Zeiss 50mm f/2.0 Makro Planar ZE Manual Focus Macro Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras

by Zeiss

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B002YP2WFK
• Item model number: 50 mm / F 2,0 MACRO ZE
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 17, 2003

Product Description

With the introduction of the Makro-Planar T* 2/50, Carl Zeiss expands its existing ZE line of lenses for EF-mount cameras. Owners of EOS camera models can now create detail-rich macro images that allow the effective use of both sharpness and unsharpness to be deployed as creative elements. These fast, versatile lenses are also perfect as standard focal lengths for portraits or still life photography. Even in tricky lighting situations such as dusk, the Makro-Planar T* 2/50 creates distortion-free images thanks to its extraordinary fast aperture. Whether capturing an insect resting on a flower or the moisture on a piece of fruit, these lenses allow a degree of sharpness that was hitherto impossible. Even with a maximum aperture opening and a low focal depth, the desired image can be easily isolated from its surroundings. The macro lens renders objects in close-up on a scale of 1:2. To enable such detail, this lens includes Carl Zeiss's acclaimed "floating elements" design. This special lens alignment enables high optical performance across the entire focusing range, from 0.24m to infinity.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What you need to know about this lens, May 11, 2011

By 

Branden (Northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zeiss 50mm f/2.0 Makro Planar ZE Manual Focus Macro Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras (Accessory)

This is one of the best lenses available for Canon SLR cameras.

I demand a high quality 50mm "normal" lens. Normal lenses spend the most time on my camera, and are useful in practically any situation. I used and ultimately sold several other 50mm lenses before arriving at this Makro-Planar option. Now I have finally found the keeper. Let me explain why:
* Excellent contrast and color reproduction
* Ability to focus from 10" to infinity means I'm Never bumping up against minimum focal distances
* Shooting wider than f/2 isn't, in my opinion, very useful
* Focusing manually is very smooth, helped immensely by the focus confirmation, and more appropriate than auto-focus for most situations
* 270 degrees of rotation on the focus ring allow very precise, minor adjustments to focus
* Results from this lens are repeatedly stunning
* The lens is physically small enough that it causes no portability issues. It feels very comfortable carrying around for extended periods of time.
* This lens, plain and simple, does not distort or have chromatic aberrations.

I cannot speak highly enough of this lens. It has become my workhorse lens, and rarely leaves my camera, and rarely my camera bag. If you are scared by lack of auto-focus, let me reassure that focusing manually, especially on a lens designed to only focus manually, is much easier than you may think. Overall, I give this lens 5 very well earned stars.