{"id":1675,"date":"2015-12-27T09:50:15","date_gmt":"2015-12-27T08:50:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=1675"},"modified":"2026-01-14T09:33:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T08:33:05","slug":"review-carl-zeiss-distagon-2828-t","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-carl-zeiss-distagon-2828-t\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Carl Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 T*"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1683\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-4.jpg\" alt=\"Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-4\" width=\"800\" height=\"652\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-4.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-4-300x245.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Carl Zeiss Distagon 2.8\/28 has the reputation to be one of the best 28mm lenses ever made. I put it on my Sony a7 and created an extensive review.<\/p>\n<h1>Sample Images<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1817\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1817\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03651.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1817 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03651.jpg\" alt=\"DSC03651\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03651.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03651-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1817\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1819\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1819\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08652.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1819 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08652.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08652\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08652.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08652-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1819\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/5.6 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/23332627493\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1818\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1818\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1818 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08252.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08252\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08252.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08252-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1818\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/11 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/23851121682\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h1>\u00a0Specifications<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Diameter: 62.5mm<\/li>\n<li>Length: \u00a050mm<\/li>\n<li>Weight: 280g<\/li>\n<li>Filter Diameter: 55mm<\/li>\n<li>Number of Aperture Blades:\u00a06<\/li>\n<li>Elements\/Groups: 7\/7<\/li>\n<li>Close Focusing Distance: 25cm<\/li>\n<li>Mount:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/lenses\/zeiss-cy-lenses\/\">Zeiss C\/Y<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>More information in Zeiss&#8217; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zeiss.com\/content\/dam\/Photography\/new\/pdf\/en\/downloadcenter\/contax_yashica\/distagon2-8_28mm_e.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">official data sheet.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>The Carl Zeiss Distagon 2.8\/28\u00a0usually sells for <strong>around $200-300<\/strong>\u00a0at <a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/711-53200-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575076376&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337792848&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=zeiss+distagon+28+2.8&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=3323&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229466&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ebay.com <\/a>(affiliate link).\u00a0<\/em><br \/>\n<em>In Germany\u00a0you can buy it for 150-250\u20ac\u00a0at <a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/707-53477-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575076376&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337792848&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=zeiss+distagon+28+2.8&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=3323&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229487&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ebay.de<\/a> (affiliate link).\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The younger MM version usually sells for a little bit more than the older AE version.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1682\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-3.jpg\" alt=\"Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-3\" width=\"800\" height=\"797\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-3.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-3-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-3-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Versions<\/h1>\n<p>There are two versions of the Zeiss Distagon 2.8\/28 T*.<\/p>\n<p>The older<strong> AE version<\/strong>\u00a0introduced in the mid 70&#8217;s\u00a0 won&#8217;t allow\u00a0program and shutter-priority with film cameras. I think it was made in Japan from the beginning while other C\/Y lenses were manufactured in Germany \u00a0before production was moved to\u00a0in Japan (als called AEJ). I have no definitive proof for that but a collector who looked really hard for a made in Germany copy and compiled dozens and dozens of serial numbers couldn\u2019t find one. Unlike the later MM version the AE version has Ninja-star shaped bokeh circles stopped down. Check out my <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-carl-zeiss-contarex-planar-f50mm-12\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Contarex 2\/50 review<\/a> to see an example for that.<\/p>\n<p>The younger <strong>MM version<\/strong>\u00a0was sold from 1984 to 2005. It\u00a0can be identified by the green color of the f\/22 marking, see image below. It was only manufactured in Japan. If you want to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.leitax.com\/Zeiss-Contax-lens-for-Nikon-cameras.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">leitax<\/a> your lens to Nikon\u00a0F-mount\u00a0or Sony A-mount you need to buy the MM version.<\/p>\n<p>Some people claim that the coatings and the optical design have been improved when the MM version was introduced but I couldn&#8217;t find any good source to back it up. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fredmiranda.com\/forum\/topic\/1404438\/0#13343348\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">This comparison<\/a> shows a little better performance for the MM version but I think it is within the margin of error.<\/p>\n<p>Credit for much of this information goes to\u00a0the great guys over at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fredmiranda.com\/forum\/topic\/1404438\/0#lastmessage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">FM forum.<\/a><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1687\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1687\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p81.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1687 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p81.jpg\" alt=\"Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8\" width=\"800\" height=\"788\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p81.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p81-300x296.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1687\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The MM version of the Distagon 2.8\/28 &#8211; see the green <span style=\"color: #00ff00;\">22<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Zeiss also produced the ZM Biogon 2.8\/28 which has a totally different optical design and different mount. And a C\/Y 2\/28 which has a different characteristic as well.<\/p>\n<p><b>Compatibility<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The Zeiss Distagon 2.8\/28\u00a0can of course be used on a <strong>wide range of Contax and Yashica film cameras<\/strong> but I know little about those so I can\u2019t tell you any details.<\/p>\n<p>You can also buy adapters to\u00a0use it on \u00a0<strong>Canon EOS<\/strong> cameras but in some cases the mirror will hit the back of the lens. Check out <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pebbleplace.com\/Personal\/Contax_db.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this site <\/a>for more information.<\/p>\n<p>To use a C\/Y lens on a\u00a0<strong>Nikon F-mount<\/strong> camera you need to replace\u00a0the mount of your C\/Y lens. Check out <a href=\"http:\/\/www.leitax.com\/Zeiss-Contax-lens-for-Nikon-cameras.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leitax<\/a> for more information. I can recommend their products, they are very well made.<\/p>\n<p>The easiest way to use a C\/Y lens on a digital camera is to buy a mirrorless camera. I can only\u00a0recommend to buy a full frame camera so the Sony Alpha 7 series cameras are your only choice (unless you have too much money and want a Leica SL). Check out this article for more information about how to use <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/manual-lenses-sony-a7\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">manual lenses on the Sony a7-series<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h1><strong>Build<\/strong><strong> Quality<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>Build quality is superb and the lens feels very solid.<\/p>\n<p>The barrel is made of metal with very low tolerances. Both focus and aperture ring are rubberized and easy to grip.<\/p>\n<p>All markings are engraved<\/p>\n<h1><strong>Size, Weight and Handling<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Canon_nFD_24mmf2p8-7.jpg\"><br \/>\n<\/a><\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-6.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1685\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-6.jpg\" alt=\"Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-6\" width=\"800\" height=\"771\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-6.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-6-300x289.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Zeiss Distagon 2.8\/28 is about as large and heavy as your average 1.4\/50. It is very well balanced on the Sony a7.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>focusing ring<\/strong> travels about 100 degrees from 0.25m\u00a0to 1m and a further 20 or so degrees to infinity. I think this is a very good transmission, focusing was easy at any distance. The focusing feel is just quite nice: Very precise but not too smooth.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<strong>aperture ring<\/strong> has full stops from f\/2.8 to f\/22 but it isn&#8217;t too hard to select half-stops. I think it is <strong>one of the nicest aperture rings I have ever used<\/strong>, resistance is just right and every stop very distinctive.<\/p>\n<p>Honestly I wouldn&#8217;t know how to improve the handling of\u00a0the Distagon 2.8\/28.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-7.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1686\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-7.jpg\" alt=\"Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-7\" width=\"800\" height=\"697\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-7.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-7-300x261.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Lens Hood<\/h1>\n<p>I don&#8217;t own a hood for the Distagon 2.8\/28 but according to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mir.com.my\/rb\/photography\/hardwares\/classics\/contax\/shared\/accessory\/hoods.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mir.com<\/a> there were two different hoods: The\u00a0<em>Metal Lens Hood No.1 <\/em>and the<em>\u00a0Soft Lens Shade 55mm G-12.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Filters<\/h1>\n<p>The 55mm filter thread is made from metal<\/p>\n<p>The front of the lens does not rotate so polarizers are easy to use.<\/p>\n<h1><\/h1>\n<h1>Image Quality<\/h1>\n<h3>Vignetting<\/h3>\n<p>At f\/2.8 vignetting is significant at close to 2.5\u00a0stops. At f\/4 it is reduced to about 1.5 stops and by f\/8 a little less than 1 stop.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8_Vignetting.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1789\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8_Vignetting.jpg\" alt=\"Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8_Vignetting\" width=\"750\" height=\"610\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8_Vignetting.jpg 750w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8_Vignetting-300x244.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Flare Resistance<\/h1>\n<p>The flare resistance of the Zeiss 2.8\/28 is very good. There is very little\u00a0contrast loss and only minor ghosting.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1804\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1804\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08246.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1804 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08246.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08246\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08246.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08246-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1804\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/11 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/23876870361\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This is the very worst ghosting I could provoke and it is only visible because I pushed the shadows of this image a lot:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1803\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1803\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03708.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1803 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03708.jpg\" alt=\"DSC03708\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03708.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03708-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1803\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A small blob like in this image was more common. The shadows were pushed as well which makes it more obvious:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1805\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1805\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08257.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1805 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08257.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08257\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08257.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08257-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1805\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Distortion<\/h3>\n<p>The distagon shows a small amount of barrel distortion, a setting of +3 corrects it very well in Lightroom.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1796\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1796\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08872.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1796 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08872.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08872\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08872.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08872-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1796\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/23851335352\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution<\/a>\u00a0| LR default settings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"attachment_1408\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Chromatic Aberrations<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Lateral CA are well corrected for a wide angle lens but certainly visible on more critical subjects so I would advise to correct them.<\/p>\n<h3>Bokeh<\/h3>\n<p>Bokeh is not a strength of the Zeiss.<\/p>\n<p>Out of focus highlights a a defined edge and the transition zone is quite\u00a0nervous:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1797\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1797\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03633.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1797 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03633.jpg\" alt=\"DSC03633\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03633.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03633-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1797\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/23591800079\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>OOF highlights in front of the point of focus are much smoother:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1801\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1801\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03687.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1801 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03687.jpg\" alt=\"DSC03687\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03687.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC03687-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1801\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/23877151991\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1799\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1799\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08838.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1799 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08838.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08838\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08838.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08838-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1799\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At the minimal focusing distance\u00a0bokeh is quite nice but this is because the lens itself is less well corrected and quite soft.<\/p>\n<p>At longer distances the lens is sharper but the bokeh quite harsh:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1798\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1798\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08512.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1798 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08512.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08512\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08512.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08512-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1798\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/23933314706\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>Sunstars<\/h1>\n<p>The Zeiss Distagon 2.8\/28 only has 6 aperture blades so sunstars only have 6-pointed stars. From\u00a0f\/11 they are well defined \u00a0and at f\/16 they are very prominent.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1794\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1794\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08618.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1794 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08618.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08618\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08618.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08618-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1794\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/11 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/23851141682\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1795\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1795\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08620.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1795 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08620.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08620\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08620.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08620-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1795\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/16<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>Contrast<\/h1>\n<p>Contrast is great from f\/2.8.<\/p>\n<p>I am usually very cautious with claims I can&#8217;t support with some data so take my impression with a grain of salt: To my eyes the images I took with the Zeiss 2.8\/28 C\/Y\u00a0stood out because of their plasticity and contrast.<\/p>\n<h3>Sharpness<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8_infinity.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1812\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8_infinity.jpg\" alt=\"Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8_infinity\" width=\"800\" height=\"1962\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8_infinity.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8_infinity-122x300.jpg 122w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8_infinity-522x1280.jpg 522w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The full aperture series can be found <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/albums\/72157652089959552\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">at flickr<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>f\/2.8:\u00a0<\/strong>The center is excellent, the midframe region is good \u00a0but the outer half of the image circle is not very sharp.<\/p>\n<p><strong>f\/4:<\/strong>\u00a0Very little difference to f\/2.8<\/p>\n<p><strong>f\/5.6: <\/strong>The edges of the frame have much better contrast and they are a little sharper. The corners remain soft.<\/p>\n<p><strong>f\/8: <\/strong>A significant improvement can be seen in the corners.\u00a0With the exception of the extreme corners and a small dip around r=15mm it is very sharp across the frame.<\/p>\n<p><strong>f\/11:\u00a0<\/strong>The center is a little less sharp but the extreme corners improve a bit.<\/p>\n<p>F\/2.8 gives excellent results\u00a0as long as your subject is more or less in the central half of the image and not too close. For landscapes I would recommend to stop down to f\/8 . If the extreme corners are important you can stop down to f\/11 and trade\u00a0a little less sharpness in the center for better corners. I think this is a very good performance for a wide angle lens.<\/p>\n<h3>Field Curvature<\/h3>\n<p>The Distagon does\u00a0show a significant amount of field curvature. At r=15mm the plane of focus is closest\u00a0to the camera. Beyond\u00a0this point it bents backwards. The extreme\u00a0corners are focused significantly behind the center.\u00a0If you have the Distagon 2.8\/28 set to f\/11 and have a flat subject at infinity even the extreme corners will be sharp but the rest of the frame will be out of focus.<\/p>\n<h1>Close Focus Performance<\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p82.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1689\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p82.jpg\" alt=\"Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p82.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p82-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p82-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Zeiss 2.8\/28\u00a0has a close focusing distance of 25cm\u00a0which results in a reproduction ratio of 1:6 which is decent\u00a0for a 28mm lens.<\/p>\n<p>The Distagon does not feature floating elements so performance suffers quite a bit\u00a0at shorter distances. \u00a0F\/2.8 is downright soft, f\/4 is okay and you should stop down to f\/5.6 for good sharpness. For very good results I would recommend f\/8 or even f\/11.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08888.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1793\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08888.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08888\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08888.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08888-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Alternatives<\/h1>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/sony-fe-28mm-2-what-we-know-so-far\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sony FE 2\/28<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; The Sony has AF, is faster and it has nicer bokeh. It is also sharper in the extreme corners at f\/8 if you don&#8217;t correct the distortion, if you do the Zeiss is a little sharper across most of the frame. \u00a0The FE 2\/28\u00a0vignettes a lot and it has very significant distortion. It is a little smaller than the Zeiss Distagon if you include the adapter but twice as expensive.\u00a0Build quality is no contest, the Zeiss wins. See<a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/old-new-zeiss-2-828-vs-sony-fe-228-vs-minolta-mc-228\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> this post<\/a> for a comparison of both lenses.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/sony-fe-16-35mm-f4-za-t-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sony FE 4\/16-35 ZA OSS<\/a>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>Four times as expensive, two times as heavy but more flexible because it a zoom and because it\u00a0is stabilized. Distortion is more pronounced. Sharpness at f\/8 is very close with an advantage for the FE Zeiss in the extreme corners.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Olympus OM 3.5\/28\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>A very small and very affordable lens which is only a little less sharp and contrasty than the Zeiss\u00a02.8\/28 but it has less field curvature. Build quality is not as nice as that of the Zeiss.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SMC Pentax K 3.5\/28 (52mm filter thread) &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>Even though it\u00a0usually sells for half the price of the Zeiss 2.8\/28 it comes very close to it in performance. I think the Zeiss is a tad sharper but at f\/8 the extreme corners of the Pentax are sharper and it has less CA. Build quality is quite good.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nikon Ai-S 2.8\/28 &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>I don&#8217;t own it but from what I have seen and read it is a little weaker at longer distances. The big advantage of the Nikon is that it has a very short minimal focusing distance and floating elements. So\u00a0it is much more suited for short distance work.<\/p>\n<p>Also check out this\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fredmiranda.com\/forum\/topic\/1315165\/0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">interesting comparison<\/a> on the a7rII\u00a0on FM with the Pentax 3.5\/28, Olympus 3.5\/28 and Nikon AI-S 2.8\/28.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-5.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1684\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-5.jpg\" alt=\"Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-5\" width=\"800\" height=\"725\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-5.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Zeiss_Distagon_28mmf2p8-5-300x272.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Conclusion<\/h1>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>good<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #008000;\">build quality<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #008000;\">flare resistance<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #008000;\">sharpness at f\/8<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #008000;\">price<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td><strong>average<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>corners are a bit soft at f\/2.8<\/li>\n<li>field curvature<\/li>\n<li>size and weight<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td><strong>not good<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">soft extreme corners<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">bokeh<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">vignetting<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The Zeiss Distagon 2.8\/28 T* is a very enjoyable lens and well suited for landscape photography.<\/p>\n<p>Few lenses are built as well and handle as nicely as the Zeiss 2.8\/28. To me this is an important aspect of a lens,\u00a0I don&#8217;t shoot for money I shoot because I enjoy the process and the end result.<\/p>\n<p>For my landscape photography the Zeiss Distagon 2.8\/28 performed very well, by f\/8 it is very sharp with the exception of a few pixels in the corners. It handles most back lit situations with ease and because it it doesn&#8217;t weight me down much I often have it with me.<\/p>\n<p>Of course it isn&#8217;t a perfect lens. While the center is excellent from f\/2.8 you should at least stop down to f\/5.6 for good corners. Vignetting is also very obvious at f\/2.8 and to a lesser degree at f\/4. The performance drop at shorter distances is a bit of a letdown.<\/p>\n<p>The Zeiss is a bit more expensive than other manufacturer&#8217;s competing lenses but it is also a little better. Compared to today&#8217;s Sony FE lenses the price\/performance ratio is awesome and\u00a0you get a lot for your money.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I can recommend the Zeiss Distagon 2.8\/28 T*, in fact I enjoyed\u00a0shooting with it a lot and I think it is one of the very best manual 28mm lenses you can buy. If you look for a very versatile 28mm lens the <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/sony-fe-28mm-2-what-we-know-so-far\/\">FE 2\/28<\/a>\u00a0is a better versatile solution but I enjoyed the Zeiss 2.8\/28 more because it is built so well and has a real focusing ring.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>The Carl Zeiss Distagon 2.8\/28\u00a0usually sells for <strong>around $200-300<\/strong>\u00a0at <a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/711-53200-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575076376&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337792848&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=zeiss+distagon+28+2.8&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=3323&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229466&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ebay.com <\/a>(affiliate link).\u00a0<\/em><br \/>\n<em>In Germany\u00a0you can buy it for 150-250\u20ac\u00a0at <a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/707-53477-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575076376&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337792848&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=zeiss+distagon+28+2.8&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=3323&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229487&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ebay.de<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/707-53477-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575076376&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337792848&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=zeiss+distagon+28+2.8&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=3323&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229487&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u00a0<\/a>(affiliate link).\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>If this review was helpful to you, please consider using one of my affiliate links. I will earn a small commission on your purchase and it won\u2019t cost you anything. Thanks!<\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Zeiss Distagon 2.8\/28 T*\u00a0Sample Images<\/h1>\n<p>All images are processed in Lightroom from Raw. Many more full resolution samples in<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/albums\/72157652089959552\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> my Zeiss Distagon 2.8\/28 flickr album<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1820\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1820\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC07353.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1820 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC07353.jpg\" alt=\"DSC07353\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC07353.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC07353-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1820\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/16 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/23959370475\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1821\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1821\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC07426.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1821 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC07426.jpg\" alt=\"DSC07426\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC07426.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC07426-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1821\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/11 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/23851104312\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1823\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1823\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC07976.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1823 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC07976.jpg\" alt=\"DSC07976\" width=\"800\" height=\"539\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC07976.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC07976-300x202.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1823\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/23959385265\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1824\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1824\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08479.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1824 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08479.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08479\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08479.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08479-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1824\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/11 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/23331160834\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1826\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1826\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08818.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1826 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08818.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08818\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08818.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC08818-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1826\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/11 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/23876901821\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1825\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1825\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC086351.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1825 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC086351.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08635\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC086351.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC086351-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1825\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/23851460332\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution\u00a0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1421\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><\/figure>\n<h1>Other Articles<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Phillip-Reeve-525402494292511\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">My <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Phillip-Reeve-525402494292511\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">new Facebook page<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/manual-lenses-sony-a7\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Manual lenses on the Sony a7 \u2013 a beginner&#8217;s guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/affordable-manual-lenses-for-the-sony-alpha-77r7ii7rii-and-7s\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">15 affordable manual lenses for\u00a0the Sony a7 series<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/lenses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">My other reviews<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This site contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using any of the links marked as affiliate links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support the creation of future content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Carl Zeiss Distagon 2.8\/28 has the reputation to be one of the best 28mm lenses ever made. I put it on my Sony a7 and created an extensive review. Sample Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[419,169],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vintage","category-zeiss"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Review: Carl Zeiss Distagon 2,8\/28 T* - phillipreeve.net<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In-depth review of the Carl Zeiss Distagon 2.8\/28 T* on the Sony a7. Real world usage and technical analysis. 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