The Planar design of this lens corrects for most aberrations and distortion while offering high overall sharpness and image clarity. Carl Zeiss T* anti-reflective coatings have also been applied to all lens surfaces to reduce reflections, lens flare, and ghosting to produce images with high contrast and accurate colour.

The lens features a metal lens barrel with rubberized control rings and autofocus is smooth and accurate. A rigid metal bayonet mount ensures accurate alignment and a nearly circular nine-blade aperture produces pleasing bokeh.