The new lineup of Carl Zeiss wide-angle lenses for full-frame DSLRs is here! Designed with uncompromising quality in mind, the new Distagons are big, heavy and expensive—but based on independent lab tests conducted by DxOMark Labs, Adorama’s independent lens and camera test partner, they beat the pants off the best lenses Canon and Nikon have to offer. They are designed to complement the latest super high-resolution full-frame cameras, and provide the best image quality money can buy. For landscape and architecture photographers, these are especially useful and precise tools.
Zeiss Distagon 15mm f/2.8
Canon | Nikon
Adorama price: $2,950
This is a lens that’s designed to capture dramatic scenes with maximum depth of field. The newly redesigned Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 lens uses a pair of aspheric lenses and special glass with abnormal partial dispersion, which creates outstanding corrections of chromatic aberration. The lens has a floating element design for improved focus, while anti-reflective coating improves contrast.
A key feature for a manual focus lens such as the 15mm Distagon is that it should give photographers the ability to fine-tune focus; with a big focus rotation, this lens provides that. The 9 rounded-blade aperture also provides pleasing Bokeh, as you can see in the sample images provided by Zeiss. The lens has an integrated lens shade and accepts 95mm filters.
Specs:
Focal length: 15mm
Aperture: f/2.8-22
Closest focus: 9.8 inches
Optical construction: 15 elements in 12 groups
Filter mount: 95mm
Length: 5.2 inches
Weight: 28.9 ounces
Zeiss Distagon T 21mm f/2.8
Canon | Nikon
Adorama price: $1,843
Zeiss says images shot with the Distagon T 21mm f/2.8 are virtually distortion free, despite the extreme wide angle. The lens is made with non-reflecting optics and because of its complex design and all-metal chassis it is the largest and heaviest lens in its range. The payoff of the extra bulk is image quality, which is second to none with excellent edge-to-edge sharpness even when used on full-frame DSLRs. It’s a manual focus-only lens, but thanks to the generous focus rotation, you can focus with much greater precision.
The good news is that both the Canon and Nikon versions of this lens have electronic interfaces (CPU), so they support automatic exposure for shutter and aperture priority as well as program modes. The lens also transmits EXIF data, which travels with your image files.
Specs:
Focal length: 21mm
Aperture: f/2.8-22
Closest focus: 0.22 meters
Optical construction: 16 elements in 13 groups
Filter mount: 87mm
Length: 110mm
Weight: 620 grams
Zeiss Distagon 25mm f/2
Canon | Nikon
Adorama price: $1,699
As with its wider siblings, the Zeiss Distagon 25mm f/2’s optical glass virtually eliminates chromatic aberrations, while field curvature is also almost nonexistant, thanks to a floating element design and two aspheric lens surfaces. Even at the bright largest aperture of f/2, Zeiss says the lens will provide outstanding image quality and edge-to-edge sharpness.
The Zeiss 25mm f/2 is a big, heavy lens. But it is also super sharp and precise.
Specs:
Focal length: 25mm
Aperture: f/2-22
Closest focus: 9.8 inches
Optical construction: 11 elements in 10 groups
Filter size: 67mm
Length: 2.87 inches
Weight: 1.32 pounds
