens with ZEISS Planar design, Center to corner sharpness with outstanding resolution, Bright F14 maximum aperture with excellent low light performance,Lens Groups / Elements:9 / 12 Sony E-mount.Filter Diameter (mm): 72 mm.ZEISS T coating delivers superior contrast and resolution, 11-blade aperture and aspheric elements for gorgeous bokeh, 11-blade circular aperture for gorgeous bokeh
View on Amazon9. Zeiss Otus Apo-Sonnar 100mm f/1.4
The Zeiss Otus Apo-Sonnar 100mm f/1.4 is a short telephoto lens designed to produce beautiful results when used on a high-resolution full-frame DSLR.
It’s manual focus only, with an aperture range of f/1.4 to f/16 and an 86mm front filter thread.7
The Otus series lenses are ultra-expensive premium optics targeted at professional photographers who demand the highest possible image quality with no compromises.
The Zeiss Otus Apo-Sonnar 100mm f/1.4 is available in Canon EF and Nikon F mounts. ZEISS announced it on 24 April 2019. The Otus 28mm f/1.4 is an earlier lens, from 2015.8
ZEISS lists the weight at 1,405 g for the Canon ZE version and 1,336 g for the Nikon ZF.2 version.9
ZEISS
- Zeiss 100mm f/1.4 Apo Sonnar Lens - Zeiss Front & Rear Lens Caps - Metal Lens Hood - Zeiss Warranty
- Apochromat: Because this lens is an apochromat, chromatic aberrations (axial chromatic aberations) are corrected with elements of special glass with anomalous partial dispersion. The chromatic aberrations are therefore significantly below the defined limits. Bright-dark transitions in the image are reproduced almost free of color artifacts
- The ultimate in image contrast: Aberrations caused by extreme differences between shadows and highlights are particularly obvious in images captured at night. Thanks to the outstanding correction of lateral chromatic aberration, the floodlit facade is reproduced with absolute perfection.
- No colour fringing: Sources of light located in front of or behind the plane of focus present particular challenges to every lens. In the case of the ZEISS Otus, longitudinalchromatic aberration is so low that practically no colour fringing occurs.
- The medium format look: Thanks to its exceptional sharpness, the ZEISS Otus exploits the full potentialsof contemporary high-resolution sensors and rewards photographers with images characterised by breathtaking rendition of even the finest details.
- Video capture resolution: 2K DCI 1080p
Zeiss 100mm f/1.4 Apo Sonnar Lens - Zeiss Front & Rear Lens Caps - Metal Lens Hood - Zeiss Warranty Apochromat: Because this lens is an apochromat, chromatic aberrations (axial chromatic aberations) are corrected with elements of special glass with anomalous partial dispersion. The chromatic aberrations are therefore significantly below the defined limits. Bright-dark transitions in the image are reproduced almost free of color artifacts
View on Amazon10. Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2
The Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 is a wide-angle prime lens designed specifically for Sony’s E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras.
What’s remarkable is that the autofocus lens manages to minimize the size and weight of its design, while still offering a fast f/2 aperture and excellent optical performance. It does not have optical image stabilization. ZEISS lists the weight at 335 g.1
The Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 has an impressive build quality, with a sleek aluminum alloy housing and high-quality construction throughout.
Although the lens isn’t heavy by any means, it does have a satisfying heft to it and feels durable enough to withstand some abuse in the field.
The weather sealing is good but doesn’t match the standard set by Sony’s own G Master lenses.
This lens is perfect for architecture photography.
ZEISS
- VERSATILE FULL-FRAME LENS: The powerful lens for the mirrorless full-frame system of Sony fulfills the highest requirements. Despite its compact design, the image meets the expectations of professional photographers.
- EXCELLENT RESOLUTION AND HIGH CONTRAST: ZEISS combines various specially developed technologies to reduce undesirable effects of stray light. The end results are richly saturated and vivid colors.
- ROBUST AND WEATHERPROOF METAL CONSTRUCTION: Thanks to features that are designed to keep out dust and spray water, the lens is perfectly suited for critical outdoor conditions. It is also designed for many years of intensive use.
- INNOVATIVE OLED DISPLAY: For the first time, you can accurately read the focus distance and depth of field simply and intuitively on the OLED display on the lens. Especially in poor light conditions - excellent readability is always guaranteed.
- SMOOTH AND RELIABLE AUTOFOCUS: The focusing system of ZEISS lenses is designed to ensure a robust and smooth-running autofocus mechanism with the best imaging performance.
VERSATILE FULL-FRAME LENS: The powerful lens for the mirrorless full-frame system of Sony fulfills the highest requirements. Despite its compact design, the image meets the expectations of professional photographers. EXCELLENT RESOLUTION AND HIGH CONTRAST: ZEISS combines various specially developed technologies to reduce undesirable effects of stray light. The end results are richly saturated and vivid colors.
View on Amazon11. Zeiss Loxia 25mm f/2.4
The compact Zeiss Loxia 25mm f/2.4 Distagon lens is designed for Sony a7 series cameras. On a full-frame body it is a 25mm wide-angle. On Sony APS-C the angle of view is about 37.5mm.
The Zeiss Loxia 25mm f/2.4 Distagon offers excellent sharpness, even at its widest aperture setting. This makes it ideal for low-light shooting or for isolating the subject from the background with a shallow depth of field.
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As with other Loxia lenses, the manual focus ring is mechanically coupled, and electronic contacts pass lens data to the camera for focus aids.10
The aperture is set on the lens ring, which can be de-clicked for video.11
ZEISS
- DECLICK FEATURE: Using a supplied tool and an adjustment screw on the bayonet surface to declick the locking mechanism. This means that for video applications, you can smoothly eliminate any unwanted differences in brightness as you pan the camera.
- IMMENSELY COMPATIBLE: The ZEISS Loxia lenses are suitable for use with the mirrorless Sony Alpha cameras with E-mount and were optimized for sensors up to full 35 mm format (24 x 36 mm). With the ZEISS Loxia lenses, the aperture is controlled manually.
- HIGH-GRADE FULL-METAL CASING: Tangible quality that holds its value is what qualifies ZEISS lenses for decades of hard use. Precision-engineered full-metal casing, grippy focus and aperture rings made of metal, guarantee stunning photographic results.
- VIRTUALLY DISTORTION-FREE OPTICS: Dramatic perspectives and a view from extraordinary image angles. ZEISS’ elaborate optical designs at all focal lengths compensate for distortion disrupting the composition.
- PRECISE MANUAL FOCUS: ZEISS lenses stand out with their large rotation angle which enables precise focusing. The high-quality focusing mechanism moves smoothly to support the intuitive interaction with the focal plane.
DECLICK FEATURE: Using a supplied tool and an adjustment screw on the bayonet surface to declick the locking mechanism. This means that for video applications, you can smoothly eliminate any unwanted differences in brightness as you pan the camera. IMMENSELY COMPATIBLE: The ZEISS Loxia lenses are suitable for use with the mirrorless Sony Alpha cameras with E-mount and were optimized for sensors up to full 35 mm format (24 x 36 mm). With the ZEISS Loxia lenses, the aperture is controlled manually.
View on Amazon12. Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8
The Batis 85mm f/1.8 is the second lens in Zeiss’ line of autofocus lenses designed for full-frame E-mount cameras.
It’s a portrait-length prime that offers very good image quality, with a sharpness that’s on par with the best from Sony, and low distortion and lateral chromatic aberration.
The lens is large for a portrait prime. It has optical image stabilization and an OLED display to show focus distance and depth of field information.1
We recommend it for its image quality, but you’ll pay more to get it than most other options.
ZEISS
- VERSATILE FULL-FRAME LENS: The powerful lens for the mirrorless full-frame system of Sony fulfills the highest requirements. Despite its compact design, the image meets the expectations of professional photographers.
- EXCELLENT RESOLUTION AND HIGH CONTRAST: ZEISS combines various specially developed technologies to reduce undesirable effects of stray light. The end results are richly saturated and vivid colors.
- ROBUST AND WEATHERPROOF METAL CONSTRUCTION: Thanks to features that are designed to keep out dust and spray water, the lens is perfectly suited for critical outdoor conditions. It is also designed for many years of intensive use.
- INNOVATIVE OLED DISPLAY: For the first time, you can accurately read the focus distance and depth of field simply and intuitively on the OLED display on the lens. Especially in poor light conditions - excellent readability is always guaranteed.
- SMOOTH AND RELIABLE AUTOFOCUS: The design of the autofocus system requires an extremely accurate shifting of lens groups. The focusing system of ZEISS lenses is designed to ensure a robust and smooth-running autofocus with the best imaging performance.
VERSATILE FULL-FRAME LENS: The powerful lens for the mirrorless full-frame system of Sony fulfills the highest requirements. Despite its compact design, the image meets the expectations of professional photographers. EXCELLENT RESOLUTION AND HIGH CONTRAST: ZEISS combines various specially developed technologies to reduce undesirable effects of stray light. The end results are richly saturated and vivid colors.
View on Amazon13. Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO
The Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO is a high-grade prime lens for Canon and Nikon full-frame DSLRs.
The manual focus design has been developed with an emphasis on minimizing aberrations and distortions, particularly at the edges of the frame, to produce images with high contrast, resolution, and clarity.
The optical construction includes 11 elements in 10 groups, with aspherical and special low dispersion elements to control chromatic aberration and reduce color fringing.
The wide f/1.4 maximum aperture enables shallow depth of field effects, selective focusing techniques, and working in low lighting conditions without requiring the use of flash or a tripod.
The minimum focusing distance is 35cm (1.15′) while the nine aperture blades contribute to smooth bokeh quality when working with shallow depth of field techniques.
The lens also features a large 82mm filter thread which can be used to mount screw-in filters or the separately available Zeiss Lens Shade 82 (ZE).
ZEISS
- Apochromat: Because this lens is an apochromat, chromatic aberrations (axial chromatic aberations) are corrected with elements of special glass with anomalous partial dispersion. The chromatic aberrations are therefore significantly below the defined limits. Bright-dark transitions in the image are reproduced almost free of color artifacts
- The ultimate in image contrast: Aberrations caused by extreme differences between shadows and highlights are particularly obvious in images captured at night. Thanks to the outstanding correction of lateral chromatic aberration, the floodlit facade is reproduced with absolute perfection.
- No colour fringing: Sources of light located in front of or behind the plane of focus present particular challenges to every lens. In the case of the ZEISS Otus, longitudinalchromatic aberration is so low that practically no colour fringing occurs.
- The medium format look: Thanks to its exceptional sharpness, the ZEISS Otus exploits the full potentialsof contemporary high-resolution sensors and rewards photographers with images characterised by breathtaking rendition of even the finest details.
- Aspherical design: The aspherical lens design ensures consistent imaging performance throughout theentire focusing range as well as sharpness to the periphery of the image. The asphere's more complex surface profile can reduce or eliminate spherical aberration and also reduce other optical aberrations compared to a simple lens.
Apochromat: Because this lens is an apochromat, chromatic aberrations (axial chromatic aberations) are corrected with elements of special glass with anomalous partial dispersion. The chromatic aberrations are therefore significantly below the defined limits. Bright-dark transitions in the image are reproduced almost free of color artifacts The ultimate in image contrast: Aberrations caused by extreme differences between shadows and highlights are particularly obvious in images captured at night. Thanks to the outstanding correction of lateral chromatic aberration, the floodlit facade is reproduced with absolute perfection.
View on Amazon14. Zeiss Otus 28mm f/1.4 APO
The Zeiss Otus 28mm f/1.4 APO is a manual focus only, all-metal, high-performance wide-angle lens for full-frame cameras.
It has an aperture range of f/1.4 to f/16 and features 16 elements in 13 groups, with floating elements and an apochromatic (APO) design to correct optical aberrations.7
ZEISS describes the correction as extremely high for a 28mm f/1.4, with very low distortion and chromatic aberration. That is not zero aberration at every aperture.
All focal lengths, even wider ones like 14mm, seem to look better on 50MP and higher sensor resolutions, but the 28mm Otus makes even more ordinary sensors look their very best.
The Otus 28mm f/1.4 APO delivers a creamy bokeh wide open that smooths out background details while keeping them recognizable.
Zeiss Batis Lenses
Zeiss Batis lenses are a new type of lens that was designed to be used on mirrorless cameras.
These autofocus lenses were designed for Sony full-frame E-mount cameras, including the A7 series.1 They are not native lenses for Fuji X, Micro Four Thirds, Leica M, or Samsung NX.
Zeiss Lenses For Mirrorless System Cameras
Many photographers are looking for a replacement to their DSLR camera system, but don’t want the hassle of carrying around heavy equipment all day.
Mirrorless cameras are a perfect solution to this problem because they offer many features and quality that is comparable to DSLRs while still being lightweight.
Zeiss lenses have been known as some of the best in the industry for decades. The full-frame Batis and Loxia lenses in this guide are Sony E-mount, so check the mount before you buy.
Zeiss Lenses for SLR Cameras
The Zeiss Lenses for SLR Cameras are the perfect lenses to help you capture high-quality photos.
These lenses are made of premium materials. ZEISS T* coating is meant to reduce flare and glare. It does not transmit four times as much light as other modern lenses.
The lens is compatible with all types of cameras but does not cover Sony’s E-mount system, which means that it can only be used on Canon or Nikon DSLRs.
Zeiss Classic Lenses
Zeiss is a German company that manufactures cameras and other optical products. The Zeiss Classic lenses are designed for DSLR cameras, with the aim of producing high-quality images.
These lenses have been around since 1975, so if you’re looking for something new or just want to try out a lens from an old time favorite camera brand, then these may be what you need!
Zeiss Lenses For Videography
In the world of videography, there are a lot of factors that go into making a video look great. For starters, the camera and the recording format still matter, but HD is no longer the ceiling.
The next major factor is the lens you use for filming. The stills lenses in this guide can be used for video. A lens does not have to be a dedicated cinema lens to be useful.
There are many different lenses on the market today but one name has risen above them all: Zeiss Lenses.
Zeiss Lens vs. Leica Lens: Which Brand Is Better
I’m not sure if you’ve ever had the opportunity to use a Zeiss lens or a Leica lens, but I’ll share some of my personal experiences with both.
Both are high-quality lenses that offer great clarity and sharpness across the field of view.
People often have strong opinions about which brand is better and it all boils down to what type of photography they do most often and what their budget can accommodate.
For me, I found the Leica lenses to be much more expensive than Zeiss so I only buy them when I need one specific focal length for an event that doesn’t allow me any flexibility in selecting equipment beforehand.
What Makes Zeiss Quality So Special
The Zeiss company has been around for over 150 years and is one of the most well-respected brands in the world.
They produce a wide range of lenses including some that are considered to be among the best on the market today.
They have an extensive line with something for every need, from wide-angle to telephoto shots and everything in between.
Best Carl Zeiss Lenses – Wrap Up
The Zeiss lenses are made for photographers that want to take the best quality photos. The lenses come in many different sizes and shapes, with all sorts of specifications.
For example, the Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 is a wide-angle option for night photography because its f/2 aperture lets in more light than a typical kit zoom.
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Sources & References
- ZEISS Batis Lenses. ZEISS. Carl Zeiss AG. Available Models: Batis 2.8/18, 2/25, 2/40 CF, 1.8/85, 2.8/135. View source↩
- ZEISS Batis 2/40 CF — Technical Specifications. ZEISS. Focusing range; Image ratio at MOD. View source↩
- 175 years of ZEISS: powering innovation for the future. ZEISS Group. ZEISS. 2021-05-11. Lead section: workshop opened 17 November 1846 in Jena. View source↩
- ZEISS Milvus 1.4/85 — Technical Specifications. ZEISS. Weight; Length (without lens caps). View source↩
- ZEISS Milvus Lenses. ZEISS. Carl Zeiss AG. Technical Data — Focal Length 21 mm, Weight. View source↩
- Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA | SEL50F14Z. Sony. Specifications & Features; F1.4 for versatility and beautiful bokeh. View source↩
- ZEISS Otus Lenses. Carl Zeiss AG. ZEISS. Technical Data — Focal Length 100 mm. View source↩
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↩2 - Zeiss adds 100mm F1.4 Otus to range. The Digital Journal of Photography. 2019-04-24. Reprinted ZEISS press release dateline OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 2019-04-24; Otus series history paragraph. View source↩
- ZEISS Otus 1.4/100 — Technical Specifications. ZEISS. Weight. View source↩
- ZEISS Loxia now also in the telephoto range. ZEISS. ZEISS Lenspire. 2016-09-15. Optimized ZEISS Sonnar design section. View source↩
- ZEISS Loxia Lenses | Enjoying full creative freedom. ZEISS. DeClick Feature; Immensely Compatible. View source↩
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