Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/03/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Really? ZM vs Zeiss semantics in a LUGger's For Sale post? That's BS Mark. The glass is every bit as good as the best Zeiss designs and the 50mm Sonnar shows it. All the Zeiss offerings do. Before this current iteration of Zeiss it was Kyocera who had dominion over the company. Some lenses were made in Germany (as some of the current stable are as well) and those lenses for Contax SLR mount were absolutely top class designs and implementations. They aren't just ZM lenses. ZM is specifically for Leica M mount. they have also been made for Nikon S mount, Nikon F mount, Pentax K mount, Canon EOS mount and I may have missed one or two off the top of my head. If it's not Zeiss glass as you claim how does a 21mm or 28mm ZM lens perform at the same level or better than the current Leica designs? "Zeiss" glass doesn't matter in that case. It could be plastic Holga glass for all the people who actually make photographs with their lenses care over those pontificating about how Leica or old Zeiss or Schneider or whoever's lenses were the best. There IS a known though insignificant issue with some of the ZM lenses wobbling inside their focusing helicoids. Like Chris said, it can be taken care of with damping grease. Aside from that little handling issue, the ZM line is equal to the Leica offerings aperture-for-aperture. Give them a try if you can stomach it, you may like them. Phil Forrest On Fri, 30 Mar 2012 03:38:04 -0400 Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote: > There is no famous Zeiss wobble. > Zeiss lenses are among the best in the would. The most solidly made. > Right up there with Leica and JSK Schneider. Rodenstock. > Glass which has one thing in common. Very high price points. > Lenes which cost at mintumum 3 or 4 thousand dollars east. As they > use the best materials, (Glass choices) and made to the highest > tolerances making sure no lemons sneak out. > The lens you are mentioning cost 1 grand. The ZM Zeiss Normal 50mm > f/1.5 C Sonnar T* lens. And its made by Cosina in Japan to far > lesser tolerances and using cheaper materials. Hence the price. > On the LUG they are normally referred to as ZM glass. Not Zeiss glass. > Zeiss designs the glass. But then most glass comes from a Zeiss > design. I've used Zeiss glass on my Hasselblads all my life as has > most my photographer friends or half of them at least. None of them > had ever wobbled. They don't get loose either. Does a steering > wheel on a Rolls Royce wobble? > -- philforrest.wordpress.com gallery.leica-users.org/v/philforrest