Nikon-mount Zeiss ZF Lens for my Canon?

superamazing said:

I'm looking at the Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f/2 lens for my T3i. On the crop-sensored body, it's a 56mm equivalent, so it'll make a good standard lens for filmmaking. Man, that lens is sexy.

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T3i has a slight bit more of a crop when recording video, it's about 1.65/1.7. For reference.

Still, closer to S35 specs, which means your 35mm would be the most common lens used.

I've owned and shot with tons of different Zeiss lenses, from my favorite old Contax Zeiss set to the newest PL glass, and hopefully the new zooms and anamorphics. This is a good purchase.

But here's the thing. If I'm going to spend over a thousand dollars on this lens (and skip over the $350 canon f/2), I want it to be a long term investment, and I want to be able to use it for the rest of my career. And that's why I'm considering buying the ZF Nikon mount version over the ZE Canon mount version.

The essential difference here is that the ZF mount version has a manual aperture ring, and the Canon does not. This will mean I'll be able to use it easily in the future with whatever large-sensor camera I use, like the FS100 or the AF100. I've seen people mount Nikon lenses on the RED after all.

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Yes, they all cover Full Frame, so you'll be able to use them on any camera. It's smart to purchase a ZF over a ZE, but note there are more differences than just the manual aperture ring:

1. ZE's rotate the proper way for focusing, ZF's are backward.
2. ZE's have a longer focus throw, which is also great for motion picture.

That said, I think ZF's are a good buy. If you go for the 50, get the 50/2. It's just an all around better 50mm for the money and performance.

I've shot with ZE's and ZF's on DSLRs and RED, they've got their own look fit for certain material. The cool color balance bodes well for a grade, especially with certain cameras.

Do you guys think it's a good idea to buy a Nikon lens in order to take advantage of the manual iris ring? Do you think this will help making this lens purchase a long-term investment?

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Short of the long, yes, a ZF is a good buy.

Make sure you get solid adapter rings, though.

Hey, thanks a lot! Man, that's a lot of useful information.

Obsessively searching the net, I found Phillip Bloom recommending just this:

http://philipbloom.net/2010/05/11/why-i-recommend-the-zf-2-lenses-for-canon-dslrs-over-the-ze-2/

I also found a huge number of awesome videos shot with these lenses, like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm3Zh7Ifl-0

I may be just rationalizing the purchase, here, but I have to admit that I'm completely blown away by the quality of all the videos I've seen of people using this lens. It just looks money. I'm not sure if it's the people who use it, or if it's the lens itself, but damn!

Anyway, my next step is to start saving up.