Mac users, we’re pleased to announce Macphun’s all-in-one photo editor Luminar is now available for just $69£52, and now comes with 12 portrait presets created by Scott Kelby, plus 1 month of access to KelbyOne photography training.
Use coupon code “PHOTOBLOG” to save another $10 on Luminar.
We rated Luminar as “Highly Recommended”. Visit the Luminar web site to try it for free.
Introduction
The Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 is a modern version of the classic Trioplan f2.8/100 lens, known for its ‘soap bubble’ bokeh and sharp focus and first produced in 1916. The updated Trioplan is manufactured using high-end coated glass made by Schott, features an iris diaphragm of 15 steel blades for a near-circular aperture, and comes in 9 different mounts, including Canon, Fuji X, Nikon, M42, Micro Four Thirds, Sony E, Pentax K, Leica M and Leica TL. The optical construction follows a classic triplet design and the image circle has a diameter of 44mm, making the lens suitable for 35mm full-frame cameras. The Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens costs €1,499.00.
Ease of Use
With a maximum diameter of 52mm and a length of 120mm, the Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 is a short telephoto fixed focal length optic that’s well-suited to Sony’s full-frame mirrorless camera bodies. Weighing in around 800g, it’s quite a heavy lens.
The Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens mounted on a Sony A7R II body
The Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens mounted on a Sony A7R II body
The Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens mounted on a Sony A7R II body
The Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens mounted alongside a Sony A7R II body
The Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 boasts superb build quality. The lens has an all-aluminium casing and it features a metal bayonet. With no need for a zoom ring, the manual focusing ring spans a significant width of the lens barrel and is exceptionally smooth to operate, complete with a useful depth of field scale.
Side of the Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens
Front of the Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens
Rear of the Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens
At the end of the lens is the aperture ring, with the aperture ranging from f/2.8 to f/22. Note that this ring rotates smoothly throughout the range, with no actual hard stops (except at f/2.8 and f/22), which is perhaps better suited to movie recording than shooting stills.
Side of the Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens
Side of the Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens
The Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 is a relatively simple lens with just 3 lens elements in 3 groups. A 15-bladed rounded diaphragm, combined with the fast maximum aperture, helps provide incredibly smooth bokeh blur. There’s no optical image stabilisation, but the Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8’s short telephoto focal length and fast maximum aperture largely alleviate the need for it.
The Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens in-hand
A small round metal lens hood is supplied in the box. The filter diameter is 52mm.
Focal Range
The diagonal angle of view is 24°, i.e. the same as that of a 100mm lens in a 35mm system.
Field of view at 100mm
Manual Focusing
The Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8’s manual focusing ring spans a significant width of the lens barrel and is exceptionally smooth to operate, complete with a useful depth of field scale. It also has a large rotation angle which enables precise focusing and moves smoothly without any play. The precise engravings in meters and feet help make manual focusing a veritable pleasure, especially in conjunction with the excellent Peaking feature offered by the Sony A-series cameras.
Chromatic Aberrations
Lateral chromatic aberrations, typically seen as blue or purple fringes along contrasty edges, are well controlled with the Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens. The crops below give you an idea of what you should expect in a worst-case scenario.
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Light Fall-off
Wide open at f/2.8, there’s some noticeable light fall-off in the corners, but this clears up quickly upon stopping down.
Vignetting at 100mm
Macro
With a close-focus point of 1m, the Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 isn’t really a macro lens. The photo below shows how close you can get to your subject. Note that with the use of extension tubes, the lens can achieve a reproduction ratio of up to 2:1.
Close-up performance
Bokeh
Bokeh is a word used for the out-of-focus areas of a photograph, and is usually described in qualitative terms, such as smooth / creamy / harsh etc. The Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens has an iris diaphragm with no less than 15 circular aperture blades, which has resulted in outstanding bokeh, as you can see in the crops below.
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Sharpness
In order to show you how sharp this lens is, we are providing 100% crops on the following page.
Mac users, we’re pleased to announce Macphun’s all-in-one photo editor Luminar is now available for just $69£52, and now comes with 12 portrait presets created by Scott Kelby, plus 1 month of access to KelbyOne photography training.
Use coupon code “PHOTOBLOG” to save another $10 on Luminar.
We rated Luminar as “Highly Recommended”. Visit the Luminar web site to try it for free.
Sharpness at 100mm
For this test, the Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens was attached to a Sony A7R II camera, which in turn was mounted on a sturdy tripod. The self-timer was used in order to avoid any vibrations that may result from tripping the shutter. Slight tonal changes are due to slight changes in natural light during the session.
The full frame at 100mm
In the centre of the frame, sharpness is acceptable wide open at f/2.8, improving at f/4 and reaching peak performance at f/5.6-f/11. Diffraction sets in at f/22, which is decidedly soft. The edges aren’t anywhere as sharp as the centre, throughout the aperture range.
| Aperture | Center Crop | Edge Crop |
| f/2.8 |  |
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| f/4 |  |
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| f/5.6 |  |
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| f/8 |  |
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| f/11 |  |
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| f/16 |  |
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| f/22 |  |
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