Zeiss 120 mm f4 macro planar

[pavle_kovac]

have a possibility to get it for (only...) 900 euros.

browsing on photo.net forum, it seems that it is "not so sharp" at infinity and that the main use should be for the macro works.

what is your experience with this lens? what does it mean "not so sharp" - is it easily obvious on the print or it is a conclusion of one of the tests?

thank you in advance

 

[cmdr]

Pavle,

The Rollei 120mm 4.0 Makro lens made by Carl Zeiss was designed mainly for close up macro work. Many portrait photographers actually use the 120mm lens for portraits, with the understanding that the infinity setting performance of this lens is not optimal. It is very difficult to design a macro lens that will have equal performance at infinity. The 90mm 4.0 Schneider Apo Makro lens is a more general purpose lens that has quite excellent optical performance at the macro range as well as at infinity.

Check the serial number of the 120mm lens that you're interested in to see when it was manufactured. About seven years ago there was a change to the optical formula of the 120mm lens that improved upon the flare resistance of this lens. For your information, the current Rollei 120mm 4.0 Makro lens has the identical optical formula as the current 120mm 4.0 Makro lens for the Hasselblad Cfi lens.

If your mind is set on purchasing this lens, let me know as I may know of a new one available at a reduced price.

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