Zeiss

When we got our test sample of the new Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 15mm f/2.8 lens, Popular Photography Technical Editor Philip Ryan couldn't wait to take it for a spin. He mounted it on the Canon 5D Mark II took it for a weekend of shooting stills and video. The video below was shot from the tram that connects New York City's Roosevelt Island with Manhattan. One of the more fun rides you can take with a MetroCard, the tram offers decidedly more picturesque views than does the L train.

If you're familiar with Zeiss movie lenses, the idea of buying a whole case full of them at a time as part of a system probably doesn't seem out of the ordinary. But, for us photography types, it's a little odd. This week, however, they announced a package deal for their SLR lenses, including five essential, fast primes packed into a custom waterproof case. The padding is customized for each lens and there's an empty spot in the foam in case you want to expand further.

In 2007, German lensmaker Carl Zeiss branched out from the medium-format lenses it had concentrated on for decades and followed its customers to the digital SLR 35mm platform. Now, four years later, the line spans nine focal lengths from 18mm to 100mm, all primes with manual focus only. The 50mm f/1.4 may be the most interesting. The fastest and lightest of the new breed, it is available in the most mounts and costs the least by far—though still plenty of coin ($725, street).