ZEISS MILVUS 18MM F2.8 ZE DISTAGON T*
Zeiss has updated its ultra-wide 18mm with this new high-speed Milvus version. How does it fare?
Zeiss has been revamping the cosmetic appearance of its lenses and in many cases the optical designs have been upgraded. This lens is the first of a faster design in remounted form using the Milvus moniker. It shares the familiar minimalist exterior design of others in that range, with a smooth and curvaceous exterior that closely integrates with the petal-shaped hood – even the focus ring adopts a smooth but grippy rubber sleeve. While the Nikonmount version looks okay, if only Zeiss could have made the ring a bit wider on the Canonmount version. It is set close to the camera on the EF variant and it’s a little narrow, making it trickier to find with the eye to the finder.
Apart from the obvious change to the exterior, the only other update has been to the coatings. Zeiss’s T* coatings are some of the best in the business, so it’s hard to imagine how they’ve been improved. Perhaps they’ve applied some kind of nano coating, as resistance to flare and ghosting is excellent even with a light source in the frame. Wide open and at f4 the lens has good contrast and resolution, but it’s not until it’s stopped down to f5.6 where the vignetting disappears and the resolution is excellent across the frame.
Chromatic aberration is also very low, but best of all is the lens’s control of distortion. It may not be all that necessary for landscapes, but it will certainly please anyone photographing buildings.