Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T 2/50 Pro Reviews

Just like the rest of the Zeiss Z-series the Makro-Planar 50mm f/2 is not a lens for mainstream users due to the lack of AF. However, to put things into perspective - AF is not a killer feature for macro lens anyway but then you may also argue that its very large max. aperture may be sufficient to substitute a conventional 50mm lens. Quality-wise it's an impressive lens offering a very high resolution till diffraction takes its toll. Lateral CAs are basically non-existent and the little amount of barrel distortion is not field relevant. At f/2 there's some vignetting which can be disturbing in some scenes so you should either stop down or resolve the issue during image post-processing. The bokeh (out-of-focus blur) is generally quite smooth.

As you can see from the above alternatives, there are plenty of lenses to choose from in the 50mm macro category for both Nikon and Pentax users. The Zeiss 50mm ƒ/2 has much to commend it: it's a full stop faster than its contemporaries, and its results for sharpness, chromatic aberration, corner shading and distortion are all exceptional. It's also built extremely well, with a construction finish that will last dozens of years and bear up well under harsh conditions. There are a two sticking points for this lens. The first issue is the lack of autofocus capability. The second issue is the fact that its reproduction ratio is only 1:2. If you shoot macro, this point alone could be a make-or-break issue for you. If neither of these issues matters to you, than it's a certainty you'll be more than satisfied with this lens.

Just like the rest of the Zeiss Z-series the Makro-Planar 50mm f/2 is not a lens for mainstream users due to the lack of AF. However, to put things into perspective - AF is not a killer feature for macro lens anyway but then you may also argue that its very large max. aperture may be sufficient to substitute a conventional 50mm lens.