brick33308 wrote:aSevenArr wrote:A firm favorite of mine is the Sony (Zeiss) Distagon 35mm f1.4 - it never fails to put a smile on my face.Ditto. I never use it because (i) auto focus was hit or miss using Tech-Art Pro and I don't like manual focus for street work, (ii) have been exclusively using my Leica Q for street work and (iii) I just ordered the Sony 24/1.4 GM. Nonetheless, I just can't get rid of the Distagon because it's images are magic to me more than any of my other lenses.Just wondering if you both talking about the same lens? aSevenArr is clearly talking about the Sony Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZA with E-mount and auto focus. Brick looks like he is talking about the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZM M-mount which is a great manual focus lens.Interesting how they are so different from each other. I would really like to on the ZM version if I thought it didn't need some kind of tweaking do to the Sony's thick cover glass on the sensor.Steve

I have the 35mm f/1.4 ZA.   I really like the bokeh, but it's pretty soft.  Tried 3 copies and this was the best one.I've used: 24-70 f/2.8, 70-200 f/2.8 (own) 85mm f/1.8 (own) 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 and they're all sharper than the Zeiss at their wide open equivalents.Still happy I own it because 35mm at f/1.4 is so fun for portraits.  But functionally, I don't do a whole lot of that so I have debated selling it for the 24-70 f/2.8 because that would be much more practical for what I do.

Steve W wrote:brick33308 wrote:aSevenArr wrote:A firm favorite of mine is the Sony (Zeiss) Distagon 35mm f1.4 - it never fails to put a smile on my face.Ditto. I never use it because (i) auto focus was hit or miss using Tech-Art Pro and I don't like manual focus for street work, (ii) have been exclusively using my Leica Q for street work and (iii) I just ordered the Sony 24/1.4 GM. Nonetheless, I just can't get rid of the Distagon because it's images are magic to me more than any of my other lenses.Just wondering if you both talking about the same lens? aSevenArr is clearly talking about the Sony Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZA with E-mount and auto focus. Brick looks like he is talking about the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZM M-mount which is a great manual focus lens.Interesting how they are so different from each other. I would really like to on the ZM version if I thought it didn't need some kind of tweaking do to the Sony's thick cover glass on the sensor.SteveMy mistake, you are correct, the lens I have and love is the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZM M-mount, and I paired it with a TechArt Pro E-mount adapter. At least half the time auto focus failed to work with the adapter and I was left to slog through my street work using manual focus during those times. Here's a link to pictures from that trip (some of the images, primarily close up street portraits, were taken with Batis 85, but the majority are with the Zeiss). There is a quality about that lens I can't describe, not sure if it's the micro contrast or what, but it's a look that is unique among all the lenses I own and have ever owned. That said, images I'm seeing on Fred Miranda of the Sony 24/1.4 GM remind me of it.https://brick.smugmug.com/Travel/2016-12-Budapest-Danube-River/

brick33308 wrote:Steve W wrote:brick33308 wrote:aSevenArr wrote:A firm favorite of mine is the Sony (Zeiss) Distagon 35mm f1.4 - it never fails to put a smile on my face.Ditto. I never use it because (i) auto focus was hit or miss using Tech-Art Pro and I don't like manual focus for street work, (ii) have been exclusively using my Leica Q for street work and (iii) I just ordered the Sony 24/1.4 GM. Nonetheless, I just can't get rid of the Distagon because it's images are magic to me more than any of my other lenses.Just wondering if you both talking about the same lens? aSevenArr is clearly talking about the Sony Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZA with E-mount and auto focus. Brick looks like he is talking about the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZM M-mount which is a great manual focus lens.Interesting how they are so different from each other. I would really like to on the ZM version if I thought it didn't need some kind of tweaking do to the Sony's thick cover glass on the sensor.SteveMy mistake, you are correct, the lens I have and love is the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZM M-mount, and I paired it with a TechArt Pro E-mount adapter. At least half the time auto focus failed to work with the adapter and I was left to slog through my street work using manual focus during those times. Here's a link to pictures from that trip (some of the images, primarily close up street portraits, were taken with Batis 85, but the majority are with the Zeiss). There is a quality about that lens I can't describe, not sure if it's the micro contrast or what, but it's a look that is unique among all the lenses I own and have ever owned. That said, images I'm seeing on Fred Miranda of the Sony 24/1.4 GM remind me of it.https://brick.smugmug.com/Travel/2016-12-Budapest-Danube-River/Thank you for sharing those images. The 35/1.4 ZM has all the qualities I remember when  I owned several ZM and used them with my Zeiss Ikon. Really wanted those to adapt well to my Sony but they did not. The 35/1.4 seems to do just fine. Are you using it with some kind of filter I heard you could get that would make it work?Steve W

Steve W wrote:brick33308 wrote:Steve W wrote:brick33308 wrote:aSevenArr wrote:A firm favorite of mine is the Sony (Zeiss) Distagon 35mm f1.4 - it never fails to put a smile on my face.Ditto. I never use it because (i) auto focus was hit or miss using Tech-Art Pro and I don't like manual focus for street work, (ii) have been exclusively using my Leica Q for street work and (iii) I just ordered the Sony 24/1.4 GM. Nonetheless, I just can't get rid of the Distagon because it's images are magic to me more than any of my other lenses.Just wondering if you both talking about the same lens? aSevenArr is clearly talking about the Sony Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZA with E-mount and auto focus. Brick looks like he is talking about the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZM M-mount which is a great manual focus lens.Interesting how they are so different from each other. I would really like to on the ZM version if I thought it didn't need some kind of tweaking do to the Sony's thick cover glass on the sensor.SteveMy mistake, you are correct, the lens I have and love is the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZM M-mount, and I paired it with a TechArt Pro E-mount adapter. At least half the time auto focus failed to work with the adapter and I was left to slog through my street work using manual focus during those times. Here's a link to pictures from that trip (some of the images, primarily close up street portraits, were taken with Batis 85, but the majority are with the Zeiss). There is a quality about that lens I can't describe, not sure if it's the micro contrast or what, but it's a look that is unique among all the lenses I own and have ever owned. That said, images I'm seeing on Fred Miranda of the Sony 24/1.4 GM remind me of it.https://brick.smugmug.com/Travel/2016-12-Budapest-Danube-River/Thank you for sharing those images. The 35/1.4 ZM has all the qualities I remember when I owned several ZM and used them with my Zeiss Ikon. Really wanted those to adapt well to my Sony but they did not. The 35/1.4 seems to do just fine. Are you using it with some kind of filter I heard you could get that would make it work?Steve WIt's not a filter, it's an adapter with electronics that allow the Sony E mount camera to operate a manual focus lens as though it was auto focus. Here's a link.https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1233758-REG/techart_pro_talmea7_leica_m_lens_to.htmlWhen I owned it several years ago, it was wonky and the auto focus only worked about half the time. I've heard that since then it has improved, and you can read about it at this link on the Fred Miranda Sony forum. The thread started in 2016, and it continues to today, so it's a VERY long thread.https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1452716

brick33308 wrote:Steve W wrote:brick33308 wrote:Steve W wrote:brick33308 wrote:aSevenArr wrote:A firm favorite of mine is the Sony (Zeiss) Distagon 35mm f1.4 - it never fails to put a smile on my face.Ditto. I never use it because (i) auto focus was hit or miss using Tech-Art Pro and I don't like manual focus for street work, (ii) have been exclusively using my Leica Q for street work and (iii) I just ordered the Sony 24/1.4 GM. Nonetheless, I just can't get rid of the Distagon because it's images are magic to me more than any of my other lenses.Just wondering if you both talking about the same lens? aSevenArr is clearly talking about the Sony Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZA with E-mount and auto focus. Brick looks like he is talking about the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZM M-mount which is a great manual focus lens.Interesting how they are so different from each other. I would really like to on the ZM version if I thought it didn't need some kind of tweaking do to the Sony's thick cover glass on the sensor.SteveMy mistake, you are correct, the lens I have and love is the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZM M-mount, and I paired it with a TechArt Pro E-mount adapter. At least half the time auto focus failed to work with the adapter and I was left to slog through my street work using manual focus during those times. Here's a link to pictures from that trip (some of the images, primarily close up street portraits, were taken with Batis 85, but the majority are with the Zeiss). There is a quality about that lens I can't describe, not sure if it's the micro contrast or what, but it's a look that is unique among all the lenses I own and have ever owned. That said, images I'm seeing on Fred Miranda of the Sony 24/1.4 GM remind me of it.https://brick.smugmug.com/Travel/2016-12-Budapest-Danube-River/Thank you for sharing those images. The 35/1.4 ZM has all the qualities I remember when I owned several ZM and used them with my Zeiss Ikon. Really wanted those to adapt well to my Sony but they did not. The 35/1.4 seems to do just fine. Are you using it with some kind of filter I heard you could get that would make it work?Steve WIt's not a filter, it's an adapter with electronics that allow the Sony E mount camera to operate a manual focus lens as though it was auto focus. Here's a link.https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1233758-REG/techart_pro_talmea7_leica_m_lens_to.htmlWhen I owned it several years ago, it was wonky and the auto focus only worked about half the time. I've heard that since then it has improved, and you can read about it at this link on the Fred Miranda Sony forum. The thread started in 2016, and it continues to today, so it's a VERY long thread.https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1452716I guess I understand how the Techart can replace the need of the filter since it can compensate for the slight focal shift.

Steve W wrote:brick33308 wrote:Steve W wrote:brick33308 wrote:Steve W wrote:brick33308 wrote:aSevenArr wrote:A firm favorite of mine is the Sony (Zeiss) Distagon 35mm f1.4 - it never fails to put a smile on my face.Ditto. I never use it because (i) auto focus was hit or miss using Tech-Art Pro and I don't like manual focus for street work, (ii) have been exclusively using my Leica Q for street work and (iii) I just ordered the Sony 24/1.4 GM. Nonetheless, I just can't get rid of the Distagon because it's images are magic to me more than any of my other lenses.Just wondering if you both talking about the same lens? aSevenArr is clearly talking about the Sony Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZA with E-mount and auto focus. Brick looks like he is talking about the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZM M-mount which is a great manual focus lens.Interesting how they are so different from each other. I would really like to on the ZM version if I thought it didn't need some kind of tweaking do to the Sony's thick cover glass on the sensor.SteveMy mistake, you are correct, the lens I have and love is the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZM M-mount, and I paired it with a TechArt Pro E-mount adapter. At least half the time auto focus failed to work with the adapter and I was left to slog through my street work using manual focus during those times. Here's a link to pictures from that trip (some of the images, primarily close up street portraits, were taken with Batis 85, but the majority are with the Zeiss). There is a quality about that lens I can't describe, not sure if it's the micro contrast or what, but it's a look that is unique among all the lenses I own and have ever owned. That said, images I'm seeing on Fred Miranda of the Sony 24/1.4 GM remind me of it.https://brick.smugmug.com/Travel/2016-12-Budapest-Danube-River/Thank you for sharing those images. The 35/1.4 ZM has all the qualities I remember when I owned several ZM and used them with my Zeiss Ikon. Really wanted those to adapt well to my Sony but they did not. The 35/1.4 seems to do just fine. Are you using it with some kind of filter I heard you could get that would make it work?Steve WIt's not a filter, it's an adapter with electronics that allow the Sony E mount camera to operate a manual focus lens as though it was auto focus. Here's a link.https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1233758-REG/techart_pro_talmea7_leica_m_lens_to.htmlWhen I owned it several years ago, it was wonky and the auto focus only worked about half the time. I've heard that since then it has improved, and you can read about it at this link on the Fred Miranda Sony forum. The thread started in 2016, and it continues to today, so it's a VERY long thread.https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1452716I guess I understand how the Techart can replace the need of the filter since it can compensate for the slight focal shift.Not sure about that.If the issue is smudgy corners on certain adapted wider lenses (caused, apparently, by the steep angle of incidence of light at the sensor), the TechArt focus capability might not help.

Steve W wrote:I guess I understand how the Techart can replace the need of the filter since it can compensate for the slight focal shift.I have no idea what you're saying.

When bought into Sony G masters were a little over my Price Range Added 16-35 4.0 and 35 1.4 for landscapes at moderate apertures they do a fine job. Bought them both for under a grand total and I am satisfied.

My experience: I've owned the Zony 35mm f/2.8, the Batis 25mm f/2, Zeiss 55mm f/1.8, and the Zeiss 50mm f/1.4. The 50mm and 55mm are the only ones to remain. The other two got their collective optical butts kicked by the Samyangs that replaced them. Embarrassingly so really, especially for what I bought those Zeiss lenses for new compared to the SY's. Both normal lenses are still active in my kit and perform great on my A7R4. The Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 is a stunner. I haven't tried the new model and I'm sure it focuses faster but I don't feel the need to upgrade. The whole naming thing is a mixed bag. My FE 20mm f/1.8 G is as good as any GM lens. My standard FE 85mm f/1.8 is actually sharper than my 85mm f/1.4 GM at f.1.8 and focuses better in low light. Go figure.