I have the classic Distagon 2/25mm. This is my sharpest lens to date. I use it for environmental portraits. It is also very very sharp. In fact it hurts my eyes, so sharp it is. Love the colours and the field of view.
ZEISS lenses this wide are also useful in tight urban settings. I have used these to photograph classic diners on the East Coast. Lenses this wide allow you to step inside of telephone poles, street signs, cars, etc. and still get a clean shot free of distractions. Very good for architecture too. Any distortion you get can be just a part of the shot or corrected later. The Zeiss sharpness is incredible. To go even wider I use the Laowa 12mm, which rivals a Zeiss for picture quality.
WOW! Zeiss Milvus 21 in hand. WOW.... Did I say WOW? I mounted it on my D750 and leaned in to my iPad and I got almost as close as the distance of the hood..... and I can count the pixels in the iPad .... 21 and me are going to do great things together
I had to come re visit this video. I know it’s an old one... but on Sat Feb 16 2019 I ordered my copy on the Milvus 21 and a adapter so that my NiSi S5 System will work on it. I am so excited ( lol ) This video helped sway me to buy one.
Lol thanks for coming back to watch! I still use the lens all the time! It gives me wide angle views with almost no lens distortion at all. When you look at the files at 100 or 200% in Lightroom you will be blown away at the natural contras and sharpness. This lens is just something special. You’ll love it!
Ugg!! Damn Google like button on mobile!!! I digress That resolution is what turned me. I have a Sigma 14 Art that I get good shots on but at 14mm sometimes depending on ... we’ll you know where I am going. Using a 14 all the time is like having a Fish Eye as your only lens. I got the Milvus 50 Zf2M Makro about 6 months ago and really haven’t taken it off save for slapping on the 24-120 kit lens for a doggy shoot I did for my boss. .... which is why I like landscape and stills. Lol. I can’t wait to get my B&H package... it will be like Christmas in February. I kinda like the smell of fresh cardboard too. Lol. Oh... about the felt inside the hood... lint roller .. nuff said P. S. Screaming at the dust collection there will not scare it away... but maybe a priest can do an exorcism on it ???
I guess the "snap-on infinity" that You and I like lack in autofocus lenses because of that they have a slight focus shift with different temperature? That's what I have been told.
I would be very surprised if the Milvus 21mm out performed the Nikon 20mm. I am not replacing my Nikon 20mm/1.8 just yet. But I did replace the Nikon 35mm/1.4G with the Milvus 35mm/2.
The felt on the lens hood can be cleaned using cellotape. Do you have any problems with focusing. Are you getting it pin-sharp at 2.8 and close focus? What methods are you using to focus? Exchanged the focussing screen?
I know this is a 3 year old post but I will respond in case it will help other readers. I have a Z6 mirrorless camera and the focus peaking function makes manual focusing a joy for me. I enjoy the tactile experience of a smooth manual focusing lens and seeing the colors of the peaking highlights change in the EVF as I adjust the focus. It is also easy to program the 200% zoom function to take a closer look at the focus point. That is why I chose to upgrade to mirrorless. I use my Voigtlander SL IIs and Nikon AI-S lenses with the FTZ II adapter and they feel so nice to focus on the Z6, especially the Voigtlanders. I imagine that Zeiss Milvus lenses will feel the same.
Great review Eric, Have you tried the Irix 15mm 2.4 yet? I have been using that lens for nearly a year now on a D810 and find it fantastically sharp and contrasty, in any test I have read it comes a close second to the Zeiss and in a few it was actually sharper wide open!.
Just ordered the 35/2 Milvus to replace the Nikon 35/1.4G and my first manual focus lens. However, the Nikon 20mm/1.8 I own and love I would be hard pressed to think the Milvus 21mm would be any better.
The Nikon 20mm 1.8 is the whole reason I got the milvus :-). The Nikon has soft corners and insane light fall off below f/5.6. The milvus is almost perfect
Lovely review, but as an FYI, the Canon versions of Milvus lenses do not include an aperture ring for you to adjust. Canon only uses command dials for aperture control.
Eric! I have an unrelated question for you. If you have an edited image saved as a JPEG in a funky resolution but lost the RAW file... can you open the JPEG in Photoshop and resave it as a TIFF (or other format) in the original, out-of-camera resolution and it will still be good for print? I can't freaking find the answer anywhere but I have a feeling you will have it. Thanks a lot man, enjoy the videos
Hey Chris, once you export as JPEG and lose the RAW file, unfortunately, you can’t really revert the JPEG back to anything resembling a tiff or raw. Think of a JPEG as taking all of the ingredients of a cake and baking the ingredients into the final cake. You can’t really go backwards. Have you tried doing a computer wide search for your RAW file? Thanks
Finding Middle Earth Nk but I’m going to try that. I take listing photos for real estate so I have just been auto saving everything in the platforms max resolution and as a JPEG like an idiot. Lesson learned
I have seen that going around lately as well, but it’s not as bad as they make it seem. When I was using Sony for my mirrorless kit, both of my cameras had IBIS and after stress testing them, I never had any problems whatsoever.
I have heard the same. Rumors say by the end of this year. It’s said that it will he under 30 megapixels but higher than 24 and maybe have IBIS. I just hope they increase dynamic range and decrease the low nature ISO
To each their own :-). It’s funny because out of my Photography friends, I think the Fuji XT2 and x Pro 2 are sooo nice looking but my friends think it’s so ugly lol.
Finding Middle Earth How dare they say that about Fuji, they are the sexiest cameras going 😉 so practical, we use XT2s and X100F for our wedding photography 👍🏼
When trying a Zeiss lens it is impossible to return
back, simply the best, awesome!!!
I have the classic Distagon 2/25mm. This is my sharpest lens to date. I use it for environmental portraits. It is also very very sharp. In fact it hurts my eyes, so sharp it is. Love the colours and the field of view.
ZEISS lenses this wide are also useful in tight urban settings. I have used these to photograph classic diners on the East Coast. Lenses this wide allow you to step inside of telephone poles, street signs, cars, etc. and still get a clean shot free of distractions. Very good for architecture too. Any distortion you get can be just a part of the shot or corrected later. The Zeiss sharpness is incredible. To go even wider I use the Laowa 12mm, which rivals a Zeiss for picture quality.
hi, I wonder if this lens is compatible with canon r5. thank you.
Adding the 21 to my 15 and 35 collection. The hard stop at infinity and the micro contrast are top shelve. Awesome lenses.
WOW! Zeiss Milvus 21 in hand. WOW.... Did I say WOW? I mounted it on my D750 and leaned in to my iPad and I got almost as close as the distance of the hood..... and I can count the pixels in the iPad ....
21 and me are going to do great things together
Thanks for the review. Have you tried the Loxia 21mm 2.8? Wonder how image quality compares with those two.
Hi Eric, tip for removing dust, try using the sticky side of painters tape...I also use it like yourself, to label my lenses too.
Will this lens damage the mount on my Nikon f3? Is it too heavy? I like to use a hand strap and just hold my camera with one hand down at my side
I had to come re visit this video. I know it’s an old one... but on Sat Feb 16 2019 I ordered my copy on the Milvus 21 and a adapter so that my NiSi S5 System will work on it. I am so excited ( lol ) This video helped sway me to buy one.
Lol thanks for coming back to watch! I still use the lens all the time! It gives me wide angle views with almost no lens distortion at all. When you look at the files at 100 or 200% in Lightroom you will be blown away at the natural contras and sharpness. This lens is just something special. You’ll love it!
Ugg!! Damn Google like button on mobile!!! I digress
That resolution is what turned me. I have a Sigma 14 Art that I get good shots on but at 14mm sometimes depending on ... we’ll you know where I am going. Using a 14 all the time is like having a Fish Eye as your only lens. I got the Milvus 50 Zf2M Makro about 6 months ago and really haven’t taken it off save for slapping on the 24-120 kit lens for a doggy shoot I did for my boss. .... which is why I like landscape and stills. Lol.
I can’t wait to get my B&H package... it will be like Christmas in February. I kinda like the smell of fresh cardboard too. Lol.
Oh... about the felt inside the hood... lint roller .. nuff said
P. S. Screaming at the dust collection there will not scare it away... but maybe a priest can do an exorcism on it ???
I guess the "snap-on infinity" that You and I like lack in autofocus lenses because of that they have a slight focus shift with different temperature? That's what I have been told.
Great video, great channel Eric! I use a nikon 20mm f1.8g for landscape , I wonder if you've used that lens - and how it compares to this Milvus 21mm?
I would be very surprised if the Milvus 21mm out performed the Nikon 20mm. I am not replacing my Nikon 20mm/1.8 just yet. But I did replace the Nikon 35mm/1.4G with the Milvus 35mm/2.
Hi! Which adapter do you use on Milvus for Sony?
The felt on the lens hood can be cleaned using cellotape. Do you have any problems with focusing. Are you getting it pin-sharp at 2.8 and close focus?
What methods are you using to focus? Exchanged the focussing screen?
I know this is a 3 year old post but I will respond in case it will help other readers. I have a Z6 mirrorless camera and the focus peaking function makes manual focusing a joy for me. I enjoy the tactile experience of a smooth manual focusing lens and seeing the colors of the peaking highlights change in the EVF as I adjust the focus. It is also easy to program the 200% zoom function to take a closer look at the focus point. That is why I chose to upgrade to mirrorless. I use my Voigtlander SL IIs and Nikon AI-S lenses with the FTZ II adapter and they feel so nice to focus on the Z6, especially the Voigtlanders. I imagine that Zeiss Milvus lenses will feel the same.
Great review Eric, Have you tried the Irix 15mm 2.4 yet? I have been using that lens for nearly a year now on a D810 and find it fantastically sharp and contrasty, in any test I have read it comes a close second to the Zeiss and in a few it was actually sharper wide open!.
To clean the felt inside the lenshood use the sticky surface of some sellotape
Great vid!! Can't wait to see how it looks on the XT2! Please share when you get the adapter!!
I am unsure about getting the 18mm or the 21mm. Why did you get the 21mm?
Just ordered the 35/2 Milvus to replace the Nikon 35/1.4G and my first manual focus lens. However, the Nikon 20mm/1.8 I own and love I would be hard pressed to think the Milvus 21mm would be any better.
The Nikon 20mm 1.8 is the whole reason I got the milvus :-). The Nikon has soft corners and insane light fall off below f/5.6. The milvus is almost perfect
Finding Middle Earth I thought you were comparing it to your 16-35?
Lovely review, but as an FYI, the Canon versions of Milvus lenses do not include an aperture ring for you to adjust. Canon only uses command dials for aperture control.
Guess that proves I’m not a canon shooter lol
One more question, what print service have you found to be the best? I’m in Cali as well. Thanks
Eric! I have an unrelated question for you.
If you have an edited image saved as a JPEG in a funky resolution but lost the RAW file... can you open the JPEG in Photoshop and resave it as a TIFF (or other format) in the original, out-of-camera resolution and it will still be good for print? I can't freaking find the answer anywhere but I have a feeling you will have it. Thanks a lot man, enjoy the videos
Hey Chris, once you export as JPEG and lose the RAW file, unfortunately, you can’t really revert the JPEG back to anything resembling a tiff or raw. Think of a JPEG as taking all of the ingredients of a cake and baking the ingredients into the final cake. You can’t really go backwards. Have you tried doing a computer wide search for your RAW file? Thanks
Finding Middle Earth Nk but I’m going to try that. I take listing photos for real estate so I have just been auto saving everything in the platforms max resolution and as a JPEG like an idiot. Lesson learned
I haven't purchased my second body so maybe I'll wait for that camera to come out.
I've heard IBIS is not a good option. I've read that it has grease on the rails which can migrate to your sensor
I have seen that going around lately as well, but it’s not as bad as they make it seem. When I was using Sony for my mirrorless kit, both of my cameras had IBIS and after stress testing them, I never had any problems whatsoever.
How would a person find the hyperfocal distance though?
Probably just shoot in live view and use focus peaking. No guesswork involved.
The Canon version does not have an aperture ring. It is controlled entirely by the camera.
I have this lens really its too sharp, eric suggest me best travel tripod ? what about manfrotto befree?
Best travel tripod look at the Induro brand and also the MeFoto Globetrotter
thanks
Gorgeous lens, congrats. Great Photo! Your experiance shows up well on your photos.
Thank you very much!
Eric, I heard Fuji is coming out with the XT-3. What have you heard.
I have heard the same. Rumors say by the end of this year. It’s said that it will he under 30 megapixels but higher than 24 and maybe have IBIS. I just hope they increase dynamic range and decrease the low nature ISO
Great job Eric
Thanks So much, Joe!
Use a tooth brush to clean off lens hood...
God that lens looks damn ugly
Lol really? Most people love the look of Zeiss lenses. It’s like a luxury car. Anyway, I bought it for the non ugly images it produces :-)
Finding Middle Earth lol, just my opinion but definitely produces nice images.
To each their own :-). It’s funny because out of my Photography friends, I think the Fuji XT2 and x Pro 2 are sooo nice looking but my friends think it’s so ugly lol.
Finding Middle Earth How dare they say that about Fuji, they are the sexiest cameras going 😉 so practical, we use XT2s and X100F for our wedding photography 👍🏼
Nice! I agree you can’t beat the look of the Fuji’s!