Striking a Balance: The Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Distagon T* ZM Review
by Louis Ferreira (500px.com/LouisFerreira)
When photographers talk about classic focal lengths, the two most commonly considered are the 35mm and 50mm. Both are great starting points for photographers to begin building their lens collection. I have always preferred the look of 50mm and the frame lines over 35mm, but there are some great modern 35mm lenses available for the M mount, and the new Zeiss 35mm Distagon is the latest.
Zeiss color never fails to impress me. I have owned Zeiss lenses in the past and I love the way they render color. In some ways, Zeiss pictures have the Leica pop we are all looking for, even more than equivalent photos created with Leica glass, simply because of what the color adds to the picture. Many modern Leica lenses have a clinical look to them that is more true to life, but they lack character. I don’t want to drone on about color, but I’d be interested to see how this lens performs on a M9, because I still prefer the color of my old Leica M9 50mm Summilux combo.
Similarly, the Zeiss 35mm Distagon can get bitingly sharp, and is very sharp wide open. It performs exactly as you would expect a Zeiss lens to perform and is very well corrected. When you nail focus at f/1.4 the image is sublime, and it builds on the great color characteristic that’s present.
