Zeiss wide angle lens for E-mount

Sonyalpharumors spotted a leak from a Chinese site mobile01.com that the Zeiss wide angle for Sony E-mount will be a 35mm f/1.4, and it is given a mount abbreviation ZAE.
Is that going to be a Biogon?

Update:
Thanks for the comment. Apparently sonyalpharumors' source was photoscala.de.

ZM Biogon T* 35mm f/2 tested on Sony NEX at PhotoZone

Photozone tested the Zeiss Planar 50mm ZM on Sony NEX. Just like their previous test on the ZM Planar,

 the result is impressive, however with a little bit of bokeh fringing. 



Please visit PhotoZone for a complete review

ZA Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 - Full Format Test from PhotoZone

This is probably the best 85mm f/1.4 you can get for 35mm

"The Zeiss ZA 85mm f/1.4 produced highly impressive resolution figures in the MTF lab. At f/1.4 the quality is already exceptionally high for such a lens with very good resolution figures across the image frame. The contrast level is also very snappy here. There's an additional boost in quality from f/4 onwards and the outstanding quality peak is reached at f/8. Field curvature is not an issue."

Please visit PhotoZone for a complete review

Photokina 2010 - Zeiss #2

Introduction of new products at Photokina 2010:  Distagon T* 1.4/35 and filters

Zeiss Booth Tour

Image Samples of the new Distagon T* 1.4/35 ZE

Take a look at this Flickr set of the new Distagon T* 1.4/35 ZE prototype.

Pictures were taken on a Canon 5D MKII processed with LightRoom 3.2

http://www.flickr.com/photos/silver2silicon/sets/72157624855898822/

Zeiss to Discontinue Lenses in ZK mount (Pentax mount)

Today Zeiss announced that it will discontinue its manual focus lenses in ZK mount now! Probably it is due to the low adoption by Pentax users and also the lack of full frame sensors from Pentax.

Zeiss says: "Based on the market situation, the division will focus on SLR lenses from the ZE and ZF.2 series in the future."

Links: Zeiss PR

Photokina 2010 - Zeiss #1

A gentleman named R.Wagner talked to a Zeiss rep. at Photokina and got this reply:

"Build the Compact-Primes spring for MFT. (As far as on "toys") Even the large video to zoom in on demand MFT
be rebuilt."

I am not too sure what it is supposed to mean. Do you know?

Thanks for writing us


Update: Here is another translation -
"[Zeiss will] manufacture the Compact Primes in µ4/3 mount from Spring [2011]. (As far as "toys" are concerned) the big video-zoom also should be converted on request in µ4/3 mount."


Now I think I understand what they are going after. It looks like the LightWeightZoom LWZ.2 could be available in µ4/3 mount too. Let's wait and see.


Also, Sonyalpharumors posted a 2011 E mount lens lineup, it will contain a Zeiss wideangle lens that is based on the current ZM lineup. 

Here is the mockup of the lens (black on the right)

I don't know how the mockup represents the actual product, but looking at the size and the curvature of the front element, it doesn't quite resemble the wideangle ZM lenses. Let's wait and see.

You have to see the new Fujifilm FinePix X100

I know it is not a Zeiss or remotely associated to Zeiss, but you have to see this beauty. This is one modern digital camera that is as close to your dreamed Ikon as it gets.

It has a shifted micro lens APS-C size sensor, manual override for everything, optical+electronic hybrid VF, f2 35mm equiv Fujinon lens with asph elements and 9 aperture blades, magnesium alloy body and metal dials, and shutter release that takes screw-in cable release (I already have in mind which softie to put on).

Now does it look like Fujifilm is a good manufacturer that Zeiss can entrust its Contax brandname on?





http://www.finepix-x100.com

Can I demand for 422 color-space video, weather sealing, hybrid phase AF, GPS geotagging, and sensor shift IS features?

CONTAX brand name released from Kyocera this year

For those of you who frequent our rumor site are probably familiar with the Zeiss brandname Contax. About half of a century ago, Zeiss granted the exclusive use of its Contax brandname to Kyocera. It was an unfortunate fact that Kyocera decided to discontinue its camera development in 2005, which resulted in no more Contax cameras and no more Zeiss lenses made for Contax cameras. Certainly, Kyocera decision negatively affected Zeiss, and there was nothing Zeiss could do, at least before the brandname lease expires.
(see Contax FAQ and wiki)

The good news today is that the Contax brand is released from Kyocera this year (see the last part of Contarex section here). The brandname is now back to Zeiss again. In theory, Zeiss can produce Contax cameras now or grant the Contax name to another camera manufacturer. Or, of course let the Contax brandname sit in the closet forever as if it has never existed.

Don't get too discouraged if you are not seeing a Zeiss camera at Photokina this year, it is entirely possible that Zeiss will be back in the game with the Contax brand in the near future.

(thanks to Ulrich for writing us)

Carl Zeiss Lenses - News about CP.2 Lenses at the IBC 2010, Amsterdam

Zeiss Extending Master Prime range with a 12 mm

The 12 mm T1.3 close focuses down to 40 cm with an angle of view 90.98 for ANSI S35


Just a reminder, although the Master Prime series has a smaller covering image circle, it is "the" pro cine lineup that goes head-to-head with Leica Summilux C cine lenses. It is a stepup from CP.2.
Please check our previous What are Master Primes and Compact Primes post

A complete manual focus lineup in A-mount?

Someone spotted in a forum discussion, a member(boyanphotography) said he talked to a Zeiss guy at IBC, and the guy told him that Zeiss will launch the entire manual focus lineup that's currently available in ZE/ZF/ZK etc.. in Sony's Alpha mount. Following is the exact quote

"Today I talked to the Zeiss guy at IBC, and he told me that at Photokina they will launch the full MF line of lenses for A-mount (18mm all the way to 100mm (including the 50 1.4), they start with bringing the 100 macro on the market at beginning 2011). 

Also, he said Zeiss/Sony will release a new lens at photokina (besides the 24)!!! He said he couldn't tell me what lens, though he said it's a very big one. 

Could this be the CZ 200mm? "

What do you think?
Zeiss is even bringing CP.2 to m43 and A mounts. Putting A mounts on their current MF lineup will be effortless, it will be silly of them to not do it.

(thanks tip givers for pointing out the forum discussion)

Zeiss Planar 50mm ZM tested on Sony NEX

Photozone.de tested the Zeiss Planar 50mm ZM on Sony NEX. The result is impressive, however with a little bit of bokeh fringing.


Take a look here!

New mounts for CP.2 (m4/3 mount and A mount)

Carl Zeiss is extending is popular full frame (36mm x 24mm) cine lenses range by introducing two more focal lengths. The CP.2 50 mm/T2.1 Makro is a Makro-Planar and the CP.2 100 mm/T2.1 CF is a Planar design. The 100mm being a Planar is slightly unusual compared to its photo lens line-up, as we have seen Zeiss tele-lenses are usual Sonnar based.

In addition to the PL-, EF- and F-mount (will be available soon), the Compact Prime CP.2 lenses will extend its mounts to include Micro 4/3 and A-mount.

This news sounds a bit like what we posted before. However, CP.2 lenses aren't AF and the mount change requires some effort than just screwing on an adapter. I wonder if there will still be other AF lenses to be announced soon.

OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 08.09.2010.
In 4th quarter of 2010, ZEISS Compact Prime CP.2 lenses will be available with F-mount. The Compact Prime CP.2 series, presented last April, were the first lenses developed especially for shooting with HDSLR cameras. Since then, the lenses have been highly sought after by cinematographers and film photographers alike. In addition to the PL-, EF- and F-mount, Carl Zeiss will soon also be offering the Compact Prime CP.2 lenses with Micro 4/3 and A-mount.

The Compact Prime CP.2 lenses’ inter- changeable mount means the lenses can be used for many purposes. The lenses have a compact and robust build so that they can handle any demand on the film set.

“With the new enhancement of mounts we want to meet the needs of our customers”, says Michael Schiehlen, Head of Sales of Carl Zeiss AG Camera Lens Division. “The possibility of using our CP.2 lenses flexibly for three different camera systems is not only interesting for new customers. Stores that rent cameras and camera equipment also benefit from the lenses’ enhanced flexibility.”

Just in time for the IBC in Amsterdam, Carl Zeiss has announced two new focus lengths that will also be available with F-mount: Compact Prime CP.2 50 mm/T2.1 Makro and CP.2 100mm/T2.1 CF. They complement the seven focal lengths from 18 to 85 millimeters that are already available.

Compact Primes CP.2 - Lenses with interchangeable mount

The Compact Prime CP.2 lenses are the latest members of
the ZEISS family of lenses for digital and film cameras. This
second generation of the Compact Prime lenses now delivers
even greater flexibility by introducing interchangeable
mounts that allow the lenses to be used with a wide range
of cameras from traditional cine to HDSLR systems.

Features

Lens Range

Accessories

Experience

Technical Data:

Super Wide Angle	Aperture	CFD	AOV	Weight	EF	PL	F
CP.2 18mm/T3.6*	T3.6 – 22	0.3	69°	900 g
CP.2 21mm/T2.9	T2.9 – 22	0.22	60.9°	1000 g

Wide Angle					ZE	ZF	ZF.2
CP.2 25mm/T2.9	T2.9 – 22	0.17	52.2°	900 g
CP.2 28mm/T2.1	T2.1 - 22	0.24	47.4°	1000 g
CP.2 35mm/T2.1	T2.1 - 22	0.3	38.5°	1000 g

Standard					ZE	ZF	ZF.2
CP.2 50mm/T2.1	T2.1 – 22	0.45	27.3°	900 g

Tele					ZE	ZF	ZF.2
CP.2 85mm/T2.1	T2.1 – 22	1	16.7°	900 g

All Compact Prime CP.2 lenses cover the full-frame image format
(24 x 36 mm), ANSI Super 35 and Normal 35 image format, except the CP.2 18mm/T3.6.

Links: Zeiss PR