# The Carl Zeiss 35mm f/2 distagon in 2026

*May 18, 2025 — Kasper Bergholt*

Some consider the Carl Zeiss 35mm f/2 Distagon the best 35mm lens made for Pentax mount (ZK). It was discontinued in 2010 resulting in high prices for deadstock and lenses in mint condition especially in comparison to the same lens with Nikon or Canon mount, and they are rarely seen for sale on sites like MPB.

I got the Zeiss 35mm f/2 after working with a Carl Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2 macro with a Nikon D3 for various projects (beginning with macro-photography of vacuum 6CS7 tubes for a Leben tube amplifier.

			
				
			
		Carl Zeiss 35mm f/2 lens (Pentax mount) on top of a Japanese edition of John Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme’ album.

The Carl Zeiss Milvus 2/50 (makro-planar design) weighs in at 530 grams, the Zeiss 35mm f/2 (distagon design) is ‘only’ 570 grams.

Significantly heavier than my Pentax 77mm 1.8 limited (270 grams), with a generally more solid feel. The focusing ring of the 35mm Zeiss is a lot tighter, and the throw is significantly longer compared to the Pentax 77mm 1.8.

Some compare the ZK mount family of lenses with older lenses produced by Zeiss for Hasselblad cameras.

If you’re considering getting one, keep in mind that it’s a fully manual-focus lens.

Carl Zeiss 35mm f/2 specification (ZK / Pentax mount)

Manual focus only9 elements in 7 groupsMinimum focusing distance: 30cmFull frame compatible: yesDesign principle: DistagonPrecise manual focusingFull-metal constructionFocal length: 35mmRange: f/2 – f/22Max diameter of image field: 43mmImage ratio at close range: 1:5.3Weight: 530 grams.

Photos taken with the Zeiss 35mm f/2

The Time Is Out of Joint #1 – Pentax K5 & Carl Zeiss 35mm f/2. Source: ‘The Meaning of “The Time Is Out of Joint” in Shakespeare’s Hamlet’.

Miniature flowers floating on seaweed in Saint George’s Lake, Copenhagen, June 2024. From the Flora Excursoria Hafniensis series.

The Zeiss 35mm f/2 mounted on various cameras

Pentax K10D + Carl Zeiss 35mm f/2 distagon lens.