zeiss lens for m8

[meng8123]

does anyone has or had used zeiss lens on a m8? I am thinking it because it is so much cheaper then the leica made.

[@bumac]

I have had the 25. It was a really great lens. Now I have a 18 and I am very happy. I have coded it by Millich in NYC.

[lars_bergquist]

I have a 18mm Distagon which is a great lens. I got a bayonet from Zeiss that keys in the correct 28+90 framelines for identification purposes, sent it to John Milich for milling and coded it as a WATE. Works like a charm. I use the lens with a second-hand Leica 24mm bright frame finder. (Lenses with focal lengths below 28mm do normally bring up the 50+75 frames. A screw head intrudes on the milling, but it can be painted over. But Carl Zeiss have recently begun supplying their ZM lenses with the offending screw moved out of the coding area!)

Based on this positive experience, I have also recently bought a 25mm Biogon. This too is an excellent lens. After testing it thoroughly, I removed its bayonet (the lens was supplied from Zeiss with a bayonet keying for 24+35mm) and have sent it across the ocean to Mr. Milich's lair in Brooklyn, for more of the same. Coding is done with Humbrol model builders' enamel paint, or equivalent. This is a new 'moved-screw lens'.

For tests of the ZM lenses, buy into Sean Reid's www.reidreviews.com/

The old man from the Age of the Zeiss Tessar

[Peter Phillips]

When I bought my M8 in July 2007 I also bought the Zeiss Biogon 21mm f2.8 lens. I also bought a Ricoh GV-1 21/28mm viewfinder. The lens definition is superb, the colour rendering is subtle and elegant and, apart from my 50mm Summilux, I believe that it has become my most-used lens. Buy and enjoy.
Peter

[akiralx]

I have 4 Leica lenses and 2 Zeiss: the 21 f/4.5 and the 50 f/1.5. They are great and perform as well as the Leicas so do not hesitate.

[j. borger]

Yes they work perfectly and are great...... but in the end i always ended up with a Leica, loosing some money along the way by selling the Zeiss again.
Only Zeiss i kept is the 50 1.5 Sonnar.
I personaly do not like the high contrast of Zeiss Lenses .... others do.

[lykoudos]

I photograph with the Zeiss Biogon 2.8 / 28 at M8.2 and I'm very very happy . I can picture no difference to the outcome comparable Leicaobjektiv noted, with whom I have worked for many years.

Gruß
Wolfgang

[rafael_macia]

I have the 18 Distagon, and can say it is a fine lens.
They are more contrasty than Leica lenses. Zeiss has always gone for contrast over resolution, while Leica(with exception), has gone for resolution over contrast.
As said above, the "look" is a mater of taste.
The build quality is very good.
Some touches, like aperture in 1/3 atop increments is good design, IMHO.
The finders are brighter than the plastic Leica finders, and have threading for diopters.
Zeiss lenses are easy to buy and hard to sell (without taking a substantial loss). Leica lenses are easy to buy and easy to sell.
Regarding the mounts;
if you go for the Milich bronze replacement thats fine and costs about a $100 or so.
If you get from a dealer who has the mount that brings up the incorrect frame for the M8 Milich is the way to go. The Milich mount is complete, so if the lens has a problem just put back the original untouched Zeiss mount, and you have your warrantee again,

If you get a lens from ,say Popflash, or a dealer who supplies Zeiss lenses with correct for M8 mounts, than that mount has to be removed for coding,.... voiding the Zeiss warrantee.
The hand coding solution, I never used, so cannot say .... I hear it wears off.

In other words Zeiss on M8 is not seamless. But the price is really right!

Some impressions of Zeiss Lenses. Others may feel otherwise.

[rickp13]

here's the 25mm zeiss with milich flange and coding. as others have said before, it's beautifully built, works very well on the m8, and has good CONTRAST and sharpness. at the right price, there is no need to hesitate!

good luck

rick

[meng8123]

thanks for everyone's suggests, I think i am in for 25mm 2.8 or 35mm 2 (mainly because the size). however, I have one question, who is John Milich? can somene tell me who that is, so I could get my other lens coded.
thank you

[sean_reid]

Originally Posted by rafael_macia

I have the 18 Distagon, and can say it is a fine lens.
They are more contrasty than Leica lenses. Zeiss has always gone for contrast over resolution, while Leica(with exception), has gone for resolution over contrast.

That has been the tradition but the ZM lenses, as a rule, normally show very high resolution as well as high contrast.They simply resist flare very, very well. The Zeiss 18, for example, shows higher res. than the WATE though both are excellent lenses.

Cheers,

[vanhulsenbeek]

Originally Posted by meng8123

.................. however, I have one question, who is John Milich? can somene tell me who that is, so I could get my other lens coded.
thank you

A simple search on this Forum immediately brings you to this thread:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-...26-milich.html . See last post.

John Milich can only be contacted throuh his email address: jm@milich.com

[Bo_Lorentzen]

Sean,

So - for the slow one here... (me) the way i understand it, its possible to purchase a replacement mount for my CV 35mm which is coded.?

[sean_reid]

Originally Posted by Bo_Lorentzen

Sean,

So - for the slow one here... (me) the way i understand it, its possible to purchase a replacement mount for my CV 35mm which is coded.?

Hi Bo,

I'm not sure if John is making replacement mounts for CV lenses. I think he just mills the existing ones (once they're removed). I'd suggest e-mailing him (see post above).

Cheers,

Sean

[vanhulsenbeek]

Originally Posted by sean_reid

Hi Bo,

I'm not sure if John is making replacement mounts for CV lenses. I think he just mills the existing ones (once they're removed). I'd suggest e-mailing him (see post above).

Cheers,

Sean

Bo,

Please keep me posted, by private mail if you wish. I would be very much interested too to have a milled mount on my CV35!

[rafael_macia]

Originally Posted by meng8123

thanks for everyone's suggests, I think i am in for 25mm 2.8 or 35mm 2 (mainly because the size). however, I have one question, who is John Milich? can somene tell me who that is, so I could get my other lens coded.
thank you

here is his email
jm@milich.com

(347) 231-7525

jm@milich.com

work Building 280
Room 618
Brooklyn Navy Yard
63 Flushing Avenue Unit 322
Brooklyn New York 11205

[dseelig]

I have had a 21 a 25 and a 50 planar . Zeiss lenses are wonderful sold my 21 and 25 to help finance a wate and a mate. I would have them again funds permitting. David

[charlesphoto99]

If I hadn't bought my Leica lenses pre-M8 craze (they seem like such a bargain now - I'm talking a 35 lux asp for $1350, a 24 w/finder for $1225 and so on) I would only be able to afford Zeiss now. As it is they are excellent lenses. I have the 18 with a Milich mount and it is one of my favorite lenses. I also have a couple of Zeiss lenses for my Nikon - fantastic image quality and the build is second to none. Makes one wonder why Leica lenses are so so expensive?

[sean_reid]

Originally Posted by vanhulsenbeek

Bo,

Please keep me posted, by private mail if you wish. I would be very much interested too to have a milled mount on my CV35!

You've bought yours already I imagine but I ended up swapping my M-mount 35/2.5 for an LTM version. Then, of course, I used an LT-M8.

Cheers,

Sean

[vanhulsenbeek]

Originally Posted by sean_reid

You've bought yours already I imagine but I ended up swapping my M-mount 35/2.5 for an LTM version. Then, of course, I used an LT-M8.
Cheers, Sean

Yes, good idea, but I like my CV35II very much and do not want to change a winning horse