Carl Zeiss introduced two new lenses at Photokina: The Carl Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 and Carl Zeiss APO Sonnar T 135mm f/2 ZE/ZF.2.
The Carl Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 is a full-frame manual-focus lens that is claimed to produce superior image quality. It will be available the second half of 2013 in Canon and Nikon mounts. Pricing and availability have not yet been released.
The Carl Zeiss APO Sonnar T 135mm f/2 ZE/ZF.2 is a compact manual-focus lens based on Zeiss’s “floating elements” deisng. The lens has elements with anti-reflective coating; Zeiss treats the edges of each element with a deep black coating, which they say decreases internal reflections and stray light. The lens focuses to 1:4, and the focus ring turns 268 degrees. This lens will ship in December for the Adorama price of $2,000.
Zeiss also offered a sneak peak at a new family of AF lenses for MILCs, which they expect to enter the market in mid-2013, and indicated that they are working on a fast M-mount prime lens. Visit the Carl Zeiss store at Adorama to browse the current selection of Zeiss lenses.
For details, read the Zeiss press release:
Carl Zeiss to Showcase New Products at Photokina Including 55mm F/1.4 Full-Frame Manual Lens with Superior Image Performance
Optics manufacturer shows new and traditional products in hall 2.1, stand B011
OBERKOCHEN, September 6, 2012 — During photokina 2012 in Cologne (September 18-23), Carl Zeiss will present attractive new products as well as its well-known classics, all of the highest technical quality. Among them will be a new moderate telephoto lens for SLR cameras which will celebrate its world premiere at photokina and be available in stores from the end of 2012. Carl Zeiss will also unveil two new product families to the public. Carl Zeiss’s new stand concept integrates product presentations, possibilities to apply and test Carl Zeiss products, and the company’s global social media community with the hashtag #zeissphk12.
Carl Zeiss will present its entire range of camera and cine lenses, binoculars and spotting scopes during photokina. The latest Nokia smartphone models with built-in ZEISS optics will again be shown at Carl Zeiss’s stand. Visitors will be able to try out all the exhibits right on the spot, from high-quality SLR lenses, Sony cameras with ZEISS optics, ZEISS lenses for Sony system cameras to the new Nokia 808 PureView smartphone with 41-megapixel camera sensor. The VICTORY HT binoculars can also be tested. An innovative optics concept from Carl Zeiss in connection with HT glasses from SCHOTT makes VICTORY binoculars with transmission values of more than 95 percent very fast.
A must-see attraction is a high-performance, full-format SLR camera lens with manual focus. With a focal length of 55 mm and aperture of f/1.4, this lens is the first model of a new product family designed for demanding users. Thanks to a newly developed optical design, this lens is superior to conventional full-frame lenses, and it achieves with powerful full-frame, full-format cameras an image performance that until now has only been seen with medium-format systems. The first prototype of this new range will celebrate its world debut at photokina. The family of lenses is expected to be on the market in the second half of 2013 for EF bayonet (ZE) and F bayonet (ZF.2).
Another highlight will be the presentation of a design study, with which Carl Zeiss will offer a sneak preview of a new family of autofocus lenses for mirrorless system cameras (CSC) that will most likely be available in mid-2013. Due to their performance and high speed, these new lenses will be ideal for deliberate photo composition, making them perfect for more sophisticated photographers as well. Carl Zeiss plans to initially offer fixed focal lengths in the wide angle and standard range as well as a macro. „The trend toward mirrorless system cameras has accelerated since 2010 and we notice growing interest for them among ambitious photographers. We are convinced that as a result of the new and very high-quality cameras and lenses that are coming onto the scene, this market will become even more important. We see lots of potential, which is why we will offer more products for this target group in the future,” said Dr. Winfried Scherle, Vice President and General Manager of the Camera Lens Division of Carl Zeiss AG.
For fans of the Carl Zeiss family of ZM systems for rangefinder cameras, Carl Zeiss has a special surprise in store. In 2013, at least one fast lens with M bayonet will go on sale. Using lenses from the ZM series with adapters is also very popular on mirrorless system cameras.
“The market is extremely dynamic at the moment with numerous innovations across all areas. Our broad range of high-quality products and our successful partnerships with Sony, Nokia, Logitech and ARRI make us very well positioned in the market,” says Scherle. “As the world’s leading trade fair for photography approaches, we are full of optimism, especially considering the many new features and products we will present. We hope that both the public and visitors to our stand will be excited about them too.”
The “walk-in lens”, which first appeared at photokina in 2008, makes a comeback this year and promises to be the main optical eye-catcher at Carl Zeiss’s stand. Visitors are welcome to take a stroll through the oversized lens and experience the fascinating development of a ZEISS lens. Moreover, there will be an extensive applications ‘island’ at the Carl Zeiss stand where visitors can take as much time as they like to test and experiment with Carl Zeiss’s entire portfolio of lenses on different cameras and to talk to experts.
Carl Zeiss presents compact telephoto lens
Apo Sonnar T* 2/135 offers new creative possibilities
OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 07.09.2012.
Carl Zeiss is presenting the new Apo Sonnar T* 2/135 during photokina in Cologne – Carl Zeiss’ longest medium telephoto lens in the range of high-quality SLR lenses. With the Apo Sonnar T* 2/135, the company is substantially extending the creative possibilities available in the medium tele range. Photographers and HD video cinemato- graphers now have a total of thirteen SLR lenses to choose, with focal lengths of 15 to 135 millimeters. Carl Zeiss will exhibit at photokina in Cologne, the world’s leading trade fair for imaging technology, from September 18-23 at stand B011 in hall 2.1.
The Apo Sonnar T* 2/135 is the ideal lens for capturing detailed images from long distances, such as the skyline at sunset, a leopard in the zoo, or a pop star on a faraway stage. The new lens offers outstanding clarity of detail, high contrast and high resolution at any aperture. This mix of attributes makes it the perfect choice for portraits in advertising, fashion and lifestyle, as well as for landscape and reportage photography.
After putting the lens through its paces in New York, Magnum photographer Christopher Anderson was clearly impressed: “I am delighted with the performance of this new lens. It is rela- tively compact for a telephoto lens. Its image resolution and quality are outstanding, and there is a touch of magic in the way the light is refracted by the lens elements. I took some amazing photos, including some in poor light conditions.”
The Apo Sonnar T* 2/135 can capture subjects up to a scale of 1:4. It has been built based on Carl Zeiss’s proven “floating elements” design. A special variable arrangement of the lens elements delivers excellent images over the entire focusing range, from 0.8 meters to infinity. The compact telephoto lens features eleven elements in eight groups. Because this lens is an apochromat, chromatic abberations (axial chromatic abbera- tions) are corrected with elements of special glass materials with anomalous partial disper- sion. The chromatic aberrations are therefore significantly below the defined limits. Bright-dark transitions in the image, and especially highlights, are reproduced almost completely free of color artifacts.
As with all other SLR lenses in the ZE and ZF.2 series, the Carl Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating as well as the sophisticated treatment of the ele- ments’ edges with a deep-black special lacquer make the Apo Sonnar T* 2/135 resistant to reflec- tions and stray light. Another advantage for the user is the large rotation angle of 268°, which enables ultra-precise focusing.
The Apo Sonnar T* 2/135 is equipped with an all-metal barrel, which enables long-lasting use with high-quality results. It will be available with F bayonet (ZF.2) and with EF bayonet (ZE)..
The lens will begin shipping in December 2012 at a recommended retail price of approximately €1.600 or US$2.000 (excluding VAT)*.
