# Does Zeiss glass ever go on sale?



## JasonATL (Aug 14, 2012)

I don't think I've ever paid the "normal" retail price for Canon glass, as it seems like they run rebates or sales a few times per year - and I rarely need to purchase a lens under a deadline.

I'm looking to buy a new Zeiss lens, but haven't seen them go "on sale" (e.g., rebates, etc.), but haven't been watching prices too long. Has anyone ever seen Zeiss glass go on sale?


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## charlesa (Aug 14, 2012)

Not really, but you can find Zeiss glass second-hand. Might I interest you in a 50 mm f/1.4, brand spanking new?


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## MARKOE PHOTOE (Aug 14, 2012)

Maybe when pigs fly but I've never seen Zeiss on sale. However, you can buy used and I've had good luck with four Zeiss lenses that are like new. Zeiss, as you probably know, is built like a tank so they retain their value and condition if cared for properly.
If you know what you want, you can seek out sellers from Craigslist or Ebay. I've rented the lenses I thought I might want first from LensRentals or 'that other guy' which helped in my purchasing decisions. 
If you choose to buy new, check Amazon and B&H. I would stay away from Adorama....never a good experience there, horrible.....
If you really miss your autofocus, there is a company that converts your manual Zeiss to AF, but its a bit pricey.
Best of luck. Let us know what you find out there.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Aug 14, 2012)

MARKOE PHOTOE said:


> Maybe when pigs fly but I've never seen Zeiss on sale. However, you can buy used and I've had good luck with four Zeiss lenses that are like new. Zeiss, as you probably know, is built like a tank so they retain their value and condition if cared for properly.
> If you know what you want, you can seek out sellers from Craigslist or Ebay. I've rented the lenses I thought I might want first from LensRentals or 'that other guy' which helped in my purchasing decisions.
> If you choose to buy new, check Amazon and B&H. I would stay away from Adorama....never a good experience there, horrible.....
> *I've bought from Adorama many times over the last 30 years, never a problem. They almost always get the new models out to buyers first. Amazon is really slow to get new DSLR models in stock, and has cancelled my order for one after I was waiting for two months. I buy a lot from Amazon, but I never pre-order a new DSLR model, its a formula for disappointment.*
> ...


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## charlesa (Aug 14, 2012)

http://www.maltapark.com/item.asp?ItemID=1672876 :'(


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## jsexton (Aug 14, 2012)

Lens Rentals has a good selection of used right now. I've been looking at one or two also.

http://www.lensrentals.com/buy/canon


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## Axilrod (Aug 21, 2012)

Jason I looked on Craiglist in Atlanta (where I had lots of success with Canon glass) for months before I bit the bullet and bought a few ZE's new. In about 6 months all I ever saw was maybe 1 50mm f/1.4 and a set of CP.2's for $12k. They just don't come up for sale very often. Granted they haven't been available very long and people seem to really like them, which I think has something to do with the scarcity. 

In terms of being on sale new, no I've never seen that, no rebates or anything, ever. Lensrentals.com has very reasonable used prices but some of their stuff gets pretty worn, but that's about as cheap as they get. I love the Zeiss stuff, requires so much less color correction it's not even funny. The 50mm f/1.4 is great (and cheapest, although it doesn't do very well below f/2) to get started and I'd also recommend the 35mm f/2, both stellar lenses and cheaper of the bunch. Honestly the 50mm f/1.4 is as sharp as my 50L and costs much less. The 21mm, 50 f/2 and 100 f/2 are amazing, the 21mm is one of the most awesome WA's I've ever used. The only one I wasn't that impressed with compared to the Canon equivalent was the 85mm f/1.4, then again the 85L II is a pretty incredible lens and costs almost $1k more. 

If you want to try them out Aperturent.com is off Roswell road and has very, very reasonable rates. They don't have the complete set, but they do have the 21, 28, 35, 50(1.4), and 85. They also have the 35, 50 and 85 CP.2's (but they are about $180/week per lens). The ZE's are essentially identical optically to the CP.2's (CP.2's have more iris blades for more circular bokeh) just minus the whole cinema housing/aperture ring.

A lot of people suggest buying the ZF.2's with the EF adapter so you can have manual iris control, plus there are companies that will de-click them so you can make smooth iris changes. Good luck finding some either way!


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## Helen Oster (Aug 22, 2012)

MARKOE PHOTOE said:


> If you choose to buy new, check Amazon and B&H. I would stay away from Adorama....never a good experience there, horrible.....



I was sorry to see this; can you tell me more about the issues? You can email me directly: [email protected]

Helen Oster
Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador


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## Axilrod (Aug 22, 2012)

MARKOE PHOTOE said:


> I would stay away from Adorama....never a good experience there, horrible.....



I've never heard that, in my experience Adorama has always been on par with B&H in terms of service. And it looks like a rep just reached out to you for feedback in a random thread on an internet forum, that's pretty good customer service in my book.


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## MARKOE PHOTOE (Aug 24, 2012)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> MARKOE PHOTOE said:
> 
> 
> > Maybe when pigs fly but I've never seen Zeiss on sale. However, you can buy used and I've had good luck with four Zeiss lenses that are like new. Zeiss, as you probably know, is built like a tank so they retain their value and condition if cared for properly.
> ...



Mt. Spokane; you're absolutely correct, I meant Contax and not Zeiss, though they are very similar and yes the Contax lens you mention is AF by design. Thanks for pointing that out. :-[


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## JasonATL (Aug 25, 2012)

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll probably go for a used Zeiss. I have the 85mm 1.4 and it is built like a tank. From a reputable dealer, I suspect that a used lens will work quite well for my purposes. I shot video with a Zeiss 50mm 1.4 on a 5D Mk III recently and fell in love with the lens. I had been satisfied (not exactly happy) with the Canon 50mm 1.4. But there is just something about the Zeiss that feels good and looks good. I have the Canon 24mm 1.4L II that is beautiful for photos, but I don't love it for video. I hope I haven't just developed a Zeiss fetish. :-\


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## MARKOE PHOTOE (Aug 25, 2012)

You're welcome. Every Zeiss I have purchased has been used and its been perfect for my use. I have purchased three Zeiss lenses through Craigslist and one from Ebay. Ebay has fees and you can't try a lens before purchase. CL has its share of risks but I've lucky.

Best of Luck


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## ScottyP (Aug 25, 2012)

Maybe if the Euro crashes the Dollar will surge and the price will be lower.


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## Promature (Aug 25, 2012)

MARKOE PHOTOE said:


> If you choose to buy new, check Amazon and B&H. I would stay away from Adorama....never a good experience there, horrible.....



Serious? I've pretty much bought all my stuff from them. They usually have better prices and better kits/combos than B&H too. Personally I love Amazon, but when it comes to camera stuff, I don't use them.


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## Arkarch (Aug 25, 2012)

No, I have never seen Zeiss on sale. You just buy it and love it. The serious glass does not disappoint.

With all the rebates, I wonder if that depresses the used market.

I do want to note that LensRentals does sell New Zeiss. I like using them because they KNOW how to pack. I suppose its because they like getting their gear back without damage - and new is packed just as good. I bought my ZE 21 through them. I would have bought the ZE 100 through them as well except I needed BML this go-around to have for the fall season. They probably get my next ZE order.


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## itsnotmeyouknow (Aug 25, 2012)

MARKOE PHOTOE said:


> You're welcome. Every Zeiss I have purchased has been used and its been perfect for my use. I have purchased three Zeiss lenses through Craigslist and one from Ebay. Ebay has fees and you can't try a lens before purchase. CL has its share of risks but I've lucky.
> 
> Best of Luck



Have you emailed helen from Adorama? Really bad form to name and shame someone without giving them opportunity to deal with it. Hopefully you've just neglected to say that you have given Helen a chance to deal with it.


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## unadog (Aug 25, 2012)

Helen Oster said:


> I was sorry to see this; can you tell me more about the issues? You can email me directly: [email protected]
> 
> Helen Oster
> Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador



Helen was great when I had an issue with Adobe recently, after I bought the Adobe software through Adorama.

I can't say enough about how much I appreciate her help!

I have used other stores from time to time, but I appreciaite and always try to reward good customer service. 

Since her help in June, I have spent about $8K with them - a Canon T4i kit with 18-135, a Canon 5D3 kit with 24-105, a Pixma Pro printer, etc.

Thank you Helen!

Best,
Michael Murphy


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## unadog (Aug 25, 2012)

FWIW, I am just in the process of trading some equipment to get a Zeiss ZE 35 mm 2.0

I am not sure if I can afford to keep it yet - I need to pay that $8K bill to my credit card! 

I also have an older Zeiss 28 2.8 I think, with a C/Y adapter. You can PM or e-mail if you are interested. You are in Atlanta? I am in Michigan.

Best,
Michael


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## itsnotmeyouknow (Aug 25, 2012)

unadog said:


> FWIW, I am just in the process of trading some equipment to get a Zeiss ZE 35 mm 2.0
> 
> I am not sure if I can afford to keep it yet - I need to pay that $8K bill to my credit card!
> 
> ...



The ZE 35 2.0 is great. Have 1 myself


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## unadog (Aug 25, 2012)

itsnotmeyouknow said:


> The ZE 35 2.0 is great. Have 1 myself



That is good to hear! I wasn't looking for it. Someone offered to trade for some film equipment I am selling. I thought about it for 3 minutes and said "OK" - no research, etc.! ;D

I am too old & stupid for manual anything for the most part. But I am doing video with the T4i (which I love by the way) & 5D3, so I thought I would give it a try!

I have never been big on alternate lenses because I had 7 Canon L lenses. The color is often so different on the Zeiss, Leica, etc. that I just stuck with Canon. 

Oddly enough, I was just trying to sell off down too 3-4 lenses, now I am going the other way. Time to play with the Zeiss though - maybe I will pick up a 50 or 85 to have more of a set.

Thanks!

Michael


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## Tayvin (Aug 25, 2012)

I've never seen it on sale before. Btw, the 21mm ZE is terrible. I love all the rest.


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## itsnotmeyouknow (Aug 25, 2012)

unadog said:


> itsnotmeyouknow said:
> 
> 
> > The ZE 35 2.0 is great. Have 1 myself
> ...



trust me you will love man ally focussing this lens. Very smooth focus ring. I use mine with my mk III set it up with the focus confirmation beep or use the live view. Very sharp lens with good contrast and natural rendition.


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## Axilrod (Aug 25, 2012)

JasonATL said:


> Thanks for the replies. I think I'll probably go for a used Zeiss. I have the 85mm 1.4 and it is built like a tank. From a reputable dealer, I suspect that a used lens will work quite well for my purposes. I shot video with a Zeiss 50mm 1.4 on a 5D Mk III recently and fell in love with the lens. I had been satisfied (not exactly happy) with the Canon 50mm 1.4. But there is just something about the Zeiss that feels good and looks good. I have the Canon 24mm 1.4L II that is beautiful for photos, but I don't love it for video. I hope I haven't just developed a Zeiss fetish. :-\



I think comparing the Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 to the 50L is a more fair comparison than with the EF 50 1.4. It does have a beautiful quality to it, the bokeh looks very unique and the color rendition is very accurate, and it's super sharp at f/2 and above. If you like that you should try the 50mm f/2, it's insanely sharp. The 21mm f/2.8 is awesome if you don't like the 24 1.4 for video, although it doesn't have as wide of an aperture, the 25mm f/2 may be worth looking into as well, haven't used it but I've heard nothing but good things.


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## Axilrod (Aug 25, 2012)

Tayvin said:


> I've never seen it on sale before. Btw, the 21mm ZE is terrible. I love all the rest.



If you think the 21 2.8 is terrible you seriously must have gotten a bad copy.


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## Helen Oster (Aug 26, 2012)

unadog said:


> Helen was great when I had an issue with Adobe recently, after I bought the Adobe software through Adorama.
> 
> I can't say enough about how much I appreciate her help!
> 
> ...



Thank YOU, Michael......I remember this; Adobe said we weren't an authorized reseller! Strange....


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## unadog (Aug 26, 2012)

Sorry folks, a bit OT, but Adorama's reputation was brought up previously ...




Helen Oster said:


> Thank YOU, Michael......I remember this; Adobe said we weren't an authorized reseller! Strange....



I think their "outsourced/off-shored "Customer Service Reps" have very little lattitude or discretion.

That presents a bad corporate image for a company that is so service oriented in other ways - having a reputation for a quick response to software update requests, etc.

When I had a different product registered at Adobe as "M T Murphy" (which I use for my business), and my receipt said "Michael T Murphy", they delayed servicing my request by a day to ask: "Can you clarify, what is the relationship between M Murphy and Michael Murphy?" 

Duh? You are wasting my time, and delaying support, by having me respond to this stupid question, for a simple request? : 

That emphasizes to me the importance of positions such as yours: Customer Service "ambassadors", or "liasons", who are a public face for the company, and can help cut through the bureaucratic Catch-22's that all companies manage to create.

I think it is interesting, too, how this conversation started a few months ago on Fred Miranda, where I was familiar with you; to an e-mail request from me, on a Sunday; to a post 3 months later on another board about Zeiss lenses ....

The reason I am be-laboring all of this, is to remind folks: *Please reward good customer service with your repeat business! * 

Otherwise all we will have left is endless, mind numbing calls to off-shore CSR's, who read from the same script you just read on the web site before you called ........ :'(

Cheers! Thanks again Helen! 

Best,
Michael


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## JasonATL (Aug 26, 2012)

unadog said:


> The reason I am be-laboring all of this, is to remind folks: *Please reward good customer service with your repeat business! *



I agree. I'll stay a little off topic here, but since I started the thread... 

I have taken the advice on this thread and sought out a used Zeiss lens from LensRentals.com. I'm almost sure to buy one from them in the next week or so - just deciding exactly which one(s). I e-mailed them Friday with a question and they replied within a couple of hours. I had rented from them before and was very pleased with their approach. This prompt response to my query further increases my confidence in them.

But, the experience with Helen/Adorama on this thread got me to thinking just now. I've not shopped with Adorama, though I've known of them and even thought of them as a company I'm willing to do business with. The reason I haven't shopped with them is that I've always had great service and an excellent experience with B&H. Given how much I shop with B&H, I'm even willing to forgive a minor slip-up - but to be clear, I've not ever had one slip up frpm them. (side note: B&H had a used Zeiss for sale on Friday that someone was apparently quick to snap up). No business is perfect and all suffer from the unforeseen circumstances, growing pains, third party restrictions, etc.

My point is, I feel fortunate that I think we actually enjoy quite a bit of good service/selection in this industry (photo and video). There is no other industry that I must deal with regularly in which I feel as though I have several good retail providers from which to choose. I think the reasons for this are probably pretty clear. The margins are decent. The retailers understand that we are a demanding (I almost said, "needy") bunch, we're passionate about what we do, and we're loyal to those who treat us with respect and fairness. In short, like any relationship, both parties bear some responsibility for its success. 

Therefore, I'll echo Michael's sentiment. Reward good service with your loyal business. It is what maintains the incentive for such service.


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## unadog (Aug 26, 2012)

*Zeiss for Video*

Here is a comparsion of the Zeiss lenses to the older Canon FD lenses for video use:

https://vimeo.com/48208549


It may be more specific to folks doing video, but it is a fairly well done comparsion. 

One of the comments is worth reading, about how that person prefers the rendering of the FD over the Zeiss for portraits, despite the improved Zeiss image quality & resolution. 

I will say that my 16MP Canon 1DsII had plenty of detail for portraits, and taht I almost always had to add blur in Photoshop to soften facial features. 

There is also a companion video to the above (link on site) without the text labels identifying the lenses, in case you want to judge the comparison first without bias.

I am planning on using the Zeiss 35 mostly for video to start, so this is of interest to me. Not sure about others. It is not on a Canon camera. (Sony FS700, a high end video camera.)

Best,
Michael


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## JasonATL (Aug 26, 2012)

Michael,

Thanks for posting the link to the comparisons. I downloaded the blind comparison (part 1) before watching the second. I'm glad that my preference for Zeiss held up to the blind test. I preferred the Zeiss in each test.


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## JasonATL (Aug 30, 2012)

Woohoo! My Zeiss 50mm 1.4 just showed up! Bought a used one from LensRentals. Looks like it is exactly as described by them (actually, it nearly looks brand new, aside from one or two visible specs of internal dust - which I doubt will be a big deal). It came with a return shipping label, just to assure my satisfaction. Will shoot some tonight.


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## MARKOE PHOTOE (Aug 30, 2012)

itsnotmeyouknow said:


> MARKOE PHOTOE said:
> 
> 
> > You're welcome. Every Zeiss I have purchased has been used and its been perfect for my use. I have purchased three Zeiss lenses through Craigslist and one from Ebay. Ebay has fees and you can't try a lens before purchase. CL has its share of risks but I've lucky.
> ...


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## Helen Oster (Aug 30, 2012)

MARKOE PHOTOE said:


> You're absolutely right. I did in fact correspond directly with Ms. Oster and she was very helpful in resolving the issue by staying in contact with me. I don't agree with their 'policy' and will take that into consideration next time I need to return something. I have made a purchase since then with good results.
> She helped renew my faith in Adorama by simply staying in contact with me.



Pleased I was able to help


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## Halfrack (Aug 30, 2012)

FWIW - Lensrentals will rent you a Ziess lens, and if you purchase a new one from them within 6 months, they'll credit you back the cost of a 4 day rental. Kind of a guilt free try before you buy.


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## RGomezPhotos (Sep 11, 2012)

I love Zeiss. I own the 50mm 1.4 and bought it off Craigslist. It's worked perfectly. Because their build, it should be easy to tell if it's been damaged or not.


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## RLPhoto (Sep 11, 2012)

If zeiss made there lenses natively with USM AF, I'd never buy a canon lens.

They rarely go on sale.


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## Jappe (Sep 20, 2012)

One dealer in Europe is selling Zeiss lenses with 20-30% discount compared to normal prices in Europe:

http://www.rajalacamera.fi/-canoniin-eos-/625/dg?openGroup=625



RLPhoto said:


> They rarely go on sale.


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## rumorzmonger (Sep 28, 2012)

Aden Camera in Toronto has some great prices on Zeiss lenses right now - they are by far the cheapest I've seen anywhere. 

http://www.adencamera.com/default.asp?Category=7&Manufacturer=186

You'll need to add the lenses to your shopping cart to see the price.


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