» Carl Zeiss 28mm f/2 Distagon T*
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 Carl Zeiss released the 28mm f/2 Distagon without fanfare in the latter part of 2007, The lens is available in the Nikon F-mount, the Pentax/Samsung K-mount and the M42 screw mount.
The 28mm f/2 is a full-frame lens, built to ''old-school'' specifications that guarantee compatibility with older camera bodies. On a sub-frame digital sensor body, the lens will have an effective field of view of about 42mm. The lens takes 58mm filters, and comes with a bowl-style metal lens hood.
At the time of writing (June 2008) North American distribution of Zeiss lenses hasn't been settled, so you are faced with buying the lens direct from Zeiss - for 799 euros, or over $1,200 USD. Read the whole review here.
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» Carl Zeiss 100mm f/2 Makro-Planar T* 2/100 review
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 Carl Zeiss produces two macro lenses in its ZF series: the 50mm and the 100mm. The 100mm f/2 model is available in the Nikon F-mount, the Pentax/Samsung K-mount and the M42 screw mount.
The 100mm f/2 is a full-frame lens, built to ''old-school'' specifications that guarantee compatibility with older camera bodies. On a sub-frame digital sensor body, the lens will have an effective field of view of 150mm. The lens takes 67mm filters, and comes with a bowl-style metal lens hood. Read the whole review here.
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» Carl Zeiss C Biogon T* 2,8/35 ZM
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The new Carl Zeiss C Biogon T* 2,8/35 ZM lens is the perfect addition to your light, mobile photo equipment. Its moderate speed of 1:2.8 permits an exceptionally compact construction. The symmetrical Biogon construction with 7 lens elements in 5 groups allows for practically distortion-free images. The ZM lens series from Carl Zeiss is suitable for cameras with the M-bayonet, and will be available in mid 2008 for Euro 590.00 (excluding VAT). Read the whole article here
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» Sony 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5 DT Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* SAL-1680Z
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The Sony 16-80mm is a Carl Zeiss branded lens featuring a Vario-Sonnar design. It uses 14 elements in 10 groups, with 3 aspherical elements and a special ''T* Coating'' to reduce flare. The lens uses 62mm filters, and the filter mount won't turn during focusing or zooming. It ships with a petal lens hood and a carrying case.
Representing the conventional 24-120mm lens in 35mm film terms, the Sony 16-80mm ƒ/3.5-4.5 is a better version of its 18-70mm ''walkaround'' lens. Going slightly wider and longer, and equipped with a better maximum aperture, it's also significantly more expensive at around $650 on store shelves. Read the whole test here
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» Sony Zeiss 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5 Vario-Sonnar T* AF lens test
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When the Sony Alpha 100, our 2006 Camera of the Year, debuted last year, the only optics available for it were cosmetically updated Konica Minolta lenses. At the time, Sony promised a future line of Zeiss-designed glass. This 16- 80mm f/3.5-4.5 ($660, street) -- a vaunted T*, no less -- is the first of the promised line to run the Pop Photo Lab gauntlet. How does it compare with Sony's similar but less expensive 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 kit zoom ($190, street)? Let's see.
The Zeiss is an ounce or two heavier than average. Zoom and distance scales are well marked. The zoom action is somewhat uneven, growing slightly stiffer as the lens is racked out; the MF ring is among the roughest-turning we've used recently. Autofocusing on the Alpha is slightly noisy and more sluggish than average. Read the whole article here
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» Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* Lens Test
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 We've been waiting a year, but at last Carl Zeiss is unrolling its ZF series of Nikon F-mount manual-focus T* lenses, made by Cosina in Japan to Zeiss specifications. We tested what we think is the best ZF for portraits, the 85mm f/1.4 Planar T*. At $1,300 (street), it's expensive, but it offers a few advantages.
The 85mm Planar is one of six new Nikonmount Zeiss models to be released this year, and more may be announced soon. All cover the 35mm format and have Aperture Indexed exposure control for Nikon film and digital SLRs that support it. (For most shooters, this means aperture-priority and manual exposure. If your camera doesn't support AI exposure control, you're stuck with meterless manual.) Read the whole test here
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» Carl Zeiss ZF are the sharpest SLR lenses they have ever produced
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Carl Zeiss proudly the proclaim that their new ZF lenses designed for Nikon SLR cameras are the sharpest SLR lenses they've ever tested.
Details from the newsletter include:
The new ZEISS ZF lenses went to test for resolving power recently. Attached to a Nikon F6, which was mounted on a Sachtler heavy duty tripod, we exposed our Eastman resolution test chart onto Kodak Imagelink HQ film. The best we had ever achieved before with any SLR lenses was 250 lp/mm.
The new Planar T* 1.4/85 ZF achieved that same resolution at f/5.6, and even down to f/2.
The new Planar T* 1,4/50 ZF went even further: It reached 320 lp/mm in the aperture range from f/5.6 to f/2.8, and 250 lp/mm at f/2. Read the full article here
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