Any opinions on the Zeiss Distagon 18mm ZM f/4 lens?

[Stonewall Brigade]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

My widest lens at the moment, paired with my M11, is the Zeiss Biogon 25mm f/2.8. I want to add something a bit wider, and am asking about any opinions on the Zeiss Distagon 18mm ZM f/4 lens.  I know there are 21mm (and wider) options by Leica, Zeiss, Voigtlander, etc., plus the newer Chinese-made brands, while the desirable Leica 18mm is expensive. I don't want to go too wide. Considering how the Zeiss Distagon 18mm ZM f/4 is dated by a few years and is now discontinued, how does it prefer on a newer M, such as the M11? Thanks in advance for all replies.

[Ronazle]

My only experience with it is on a M9 and I could hardly be happier. It is a near perfect lens when shot with an accurate finder and shot level.  I use the Zeiss recommendation of manual setting as a Leica 24mm 11898 and the results are awesome.  I tend to use it only when I can't get far enough back or for landscape photos taken leisurely and with the camera leveled (I throw away any unwanted inclusions from leveling the camera). The 21mm 2.8 is a much more practical street lens, but not a better lens. Excepting for manual setup, I can't imagine a better 18 mm.

[Advertisement]

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

[mdg1371]

It is superb, and I would say every bit equal to the Leica 18mm, and focuses significantly closer. Compared to the WATE, the Zeiss is visibly sharper on center, but a touch behind wide open at the far edges.

I have owned all three lenses, multiple times, and the last man standing is the Zeiss—in my current stable of 30+ lenses, it is the only non-Leica lens.

[SiggiGun]

I owned this lens and sold it after replacing by the 21SEM. The Zeiss lens is very good but at least with the earlier sensors. The lens is extremely close to the sensor which produce magenta color on the right side of the image. This is not dramatic whit b&w but difficult to handle with color during post-production. With the Leica lens there is no issue. 

[Robert Blanko]

The 18/4ZM was the first (ultra?) wide angle lens I bought some years ago for my Ms and still have.

It‘s a solid performer. But on my M10R I prefer the WATE that I bought later for the following reasons:

Even at f8/f11 which I mostly use in connection with hyperfocal distance to have a reasonably sharp foreground and background, the WATE has sharper corners while I do not see a difference in the center.

The 18/ZM leads to very subtle cyan color cast in the corners. You may notice this for instance when taking pictures of snow landscapes while however in many other situations you will only detect this issue if you know what you are looking for.

Edited December 29, 2022 by Robert Blanko

[Ronazle]

6 hours ago, Robert Blanko said:

The 18/4ZM was the first (ultra?) wide angle lens I bought some years ago for my Ms and still have.

It‘s a solid performer. But on my M10R I prefer the WATE that I bought later for the following reasons:

Even at f8/f11 which I mostly use in connection with hyperfocal distance to have a reasonably sharp foreground and background, the WATE has sharper corners while I do not see a difference in the center.

The 18/ZM leads to very subtle cyan color cast in the corners. You may notice this for instance when taking pictures of snow landscapes while however in many other situations you will only detect this issue if you know what you are looking for.

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by Ronazle
error on posting, please disregard totally my post on this ron

[Ronazle]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I thought Robert was in error, but in fact there is a slight cyan shift in the corners as checked just a minute ago. Most visible with slight underexposure and no additional correction other than setting up the lens on an M9 as a 24mm 11898 per Zeiss recommendations.  The shift is far less than the older extreme wide angle lenses (worst cast 21mm F4 Zeiss Biogon) which is near unusable on full frame digital.  Still a great lens.   Take care, Ron

 

I would avoid usage for snow scenes unless unavoidable

Edited December 29, 2022 by Ronazle
clarification2

[Robert Blanko]

vor 19 Stunden schrieb Ronazle:

I would avoid usage for snow scenes unless unavoidable

If the cyan shift gets noticeable, Cornerfix may eliminate this in post. I used said app sometimes when I felt the need.

[AndreasG]

I use the 18mm Zeiss Distagon on a M10-D and I am very satisfied with the results, no visible color shifts, only some slight vignetting which I consider as normal with such lenses wide open.

[Ronazle]

Ever so slight vignetting was present when shot on the M9 when set as a Leica 24mm 11898 on the manual set up.  By removing the vignetting in pre-print processing the color shift pretty much disappears;  I did not notice it in the circumstances s that I use it.  But in the test set up (underexposed, white mounting board, Reprovit IIa as copy stand w/fairly even lighting)  it was there on my M9. A later sensor might very well not show it at all. I like the lens and the landscape type scenes it records so well.  A great lens.

[bernstein1234]

Hi, I would like to ask if it is not too troublesome, to post some samples taken by this lens here? I'm currently using M10R and not sure if the corners have the magenta issue. CHeers.

[lct]

On 12/29/2022 at 8:08 AM, SiggiGun said:

The Zeiss lens is very good but at least with the earlier sensors. The lens is extremely close to the sensor which produce magenta color on the right side of the image.

Did you try this lens on the M11? Having a BSI sensor, it should not produce any color shift according to my own experience with other lenses like CV 15/4.5 v2, ZM 21/5.6, S-A 21/3.4, etc. I have no experience with the ZM 18/4 though admittedly.

[lct]

1 hour ago, lct said:

Did you try this lens on the M11? Having a BSI sensor, it should not produce any color shift according to my own experience with other lenses like [...] ZM 21/5.6 [...]

I meant ZM 21/4.5, sorry for the typo.

[Al Brown]

I have this lens and - albeit being made in China - it is a really good performer even wide open PLUS has the added bonus of being a f/2.8 with close focus of 0.25m. The next similar f/2.8 UWA lens (Zeiss 15mm, not RF coupled) costs 4000 euros used, but this 17mm Lomography Atoll costs 500$ new or 350$ used and is still available. I know you did not want the "newer Chinese" brands (although technically Lomographic Society International is an Austrian company established in 1994), but I am posting this just as an idea. Samples via the link.

Edited January 12, 2023 by Al Brown

[SiggiGun]

vor 18 Minuten schrieb lct:

I meant ZM 21/4.5, sorry for the typo.

No, i didn’t 

[derleicaman]

I owned this lens for several years, puchased when I was shooting with my M9-P and M9M. It was a fantastic lens. I was loaned a 18 SEM from Leica which I wrote up for the LHSA Viewfinder. I could find no difference whatsoever between the two lenses, other than the Leica lens was more problematic with filters. I sold the ZM 18/4 and my 21/2.8 ASPH to acquire the WATE, and I can't say I regret doing so. As noted above, the ZM 18 and the WATE are very, very close. It would be interesting to compare them with my M10M.

[Robert Blanko]

Am 12.1.2023 um 15:49 schrieb bernstein1234:

Hi, I would like to ask if it is not too troublesome, to post some samples taken by this lens here? I'm currently using M10R and not sure if the corners have the magenta issue. CHeers.

Here you go: Taken with my M10R. You may notice the subtle cyan shade in the snow in the corners. Independent of the vignetting correction, the color temperature in the corners looks slightly different as compared to the main part.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

[Robert Blanko]

With color saturation set to 100%:

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[bernstein1234]

On 1/15/2023 at 2:16 AM, Robert Blanko said:

With color saturation set to 100%:

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Thank you for taking the time to showcase this effect. I'm satisfied that on M10R it is not as obvious as the previous M9 and M240.

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Ronazle]

I think i need to buy a M10R