Oh, I wouldn't say that the old lenses are FAR better, in fact in some cases I wouldn't even say they are better. Zeiss has improved the performance and durability of many lenses.
For ex&le, I'll take the Floating Element Wide Angles over the older ones any day. And anyone who's uses the sync port in studio appliactions and had the older design fail during a shoot, does appreciate the improved locking type. Better supression of flare and reflections with some newer lenses is apparent in extreme lighting conditions. And, well, there was no retro 180, but the new one set fresh standards. And the addition of data bus to a few lenses certainly was welcome to those also using some of the 200 cameras.
For ex&le, I'll take the Floating Element Wide Angles over the older ones any day. And anyone who's uses the sync port in studio appliactions and had the older design fail during a shoot, does appreciate the improved locking type. Better supression of flare and reflections with some newer lenses is apparent in extreme lighting conditions. And, well, there was no retro 180, but the new one set fresh standards. And the addition of data bus to a few lenses certainly was welcome to those also using some of the 200 cameras.