Schneider-Kreuznach Announces Three New EF Lenses

[optikus]

Schneider Kreuznach

Hello,

Schneider is on the same level as Zeiss is - and I expect, that they will demonstrate this with the new lenses. The XENON is a very famous lens beginning some 50 years ago - and if you have a look on the segment they are active with tilt/shift lenses it will give you an idea what I expect as quality of their products ...

Joerg

 

[Busted Knuckles]

I've never heard of the brand prior to this press release.

Wonder how they measure up against the Otus line up
So is there AF or not?

More of a higher end, view camera brand - though you might look back at some of the kodak cameras from days gone by....

 

[vscd]

I've never heard of the brand prior to this press release.

What do the young people learn today?

Back, when I was young...

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I've never heard of the brand prior to this press release.

Wonder how they measure up against the Otus line up
So is there AF or not?

They have been in the market since the early beginning of photography, but have not been a big seller for DSLR's due to their lack of autofocus. I've had many film cameras over the years with their lenses. Its hard to forget a name like that.

 

[Renzokuken]

I've never heard of the brand prior to this press release.

Rolls eyes ! Pretty well known in Europe at least - they own B+W too...

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schneider_Kreuznach

forgive me my grace. I live in Asia.

Hello,

Schneider is on the same level as Zeiss is - and I expect, that they will demonstrate this with the new lenses. The XENON is a very famous lens beginning some 50 years ago - and if you have a look on the segment they are active with tilt/shift lenses it will give you an idea what I expect as quality of their products ...

Joerg

thanks for sharing.
this is something wikipedia pages can't tell me. wanted to know where they stand vis-a-vis Zeiss and you answered my question

 

[ChristopherMarkPerez]

This is fantastic! Didn't see this one coming.

Schneider-Kreuznach has been around for many many years. In Europe I feel their optics are more highly regarded than Zeiss. Besides, Zeiss seems little more than a licensed name, these days. When was the last time you saw a popular Zeiss lens come from Germany?

Interestingly (to me, at least) it was Schneider-Kreuznach who provided the first "planar" formula lenses to Rollei. They did this to spec with f/2.8 and f/3.5 versions, both remain wickedly sharp. Zeiss? It took them another year or two before they delivered optics to Rollei. In America Zeiss lensed Rolleis go for serious money. In Europe its the other way around.

Around the same time (early 1950's), Kodak was using it's optics manufacturing knowledge that it gained during WWII to build what remain today some of the finest commercially available optics ever. If you ever have a chance to resolution test (aerial inspect, not with film or a sensor) a Commercial Ektar or a Wide Field Ektar, perhaps you'll see what I mean. I'd love to have a tessar-formula 50mm for the DSLR that was this sharp/contrasty from WIDE OPEN in the center and rolled off nicely to the most beautiful out of focus rendition like those old Kodak Ektars.

Why do I bring this up? Well, because in Germany it was Schneider-Kreuznach that gave Kodak a run for their money. Not Zeiss. Schneider-Kreuznach could build great lenses that gave outstanding resolution and could pass contast (pre-MTF days) like nobodies business. I had a 360mm f/5.6 in a #5 air-shutter that had round aperture. It gave a gorgeous image, that lens did.

Yet today in America (and perhaps Asia too?) it is the Zeiss name that is more widely known than Schneider-Kreuznach. Well, except to large format film photographers where the brand and quality remain very well known.

I'll be interested to see what Schneider-Kreuznach does with these new lenses and, of course, what they'll cost.

Good Stuff, this.

 

[ChristopherMarkPerez]

Just look at the roundness of that aperture and tell me you wouldn't die for one like it in a modern lens. ;D ;D ;D

Young people? Learning? Don't get me started. LOL!!!

What do the young people learn today?

Back, when I was young...

 

[infared]

Just look at the roundness of that aperture and tell me you wouldn't die for one like it in a modern lens. ;D ;D ;D

Young people? Learning? Don't get me started. LOL!!!

What do the young people learn today?

Back, when I was young...

A brain AND good equipment is a nice combo.

 

[AvTvM]

yawn. Another bunch of expensive manual focus lenses. Come back Schneider, Zeiss and all of you germanic dinosaurs once you have learned autofocus.

 

[Rick]

When was the last time you saw a popular Zeiss lens come from Germany?

Yet today in America (and perhaps Asia too?) it is the Zeiss name that is more widely known than Schneider-Kreuznach.

Amusing since Canon/Nikon customers believe that their brand's cameras and lenses made in Japan are a sign of better quality.

The Zeiss name is better known for several reasons:

1.) because of that company's marketing efforts. Not all marketing is deception and smoke & mirrors. It wouldn't hurt Schneider-Kreuznach to mount a print and internet campaign to promote these lenses. They might ought to suck up to sites like DPR.
2.) The Zeiss name accidentally got a boost among Canon shooters when it was discovered the discontinued Contax Zeiss 21mm could be adapted to EOS and provide much better uniform sharpness across the frame than their Canon WA & UWA lenses of that time period.
3.) As far as I know, Schneider-Kreuznach has been a niche player in the USA DSLR lens market with a few T/S ad Shift lenses with no evidence that they are any better than Canon/Nikon's own T/Ss (refer back to #1) and more of a force in MF and large format where most Canon/Nikon users could a give 2 cents about.
4.) Schneider-Kreuznach ought not to do the same thing they have done with 4/3 i.e. announce, then disappear (although I do not know the exact nature of that announcement). If they are going to come into the market with a price lower than Zeiss' Otuses (the presumption here being that Otus is the competition), they should announce the prices now and freeze Zeiss sales. Unless there is a translation issue in the English version announcement, the suggestion is the lenses have been developed already - the 85mm for sure since they had one displayed at Photokina.

To the guy complaining about manual focus, why would you want AF to get in the way of achieving critical focus after spending all of this money?

 

[Renzokuken]

Sometimes I wonder why Canon and Nikon refuse to make something in the same league as the Otus?

Is it because:

[list type=decimal]
[*]They Don't know how to / they lack the expertise
[*]They want to milk as much profit from cheap and fast moving (sales-wise) lenses
[/list]

I'm certain there are pro-users in the market (especially in the FF line-up) who can understand, appreciate and differentiate really good optical quality.


Anyway thank you guys for sharing about Schneider Kreuznach. I'm in my 20s and i really have no clue about the company's presence

Correct me / educate me if i am mistaken. But the 70~200 f2.8L IS II is the only lens that is decently sharp edge to edge wide open etc.

 

[Khalai]

Sometimes I wonder why Canon and Nikon refuse to make something in the same league as the Otus?

Is it because:

[list type=decimal]
[*]They Don't know how to / they lack the expertise
[*]They want to milk as much profit from cheap and fast moving (sales-wise) lenses
[/list]

I'm certain there are pro-users in the market (especially in the FF line-up) who can understand, appreciate and differentiate really good optical quality.


Anyway thank you guys for sharing about Schneider Kreuznach. I'm in my 20s and i really have no clue about the company's presence

Correct me / educate me if i am mistaken. But the 70~200 f2.8L IS II is the only lens that is decently sharp edge to edge wide open etc.

I'm quite certain, they could fabricate lens at Otus performance. The problem lies in the smallness of potential market. Why waste R&D funds for some niche product. The would also need to incorporate AF, since majority of their customers would dislike omission of it.

There are plenty lenses in Canon lineup "decently sharp" (as you put it yourself) edge to edge. As you mentioned 70-200/2.8 II, there is also 24-70/2.8 II, 100L macro, 135L, TS 17 and TS 24 as well (the latter is actually supersharp).

 

[Loswr]

When was the last time you saw a popular Zeiss lens come from Germany?

Yet today in America (and perhaps Asia too?) it is the Zeiss name that is more widely known than Schneider-Kreuznach.

Amusing since Canon/Nikon customers believe that their brand's cameras and lenses made in Japan are a sign of better quality.

I suspect many Americans believe German manufacturing quality is higher, based on perceptions of cars. Many who know the name Zeiss might be surprised to learn their camera lenses are generally made in Japan.

 

[Tanispyre]

These could be very interesting lenses, I have had a couple of projection lenses by S-K, and they were by far my favorite.

 

[Renzokuken]

Sometimes I wonder why Canon and Nikon refuse to make something in the same league as the Otus?

Is it because:

[list type=decimal]
[*]They Don't know how to / they lack the expertise
[*]They want to milk as much profit from cheap and fast moving (sales-wise) lenses
[/list]

I'm certain there are pro-users in the market (especially in the FF line-up) who can understand, appreciate and differentiate really good optical quality.


Anyway thank you guys for sharing about Schneider Kreuznach. I'm in my 20s and i really have no clue about the company's presence

Correct me / educate me if i am mistaken. But the 70~200 f2.8L IS II is the only lens that is decently sharp edge to edge wide open etc.

I'm quite certain, they could fabricate lens at Otus performance. The problem lies in the smallness of potential market. Why waste R&D funds for some niche product. The would also need to incorporate AF, since majority of their customers would dislike omission of it.

There are plenty lenses in Canon lineup "decently sharp" (as you put it yourself) edge to edge. As you mentioned 70-200/2.8 II, there is also 24-70/2.8 II, 100L macro, 135L, TS 17 and TS 24 as well (the latter is actually supersharp).

Since this thread is on Schneider Kreuznach I don't wish to go off topic.
But I disagree that the 24-702.8 II is as sharp as the 70-200 edge to edge

Sharp yes. But "THAT" sharp? No.

 

[leGreve]

Everyone and his/her grandmother seems to hit the market now with some version of 35mm F/1.4 - F/2.0, and I really wonder who buys all these 35mm lenses, especially when the market is pretty much covered by Canon's 35/2IS (cheap and effective), Canon's 35L (expensive but says "Canon L"), Sigma's 35A (moderately priced, but says "Sigma") and Zeiss's Otus (expensive&MF but optically excellent).

Video / Film people…… we need stunning mechanics for proper handling, something the Canons doesn't deliver with any of the lenses except the CN lenses. The focus throw is just to short…..

These Schneider lenses look nice. Will be exciting to see solid tests of them.

 

[leGreve]

When was the last time you saw a popular Zeiss lens come from Germany?

Yet today in America (and perhaps Asia too?) it is the Zeiss name that is more widely known than Schneider-Kreuznach.

Amusing since Canon/Nikon customers believe that their brand's cameras and lenses made in Japan are a sign of better quality.

I suspect many Americans believe German manufacturing quality is higher, based on perceptions of cars. Many who know the name Zeiss might be surprised to learn their camera lenses are generally made in Japan.

But the standarts are set by the Germans….. and pretty much all German engineered photo gear is great. They just have a higher sense of what is quality.

 

[Renzokuken]

When was the last time you saw a popular Zeiss lens come from Germany?

Yet today in America (and perhaps Asia too?) it is the Zeiss name that is more widely known than Schneider-Kreuznach.

Amusing since Canon/Nikon customers believe that their brand's cameras and lenses made in Japan are a sign of better quality.

I suspect many Americans believe German manufacturing quality is higher, based on perceptions of cars. Many who know the name Zeiss might be surprised to learn their camera lenses are generally made in Japan.

worked in a camera retail store before
In Asia, the general consumers know nothing about Germany and thinks that Japan is the "gold standard" when it comes to cameras

well. they can't be more wrong.

 

[Antono Refa]

I've never heard of the brand prior to this press release.

Saw ads of their tilt-shift lenses in photography magazines, and I would be surprised if there was a shop within a 150 miles radius of my home that sold those.

[Talking about DLSR lenses, I haven't the faintest what MF & LF lenses are available around here.]

 

[TeT]

But the standarts are set by the Germans….. and pretty much all German engineered photo gear is great. They just have a higher sense of what is quality.

Standards can be higher because of companies business plan (well division within a company) They are small with less output that is geared towards quality and price reflects their product plus their output level.

They dont have autofocus because canon wont give it up and reverse engineering it is often to always glitchy and subject to Canon throwing a wrench into the works. (maybe)

if they did have autofocus every enthusiast with a bank roll would be buying them regardless of their actual need...