Zeiss ZE News [CR3]

[Canon Rumors]

<strong>What’s coming from Zeiss?</strong>

Zeiss will introduce some zooms in 2011 for ZE (Canon) and ZF (Nikon). None of the zooms will go longer than 200mm.</p>
<p>A longer Zeiss prime in the 135mm range will also be announced.</p>
<p><strong>Zeiss 35 f/1.4</strong>

Initial reports I’ve received say the lens is awesome. I cannot wait to try it out.<strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong>

 

[kubelik]

a 135 f/2 from zeiss would be very cool ... not sure I'd ever want to use a MF zoom lens though

 

[Gothmoth]

and it will come at a price no mortal non-pro can pay.

and even i, as one who makes money with photography, will not by a manual zoom from zeiss. i guess it is manual as always.

 

[pgabor]

I have to disagree with you, im pretty sure that it will be an AF lens.

 

[traveller]

Really... AF? I don't know of any previous EF mount Zeiss with AF. What information do you have to make you think that this one will be?

 

[traveller]

a 135 f/2 from zeiss would be very cool ... not sure I'd ever want to use a MF zoom lens though

Maybe it will be a push-pull design.

 

[Canon 14-24]

MF zoom?! No thank you.

 

[tzalmagor]

Those Zeiss lenses I can afford are extremely soft when the aperture is open, and those lenses that are sharp when the aperture is open I can't afford. Maybe I'll stretch myself a bit and buy the 35mm f/2

 

[lol]

Do Zeiss have some sort of exclusivity arrangement with Sony? Note I'm asking, not stating there.

If it was manual focus, it would still work well on an ultra wide e.g. 16-35 f/2.8 type lens.

 

[kubelik]

Do Zeiss have some sort of exclusivity arrangement with Sony? Note I'm asking, not stating there.

If it was manual focus, it would still work well on an ultra wide e.g. 16-35 f/2.8 type lens.

zeiss designs a series of lenses exclusively for the alpha (sony) mount. these don't show up on the zeiss site, they show up on the sony alpha site. however, they also have a prime lens lineup that comes in almost all mounts (sort of like sigma), which is what shows up on the zeiss site.

 

[lol]

I was aware of the Sony specific line, and a separate line of lenses for everyone else. And Zeiss do list the ZA lenses on their web page. I guess to be more specific, I should have asked "what is the arrangement between Sony and Zeiss regarding SLR lenses", specifically if the Sony deal means Zeiss may be limited in what they can do feature wise on other mounts. Like AF.

 

[Edwin Herdman]

It may be detailed in some press release from years past, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are any limits that they'd not be freely said. For my own perspective, I think that Zeiss likes selling what good ol' Ken would call "couture items" and not worrying about certain aspects of the mechanical side of technology...like IS and AF, sticking instead to MF lenses for film and fine art. Who knows. I don't think that's a winning strategy long-term, but it may work for a while longer.

But back to Zeiss and Sony - I believe that their relationship started with Sony's pre-Minolta cameras, like the classic F707/F717 bridge cameras, which sport clear Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar markings. This early digital bridge camera is from 2001, whereas the D700 from 1998 has a "Sony Zoom Lens." More recently I have seen Zeiss lenses on Sony compacts.

It would be interesting if Zeiss decided to hop into the classic 70-200 (or 80-200, 70-210...) range of portrait zooms.

 

[KitH]

I'd expect the Vario-Sonnar 24-70mm f2.8 to appear in ZE and ZF. It's an existing lens in Sony-land and even with an exclusivity deal, they'd have to work out what makes best sense for both of them. Zeiss has to worry about economies of scale. Sony would keep their IS advantage (it's in the body) and with more realistic production runs, could get their lenses cheaper from Zeiss, bringing the price down from ferociously expensive to merely wallet-aching for the Sony full-frame users.

A ZE/ZF Vario-Sonnar would take on the existing Canon and Nikon offerings, with the Sony becoming meaningfully cheaper. Canon and Nikon would eventually get round to IS versions for more money though. It could comfortably sit as the third party choice for those of us who are old enough to remember the great Zeiss lenses of the last century and who can still twist a focusing ring by the right amount each time.