Dan Kerin

 Zeiss 35mm F2.8 C Biogon T*

Introduced in 2008 the Zeiss 35mm F/2.8 C Biogon T* is one of the best value for money lenses on the market. Being a more complicated design than most other 35mm lenses, having 7 elements in 5 groups this lens while not being that fast, it is incredibly sharp. This combined with its small design makes it a fantastic travel/ street photography lens. The lens features Ziess’s T* coating on all surfaces which means no matter the lighting condition this lens will perform well.

I paired this lens with a Leica M6 and it was a match made in heaven. Ergonomically this lens is great and really suits the small Leica M systems. I knew a spot I wanted to shoot as it was a misty day however, I underestimated how far the walk was. This was not a problem though as the lens’s small and lightweight design made it effortless, making it a great everyday carry lens. Having third stop aperture clicks was also nice to have and I can see being especially helpful if you like shooting slide film which is less forgiving than negative film. Scanning the film doesn’t do this lens sharpness hence the digital shot showing just how sharp this lens is.

This is a great lens, and for the price there isn’t a sharper lens on the market. Your only limitation will be the film you load the camera with. While we are on the topic of limitations, I think the reason this lens is not as popular as other lenses is because of its relatively slow aperture of F/2.8. This could be a deal breaker for some however that would be down to personal shooting preferences, I know when I am shooting street I am normally at F/8. Another talking topic is the 43mm filter thread. Many Leica lenses have 39mm or 46mm filters so if you already have a filter collection you may need to step down or up to the relevant size.