Zeiss or Lecia lens? Which premium lens should you choose?
It seems like a simple enough question but it is the furthest thing from it with many among photography circles torn as to which variety proves superior of the pair.
The difference is often marginal and today we’ll put both types of lenses under the spotlight to find out which one edges this race as we take a look at the Zeiss lens vs Leica lens showdown.
Build quality
Zeiss models have a robust body and architecture that fares better than a number of rangefinder lenses made in the past century, however, they just come up short to the build quality of the Leica that is more compact and durable.
The chrome and mounts detach too easily hence this lens tends to loosen up extremely quickly which poses longevity issues.
Furthermore, the black alteration of Leica models seems more elegant than the obsidian shade of Zeiss varieties that come off as not very good.
Aperture ring stops
Zeiss lenses often incorporate 1/3 stops compared to Leica’s 1/2 stops and the former is actually preferable of good lenses as they offer more clicks within a single range.
This means that Zeiss lenses tend to allow more light to the sensor making the detail on dark areas of the images stand out. Also, 1/3 stops allow a finer transition of exposure compensation in comparison.
All in all, this difference is almost unnoticeable but still notable nonetheless.
Lubricant differences
Leica also emergences victorious on the lens lubricant front as their lubricants tend to also be better than those of Zeiss’ lenses.
As a result, the focus ring of Zeiss tends to stiffen a bit during the colder days of the year as the lubricant easily freezes; problems unheard of with Leica lenses where the lubricant is of top-notch quality and will last you a good couple of years without any difficulties.
Bokeh
Zeiss lenses tend to have a busy bokeh which means the quality of its out-of-focus surrounding is usually not up to par and this is normally down to the fact that these lenses are often hypercorrected.
Leica lenses, on the other hand, do a commendable job of bringing out the detail in those areas not focused on by the camera. Consequently, the latter is the go-to variety in telephoto and macro lenses and basically any other case that involves a shallow depth of field.
Design flaw
The grip ring of most Zeiss lenses is quite shallow milled and is almost in line with the focus ring which makes detaching the lens from the mount a cumbersome task.
Conversely, Leica products tend to encompass a slightly larger diameter for the grip ring in comparison which makes removing the lens a lot easier and hassle-free.
Image quality
Image quality naturally differs from one model to another within either brand however Leica tends to fare better than their Zeiss counterpart in terms of color and contrast.
The shades of Leica lenses usually have more vivid colors while the contrast is a bit richer than what you would get with a Zeiss lens of almost similar attributes.
On the flipside though, Zeiss lenses tend to produce a bit more sharpness in images than Leica varieties.
Coding
While Leica lenses are mostly codable, Zeiss models on the other hand are usually not and can’t be as the manufacturers solely made them for digital purposes.
In the rare cases where you can, the coding is usually a tough affair to say the least and most of the time you’ll have to make do with manual resets.
All in all, this aspect proves a matter of convenience rather than necessity.
Service and availability of parts
Zeiss services are often centralized and costly and while Leica service is also centralized as well, it is not as expensive.
Moreover, they have a good track record of maintaining repair parts and, for example, if you are in search of a 1959 M3 shutter speed dial, then you are sure to find a replacement with Leica.
So if your lens becomes faulty even a decade later for one reason or another, Leica are certain to have a replacement for you.
Final verdict
While comparing these lenses from a general point of view is quite unsatisfactory as there are different models within either brand with varying qualities, Leica nonetheless prove the better choice. Zeiss lenses are also not bad as they offer good value for money but overall they come second-best in this Zeiss lens vs Leica lens battle.
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