Quality-wise it's an impressive lens offering a very high resolution till diffraction takes its toll. Lateral CAs are basically non-existent and the little amount of barrel distortion is not field relevant. At f/2 there's some vignetting which can be disturbing in some scenes so you should either stop down or resolve the issue during image post-processing. The bokeh (out-of-focus blur) is generally quite smooth.

A comparison to competing macro lenses is a little difficult. On the upside the Zeiss is a full stop faster than but on the other hand the max. object magnification is "just" 1:2 which may be a somewhat limiting factor for macro enthusiasts. So you gain and loose a little in terms of flexibility. The price tag is comparatively steep at around 1100-1200€/US$ so you really have to have an itch for such classic lenses.

Nonetheless: a highly recommended lens!

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