G
Guest
does anyone have experience with this lenses?
G
Guest
Yes. What do you want to know?
Simon
Simon
G
Guest
well, I know that the Makro-plannar 100 f2.8 is great! I saw some pictures taken from my brother. Both the close-up and for general use were great!(especially the close up) The N-100 2.8 on the oter hand is a Makro-sonnar which have a lot more lens element. How do they compare?
I guess Makro stand for Macro, Plannar means prime lenses, what does sonnar mean?
I guess Makro stand for Macro, Plannar means prime lenses, what does sonnar mean?
G
Guest
sorry Isao
that isn't correct. Sonnar is from the city "Sonthofen" in Germany where the Contessa Nettel factory was located and "Sonnar" was a Label of Contessa Nettel. When the Contessa Nettel foctory was overtaken by Carl Zeiss (I think aroung 1924), all Trade marks and Labels moved to zeiss. also the Name Sonnar.
that isn't correct. Sonnar is from the city "Sonthofen" in Germany where the Contessa Nettel factory was located and "Sonnar" was a Label of Contessa Nettel. When the Contessa Nettel foctory was overtaken by Carl Zeiss (I think aroung 1924), all Trade marks and Labels moved to zeiss. also the Name Sonnar.
G
Guest
But iI thought the N lenses are made in Japan, why is it name after a Germany factory?
Also, since the lenses of MF Makro-plannar 100 2.8
and the AF Makro-sonnar 100 2.8 have similar feature, why do they name diferently?
Ben
Also, since the lenses of MF Makro-plannar 100 2.8
and the AF Makro-sonnar 100 2.8 have similar feature, why do they name diferently?
Ben
G
Guest
This is what Carl Zeiss in Germany is writing on their website about the lens name "Sonnar":
"A lens design with relatively few glass-to-air surfaces, invented by Dr. Ludwig Bertele at Carl Zeiss in 1930 to provide the fastest lenses of that day for 35 mm photography offering speeds up to f/1.5 and well controlled veiling glare.
This is where the name comes from, containig the German word for sun, 'Sonne', the symbol of utmost brightness.
Since the Planar® lens with its many glass-to-air surfaces could successfully take over the 'fastest lens' role from the Sonnar® lens, after Dr. Alexander Smakula at Carl Zeiss invented anti-reflex coating in 1935, the Sonnar® design turned out its other virtues.
Today it is the basis for compact high-performance medium telephoto lenses with speeds up to f/2.8 (in case of the Sonnar® T* 2,8/150 FE lens), very elaborate correction of lens errors (in the case of the Sonnar® T* 5,6/250 CFi lens and the extreme case of the Sonnar® Superachromat 5,6/250 CFi lens), incorporating expensive optical glass types, and offering very even corner-to-corner illumination. "
"A lens design with relatively few glass-to-air surfaces, invented by Dr. Ludwig Bertele at Carl Zeiss in 1930 to provide the fastest lenses of that day for 35 mm photography offering speeds up to f/1.5 and well controlled veiling glare.
This is where the name comes from, containig the German word for sun, 'Sonne', the symbol of utmost brightness.
Since the Planar® lens with its many glass-to-air surfaces could successfully take over the 'fastest lens' role from the Sonnar® lens, after Dr. Alexander Smakula at Carl Zeiss invented anti-reflex coating in 1935, the Sonnar® design turned out its other virtues.
Today it is the basis for compact high-performance medium telephoto lenses with speeds up to f/2.8 (in case of the Sonnar® T* 2,8/150 FE lens), very elaborate correction of lens errors (in the case of the Sonnar® T* 5,6/250 CFi lens and the extreme case of the Sonnar® Superachromat 5,6/250 CFi lens), incorporating expensive optical glass types, and offering very even corner-to-corner illumination. "
dirk
CI-Founder
And this is what Zeiss is saying on their webpage about the name "Planar":
"The famous symmetric lens design invented by Dr. Paul Rudolph at Carl Zeiss in 1896. The Planar® lens is the most successful camera lens design – and, by the way, the most plagiarized – ever created.
It provides the lens designer with numerous means to correct aberrations extraordinarily well. And its performance is very constant over a wide range of imaging ratios, enabling such a versatile lens variety as the Makro-Planar® lens.
The ideal basis for high-performance lenses with great color correction, high speed, flat image plane (this is where the name comes from) and low distortion.
The Planar® design is the basis for nearly all professional "workhorse" lenses on earth and in space today, and for the fastest lenses ever created. The fastest lens in the Hasselblad range is of course a Planar® lens: the Planar® T* 2/110 FE lens."
So the word "Planar" is just describing the flat image plane.
dirk
"The famous symmetric lens design invented by Dr. Paul Rudolph at Carl Zeiss in 1896. The Planar® lens is the most successful camera lens design – and, by the way, the most plagiarized – ever created.
It provides the lens designer with numerous means to correct aberrations extraordinarily well. And its performance is very constant over a wide range of imaging ratios, enabling such a versatile lens variety as the Makro-Planar® lens.
The ideal basis for high-performance lenses with great color correction, high speed, flat image plane (this is where the name comes from) and low distortion.
The Planar® design is the basis for nearly all professional "workhorse" lenses on earth and in space today, and for the fastest lenses ever created. The fastest lens in the Hasselblad range is of course a Planar® lens: the Planar® T* 2/110 FE lens."
So the word "Planar" is just describing the flat image plane.
dirk
G
Guest
OK, back to the original question. The 100mm f/2.8 Makro Sonnar is stunningly sharp, both in the macro range and outside. I have some portraits taken with the MS lens and the prints look almost medium format quality. I have posted a link to some macro shots before.
If you want a macro lens then buy the MS, you won't be disappointed.
Simon
If you want a macro lens then buy the MS, you won't be disappointed.
Simon
G
Guest
Simon:
I do a lot of bugs photo (my favorite is the drangon fly), the 70-300 macro does a very good job, espically that you don't need to get too close to the subject, yet when you have chance to get close, the 1:4 magnification can not get close enough! so i am thinking about getting to 100 2.8. Do you have any experience using the 70-300 zoom? How do they compare?
Ben
I do a lot of bugs photo (my favorite is the drangon fly), the 70-300 macro does a very good job, espically that you don't need to get too close to the subject, yet when you have chance to get close, the 1:4 magnification can not get close enough! so i am thinking about getting to 100 2.8. Do you have any experience using the 70-300 zoom? How do they compare?
Ben
G
Guest
The 70-300mm zoom is also a superb piece of Zeiss technology. Here is a link, taken at the macro setting:
This lens is superb throughout the zoom range but, as you correctly say, it only gets you to 1:4 and the MS will get you all the way to 1:1.
Another important point is that you would normally take a macro shot using a tripod. The 70-300mm lens gets quite long fully extended to the macro setting. The MS has internal focussing and does not extend at all.
Here are some fairly mundane shots with the MS. The one of the girl looks like medium format quality on an 8x10 print.
Get both!
Simon
This lens is superb throughout the zoom range but, as you correctly say, it only gets you to 1:4 and the MS will get you all the way to 1:1.
Another important point is that you would normally take a macro shot using a tripod. The 70-300mm lens gets quite long fully extended to the macro setting. The MS has internal focussing and does not extend at all.
Here are some fairly mundane shots with the MS. The one of the girl looks like medium format quality on an 8x10 print.
Get both!
Simon