REVIEWED in Depth: the NEW Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 Distagon
Get Zeiss Batis at B&H Photo. Direct link to Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8.
Zeiss announces the Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 Distagon today.
I had only one week to work with a review sample, but I already have extensive coverage which I think makes a strong case that the Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 Distagon is the finest 18mm lens ever to be produced for full frame cameras.
In the Zeiss Batis section of Guide to Mirrorless:
Review of Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 Distagon
- Overview of Zeiss Batis 18/2.8 Distagon
- MTF for Zeiss Batis 18/2.8 Distagon
- Vignetting for Zeiss Batis 18/2.8 Distagon
- Distortion for Zeiss Batis 18/2.8 Distagon
- Examples: Close Range Flowers
- Examples: Interior Handheld (Church)
- Aperture Series: Pescadero Creek Overview, Late Dusk Upstream
- Aperture Series: Waterworn Rocks, Downstream Low Viewpoint
- Aperture Series: Sculpted Bedrock, Upstream View
- Aperture Series: Mid-Stream in Pescadero Creek
- Aperture Series: Rushing Water, Downstream
- Aperture Series: Pescadero Creek S-Curve
- Aperture Series: Downstream Sheen on Swirling Water, Pescadero Creek
- Shootout vs Zeiss ZF.2 18/3.5 (Pescadero Creek, Upstream)
- Shootout vs Zeiss ZF.2 18/3.5 (Pescadero Creek, Weathered Rocks)
If you like ultra-wide and you’re shooting on Sony, this lens is a must. Supply may be constrained initially, so pre-order the Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 Distagon today.
MTF
See my in-depth discussion of the MTF charts.
Distortion
Note: the Zeiss data sheet for the Batis 18mm f/2.8 on the Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 web page shows the software-corrected distortion graph. An easily-missed footnote that reads 'camera correction “on”'; it is not called out in any way—easily missed. It ought to be part of the graph itself, in red or some such.
Sony mirrorless cameras apply distortion correction to JPEG only, so unless distortion correction is performed during RAW conversion, the results are as shown below in the Uncorrected graph. Distortion correction has implications for sharpness and micro contrast and thus true optical distortion without correction is an essential part of the data sheet.
See my discussion of distortion for Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8, with examples.
Vignetting
See my discussion of vignetting for Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8, with examples.