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• excellent quality of the housing,
• outstanding image quality in the frame centre at all combinations of focal lengths and apertures,
• very good image quality at the edge of the frame,
• negligible chromatic aberration,
• slight distortion,
• sensibly controlled coma,
• low astigmatism,
• practically lack of vignetting,
• quick, silent and accurate autofocus.

Cons:

• image resolution by f/2.8 and at 70 mm focal length could have been better.

Perhaps a comparison between the tested lens and the Canon EF 24-70 mm f/2.8L USM, a lens renowned among the professionals which fared well in our tests, will be a good summary of the Zeiss 24-70 mm f/2.8. It turns out the Zeiss is practically not worse than the Canon and in several categories it performs significantly better. When Canon launched its lens in 2002 it had no competition to speak of. A strong offensive of Nikon and Sony which currently are entering the market with their digital full frame cameras and appropriate lenses, optimized to work on them, gives the old leader a rough ride. New lenses mean the optical glass of the newest quality and anti-reflection coatings which production technology has progressed lately in leaps and bounds. Sony and Nikon, launching their instruments now, profit from it, offering professional zoom lenses which can put the older “primes” in their place. We had an opportunity to witness it testing the Nikkor 14-24 mm f/2.8; now the additional argument was provided the Zeiss.

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In short: when in the second half of the year Sony is going to launch its flagship reflex camera you will have plenty of devices to attach to it for sure. The Zeiss is already marking time, impatiently waiting for an opportunity to spread its wings.

Sample shots:

Camera: Sony A200 Parameters: 24 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/3200 s, ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.4 MB	Camera: Sony A200 Parameters: 40 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.1 MB	Camera: Sony A200 Parameters: 70 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/2000 s, ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.2 MB
Camera: Sony A200 Parameters: 50 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/160 s, ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.2 MB	Camera: Sony A200 Parameters: 70 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/160 s, ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.1 MB	Camera: Sony A200 Parameters: 35 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/250 s, ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 2.9 MB
Camera: Sony A200 Parameters: 40 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/1240 s, ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 2.2 MB	Camera: Sony A200 Parameters: 24 mm, f/5.0, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 4.8 MB	Camera: Sony A200 Parameters: 70 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/1000 s, ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 4.7 MB
Camera: Sony A200 Parameters: 50 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/125 s, ISO 400 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 2.9 MB	Camera: Sony A200 Parameters: 70 mm, f/8.0, exp. 1/30 s, ISO 400 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.0 MB	Camera: Sony A200 Parameters: 24 mm, f/3.2, exp. 1/320 s, ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 6.9 MB
Camera: Sony A200 Parameters: 24 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/800 s, ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 4.7 MB	Camera: Sony A200 Parameters: 40 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/320 s, ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.0 MB	Camera: Sony A200 Parameters: 70 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/320 s, ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 2.9 MB