The Zeiss Makro-Planar 2/100 is faster than almost any other macro lens and one of the sharpest lenses ever built. Lets put it to the test!

Sample Images

Just click on any image to get to the full resolution version.

Specifications

Diameter: 76mm



Length: 89mm (ZF Version)



Weight: 660 g (ZF Version



Filter Diameter: 67 mm



Number of Aperture Blades: 9



Elements/Groups: 9/8



Close Focusing Distance / reproduction ration: 44 cm / 1:2



Mount: Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K

More information in Zeiss’ official data sheet.

I bought this lens from my own money without any support from the manufacturer and used it for four months.

The Carl Zeiss Maro-Planar 2/100 usually sells for around $950 used at ebay.com (affiliate link).

In Germany you can buy it used for around 800€ at ebay.de (affiliate link).

Versions

In 2006 Zeiss released this lens in Canon EF (ZE), Nikon F (ZF) and Pentax K (ZK) mount. The ZK version has since been discontinued. In 2015 Zeiss introduced the Milvus family of lenses which are mostly ZE/ZF.2 lenses with a new exterior and weather sealings but the same optics. It is a manual focus lens in all versions.

The ZE version features electronic contacts but it doesn’t have an aperture ring so you have to control the aperture with the camera. When adapted to the Sony a7 series with an electronic adapter you will get exif information which you won’t get with the ZF/ZF.2 version.

The ZF version of the Makro-Planar is the one I own and which you see in the images. It comes in Nikon’s F-mount and has a nice aperture ring but it doesn’t have any electronic contacts. There is also a younger ZF.2 version which has electronic contacts as does the Milvus version.

To adapt the Macro Planar 2/100 to my Sony a7 I used a Novoflex adapter (affiliate link).

Build Quality

As expected the Zeiss feels super solid. It has an all-metal exterior and everything but the lens hood fits very tightly.

All markings are engraved.

The Makro-Planar is made in Japan.

Usually I don’t mention lens caps but I was flabbergasted by the one this $1000 + lens came with. It is made from the cheapest feeling plastic I have ever handeld and feels anything but solid and I soon replaced it with a solid one from another manufacturer.

Size, Weight and Handling



The Zeiss Planar is a rather heavy and not too small lens. On a a7 it doesn’t really feel balanced, with an L-bracket handling is okay. On the a7ii with it’s deeper grip handling is okay even without an L-bracket.

The focusing ring turns about 350 degrees from 0.44 m to infinity. It has zero play and it is quite grippy. The resistance of the focusing ring is quite high, I need at least two fingers to turn it and the focusing experience at longer than 2 m distances isn’t too pleasant because of the resistance and the very short focus throw at these distances.

The aperture ring has half-stops from f/2 to f/22 which register well enough but I have used nicer aperture rings. What I like about the aperture ring is that it is very grippy. Because my copy is the ZF version it has a coupling prong which is a bit annoying.

The Zeiss Makro-Planar 2/100 extends a lot when it is focused at shorter distances.

Lens Hood

The lens hood is quite large and at least on my copy it has some play and it rattles.

It is made from metal and lined with some felt-like stuff on the inside.

Filters

The 67 mm filter thread is made from metal.

The front of the lens does not rotate so polarizers are easy to use.

Image Quality

Vignetting

At f/2 vignetting is rather strong at about 1.7 stops, moderate at f/2.8 (1 stop) and from f/4 it is average to low at 0.7 stops.

Flare Resistance

The flare resistance is good but not flawless. I never saw any ghosting but some veiling flare can happen.

Distortion

There isn’t any.

Chromatic Aberrations

Lateral CA is corrected almost perfectly, one of the best performances I have seen so far in any lens.

Axial CA is the biggest issue I have with the Makro Planar. Of course it only is an issue with certain subjects but it can be quite distraction from the otherwise spectacular performance.

Bokeh

The Zeiss MP 2/100 has really smooth bokeh which is also quite smooth in the transition zone. Only the cat-eyes-effect can be a bit distracting.

Stopped down the aperture stays well rounded.

Sunstars

Not a strength of the Zeiss Macro 2/100.

Close Focus Performance

The Zeiss 2/100 of course carries the Makro in it’s name and it focuses quite close but only to a 1:2 magnification ratio while most modern AF macros focus down to 1:1.

I don’t have the tools available to create a really meaningful sharpness-test this close but thankfully Über-lens-geek Roger Cicala has measured it at 1:2 magnification and it still delivers a great performance with even a little more contrast and only a little less sharpness but an amazingly flat MTF curve.

Sharpness

The full aperture series can be found in my flickr Zeiss Makro-Planar 2/100 album.

f/2.0: This is the first time I write this but the Zeiss Makro-Planar 2/100 shows excellent sharpness across the frame from wide open. LoCA degrades the image quality somewhat though.

f/2.8: A little bump in contrast, less LoCA and Vignetting.

f/4: No LoCA anymore and vignetting is also gone so the performance is just excellent.

f/5.6, f/8: You can’t improve what’s already excellent.

f/11: A little less sharp due to diffraction.

I have never tested a sharper lens before.

Alternatives

Sony G FE 2.8/90 Macro: The Sony doesn’t feel nearly as solid nor does it handle as well and it isn’t as strong in the corners but it has better CA correction, does 1:1 natively, offers AF and it is sharper at macro distances. The Sony has very large sample variation (I had to return the one I bought because of strong decentering).

Tokina AT-X 2.5/90 Macro: The Tokina is smaller, more pleasant to focus, nearly as sharp stopped down and much cheaper. The Zeiss is faster, has much more efficient coatings and better corners at wider apertures.

Laowa STF 105mm f/2: The Laowa has nearly perfect CA correction and a bit smoother bokeh plus a more pleasant focusing ring. The Zeiss is a bit sharper, much less flare prone and focuses much closer.

Olympus OM 2/100: The Olympus is my favorite legacy lens right now. It is quite a bit smaller, more pleasant to focus and the bokeh a tad smoother. It doesn’t focus as close but a close focusing distance of 70cm isn’t too bad. The Zeiss is sharper outside of the center.

Samyang 2/135: The Samyang performs on a similar level optically and corrects CA much better and it is more affordable. It does focus down to 80cm which of course isn’t as close but still respectable. The Zeiss is smaller, lighter and it has very little sample variation while Samyang is known for their bad quality control and limited longevity.

Canon EF 2/135 L: It is not quite as sharp as the Zeiss but it comes close, it is a bit cheaper and the main argument here is probably the AF.

Zeiss 2/135 APO: This is a lens from the same manufacturer with almost perfect CA correction which is even a little sharper in the center but not as good in the corners. Quite a bit more expensive a bit bigger, heavier and focuses only to 1:4.

Conclusion

pros Excellent contrast and sharpness from f/2

Very pleasant bokeh

Build quality

Fastest macro available average Price

Resistance of Focusing Ring

Size and Weight

Vignetting cons Axial CA

Short focus throw at longer distances

Maximal reproduction ratio: 1:2

Lets talk about sharpness first: the Zeiss Makro-Planar 2/100 is super sharp from f/2 and not just in the center but across the frame which is an achievement no other lens with a similar focal length can match. Add very pleasing bokeh and very high contrast and you get outstanding image quality.

So is the Zeiss the perfect lens? Not quite. My biggest gripe with it is that it doesn’t correct axial CA very well. How much this affects your images depends a lot on your subject matter but ab few of my images suffered from it. Another smaller issue I found was that I didn’t enjoy focusing it that much because of the rather high resistance and short focus throw at longer distances.

On the other hand it opens up a wider range of applications than other Macros because it is a stop faster but of courses it focuses only down to 1:2. It is also handier than any portrait lens because it focuses much closer but those are usually easier to focus.

In light of the extraordinary performance, wider range of applications and great build quality the price on the used market is surprisingly affordable. Especially compared to Sony’s recent offerings the price/performance ratio is actually quite good.

All in all the Makro Planar is the sharpest lens I have ever tested and it yields outstanding images in most settings but you should be aware of the CA and focusing ring.

The Carl Zeiss Maro-Planar 2/100 usually sells for around $950 at ebay.com (affiliate link).

In Germany you can buy it used for around 800€ at ebay.de (affiliate link).

If this review was helpful to you, please consider using one of my affiliate links. Thanks 🙂

Zeiss Makro-Planar 2/100 T* Sample Images

All images are processed in Lightroom from Raw. Many more full resolution samples in my flickr Zeiss Makro-Planar 2/100 album.

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