Now, you may be asking yourself, “WHY IS THE LEICA SO EXPENSIVE!?!” Well, that one is easy. Wide-open performance. The Leica excels at 1.4. I mean, you won’t find a better lens for wide-open shooting if you desire sharpness and smooooooooth out-of-focus backgrounds. The Leica IS the all time champ here, BUT whether that little bit of extra performance is worth the extra $2800 is up to you. Here is a shot where I tested for sharpness and the way the background was rendered. The first shot is the Zeiss wide-open at 1.5 and the 100% crop will show you the advantage of the Leica.
100% crop of the sonnar showing Spherical Abberation
100% crop of the Leica Summilux ASPH - clean as a whistle
As you can see, the Leica is cleaner and sharper, while the Zeiss has a little bit of that classic “glow” going on and is not as sharp or clean. This is due to Spherical Aberrations and this is actually what gives this lens its special character and glow! If you are shooting just for web sized images, the Zeiss looks similar when looking at the small resized shots. The advantage of the Leica’s sharpness would come in to play in larger prints. Now that we have determined that that the Zeiss is sharper at 5.6 and the Leica is the sharper lens at 1.4, lets talk about BOKEH.
Here is an image that will show you the way both render the background out-of-focus areas...CLICK IMAGES FOR LARGER..
If you click on each image above and view the larger version, you will see that the out-of-focus background is rendered a bit smoother with the Leica. I noticed it, but my wife did not. I am guessing most of you reading this WILL notice it. Now, I have to say that this image looks great with either lens and the slightly erratic background of the Zeiss does not bother me, though the Leica does look slightly better to me here. STILL, we are talking a price difference of $2800!! This is what you are paying for folks!
I want to show you one more image from both lenses that is straight out of the camera and will show the contrast and color difference more clearly.
If you clicked them to see the larger versions, you can clearly see the contrast is higher on the Zeiss and the color has a bit more pop. Looking at the bricks, you can see that the Zeiss also gives warmer colors. Both of these were shot on a tripod with the same camera settings and both were shot wide-open using the same exposure settings as well. To me, the Zeiss looks a bit more 3D, and the Leica is a bit more flat.
So, which do you prefer? The somewhat cooler, lower contrast Leica shot or the warmer, higher contrast Zeiss shot? Remember, these are straight out of camera and if some post processing was done then either could be made to look like the other like I did with the red flower shot above.
SO WHICH IS THE BETTER LENS?
So, the million dollar question: Which is the better lens? Technically, the Leica is the better lens. It is a little bit better built, is sharper wide-open with less “busy” bokeh, and it focuses to 0.7 meters where the Zeiss is 0.9. If you have the funds, and perfect (as in sharp) is your style then the Leica is the lens to get. For those who prefer a more classic look, warmer colors, smaller size, and a more slightly softer, rounder 3D rendering then the Zeiss is the winner.
Really, either one could be the better lens for any one person. For me, (DRUM ROLL PLEASE) after shooting the Zeiss, I loved the look so much that I actually traded in my Leica 50 ASPH toward it AND the Leica 90 Cron! For me, I prefer that classic look and warmer color as well as the hint of softness wide-open. For portraits, the Zeiss is awesome as the Leica can sometimes be too sharp for that. If I had the funds I would have both lenses but I am one of those “starving artists” at the moment so I could not keep both :)
BUSY BOKEH - Here is a shot with the Zeiss that shows the somewhat “busy” bokeh I was talking about. Does it bother me? No, not at all, as my wife has never looked better, and her and my son are the subject, not the background :) Does it bother you? Some HATE this and the Leica does indeed render the out-of-focus areas quite a bit smoother. Still, this image has been printed and hangs in my office wall. It looks lovely.
THE DREADED FOCUS SHIFT
One thing I have not touched upon yet is the Zeiss Sonnar focus shift. When Zeiss started shipping this lens, many people noticed the lens would front focus. But this only occurs when shooting at the minimum focus distance and shooting wide open at 1.5. Later, Zeiss optimized the lens for wide-open shooting and then the shift moved to F2.8. So, some Sonnars out there are optimized for 1.5 and some for 2.8. Mine is optimized for 2.8, but honestly it has not been an issue at all and I have not missed ANY shots due to this slight shift.
Zeiss says it is the design of the lens and cannot be avoided. This is absolutely true. It is much like the Leica 35 Summilux ASPH and honestly, this lens reminds me a lot of that lens as well as the original Leica Noctilux. So, while this lens does suffer from focus shift, for me, I have not even noticed it in real-world shooting. Also, there is an easy fix. if you focus up close at 1.5 just move the focus ring SLIGHTLY towards the infinity side. The focus will be off in the RF patch but the image will be IN focus. Just 5 minutes of experimentation with this did the trick and now I can nail focus every time. Mostly all of the shots shown in this review were taken at 1.5.
Here is a shot taken wide open but I wanted to test for focus shift when shooting a distant subject as well as test for separation between subject and background. The Leica is superb in this area and the Sonnar passed the test with flying colors! No focus shift and great separation with a 3D feel.
THE VERDICT
When I got this lens, I would have NEVER dreamed that I would have traded off my 50 Summilux ASPH towards it. It has been a week since sending my beloved Lux in and to be honest, the first few days I missed the Lux but I think I was more attached to it because it was the legendary Leica 50 Summilux ASPH if you know what I mean.
But, in exchange for my 50 Summilux, I got a 90 Cron AND this Zeiss Sonnar 50 and I actually prefer the Zeiss over the Leica most of the time, as I am a sucker for that classic look.
Another plus of this Zeiss lens, besides the great price, is how sharp it can be, if you want it to be. Just set it to F2.8-F58 and you will be rewarded with warm, sharp, colorful results. Click the image below for a larger version and see the detail.
The Zeiss, for the money, cannot be beat. Its dreamy and classic wide open and by 2.8, it is as sharp as any Leica equivalent. It is like a Jeckyl and Hyde...two lenses in one! The build is great, feel is nice, and its small and light. It is pretty much resistant to flare and while I have not seen any real purple fringing, this lens does exhibit “Spherical Aberration” which is also why this lens has a certain glow about it.
I can highly recommend this lens (for M8 users at least). I hear its even better on Full-Frame film. It is an “artists” lens and can be used for some very creative shooting. But if super sharp perfection is your preference, stick with the Leica 50 Summilux ASPH as it is sharp as a lens can be, and will always be reliable to focus as well.
I got my Zeiss Sonnar from Ken Hansen. B&H Photo also sells this lens and you can see their Zeiss Sonnar 50 page here. If you buy one, let me know how you like it. Also, feel free to leave comments below!
Finally, what matters most with any lens, here are more real world samples from this beautiful lens, all wide open which is how I like to shoot:
I THANK YOU!!
I thank you for reading my review and hope you enjoyed it. Running this free site costs me money, but my passion for for photography and gear has led me to create and share all of this info with fellow camera nuts. I work 7-10 hours a day on this site, as it consists of a lot more than writing these pages. When I am not writing, I am shooting with the lenses and cameras I write about, then going through the images and preparing them for the site. If you enjoy the site and find it useful, then you can help me to continue bringing these reviews and write-ups! How? Just click here to find out. Thanks!
THE ZEISS ZM 50 SONNAR 1.5 LENS REVIEW
Friday, June 12, 2009
Yes! Another fast 50 review for the Leica M mount! Many of you may have read my Leica 50 Summilux review, but this time around I am reviewing the Zeiss ZM Sonnar 50 on the Leica M8.2 and it is less than 1/4 the price of the Leica 50 Summilux!!
Yea, this Sonnar is only a measly 1.5 aperture lens, while the summilux ASPH is 1.4, but hey, for the most part, 1.5 is the same as 1.4 :) Ha ha...
A few years back, Zeiss decided to launch a line of lenses for the M mount to give users a more affordable choice for their lens collections. Zeiss promised superb quality AND resolution so many photo nuts started buying them up. They normally get great reviews and high praise as the cost/performance ratio is amazing. Bang for the buck here guys...
I have always been a HUGE fan of the Leica 50 Summilux ASPH and I have always thought of it as the best 50mm lens in the world for 35mm photography. If you want absolute perfection, the Leica is your lens. BUT, be prepared to pay for that perfection. The current selling price for the Leica is $3595 US. OuuuccchhhhH!
So, here I am with a $3600 lens vs a $900 lens and you may be shocked to find out how this little Zeiss performed in comparison to the Leica. For under $900, this little guy is actually a pretty amazing lens.
One of my favorite Leica dealers, Ken Hansen, sent me this lens to try out. He sent along a Zeiss metal hood and a Leica E46 UV/IR filter. When the lens arrived, I was very pleased with the styling and the size/weight. It is MUCH shorter than the Leica Summilux and much, much lighter as well (compared to my chrome Leica 50 Lux). With the hood attached, it makes the lens quite a bit larger, but still manageable. It is more of a stout lens, where the Leica is more of a longer lens. I do prefer the built-in hood on the Leica though.
I twisted the aperture ring and it was a bit stiff compared to the Leica, but it felt very solid at the same time. The focus was stiff as well, but has already loosened up a bit. Overall, this lens is built extremely well and feels nice in use. Of course, about 30 minutes after I get the lens, I am out shooting with it AND my Leica 50 Lux ASPH on the Leica M8.2. How did it do? Keep reading as this will get interesting...
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
Some of you may have heard about this Sonnar design. It is actually a lens design from 1924, invented by Dr. Ludwig Bertele. Zeiss has basically re-created/re-issued a classic lens. This means that the images from this lens will have a more “classic” rendering. Basically, a little soft wide open, some glow, and a certain look that you just do not see in modern lens design. Many LOVE this look and some HATE it. Me, I happen to love it to death, so when I started shooting the Zeiss Sonnar, I fell in love within minutes.
Here is the first shot from this lens with my Leica M8.2, click for larger...
Once I saw this image on my screen I knew it was a TOTALLY different lens than the 50 Summilux in the way it renders the image, or “draws”. Personally, I love it and feel it DOES indeed have a classical but VERY 3D feel.
The one thing I was VERY curious about was how it compared, when shot side-by-side, with the 50 Summilux ASPH lens. I know its not wise to compare a Yugo to a BMW (but don’t tell MY Yugo that, ha ha :)), but you know, I wanted to see just how close the Sonnar came to the Lux in color, contrast, sharpness, and overall “look”.
I went out in my backyard with a tripod and shot a few images. Some wide open with each lens and some stopped down to F5.6. What I saw when I returned to my screen sort of amazed me. I thought there was a mistake, so I went out and did it again. Same result.
The result that surprised me so much was the comparison between the two at F5.6. I did this test THREE times and each time the Zeiss out-performed the Leica in color and sharpness. The Zeiss was also a bit more contrasty. Some will like that and some will not, but I preferred the color and contrast from the Zeiss Sonnar!!! Oh..the blasphemy!!
AND A CROP OF THE SONNAR SHOT:
Now, the Leica Summilux shot at F5.6:
AND THE CROP:
So go ahead and study these crops. What you will see is that the Zeiss Sonnar at F5.6 is actually sharper than the Leica and has a much warmer color cast compared to Leica’s colder color cast. I prefer the warmer color of the Zeiss personally, though neither lens got the color right. You will also find the Zeiss has more contrast.
Both lenses had UV/IR filters and the same exact settings were used for each image. No tweaks or processing has been done so what you are seeing is purely the lens and the sensor performance.
