Interview with Zeiss on ZI and ZI digital

[rfcontax]

This link is interesting:


http://keppler.popphoto.com/blog/200...ankl.html#more

Some comments:

I think this article confirms the ZF Distagon as a 35/2.

ALso, if protecting zeiss customers' investment is so important, why waste any time on zm....as opposed to focusing on finding cy or n mount successors? The logic doesn't stack up, so i suspect other motives may be in play. IMHO there is a whole load of stuff around the Contax/Kyocera saga - much of which may never come out.

Any would-be Leica M8 purchasers who might be holding out for an imminent ZI Digital can stop holding their breath...

Quite a few of the other comments jar too....but I sense a corporate spokesman managing compromises and being very careful about how he's spinning.

 

[dirk]

see: http://www.contaxinfo.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?238420/466496

 

[wang]

The M-mount related systems have an irreplacable role in both the history and practice of photography. Whenever I am using my Ms, they always take my breath away by not uttering when you press the button. It is still very sensational, even though it has been like this for more than 50 years.

I predicted the third ZF lens is 35 f2 on 20 January 2006 in my 258th posting of this forum.

http://www.contaxinfo.com/cgi-bin/discus/board-auth.cgi?file=/439450/419219.html

 

[rfcontax]

sorry dirk...i must have missed your posting.

 

[dirk]

so we have now Zeiss options as of today:

A. Zeiss Ikon

15/2.8
21/2.8
25/2.8
28/2.8
35/2.0
50/2.0
85/2.0

Looks good so far. Maybe a 50/1.4 will come (in the planning, if sales of the System are enough)

B. Zeiss Nikon (ZF)

35/2.0
50/1.4
85/1.4

C. Zeiss for Minolta/Sony (ZA)

16-80/3.5-4.5
85/1.4
135/1.8


o.k., I would love to know, what Zeiss will offer additionally in the wideangle area. I would love to see a 11-22/2.8 or F4 Zoom and a 25/2.8 for the Sony Alpha & Nikon ZF. And of course a 35/1.4 and 50/1.4 for the Sony mount.

Any guesses?


@Marc Wlliams

sad, a 35/2.0 might not be fast enough for your shooting style, so I guess Nikon will not be an option for you anymore.

And even if they bring a 35/1.4 now for Sony mount, it will still take time until you see a good pro-body there IMHO

 

[dirk]

.. if I think about it, it will be very likely, that Zeiss will offer the 35/2.0 also for the Sony mount. They made the design already for a SLR and I guess the adaption to Sony mount is less expensive than to make a new design for Sony with 1.4 aperture.

On the other hand, it might be the goal for the Sony line, to offer only very fast primes to show the "pro" capability with the Zeiss name on it. With this, they make the Sony DSLR system more attractive...

In a few weeks we know more...

@Robert

do not worry. It is better 2 poeple post it than nobody sees it

 

[wang]

Zeiss is not the limiting factor, it is Sony who is making the decision how many Zeiss lenses are available for the ZA mount.

Once a company started with Zeiss and became famous as a result, they would rather in the end work independant of Zeiss.

Hasselblad became famous because they were using Zeiss lenses, in the end she decided to have Fuji for the H system. Sony became famous in the camera market because she was using Zeiss lenses, in the end she decided to have Minolta for most of the lenses in the alpha system. I believe both of these companies went for the cheaper lens system in order to cut cost. Although this is not what we want, the company managers are putting profit on top of lens quality.

 

[fotografz]

Hi Dirk,

well, I did look closely at the Nikon D200 with those delicious Zeiss lenses in mind. In the end I felt the tiny viewfinder was the limiting factor. After all, the Zeiss offerings are limited and are all manual focus. That combination would make for difficult focusing even with the focus assist of the D200. One becomes spoiled by the bright, full frame finders of the Canon 1DsMKII and 5D cameras.

That said, I remain a Zeiss devote but less hard-core than I once was. I use a chrome ZM28/2.8 on my Leica MP3, and as always utilize a full range of Hasselblad V lenses in a variety of ways... making them the most versatile lenses I've ever owned ... they just keep on going and going and going : -)

Today I take delivery of a Hasselblad/Zeiss V lens adapter to fit them to a Mamiya 645AFD body sporting an Aptus 75 MF digital back. While being manual focus lenses the Mamiya camera also offers focus assist. This further diversifies the use of all my Zeiss MF lenses as far as digital capture is concerned. This is of primary interest to me because the F series lenses now come into strong play. Lenses like the 50/2.8FE, 110/2FE, 150/2.8FE and especially the 250/4FE become viable lower light MF options with Zeiss color and resolving power. I will report back on this combination in your MF forum ... especially in how they stack up against the Mamiya MF AF lenses.

I also use the Zeiss CF lenses on the H camera via an CFV adapter ... although some of the the HC lenses are no slouch themselves.

 

[grumpoid]

Hiya,

I cannot see there being a Zeiss 35/1.4 for Sony, as there is already a Sony/Minolta 35/1.4...

 

[patrik]

It can be tricky to focus manually with the D200 and D2X. I replaced the screen in my D2X with a Katzeye screen. Now manual focus is very easy. I use the D2X in combination with my ZF 50/1.4 often and no problem at all to achieve correct focus.