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Carl Zeiss Classic Distagon T* 15mm F/2.8 ZE / ZF.2

Ultra-wide angle prime lens • Digital era • Discontinued

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Sample photos

F/8
F/2.8
F/1
F/???
F/11
F/7.1
F/7.1
F/3.5
F/???
F/11
F/???
F/???
F/2.8

Abbreviations

T* Multi-layer anti-reflection coating is applied to the surfaces of lens elements. This anti-reflection coating boosts light transmission, ensures sharp and high contrast images, minimizes ghosting and flares.
ZE The lens is designed for Canon EOS 35mm SLR cameras but can be also used on APS-C SLR cameras.
ZF.2 The lens is designed for Nikon 35mm SLR cameras but can be also used on APS-C SLR cameras. The lens features a built-in CPU which is used to transfer metering data from the lens to the camera.

Model history (2)

■Carl Zeiss Classic Distagon T* 15mm F/2.8 ZE / ZF.2A15 - 120.25mE95 2012 ●
■ZEISS Milvus Distagon T* 15mm F/2.8 ZE / ZF.2A15 - 120.25mE95 2016 ●

Features highlight

•
Extreme AoV
•
Fast
•
2
ASPH
•
5
AD
•
F.E.
•
MF
•
Auto
•
9 blades
•
E95
filters
•
Built-in hood

Specification

■ Production details
Announced:March 2012
Production status:● Discontinued
Original name:Carl Zeiss Distagon 2,8/15 ZE T*
Carl Zeiss Distagon 2,8/15 ZF.2 T*
System:-
■ Optical design
Focal length:15mm
Speed:F/2.8
Maximum format:35mm full frame
Mount and Flange focal distance:Canon EF [44mm]
Nikon F [46.5mm]
Diagonal angle of view:110.5°
Lens construction:15 elements in 12 groups
2 ASPH, 5 AD
Floating element system
■ Diaphragm mechanism
Diaphragm type:Automatic
Aperture control:None; the aperture is controlled from the camera (Canon EF)
Aperture ring (Manual settings + Auto Exposure setting) (Nikon F)
Number of blades:9 (nine)
■ On Canon EOS APS-C [1.59x] cameras
35mm equivalent focal length:23.9mm (in terms of field of view)
35mm equivalent speed:F/4.5 (in terms of depth of field)
Diagonal angle of view:84.4°
■ On Nikon D APS-C [1.53x] cameras
35mm equivalent focal length:23mm (in terms of field of view)
35mm equivalent speed:F/4.3 (in terms of depth of field)
Diagonal angle of view:86.6°
■ Focusing
Closest focusing distance:0.25m
Maximum magnification:1:9 at the closest focusing distance
Focusing modes:Manual focus only
Manual focus control:Focusing ring
■ Physical characteristics
Weight:820g (Canon EF)
730g (Nikon F)
Maximum diameter x Length:⌀103×116mm (Canon EF)
⌀103×113mm (Nikon F)
Weather sealing:-
Fluorine coating:-
■ Accessories
Filters:Screw-type 95mm
Lens hood:Built-in petal-shaped
Teleconverters:Not available
■ Sources of data
1. Manufacturer's technical data.
2. SLR lenses: Perfection from Carl Zeiss booklet (PUB. EN_10_025_148III).

Manufacturer description #1

Infinitely Wide

Carl Zeiss presents the new Distagon T* 2,8/15 super wide angle lens

OBERKOCHEN, 2012-03-16.

Carl Zeiss brings out a new super wide angle lens in May 2012. The super wide angle

Distagon T* 2,8/15 will be available with an EF (ZE) or F bayonet (ZF.2). With an extra-large angle of view of 110 degrees in combination with a fast f/2.8 aperture, the lens enables the features for dramatic perspectives and performance demanded by the most ambitious landscape and architectural photographers. With a unique ability to capture events in a natural and extraordinary manner, it is also an ideal companion for advertising, journalism and commercial photography.

Thanks to the extreme angle of view of the lens, the fore- and background can be creatively emphasized in landscape and architecture photography. These applications will also benefit from the large depth-of-field, which provides a wide range of image sharpness from close-up up to infinity. With a close focus of 0.25m (10”) – combined with a wide angle view – photographers can work in tight spaces, while also allowing focus on close-up details. Distortion is extremely well controlled, producing naturally proportioned photographs which are not typical of many other super wide angle lenses. "With the Distagon T* 2,8/15, Carl Zeiss sets the standard in super wide angle photography," says Dr. Michael Pollmann, Consumer Lenses Program Manager in the Camera Lens Division of Carl Zeiss AG. "Even at full aperture it achieves outstanding detail rendition and opens up room for extremely imaginative design."

The Distagon T* 2,8/15 incorporates two aspheric lenses and special types of glass material with abnormal partial dispersion to provide an extraordinary correction of chromatic aberration. A floating elements design guarantees high image quality from close-focus through infinity. Like the other SLR lenses in the ZE and ZF.2 series, stray light and reflections are well controlled by the Carl Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating and the sophisticated treatment of the lens element edges with special light absorbing paint.

The robust all-metal barrel of the Distagon T* 2,8/15 is designed for decades of reliable service. A long focus rotation and buttery-smooth action is perfect for photographers who want to take control of their picture making, as well as for filmmakers looking for superior focus control. A nine blade aperture provides a nearly circular opening, producing natural looking out of focus details.

The lens shade is integrated into the design and helps to protect the lens surface from uninten- tional damage. The 95mm filter thread accepts all standard filters, including the recently released Carl Zeiss T* UV and POL filters.

Manufacturer description #2

Carl Zeiss Presents Two New Lenses

Industry customers benefit from exceptional image quality with the Distagon T* 2.8/15 and the Apo Sonnar T* 2/135

OBERKOCHEN, 2012-11-06.

Carl Zeiss has two new lenses in its line: the new Distagon T* 2,8/15 super-wide angle lens is already on the market, and the Apo Sonnar T* 2/135 will be delivered from December onwards. Both lenses are available with F mount (ZF.2), EF mount (ZE) and M42 mount (Z-M42-I) and are designed for use in creative photography as well as industrial applications.

The Distagon T* 2,8/15 features an extra large field angle of 110° and speed of 1:2.8. Through its extremely large field angle, the lens allows either foreground or background emphasis. Because the super wide angle also enables focusing on details close in, the exaggerated graduation of proportions results in additional impression of depth with outstanding definition throughout the picture – from close-in to infinity. With other super-wide angle lenses, aberrations such as distortion can easily occur. The Distagon T* 2,8/15 balances these out and delivers naturally proportioned pictures. "With the high-speed Distagon T* 2,8/15, Carl Zeiss sets the standard in super wide-angle photography," says Dr. Michael Pollmann, Consumer Lenses Program Manager in the Camera Lens Division of Carl Zeiss AG.

Applications in Photogrammetry

The robust all-metal body of both the Distagon T* 2,8/15 and the Apo Sonnar T* 2/135 is designed for extra-long service life. Thus, both are optimally suitable for industry customers. The German Aerospace Center (DLR), among others, uses an SLR lens from Carl Zeiss in an airborne system for the monitoring of traffic and potential hazards. This allows razor sharp images to be conveyed almost in real-time – in the case of a major event, for example – which benefits security forces and other groups. Due to its resistance and perfor- mance, the ZEISS lens also withstands adverse weather conditions. "Carl Zeiss enjoys a very good reputation in the area of photogrammetry. We were well-advised. If we set the lenses to infinity, they focus on infinity. This is exactly what we wanted," says Project Manager Dr. Frank Kurz from the Remote Sensing Technology Institute at the DLR.

Like with all other SLR lenses of the ZE and ZF.2 series, the Carl Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating and the advanced treatment of the lens edges with special dark black lacquers ensure resistance to reflections and stray light.

Manufacturer description #3

With a field angle of 110°, the super wide-angle Distagon T* 2,8/15 is the ideal companion when it comes to capturing events in a way that makes them dynamic and extraordinary. Whether salt crystals or drops of water – its integrated lens shade and standard filter thread afford the front lens optimal protection from wind and weather.

The technically impressive features of the Distagon T* 2,8/15 include extraordinary chromatic aberration correction as well as two aspheric lens elements, special types of glass with exceptional partial dispersion and a floating elements design guaranteeing high image quality from close-up to infinity. Allowing you unlimited possibilities to let your imagination run free.

The Distagon T* 2,8/15 can be converted to a version without the integrated lens hood by ZEISS Service.

From the editor

Optically the lens is a totally new design, not based on previous ZEISS designs for the Contax RTS series of 35mm film SLR cameras. In 2016 it was replaced by ZEISS Milvus Distagon T* 15mm F/2.8 with its modern sleek look, massive weather-sealed construction and essentially the same optical formula optimized for high-resolution digital SLR cameras.

To allow the use of slot-in filters, such as graduated filters or ND filters, in system filter mounts on the front thread of the lens, ZEISS offers a conversion of this lens to a version without the integrated lens hood.

The conversion involves the removal of the front section of the lens barrel with the lens hood and its replacement with a new section with only a filter thread. Converted lenses are returned with a screw-in aluminium lens cap to replace the original slip-on cap.

The use of a lens hood is no longer possible after conversion of the lens. The system filter holder or a compendium from a third party provider may then be used to provide protection against undesirable extraneous light.

Typical application

Class:

Fast full-frame ultra-wide angle prime lens • Professional model

Professional model

  • Combination of focal length and speed meets professional demands

Genres or subjects of photography (5):

Landscapes • Cityscapes • Buildings • Interiors • Travel photography

Adaptation to digital SLR cameras (Canon EF-mount version):

Sigma SD SLRs • Sony SLRs/SLTs • Pentax SLRs • Nikon SLRs • More information

Not adaptable

In order to adapt the lens, the flange focal distance (FFD) of the lens mount must be equal to or greater than the FFD of the camera mount. This lens has the Canon EF mount with a FFD of 44mm. This is even shorter than the FFD of Canon EOS digital SLR cameras, which have the shortest FFD of 44mm of any modern digital SLR cameras. Therefore, this lens cannot be adapted to any digital SLR camera.

Adaptation to digital SLR cameras (Nikon F-mount version):

Canon EOS SLRs • Sigma SD SLRs • Sony SLRs/SLTs • Pentax SLRs • More information

Not adaptable

In order to adapt the lens, the flange focal distance (FFD) of the lens mount must be equal to or greater than the FFD of the camera mount. This lens has the Nikon F mount with a FFD of 46.5mm. This is even shorter than the FFD of Canon EOS digital SLR cameras, which have the shortest FFD of 44mm of any modern digital SLR cameras. Therefore, this lens cannot be adapted to any digital SLR camera.

Recommended slowest shutter speed when shooting static subjects handheld:

1/15th of a second

Lenses with similar focal length

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Table of contents
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Pros and cons
Technical data
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Carl Zeiss Classic series lenses (13)
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Carl Zeiss Classic series lenses

Full-frame manual focus lenses developed for ambitious photographers and their wide diversity of applications: macro, landscape, architecture, portrait, journalism, fashion and beauty. Enjoyed an outstanding reputation with photographers all over the world for many years. Characterized by classic appearance and high optical performance. Offer an excellent entry into premium class photography.

Excellent workmanship, fast apertures and legendary bokeh – these are the outstanding features of the ZEISS Classic lenses.

Unlike standard autofocus lenses, they offer highly precise, intuitive manual focus. And, of course, they support all other automatic functions found in standard lenses.

  • Fast apertures and legendary bokeh
  • Robust, all-metal design
  • 1/2 f-stop intervals with easy-to-feel lock-in positions and exact photometric graduation in ZF.2 lenses
  • Extremely accurate manual focusing

Copyright © 2012-2023 Evgenii Artemov. All rights reserved. Translation and/or reproduction of website materials in any form, including the Internet, is prohibited without the express written permission of the website owner.

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35mm full frame

43.27 24 36
  • Dimensions: 36 × 24mm
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Diagonal: 43.27mm
  • Area: 864mm2

MF

Sorry, no additional information is available.

MF

Sorry, no additional information is available.

Aspherical elements

Aspherical elements (ASPH, XA, XGM) are used in wide-angle lenses for correction of distortion and in large-aperture lenses for correction of spherical aberration, astigmatism and coma, thus ensuring excellent sharpness and contrast even at fully open aperture. The effect of the aspherical element is determined by its position within the optical formula: the more the aspherical element moves away from the aperture stop, the more it influences distortion; close to the aperture stop it can be particularly used to correct spherical aberration. Aspherical element can substitute one or several regular spherical elements to achieve similar or better optical results, which allows to develop more compact and lightweight lenses.

Use of aspherical elements has its downsides: it leads to non-uniform rendering of out-of-focus highlights. This effect usually appears as "onion-like" texture of concentric rings or "wooly-like" texture and is caused by very slight defects in the surface of aspherical element. It is difficult to predict such effect, but usually it occurs when the highlights are small enough and far enough out of focus.

Low dispersion elements

Low dispersion elements (ED, LD, SD, UD etc) minimize chromatic aberrations and ensure excellent sharpness and contrast even at fully open aperture. This type of glass exhibits low refractive index, low dispersion, and exceptional partial dispersion characteristics compared to standard optical glass. Two lenses made of low dispersion glass offer almost the same performance as one fluorite lens.

Low dispersion elements

Low dispersion elements (ED, LD, SD, UD etc) minimize chromatic aberrations and ensure excellent sharpness and contrast even at fully open aperture. This type of glass exhibits low refractive index, low dispersion, and exceptional partial dispersion characteristics compared to standard optical glass. Two lenses made of low dispersion glass offer almost the same performance as one fluorite lens.

Canon's Super UD, Nikon's Super ED, Pentax' Super ED, Sigma's FLD ("F" Low Dispersion), Sony' Super ED and Tamron's XLD glasses are the highest level low dispersion glasses available with extremely high light transmission. These optical glasses have a performance equal to fluorite glass.

High-refraction low-dispersion elements

High-refraction low-dispersion elements (HLD) minimize chromatic aberrations and ensure excellent sharpness and contrast even at fully open aperture.

High Index, High Dispersion elements

High Index, High Dispersion elements (HID) minimize chromatic aberrations and ensure excellent sharpness and contrast even at fully open aperture.

Anomalous partial dispersion elements

Anomalous partial dispersion elements (AD) minimize chromatic aberrations and ensure excellent sharpness and contrast even at fully open aperture.

Fluorite elements

Synthetic fluorite elements (FL) minimize chromatic aberrations and ensure excellent sharpness and contrast even at fully open aperture. Compared with optical glass, fluorite lenses have a considerably lower refraction index, low dispersion and extraordinary partial dispersion, and high transmission of infrared and ultraviolet light. They are also significantly lighter than optical glass.

According to Nikon, fluorite easily cracks and is sensitive to temperature changes that can adversely affect focusing by altering the lens' refractive index. To avoid this, Canon, as the manufacturer most widely using fluorite in its telephoto lenses, never uses fluorite in the front and rear lens elements, and the white coating is applied to the lens barrels to reflect light and prevent the lens from overheating.

Short-wavelength refractive elements

High and specialized-dispersion elements (SR) refract light with wavelengths shorter than that of blue to achieve highly precise chromatic aberration compensation. This technology also results in smaller and lighter lenses.

Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics

Organic Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics material (BR Optics) placed between convex and concave elements made from conventional optical glass provides more efficient correction of longitudinal chromatic aberrations in comparison with conventional technology.

Diffraction elements

Diffraction elements (DO, PF) cancel chromatic aberrations at various wavelengths. This technology results in smaller and lighter lenses in comparison with traditional designs with no compromise in image quality.

High refractive index elements

High refractive index elements (HR, HRI, XR etc) minimize field curvature and spherical aberration. High refractive index element can substitute one or several regular elements to achieve similar or better optical results, which allows to develop more compact and lightweight lenses.

Apodization element

Apodization element (APD) is in fact a radial gradient filter. It practically does not change the characteristics of light beam passing through its central part but absorbs the light at the periphery. It sort of softens the edges of the aperture making the transition from foreground to background zone very smooth and results in very attractive, natural looking and silky smooth bokeh.

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Image stabilizer

A technology used for reducing or even eliminating the effects of camera shake. Gyro sensors inside the lens detect camera shake and pass the data to a microcomputer. Then an image stabilization group of elements controlled by the microcomputer moves inside the lens and compensates camera shake in order to keep the image static on the imaging sensor or film.

The technology allows to increase the shutter speed by several stops and shoot handheld in such lighting conditions and at such focal lengths where without image stabilizer you have to use tripod, decrease the shutter speed and/or increase the ISO setting which can lead to blurry and noisy images.

Original name

Lens name as indicated on the lens barrel (usually on the front ring). With lenses from film era, may vary slightly from batch to batch.

Format

Format refers to the shape and size of film or image sensor.

35mm is the common name of the 36x24mm film format or image sensor format. It has an aspect ratio of 3:2, and a diagonal measurement of approximately 43mm. The name originates with the total width of the 135 film which was the primary medium of the format prior to the invention of the full frame digital SLR. Historically the 35mm format was sometimes called small format to distinguish it from the medium and large formats.

APS-C is an image sensor format approximately equivalent in size to the film negatives of 25.1x16.7mm with an aspect ratio of 3:2.

Medium format is a film format or image sensor format larger than 36x24mm (35mm) but smaller than 4x5in (large format).

Angle of view

Angle of view describes the angular extent of a given scene that is imaged by a camera. It is used interchangeably with the more general term field of view.

As the focal length changes, the angle of view also changes. The shorter the focal length (eg 18mm), the wider the angle of view. Conversely, the longer the focal length (eg 55mm), the smaller the angle of view.

A camera's angle of view depends not only on the lens, but also on the sensor. Imaging sensors are sometimes smaller than 35mm film frame, and this causes the lens to have a narrower angle of view than with 35mm film, by a certain factor for each sensor (called the crop factor).

This website does not use the angles of view provided by lens manufacturers, but calculates them automatically by the following formula: 114.6 * arctan (21.622 / CF * FL),

where:

CF – crop-factor of a sensor,
FL – focal length of a lens.

Mount

A lens mount is an interface — mechanical and often also electrical — between a camera body and a lens.

A lens mount may be a screw-threaded type, a bayonet-type, or a breech-lock type. Modern camera lens mounts are of the bayonet type, because the bayonet mechanism precisely aligns mechanical and electrical features between lens and body, unlike screw-threaded mounts.

Lens mounts of competing manufacturers (Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony etc.) are always incompatible. In addition to the mechanical and electrical interface variations, the flange focal distance can also be different.

The flange focal distance (FFD) is the distance from the mechanical rear end surface of the lens mount to the focal plane.

Lens construction

Lens construction – a specific arrangement of elements and groups that make up the optical design, including type and size of elements, type of used materials etc.

Element - an individual piece of glass which makes up one component of a photographic lens. Photographic lenses are nearly always built up of multiple such elements.

Group – a cemented together pieces of glass which form a single unit or an individual piece of glass. The advantage is that there is no glass-air surfaces between cemented together pieces of glass, which reduces reflections.

Focal length

The focal length is the factor that determines the size of the image reproduced on the focal plane, picture angle which covers the area of the subject to be photographed, depth of field, etc.

Speed

The largest opening or stop at which a lens can be used is referred to as the speed of the lens. The larger the maximum aperture is, the faster the lens is considered to be. Lenses that offer a large maximum aperture are commonly referred to as fast lenses, and lenses with smaller maximum aperture are regarded as slow.

In low-light situations, having a wider maximum aperture means that you can shoot at a faster shutter speed or work at a lower ISO, or both.

Floating element system

Provides correction of aberrations and ensures constantly high image quality at the entire range of focusing distances from infinity down to the closest focusing distance. It is particularly effective for the correction of field curvature that tends to occur with large-aperture, wide-angle lenses when shooting at close ranges.

The basic mechanism of the floating element system is also incorporated into the internal and rear focusing methods.

Closest focusing distance

The minimum distance from the focal plane (film or sensor) to the subject where the lens is still able to focus.

Closest working distance

The distance from the front edge of the lens to the subject at the maximum magnification.

Magnification ratio

Determines how large the subject will appear in the final image. For example, a magnification ratio of 1:1 means that the image of the subject formed on the film or sensor will be the same size as the subject in real life. For this reason, a 1:1 ratio is often called "life-size".

Manual diaphragm

The diaphragm must be stopped down manually by rotating the detent aperture ring.

Preset diaphragm

The lens has two rings, one is for pre-setting, while the other is for normal diaphragm adjustment. The first ring must be set at the desired aperture, the second ring then should be fully opened for focusing, and turned back for stop down to the pre-set value.

Semi-automatic diaphragm

The lens features spring mechanism in the diaphragm, triggered by the shutter release, which stops down the diaphragm to the pre-set value. The spring needs to be reset manually after each exposure to re-open diaphragm to its maximum value.

Automatic diaphragm

The camera automatically closes the diaphragm down during the shutter operation. On completion of the exposure, the diaphragm re-opens to its maximum value.

Fixed diaphragm

The aperture setting is fixed at F/2.8 on this lens, and cannot be adjusted.

Automatic aperture control

For Programmed Auto or Shutter-priority Auto shooting, lock the lens aperture at its minimum value.

Number of blades

As a general rule, the more blades that are used to create the aperture opening in the lens, the rounder the out-of-focus highlights will be.

Some lenses are designed with curved diaphragm blades, so the roundness of the aperture comes not from the number of blades, but from their shape. However, the fewer blades the diaphragm has, the more difficult it is to form a circle, regardless of rounded edges.

At maximum aperture, the opening will be circular regardless of the number of blades.

Weight

Excluding case or pouch, caps and other detachable accessories (lens hood, close-up adapter, tripod adapter etc.).

Maximum diameter x Length

Excluding case or pouch, caps and other detachable accessories (lens hood, close-up adapter, tripod adapter etc.).

For lenses with collapsible design, the length is indicated for the working (retracted) state.

Weather sealing

A rubber material which is inserted in between each externally exposed part (manual focus and zoom rings, buttons, switch panels etc.) to ensure it is properly sealed against dust and moisture.

Lenses that accept front mounted filters typically do not have gaskets behind the filter mount. It is recommended to use a filter for complete weather resistance when desired.

Fluorine coating

Helps keep lenses clean by reducing the possibility of dust and dirt adhering to the lens and by facilitating cleaning should the need arise. Applied to the outer surface of the front and/or rear lens elements over multi-coatings.

Filters

Lens filters are accessories that can protect lenses from dirt and damage, enhance colors, minimize glare and reflections, and add creative effects to images.

Lens hood

A lens hood or lens shade is a device used on the end of a lens to block the sun or other light source in order to prevent glare and lens flare. Flare occurs when stray light strikes the front element of a lens and then bounces around within the lens. This stray light often comes from very bright light sources, such as the sun, bright studio lights, or a bright white background.

The geometry of the lens hood can vary from a plain cylindrical or conical section to a more complex shape, sometimes called a petal, tulip, or flower hood. This allows the lens hood to block stray light with the higher portions of the lens hood, while allowing more light into the corners of the image through the lowered portions of the hood.

Lens hoods are more prominent in long focus lenses because they have a smaller viewing angle than that of wide-angle lenses. For wide angle lenses, the length of the hood cannot be as long as those for telephoto lenses, as a longer hood would enter the wider field of view of the lens.

Lens hoods are often designed to fit onto the matching lens facing either forward, for normal use, or backwards, so that the hood may be stored with the lens without occupying much additional space. In addition, lens hoods can offer some degree of physical protection for the lens due to the hood extending farther than the lens itself.

Teleconverters

Teleconverters increase the effective focal length of lenses. They also usually maintain the closest focusing distance of lenses, thus increasing the magnification significantly. A lens combined with a teleconverter is normally smaller, lighter and cheaper than a "direct" telephoto lens of the same focal length and speed.

Teleconverters are a convenient way of enhancing telephoto capability, but it comes at a cost − reduced maximum aperture. Also, since teleconverters magnify every detail in the image, they logically also magnify residual aberrations of the lens.

Lens caps

Scratched lens surfaces can spoil the definition and contrast of even the finest lenses. Lens covers are the best and most inexpensive protection available against dust, moisture and abrasion. Safeguard lens elements - both front and rear - whenever the lens is not in use.