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"The Zeiss Distagon T* 18mm f/3.5 is the widest prime lens of the Zeiss Z-series.
According to the Zeiss naming convention "Distagon" refers to a "retro-focus" lens based on an asymmetrical design. The asymmetry is necessary to provide the required space for a SLR mirror. The first Distagon lens was introduced in 1953 - a 60mm f/5.6 for the Hasselblad 1000F. The design evolved over time, of course, and it's no longer just used by Zeiss but across the whole industry.

The lens is available for Canon (ZE) and Nikon (ZF, ZF.2) cameras. There also was a K-mount version for Pentax cameras (ZK), however Zeiss decided to discontinue the ZK-line in 2010. In addition, the ZF-line remains available, but is now marketed for industrial applications only.

The lens lives a bit in the shadow of its "legendary" sister lens, the Distagon 21mm. However, it offers a few advantages (besides its wider field of view, of course). It's smaller (well, shorter), lighter and at around 1200 EUR/USD it's also a bit more affordable, but still far from being cheap.

The Distagon is a full frame lens (all ZF lenses are), however in this review we'll have a look at its performance on our current DX test camera, the Nikon D7000."

The Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/2.8 ZA SSM is Sony's powerhouse lens in the standard zoom arena. The Zeiss lenses are designed by Zeiss but manufactured by Sony based on Zeiss quality control. As you may have guessed already the "Vario" terms refers to a zoom lens whereas the "Sonnar" (derived from "Sonne" (German) = "sun" in English) specifies a large aperture lens. It is a full format lens so let's have a look now how it perfoms on a Sony Alpha A900/A850.

The Zeiss Distagon T* 28mm f/2 is a fast wide-angle lens. In terms of execution and style it is almost indistinguishable to its nearest cousins - the T* 35mm f/2 and T* 25mm f/2.8.
According to the Zeiss naming convention "Distagon" refers to a "retro-focus" lens based on an asymmetrical design. The asymmetry is necessary to provide the required space for a SLR mirror. The first Distagon lens was introduced in 1953 - a 60mm f/5.6 for the Hasselblad 1000F. The design evolved over time, of course, and it's no longer just used by Zeiss but across the whole industry...

"Several of the currently offered manual focus Zeiss Z-series lenses are based on fairly old designs. However, slowly but steadily we are seeing newly developed lenses like the Distagon T* 35mm f/1.4 and the Distagon T* 25mm f/2. This time we'll have a look at the latter one. The T* 25mm f/2 is available in Nikon F and Canon EF mount. Apart from the lack of AF it is a fully coupled lens so a camera-controlled aperture, focus confirmation and EXIF data is supported. The Distagon is, obvious, a moderate ultra-wide angle lens with typical applications such as landscape, street and architecture photography. It is, of course, not exactly a budget item but it isn't any more expensive than its nearest competitor - the Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 USM L ... which has the advantage of being faster though. The optical design is not identical to the Zeiss ZA 24mm f/2 SSM (for Sony Alpha), BTW."

"The 21 mm Distagon is not a newcomer but a lens with a history dating back to the Contax C/Y era. The lens was one of the latest additions to the system (discontinued just after the Millennium). Soon after its release the news spread that this lens is something special - user comments and reviews suggested that it was the best mass production ultra-wide lens ever produced. Due to the rather mediocre alternatives in the EOS land some Canon users were even desperate enough to use it via adapters on their EOS cameras ... and to pay more for it over at ebay than its original MSRP. At the peak of this crazy hype it was almost more an investment rather than a purchase.
Well, these times are over because Zeiss did eventually listen and the lens is available again for Canon (ZE) and Nikon (ZF, ZF.2) cameras. There also was a K-mount version for Pentax cameras (ZK), however Zeiss decided to discontinue the ZK-line in 2010.

The new Distagon is not 100% identical to the original design. According to Zeiss it has been modernized with respect to flare and environment-friendly glass and the optical design has also been altered slightly. This price has not changed though - at around 1500EUR/US$ it is still not exactly a cheap item.

The Distagon is a full frame lens (all ZF lenses are), however in this review we'll have a look at how the lens performs on our current DX test camera, the Nikon D7000, where it resembles a moderate wide angle lens."

When it comes to full-frame 1.4/35 lenses, designed for reflex cameras, we have been given an ample opportunity to test products from such companies as Canon, Nikon, Samyang or Sony. There was just one lens from that good group left to be tested– the Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 35 MM F/1.4 ZE/ZF.2.

To tell you the truth we were very curious about its performance and results. First of all because it is an expensive lens from a reputable company. Additionally, it is the heaviest and the biggest instrument in its class. The combination of all those properties might suggest that we deal here with an optical gem of an instrument so to speak. Is it really the case, though? Does the Zeiss fares better than its competitors? Find out in next chapters and happy reading!

The Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f/2 is a moderate wide-angle lens. In terms of execution and style it is almost indistinguishable to its nearest cousins - the T* 28mm f/2 and T* 25mm f/2.8.
According to the Zeiss naming convention "Distagon" refers to a "retro-focus" lens based on an asymmetrical design. The asymmetry is necessary to provide the required space for a SLR mirror. The first Distagon lens was introduced in 1953 - a 60mm f/5.6 for the Hasselblad 1000F. The design evolved over time, of course, and it's no longer just used by Zeiss but across the whole industry.