Zeiss Distagon T* 1.4/35 ZM availability? Has anyone gotten a serial version yet?

[DMJ]

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No the hood is extra & very over priced.

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The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[sdk]

Still impatiently waiting on Zeiss and B&H. I see the silvers are sold out at PopFlash Photo.

[younes]

For those looking for the hood, this french dealer has them available:

 

Paresoleil pour Distagon T* 1.4/35 ZM ZM

 

I have always been very happy with their service.

[jrp]

I must say that this hood business is revealing.

 

Zeiss are charging 10% extra for a small piece of plastic that, despite having spent 3 years designing the lens, they have failed to get out into mainstream distribution with the lens.

 

This cheapens the brand. The packaging of these Zeiss lenses is fairly rudimentary. No sealing. Just polystyrene and a plastics bag. But to then make me hunt around for a suitable lens hood does not make me warm to the brand. Do they really think that they would have lost that many sales if they had increased the price of the lens by 10% and thrown in the hood, saving me the hunting time?

[Hannes Lummes]

It is not plastic, I think. The price is high, but machining that kind of form accurately and with a good finish does take some time.

[james.liam]

170€ for a tiny, little metal hood. How nice for them. The hood for my 35C was something like $75/65€

This one must be shaped from magical meteorites or something.

 

For that sort of money, why not carbon fibre?

[jrp]

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It is not plastic, I think. The price is high, but machining that kind of form accurately and with a good finish does take some time.

 

But 10% of the cost of the lens? And it's not readily available anyway.

[james.liam]

Do they really think that they would have lost that many sales if they had increased the price of the lens by 10% and thrown in the hood, saving me the hunting time?

 

Strange that the hood, absurdly overpriced as it is, is unobtainable for a lens that especially seem to need it. Also, the silver version appeared first in the US, rather than a mix. Don't believe any of the black version are to be found.

[semi-ambivalent]

It is not plastic, I think. The price is high, but machining that kind of form accurately and with a good finish does take some time.

 

Time? The computer controls everything and works through the night while the human has another cup of tea and asks for a day off.

 

s-a

[Hannes Lummes]

Time? The computer controls everything and works through the night while the human has another cup of tea and asks for a day off.

 

s-a

 

You think machine time is free? Sure. Modern NC machine time is more expensive than a worker in Japan.

[algrove]

You think machine time is free? Sure. Modern NC machine time is more expensive than a worker in Japan.

 

But doesn't it work faster, work nonstop and more accurately? Surely it can work 365 days a year and does not require parental upbringing, education of 15-20 years, constantly increasing salary to buy stuff, retirement benefits and medical insurance, etc.

 

Perhaps it's important how one calculates "more expensive than a worker in Japan".

[jrp]

You think machine time is free? Sure. Modern NC machine time is more expensive than a worker in Japan.

 

So why do they not use the Japanese worker? The cost of the hood is an insult, but that fact that they haven't got them into the channel is just a shambles.

[sdk]

Who needs the hood when Zeiss can't deliver the lens in adequate numbers? I'll probably just get a cheap 49mm filter and pop out the glass (whenever I actually get the objective).

[Winedemonium]

Physical stock now in Hong Kong dealers. I haven't taken a look at one in the flesh yet.

 

Ray Larose has reviewed the lens (in case anyone is looking for a variety of reviews).

[gyoung]

Mildly amused to find complaints about accessory prices on a leica forum...

I remember paying a good price for a 12585 for my first 35 Summicron, and a replacement for the one on my 35 asph Summicron was absurdly overpriced for a plastic moulding, poorly designed too as it doesn't have the top corner opening so the viewfinder can see through it, I had to put that in myself.

 

Gerry

[batmobile]

I'd prefer the hood to be cheaper, but if it had been included and the total price commensurately more expensive, I doubt anyone would complain. All in, its still a heck of a lot cheaper than the Lux FLE.

[jrp]

First work problems, eh?

 

Anyway, here's a further (comparative) review on Sony:

 

#321. High-end 35mm lens shootout: Zeiss Distagon T* 1.4/25 ZM vs Leica Summicron 35/2 vs Sony/Zeiss FE 35/2.8 | DearSusan

[thighslapper]

Silver coming tomorrow

 

Robert White had a shipment today ..... no idea how many though ....

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[sdk]

B&H Checked with Zeiss at my request and they may not get stock for 3-4 more weeks. Very disappointing but I'll probably wait as I do want a USA warranty.

[edwardkaraa]

I received mine on last Wednesday. From a few test shots, I can already see it's every bit as good as the reviews claim it to be. Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to shoot anything interesting with it yet.