The new Batis 18mm used by David Clifford
Four Zeiss ambassadors posted image samples and previews of the new Batis 18mm f/2.8 lens. Here is where you can preorder the lens:
in USA at BHphoto. Adorama. FocusCamera.
in Europe at Amazon.de. Photo Porst. ParkcamerasUK.
Zeiss Lens Shade for Batis 18mm F2.8 Lens at Adorama.
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David Clifford posted the image you above (lens in the snow). He used the new Batis 18mm in harsh conditions and writes:
It was an amazingly sharp, well built, weather sealed, fast and accurate auto focus which was a dream to use. 18mm is one of my favorite focal lengths. It’s super wide with minimal distortion. In fact when I was using Canon I picked up a Zeiss 18mm 3.5 lens because my 16-35 was not very sharp at all. I quickly replaced my 16-35 with an 18mm and a 28mm. I felt much better carrying 2 small light fast primes than risking soft shots wide open in late light for clients. With 5 axis image stabilizer and the 42 mega pixel files it’s rivaling medium format for a fraction of the cost. Thank Zeiss for constant pushing to make superior lenses that do exactly what I need.
Christian Dandyk tested the lens and writes:
Just as photography is a very diverse field, so too are the applications for which the ZEISS Batis 2.8/18 can be used. For example, thanks to its large field of vision with extremely low distortion, it’s perfect for architectural photography. The ZEISS Batis 2.8/18 fulfilled a long-held wish he had had for a wide angle with excellent imaging performance.
Diglloyd posted a full review of the lens (for subscribers only). And his conclusion is:
The Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 Distagon is the finest 18mm lens ever to be produced for full frame cameras.
Brian Matiash posted an introduction with image samples:
All in all, I was exceptionally impressed with the performance of this lens and the image quality it produced.
I know those are Zeiss ambassadors reviewing the lens. So some may have concerns about the value of such reviews. But I am 100% confident the new Batis 18mm is as good as all four photographers are saying it is!