M9 lens selection chart for Zeiss ZM lenses

[IkarusJohn]

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I've been trying to find out what the best preset is for some Zeiss lenses on the M9, and I got this chart from Carl Zeiss Camera Lens Support.

 

Apparently, Zeiss will not be providing LR4 lens profiles for the ZM lenses, which is unfortunate. They recommend simply using Corner Fix.

 

Note, this test was carried out with Firmware 1.62. If anyone has any updates for later FirmWare, let me know and I can amend the spreadsheet.

 

Cheers

John

ZM- Test162.pdf

[gpwhite]

From your post, I do not know which ZM lenses you have in mind. But, if this is helpful, I use the 90 APO setting for my 85 F/2 Sonnar, and I am happy with the results. In ACR 6.7, I then use the 90 APO lens correction as well, which had a slight "puckering" effect on the DNG so that it looks less tele-compressed.

 

Exposure with the Sonnar has always been funky on both my M8 and M9, for settings f/2 and f/2.8. The Leica usually wants to over expose these apertures, as though the lens is transmitting maybe +0.5 EV. I asked the Leica Roadshow sales guy about this, and his answer made less than zero sense (as though he did not like me mentioning Zeiss at a Leica event).

 

I have not yet tried the Elmarit f/2.8 setting, although I have meant to do so. The image circle on the ZM Sonnar is very large (by Leica M standards), so I thought the 90 APO was probably the best treatment for the lenses of the edge pixels on the M9.

 

One other point, mostly because I just shot some tests with the 85 ZM Sonnar this weekend... Lloyd Chambers of diglloyd wrote in one of his earlier reviews that he found some difficulty getting consistent focus with his ZM lenses. My 85 ZM, which worked perfectly on my M8, also focuses just beautifully on my M9 at f/2 and at close focus.

[Double Negative]

I'm not surprised that Zeiss won't provide ACR profiles for their lenses. They don't even really support coding of their lenses - though they did eventually put a groove on the mount so at least Sharpie coding won't wear off constantly. If it's not needed for the Ikon (their only officially supported platform) it just won't happen.

 

As much as I loooove my ZMs, there's a lot to be said about eventually just biting the bullet and getting some Leica glass. I still use both of course.

 

The "Leica Lens Codes" chart does a pretty good job of listing viable codes and what I've used over the years. Though sometimes you need to experiment as what's good for one camera body isn't necessary what's best for another.

 

You also want to use the very latest (at least v1.162 anyway) of the M9 firmware for the best wide angle corrections.

[IkarusJohn]

They do provide profiles for the ZE & ZF lenses. Is that a volume thing?

 

I have always had a soft spot for Zeiss glass since owning a Hasselblad. But I agree with you on Leica lenses. I've done my dash - I won't be buying more glass for many years, as I have a lot to learn with what I already have.

 

Cheers

John

[Double Negative]

It's surely a volume thing (though I'm not sure how many ZE/ZFs they sell compared to ZMs). It's more the popularity of the platform - Canon being a lot more common than Leica.

 

Same here - I'm a sucker for Zeiss glass no matter the mount. They've got the goods.

[IkarusJohn]

From the Horse's mouth -

we didn`t make any comparisons of the different lens profiles in Lightroom. First of all the ZM lens line is a development for analogue cameras. It is up the customers to us it on digital cameras wether it is a Leica, Sony, Ricoh or something like that. And Lightroom is just one converting software in the market . We haven`t the capacity to check out every single possibility which might lead to flawlessly results. So this tests sheet is an exception regarding the extreme popularity of this Zeiss/ Leica combination.

 

Primarily, as the ZM lens is intended for analogue cameras (Zeiss Ikon), there's no intention to produce digital profiles. Helpful people, though.

 

Cheers

John