Fuji Tell me about Zeiss

flysurfer · May 6, 2013

drewbot said:
I cannot find the link, but I read that an M version would be very hard to make since the delta between the XF and M mount aren't that great.

Yep, that's why I asked if I have somehow missed the announcement (or rumor) of such a new design. It would be very welcome news for plenty of M users. There's nothing official on the Metabones website, their latest version appears to be for the Contarex mount.

Markdphotoguy · May 13, 2013

I've shot with and owned quite a few Zeiss lenses (I currently own two 25mm f/2 and 100mm f/2) and the Zeiss lenses have always been built well and had exceedingly good optical properties. Beyond that the Zeiss lenses have a certain character to the look of the photo they produce some people call it micro contrast. I think its a combination of the micro contrast, colour transmission of the glass and the shape of the diaphragm (verrry circular) that give Zeiss a different character.
Haven't shot with the Touit lenses yet (but I will try them out at some point) but so far the optics seem to be about the same as the Fuji XF lenses as far as the sharpness goes but I do find the Bokeh nicer off the Touit lenses. The built quality from what has been described so far is slightly better than the Fuji XF lenses. Can't wait to try them. I hope Zeiss puts out a really nice 23mm f/2.0 compact lens at some point since its looking more and more like the Fuji 23mm f/1.4 is going to be pretty chunky.

Lawrence A. · Aug 30, 2015

OK, I won't be buying any Touits in the near future, by I've got an X-Pro and hunted up a couple of adapters for my Hasselblad to use with it. I know, big honking bricks to be used with the X-Pro, but I want to try. The CF Planar 80mm f2.8 would be a 120mm EFL on the Fuji, a very nice portrait length.

Truth be told, I've wanted to use my Hasselblad glass on a digital body, and the used medium format outfits are too rich for my budget, as well as being more camera than I need. So for $80 or $90, I'll get to take a digital image with those lenses I absolutely love. It won't be an everyday kit. It may not even be worth the bother. But come next pay day I'm going to get the adapter and try. Stay tuned.

saladin · Sep 2, 2015

Been looking at quite a lot of image samples recently, and the 32mm Touit seems to have a distinctly different bokeh to the 35 fuji. It seems "busier" and swirly. It works on some monochrome shots really well, gives a real gritty and dark look, but doesnt suit some others imo. Ive decided - especially factoring in cost - that the 27 or 35 are the better options for me.

Lawrence A. · Sep 2, 2015

Saladin said:
Been looking at quite a lot of image samples recently, and the 32mm Touit seems to have a distinctly different bokeh to the 35 fuji. It seems "busier" and swirly. It works on some monochrome shots really well, gives a real gritty and dark look, but doesnt suit some others imo. Ive decided - especially factoring in cost - that the 27 or 35 are the better options for me.

The review I read of the 35 compared to the Touit 32 is that both are remarkably sharp in the center, about even there, and that while the Touit has a definite advantage in edge sharpness at wider f stops, the Fuji catches up by f4 and is ahead in sharpness across the frame at f5.6. Of course sharpness is only one of many variables. But if you were going to be shooting flat art in available light, the Touit would probably work better for you. Alternatively, if you have rather normal shooting habits, the Fuji seems to take the prize.

But I don't have the Zeiss, only the Fuji, and I' ve learned not to believe everything I read.

Lightmancer · Sep 3, 2015

I can't see a lot of love for the Touits from Zeiss - have they ever upgraded their firmware?

flysurfer · Sep 3, 2015

Once, under pressure, with a long delay.

KillRamsey · Sep 3, 2015

I wonder if Zeiss was caught off guard at how good the XF lenses turned out to be.

Lightmancer · Sep 3, 2015

Good point. Fuji have set a cracking pace whilst maintaining a high standard.

flysurfer · Sep 3, 2015

I think I know what was going on, but let's just say that Zeiss apparently lost interest in the Touit line.

Lightmancer · Sep 3, 2015

Sony-ear and yet so far...

KillRamsey · Sep 3, 2015

^ What it LOOKS like, is that Zeiss did what it normally would -- make really high quality lenses that fit onto a camera system, assuming the standard lenses would be of inferior quality. But when the tests came back with lens after XF lens doing as well or better than the pricier Zeiss options, I don't see how or why they should continue to make them.

flysurfer · Sep 3, 2015

Touit was mostly a NEX thing, hence 32mm, 12mm and 50mm Macro. Fuji already had great 35mm, 14mm and 60mm Macro primes, so nobody really needed the Touit lenses to complete the lineup.

So Fuji was never an important market for these lenses, and Sony decided to emphasize full-frame.

Zeiss may very well have overestimated the size of the Tout market, especially for Fuji. And Fuji may have overstated those numbers, too. Let's be happy that Touit died, because that's how we got the great XF16mmF1.4 R WR. Otherwise, we'd now have a Touit 1.8/16mm and an XF18mmF1.4 R.

Lawrence A. · Sep 9, 2015

My Hasselblad V series lenses to Fuji X adapter came today. I just shot a couple of things and brought them in to see them on the big monitor. As I expected, these lenses couple beautifully with the Xtrans sensor in the XPro. This was taken hand held with the 50mm f4 Distagon, a hefty bit of kit, but certainly not beyond hand holding -- as long as you hold the camera by the lens; it's a heavy sucker to have pulling on the mount.

I've always loved these lenses, and they certainly have lived up to my experience of them. Lovely, heavenly, to-die-for glass.