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Zeiss Nikon Mount Lenses


Robert Edge

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When Zeiss announced last month that it plans to produce lenses for Nikon mount cameras, there were a number of references to the company's cine lenses (see www.zeiss.de). The main announcement said, in part:

 

"ZF lenses provide Nikon F-mount cameras with the creative potential and phototechnical performance available so far only in the Contax system. In addition, ZF lenses incorporate new technical advances from the ZEISS Ultra Prime®, Master Prime® and DigiPrime® lenses for motion picture cameras. Results have been seen in feature films like "Lord of the Rings", "Alexander", "King Arthur", "Air Force One", "Collateral", "King Kong" and many commercials and music clips.

 

"Like the ZEISS lenses for motion picture, ZF lenses feature unusually high mechanical quality, fixed focal length, very precise manual focussing, reliability, and exceptional durability. Special attention is paid to guarantee absolute color matching throughout the whole range of lenses resulting in state-of-the-art image quality."

 

 

The Zeiss web site also included the following Q and A:

 

"CLN: And why would they prefer Zeiss ZF to Nikon?

 

Müller: I see two reasons.

First because they know that with Zeiss lenses they will get state-of-the-art image quality, technically and aesthetically. They will recognize that ZF lenses come with much larger rotation angles for the focus rings, like the cinematography lenses we make for Hollywood. This means that focusing can be performed much more accurately than with designs optimized for photojournalistic work."

 

Zeiss says that the lenses will be priced competitively with Nikon's own lenses. That raises the interesting question of whether they might be suitable for use with a 16mm camera, such as the A-Minima, that takes a Nikon mount. Does anyone know whether Zeiss has elaborated on what "technical advances" have been incorporated from the cine lenses or on just how large the rotation angles angles will be compared to cine lenses?

 

The first lenses, apparently available this spring, are on the long side (an F1.4 50mm and an F1.4 85mm), but apparently more will be available in the fall. Has Zeiss said how wide this series will go?

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Does anyone know whether Zeiss has elaborated on what "technical advances" have been incorporated from the cine lenses or on just how large the rotation angles angles will be compared to cine lenses?

 

The first lenses, apparently available this spring, are on the long side (an F1.4 50mm and an F1.4 85mm), but apparently more will be available in the fall. Has Zeiss said how wide this series will go?

 

Hi,

 

I think their new coatings may be the 'technical advances', the lenses flare far less when wide open.

 

It's only my guess, but don't hold your breath for any lens much wider than 18mm.

 

Cheers,

 

Stephen

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