New ZEISS SLR Lens Family for ZE and ZF.2 Mounts

Canon Rumors Guy

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In a very well kept secret, ZEISS has announced a new DSLR lens lineup series called Milvus</p>
<p><em>Six new focal lengths: manual focus lenses optimized for high-resolution cameras</em></p>
<p><strong>OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 10/09/2015.

</strong>The new ZEISS Milvus SLR lens family contains six focal lengths with ZE or ZF.2 mounts for DSLR cameras from Canon and Nikon1. The ZEISS Milvus lens family with precise manual focus offers high and consistent image performance across all focal lengths. The new lenses are the ZEISS answer to the current trend toward sensors with increasingly high resolution which, in turn, require higher and higher image quality. They are therefore ideal for current DSLR cameras and also for mirrorless system cameras of the Sony α7 series via an adapter solution and offer the customer excellent value for the money for professional applications. An equally important benefit: their high contrast rendition and low level of stray light ensure that the lenses meet the latest video standards such as HDR (High Dynamic Range) and resolutions of 6K and more. For the user, they open up the field of professional video and cine applications. The ZEISS Milvus lenses will be delivered to dealers in October 2015.</p>
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<p><strong>Diversity of focal lengths for wide spectrum of applications

</strong>With its diversity of focal lengths, the ZEISS Milvus lens family covers many of the photographer’s important fields of application where the benefits of manual focus lenses can be optimally utilized. “We want to provide users with the freedom to use the focus position as an artistic tool because it is one of the most important creative possibilities available to photographers,” Christophe Casenave, Product Manager for ZEISS Camera Lenses, emphasizes. The ZEISS Milvus lenses are therefore targeted at all owners of a high-resolution DSLR camera, offering them considerable added value. They are also suitable for photographers who have specialized in applications which the six focal lengths optimally support, e.g. portrait, landscape and macro photography.</p>
<p>The ZEISS Milvus lens family will initially consist of the following six focal lengths: ZEISS Milvus 2.8/21, ZEISS Milvus 2/35, ZEISS Milvus 1.4/50, ZEISS Milvus 1.4/85 as well as the two macro lenses ZEISS Milvus 2/50M and ZEISS Milvus 2/100M. Further focal lengths will be added to the ZEISS Milvus lens family over the next few years. “With this diversity of extremely high-quality SLR lenses, we are underscoring that, with our Milvus lenses, we can supply the right focal length for almost any application or personal preference,” Casenave says.</p>
<p><strong>Modern product design

</strong>The ZEISS Milvus lenses continue the award-winning ZEISS product design already featured in the ZEISS Otus lenses. The advanced design ensures excellent image performance and outstanding ergonomic convenience. The easy-grip focus ring enables precise manual focusing for highly precise photography. The robust all-metal barrel of the ZEISS Milvus lenses guarantees many years of reliable use. They are protected against dust and spray water. The robust metal lens shade is an integral part of the overall product design and is a standard feature of all ZEISS Milvus lenses on delivery.</p>
<p><strong>Fully compatible with DSLR cameras

</strong>The ZEISS Milvus lenses support all important operating modes of DSLR cameras (e.g. aperture priority, shutter priority and program modes, as well as manual time and exposure settings) The ZEISS Milvus lenses feature an interface that transmits the lens data to the camera (e.g. focal length, set aperture etc.). This information is saved to the photo’s EXIF data.</p>
<p><strong>Features for demanding users

</strong>“The excellent image performance of the ZEISS Milvus lenses, also in difficult light conditions, is sharply focused on the requirements of current and future high-performance digital cameras,” says Casenave. The lenses offer a harmonious bokeh and excellent reflection reduction thanks to T*® anti-reflective coating from ZEISS. The further optimization of the lens coating reduces ghosting, flare and shading effects in critical light situations. All ZEISS Milvus lenses have a Floating Elements Design which compensates for aberrations at different distance settings. This is achieved by varying the axial distance between individual lens elements or groups. The adjustment of the distance between elements is coupled to the distance setting so that this always results in the right correction.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LlVcXAYIM28" width="728" height="409" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>ZEISS Milvus lenses for video

</strong>The new ZEISS Milvus lenses enable high-quality film recordings with soft and cinematic bokeh. “With their extremely high contrast rendition, the lenses meet the latest 6K video standards and display uniform color characteristics,” Casenave continues. All six ZEISS Milvus lenses have an exceptionally long rotation angles of the focus ring for precise focusing. The practical, rubber-covered focus ring features outstanding grip properties for optimal focusing. The ‘de-click’ function in the ZF.2 mount lenses allows filmmakers to adjust the aperture freely and smoothly, enabling professional results even in changing light conditions.</p>
<p><strong>ZEISS Milvus 1.4/50

</strong>The newly designed ZEISS Milvus 1.4/50 lens has ten elements in eight groups. The new 50 mm lens features one aspherical optical surface and four elements made of special glass materials, and uses the ZEISS Distagon optical design. This makes it the second standard lens after the ZEISS Otus 1.4/55 to incorporate this high-performance optical design. The advanced ZEISS Distagon optical design enables very good image performance across the entire image field, even at full aperture, despite the high speed. The ZEISS Milvus 1.4/50 on a full-frame camera corresponds to the perspective of the human eye and can therefore be used for many different purposes.</p>
<p><strong>ZEISS Milvus 1.4/85

</strong>The newly designed ZEISS Milvus 1.4/85 short tele lens has eleven elements in nine groups and features the ZEISS Planar optical design. The ZEISS Milvus 1.4/85 is suitable, above all, for portrait photography. This lens is an absolute must for compositions where the main subject is to be isolated and emphasized against a beautiful bokeh background. The purely spherical optical design generates a harmonious bokeh, and the use of special glass materials ensures extremely low chromatic aberration.</p>
<p><strong>Availability

</strong>Advance orders can now be placed for the ZEISS Milvus lenses. Global delivery to dealers will commence in October 2015.</p>
<p>All of the new lenses are available for preorder at B&H Photo & Adorama.</p>
<ul>
<li>Zeiss Milvus 21mm f/2.8 ZE: <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1185201-REG/zeiss_2096_549_milvus_2_8_21_ze_lens.html/BI/2466/kbid/3296" target="_blank">B&H Photo</a> | <a href="http://www.adorama.com/ZI2128MZE.html?kbid=64393" target="_blank">Adorama</a></li>
<li>Zeiss Milvus 35mm f/2 ZE: <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1185202-REG/zeiss_2096_555_milvus_2_35_ze_lens.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296" target="_blank">B&H Photo</a> | <a href="http://www.adorama.com/ZI352MZE.html?kbid=64393" target="_blank">Adorama</a></li>
<li>Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4 ZE: <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1185204-REG/zeiss_2096_557_milvus_1_4_50_ze_lens.html/BI/2466/kbid/3296" target="_blank">B&H Photo</a> | <a href="http://www.adorama.com/ZI5014MZE.html?kbid=64393" target="_blank">Adorama</a></li>
<li>Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2 ZE: <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1185206-REG/zeiss_2096_559_milvus_2_50m_ze_lens.html/BI/2466/kbid/3296" target="_blank">B&H Photo</a> | <a href="http://www.adorama.com/ZI5014MZE.html?kbid=64393" target="_blank">Adorama</a></li>
<li>Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4 ZE: <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1185205-REG/zeiss_2096_561_milvus_1_4_85_ze_lens.html/BI/2466/kbid/3296" target="_blank">B&H Photo</a> | <a href="http://www.adorama.com/ZI8514MZE.html?kbid=64393" target="_blank">Adorama</a></li>
<li>Zeiss Milvus 100mm f/2 ZE: <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1185207-REG/zeiss_2096_563_milvus_2_100m_ze_lens.html/BI/2466/kbid/3296" target="_blank">B&H Photo</a> | <a href="http://www.adorama.com/ZI1002MZE.html?kbid=64393" target="_blank">Adorama</a></li>
</ul>
 
Re: Zeiss Announce Milvus Lens Lineup

Canon Rumors said:
wockawocka said:
Why no AF.

Sweet Jesus.

I completely agree.......
We do get finally get weather sealing at least...

sama said:
50 f2 is slightly more expensive than 50 f1.4 (B&H)

F2 comes with Planar Optical Design/Floating Elements System but not F1.4 ??
The f/2 is a "close focus" lens.
 
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Jul 14, 2012
910
7
Re: Zeiss Announce Milvus Lens Lineup

wockawocka said:
Why no AF.

Sweet Jesus.

Odd, isn't it, given that they've started making AF lenses for Sony e-mount cameras which, since it's much easier to MF on such bodies, need AF less than dslrs do. Given the price of these new lenses the old Contax-Zeiss lenses are looking even more attractive....
 
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Re: Zeiss Announce Milvus Lens Lineup

sdsr said:
wockawocka said:
Why no AF.

Sweet Jesus.

Odd, isn't it, given that they've started making AF lenses for Sony e-mount cameras which, since it's much easier to MF on such bodies, need AF less than dslrs do. Given the price of these new lenses the old Contax-Zeiss lenses are looking even more attractive....

AFAIK, Sony has an exclusive with Zeiss for autofocusing SLR/SLT lenses. Not sure why TOUIT lenses are allowed on Fujifilm, but perhaps those are Fujinon lenses though.
 
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Re: Zeiss Announce Milvus Lens Lineup

I'm partial to the new look, but I'm most interested in the two lenses that appear to be retooled optically (the 50mm and 85mm) - as they were the ones that probably needed modernizing the most.

I don't mind MF lenses, but I'd certainly love to have a quality AF lens with Zeiss optics.
 
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Re: Zeiss Announce Milvus Lens Lineup

NEXT! So pay more for new design, (they do look nice), yet still no AF and Less than Otis Optics. The trade off of cost and no AF is justified w/ the unparalleled optics on the purchase of an Otis, this line just looks like copies of L lenses lacking AF. BTW Zeiss, all Canon lenses MF, so if anyone's needing to learn the art of MF, there's a button for that! Looks like Canon really has an opportunity to move ahead if the blue gel is as good as they claim in the 35mm. No doubt, these are some exciting times for Photography!
 
Upvote 0
Jul 14, 2012
910
7
Re: Zeiss Announce Milvus Lens Lineup

Cali Capture said:
NEXT! So pay more for new design, (they do look nice), yet still no AF and Less than Otis Optics. The trade off of cost and no AF is justified w/ the unparalleled optics on the purchase of an Otis, this line just looks like copies of L lenses lacking AF. BTW Zeiss, all Canon lenses MF, so if anyone's needing to learn the art of MF, there's a button for that! Looks like Canon really has an opportunity to move ahead if the blue gel is as good as they claim in the 35mm. No doubt, these are some exciting times for Photography!

Sure, you can MF with an AF lens, but the MF experience is nowhere near as good on AF lenses as it is with lenses designed for MF - among other things, the focus "throw" is usually too short, and they're often not well damped, both of which make fine adjustments tricky. So I don't think an AF lens would be the best place to start if trying to "learn the art of MF"....
 
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Re: Zeiss Announce Milvus Lens Lineup

sdsr said:
Sure, you can MF with an AF lens, but the MF experience is nowhere near as good on AF lenses as it is with lenses designed for MF - among other things, the focus "throw" is usually too short, and they're often not well damped, both of which make fine adjustments tricky. So I don't think an AF lens would be the best place to start if trying to "learn the art of MF"....

Exactly my thoughts - and this applies even more when you compare it to the focus-by-wire lenses where the manual focussing is weirdly indirect.
 
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drs

Feb 28, 2012
69
0
Re: Zeiss Announce Milvus Lens Lineup

Zeiss had always a specific characteristic (compared to others, e.g. Leica, or Cooke), and I hope they continued in this series with it.

I'm sold from the second I read the announcement. Just to be clear, I really enjoy the Art series from Sigma, but manual focus is just something else. I prefer it for most of my work. (Your milage might differ of course, no argument here)

The price seems cheap for a new Zeiss series, even it is not really a spontaneous-buy item ;o)

What strikes me is the 50mm -- again in F/2.0 and F/1.4, which brings back not the best of memories, I hope there is no inheritance.

It will be nice to see how people use them in tests and reviews, and I hope that "sharpness" is the least of their concerns. Lenses are so much more.
 
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