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Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 full frame lens for Sony E-Mount - $350 (Bellingham)
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The colors are superb. There's something so rich and yet natural about the way it handles color. Zeiss is legendary for this particular aspect, which is often lost in the quest for modern lenses to just focus on sharpness and bokeh. This lens seems to be a goldilocks lens for just right size, sharpness, brightness, and rendering. There are lenses that do one of those qualities better, but none that capture that perfect balance. Oh and did I mention it has weather sealing? Very rare to have that in manual focus lenses. Works excellently for video as well, where manual focus is often preferred. The manual focus ring is wonderfully dampened to allow for very smooth and accurate focusing.
Has an aftermarket front lens cap and hood, though honestly it doesn't really need the hood at all, as it has superb flare resistance. Cosmetic condition shows some signs of wear, but nothing that affects image quality. The solid metal construction and manual focus means this lens will outlast all the new plastic lenses, and it will still be sought after and usable decades from now. Comes with a Hoya protective UV filter.
New price was $~1400, now it can be had new for ~$1000. Selling for $350 due to the wear, but it definitely punches above its price point!
Specs:
Focal Length 21mm
Aperture Maximum: f/2.8. Minimum: f/22
Lens Mount Sony E
Lens Format Coverage Full-Frame
Angle of View 91°
Minimum Focus Distance 9.84" / 25 cm
Magnification 1:7.7 Macro Reproduction Ratio / 0.13x Magnification
Optical Design 11 Elements in 9 Groups
Focus Type Manual Focus
Filter Size 52 mm (Front)
Dimensions ø: 2.44 x L: 2.83" / ø: 62 x L: 72 mm
Weight 13.9 oz / 394 g
Details:
Combining an expansive field of view with a compact form factor, the Loxia 21mm f/2.8 from ZEISS is a sleek wide-angle prime, designed for full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. Based on the Distagon optical concept, this lens uses four anomalous partial dispersion elements and one aspherical element to provide a marked reduction in chromatic and spherical aberrations for improved color rendering, sharpness, and clarity. For minimizing flare and ghosting, an enhanced ZEISS T* anti-reflective coating has also been applied to benefit working in difficult lighting conditions.
Loxia-series lenses are distinguished by their manual focus operation along with a manual aperture ring that can be de-clicked for silent operation; making them especially suitable for filmmaking applications. Loxia lenses are also characterized by their compact form factor and all-metal lens barrel, which incorporates engraved focusing and depth of field scales, for fine-tuned control. Additionally, the lens body sports a dust- and moisture-sealed design to permit its use in trying environments.
Wide-angle prime is designed for full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras, however can also be used with APS-C models where it provides a 31.5mm equivalent focal length
Bright f/2.8 maximum aperture suits working in available-light conditions and is also well-suited for astrophotography use.
Distagon optical concept affords high sharpness, well-corrected image quality from edge-to-edge, and very low field curvature.
Four anomalous partial dispersion elements are used to significantly reduce color fringing and chromatic aberrations for increased clarity and color fidelity.
One aspherical element controls distortion and spherical aberrations in order to produce greater sharpness and more accurate rendering.
ZEISS T* anti-reflective coating has been applied to each lens surface to help minimize reflections and provide greater contrast and color fidelity.
Manual focus design is benefitted by focusing and depth of field scales along with a 90° focus ring rotational angle and hard stops at both infinity and minimum focusing positions.
Manual aperture ring has clicked indicators throughout aperture range. Using the included De-Click Tool, this ring can be mechanically 'de-clicked' for smooth, silent rotation throughout the aperture range; making it ideal for video applications.
Weather-resistant construction includes internal seals to guard against dust and moisture as well as a blue sealing ring at the lens mount to protect the lens-camera interface.
The lens mount is fitted with an electronic interface that conveys all lens Exif data to the camera and can also be configured to automatically activate the camera's focusing magnification function when turning the focus ring.