Conclusion
Pros:
- Sharp across the whole frame straight from f/2.8
- Very good color and contrast
- Very low distortion for an ultra-wide angle lens
- High quality construction
- Autofocus is very accurate
Cons:
- Lens is rather large for a mirrorless lens
- Smooth rubber focus ring is awkward to use and provides limited tactile feedback
- Autofocus is slow
- Expensive
Overall, the Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 Distagon is a very fine lens. It provides nice sharp images with good color and contrast with surprising evenness of quality across the image frame at all apertures. However, I found the lens a little too large in the field, making getting it in and out of my bags difficult. While sharp, the images aren’t quite at the level of resolution provided by its closest competitor in the Fuji X-mount: The Fujinon 14mm f/2.8. I’m not a fan of the smooth rubber used on the focus ring, and the autofocus is relatively pokey. Plus, at $1,250, it’s rather expensive.
For Fuji users, it’s hard to recommend the Touit over the 14mm f/2.8 unless you absolutely need the extra width offered by the Zeiss. The Fuji has similar color and contrast, faster autofocus, better manual focus, is slightly sharper, costs $350 less and is smaller to boot. However, if you need 12mm, then the Zeiss is your lens. Despite its handling flaws, the Zeiss is ultimately a very high quality optic and an excellent addition to the Fuji X system.
Image Samples
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