Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 21mm f/2.8

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The most celebrated lens in the C/Y line: 15 elements in 13 groups, produced only in Japan and only in MM form. It stayed a benchmark for wide-angle sharpness well into the digital era, and its formula carried over into the later ZE/ZF 21. Wavy distortion is its one notable flaw for architecture-heavy frames.

Key specs

Focal length

21 mm

Max aperture

f/2.8

Mount

Contax/Yashica

Image circle

Full frame

Close focus

0.22 m

Filter thread

82 mm

Weight

530 g

Field of view by sensor

Full frame

81.2° horizontal · frames like 21 mm on full frame

Super 35

61.3° horizontal · frames like 30.4 mm on full frame

Micro Four Thirds

44.8° horizontal · frames like 43.7 mm on full frame

What it goes on

C/Y flange is 45.5 mm: glassless adapters exist for EF and every mirrorless mount, and Leitax sells a screw-on replacement EF bayonet that Duclos and others use for cine-mods (80 mm front ring, focus gear, de-clicked iris). Focus turns the same way as cine lenses. Large and front-heavy for the set; the 82 mm front does not fit a common 80 mm cine ring.

• Canon EF camerasWith adapterALEXA 265, ALEXA 35, ALEXA Mini LF, Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 +14 more

  Leitax C/Y-EOS mount swap · Fotodiox C/Y-EOS. A favourite: only 1.5 mm thick, so buy a precise one. A few wide Distagons touch the mirror of full-frame EF DSLRs; no problem on cinema bodies.

• Sony E camerasWith adapterRonin 4D-6K, Ronin 4D-8K, Alpha 1 II, Alpha 7 IV +13 more

  Novoflex · K&F Concept · Fotodiox. 27.5 mm of room — a plain mechanical adapter. Manual focus and iris.

• Canon RF camerasWith adapterEOS C400, EOS C50, EOS C70, EOS C80 +10 more

  Novoflex · K&F Concept · Fotodiox. 25.5 mm of room — a plain mechanical adapter. Manual focus and iris.

• L-Mount camerasWith adapterCinema Camera 6K, PYXIS 12K, PYXIS 6K, Ronin 4D-6K +6 more

  Novoflex · K&F Concept · Fotodiox. 25.5 mm of room — a plain mechanical adapter. Manual focus and iris.

• Micro Four Thirds camerasWith adapterMicro Studio Camera 4K G2, Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, Lumix BGH1, Lumix GH6 +1 more

  Novoflex · K&F Concept · Fotodiox. 26.3 mm of room — a plain mechanical adapter. Manual focus and iris.

• Nikon Z camerasWith adapterKOMODO-X 6K S35, V-RAPTOR [X] 8K VV, V-RAPTOR XE

  Novoflex · K&F Concept · Fotodiox. 29.5 mm of room — a plain mechanical adapter. Manual focus and iris.

• Leica M camerasWith adapter· by flange mathsALEXA 265, ALEXA 35, ALEXA Mini LF, Ronin 4D-6K +1 more

  17.7 mm of room for a plain ring. Check rear-element and mirror clearance before buying.

• LPL camerasWith adapter· by flange mathsALEXA 265, ALEXA 35, ALEXA Mini LF, URSA Cine 17K 65

  1.5 mm of room for a plain ring. Check rear-element and mirror clearance before buying.

See every camera this lens fits →

Sources: en.wikipedia.org, reduser.net, cined.com