Carl Zeiss Planar T* 35mm f/2 (Contax G)

Crop Zones

Center 100% Crops:

Zone A 100% Crops:

 

Zone B 100% Crops:

 

Zone C 100% Crops:

Carl Zeiss Planar 35mm f/2 has probably weakest reputation among Contax G primes.

From the results above, it indeed shows some flaws, especially lack of breath taking sharpness wide open, and pronounced astigmatism, causing soft, glowing corners. Stopped down to f/4 or f/5.6, it becomes very sharp across the frame.

On the other hand, it is little Zeiss with all what makes Zeiss lenses so desirable – very good contrast and color rendition. (I will add here results, as time allows me to process them).

You might want to check for the bokeh here.

Contax G lenses does not have focus ring.
To use Contax G lenses on NEX, special adapter with focus ring is needed and focusing is usually very fiddly.
Recently, adapter allowing AF is supposed to hit the market too.

From personnel experience, Carl Zeiss Planar T* 35mm f/2 is a great little lens for street and landscape photography, but because its price is recently rather high (with adapter at least), I can recommend it only to Zeiss purists.

Buy this lens if:

a) You believe that Zeiss is the mother of all lenses
b) You are masochist when it comes to MF
c) Most of your shots are taken at f4 and above
d) Contrast and punchy colors means more than sharpness wide open to you
e) You find one for 200 USD and bellow (buy few, and sell them to me)
f) You need small and light 35 for street and landscapes

Don’t buy this lens if:

a) You have shaky hands and love OSS
b) Most of your shots are taken wide open and sharpness is crucial
c) You don’t know what MF means
d) You believe that Sony invented lenses
e)  You find Sony SEL 1650 PZ to be a great lens (in that case, you don’t need other lens anyway, right?)
f) You usually use 35mm for party shots in low light

Links to other tests with 35mm lenses:
Sony SEL 35mm f/1.8 OSS E
Canon FDn 35mm f/2
Canon FD 35mm f/2 (Thorium) 
A.Schacht Ulm Travegon 35mm f3.5 R
Voigtlander Nokton Aspherical 35mm f/1.2 II

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