Joseph, might you have a better scan of the above photo? The blown highlights and crushed shadows make it difficult to evaluate performance in context to your claims.
While I've never shot with the Zeiss 200, I have used the Canon 200/1.8L extensively. I can say that despite all the hype and touting of MTF performance concerning that lens, I found it similar to other Canon lenses in color rendition ... pastel. After a year of use I sold it.
So MTF charts can only go so far in evaluating a lens. Academics and aesthetics often are in conflict when it comes the eye of the beholder.
The best I've seen to date in that focal length has been the Leica 180/2. At the ad agency I work at, we had an entire ad c&aign published where the shots selected were from that R180/2 lens. The other contenders were from Zeiss 645 and some C/Y lenses including the 85/1.2 & 70-200/3.5. The NYC based pro photographer I used was a Zeiss/Leica man all the way : -)
While I've never shot with the Zeiss 200, I have used the Canon 200/1.8L extensively. I can say that despite all the hype and touting of MTF performance concerning that lens, I found it similar to other Canon lenses in color rendition ... pastel. After a year of use I sold it.
So MTF charts can only go so far in evaluating a lens. Academics and aesthetics often are in conflict when it comes the eye of the beholder.
The best I've seen to date in that focal length has been the Leica 180/2. At the ad agency I work at, we had an entire ad c&aign published where the shots selected were from that R180/2 lens. The other contenders were from Zeiss 645 and some C/Y lenses including the 85/1.2 & 70-200/3.5. The NYC based pro photographer I used was a Zeiss/Leica man all the way : -)