Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 Distagon T* ZE Series Lens for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras

by Zeiss

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B002UBPWAK
• Item model number: S-003448
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 17, 2003

Product Description

Carl Zeiss is proud to present the Distagon T* 2,8/21 ZE, an ultra-wide-angle lens with EF bayonet designed specifically for such tricky shooting moments. Designed to fit all analog and digital EOS camera models, it is ideal for architectural, landscape and a wide variety of other applications. It is also ideally suited for shooting HD video due to its wide focus rotation, superb image quality and minimal breathing characteristics. Following the recent release of the Distagon T* 3,5/18 ZE, the new Distagon T* 2,8/21 ZE is now the second Carl Zeiss wide-angle lens with EF bayonet on the market and the fourth lens in the ZE product range.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zeiss 21mm is far superior to Canon 16-35 L II, May 19, 2010

By 

M. Williams - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 Distagon T* ZE Series Lens for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I purchased this lens to use with my 5D MkII, although I really wanted a wide angle zoom. I decided to try it, and after getting it in the mail, I took it to my local camera shop and did a test against the 16-35 L (Mk II) and I could hardly believe the difference. Keep in mind that the 16-35 II is supposed to be superior to the 16-35 I and the 17-40. For my tests, I shot two different scenes, one in sun and one in shade, at various apertures, and evaluated the results on my laptop (laptops are not great for images but it worked fine for this comparison). In every case, the Zeiss images were MUCH sharper and had MUCH better contrast, both in the center and at the edges. In one case some river stones, which were near the edge of the frame, look like blurry brown shapes with the Canon, and they looked sharp and contrasty with the Zeiss. Even the salesman was very, vary surprised at the difference (he went around telling the other salesmen about it). I love my other Canon lenses (especially the 400/5.6L), but in the wide angle department Canon does not measure up. If you are set on a wide angle zoom, you can buy an adapter for the Nikon 14-24, which is said to be a great lens as well. But don't waste your money on the Canon. BTW, the lack of autofocus on the Zeiss is not a big deal. In fact, I have been using LiveView to focus manually and the sharpness I can achieve is much better than I get with autofocus using my 24-105L or 400L. As long as your subject stays put for a few seconds, manual focus is the way to go.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Sharp Ultra Wide Angle Lens, January 3, 2010

By 

Amy K. Yu "Pak K. So" (WHITESTONE, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 Distagon T* ZE Series Lens for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I am using thie manual focus lens on a Canon full frame system. It will meter with the Canon SLR's without a problem and when the image is in focus, you can see (or hear) the focus confirmation. The lens exhibits amazing sharpness. I think this lens is particularly good for landscape photography. After putting this lens through it's paces, below is my list of pro's and cons:

Pros -
1 - Amazing sharpness across the aperture range and from edge to edge.
2 - No noticeable flare
3 - Amazing construction (puts my Canon L's behind) and fun to use manually.

Cons -
1 - This lens shows heavy vignetting at f/2.8...sometimes, I actually REALLY like the look but sometimes it makes the image not look quite right. I think for the typical situation, I may actually overexpose f/2.8 images by a 1/2 to 2/3 of a stop to compensate for the vignetting which seems to cover about 2/3rd of the image. This light falloff is mostly gone f/4 and completely gone by f/5.6.
2 - There is a "mustache distortion" on this lens.

I am definitely happy to have this tool in my kit. Highly recommend!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars awesome lens, January 2, 2010

By 

Astroman (Auburn, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 Distagon T* ZE Series Lens for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

Every now and then a product comes along that eclipses everything else in its class ... such is the Zeiss 21mm Distagon f/2.8. This lens is sharp to the corners wide open where other super wide angle lenses are mush. The color correction of this lens is extraordinary ... virtually no fringing nor ghosts ... even at the edges of the field. Of note to astroimagers ... this lens has an infinity stop ... no fumbling for focus in the dark. It is a solid lens ... all metal construction. It has a nine blade diaphram that makes beautiful out-of-focus detail ... in short ... this is a superlative product worth every penny of the price. Highly recommended.