Zeiss Milvus 18MMF/2.8

Professional landscape photographer Helen Dixonis looking to update her favourite lens in search of ultimate image quality.Here, she tests the Zeiss Milvus18mmf/2.8 to its limits to see if it delivers unbeatable performance

- Helen Dixon

WHEN CARL ZEISS announced that it was going to update its existing range of classic DSLR lenses with the new Milvus range, I was eager to try out one of these latest incarnations. I opted to test the Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 super wide-angle lens, as this is a totally new design and unlike its predecessor, the Zeiss 18mm f/3.5 classic. Also, it offered the advantage of boasting a slightly wider focal length than my current wide-angle and workhorse lens – the legendary Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 Distagon. The 21mm lens has been around for some time now and is rarely off the front of my Nikon D810, such is its quality, but the wider field-of-view that the 18mm provides would be very welcome!

As a professional landscape photographer, this lens is really appealing to me and it’s sure to be a big hit with many landscape, interior and architectural photographers. However, by offering only manual focus, and the fact that it’s a prime rather than zoom lens, it may not tick all the boxes for everyone. It’s not cheap either; the hefty price tag of around £1,860 will put it out of reach for most photographers.