Why no EOS for Zeiss

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TeamSK jay
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p.3 #1 · Why no EOS for Zeiss

StevenPA wrote:
Jay, I really disagree with that, sorry. How many threads have we seen with "show us your 35L shots" only to have one eyelash in focus, and that's considered desirable. Even if small apertures are where most people shoot most of the time, the bread and butter shots are almost always wide open. A more valid comparison might be the Contax 35/1.4, which was about $1500 new, I think.

Could those shots on those threads be a result of artificial selection because of the group who would respond to such a thread are also showing wide open shots for the sake of showing wide open shots? I think bread and butter shots need to be looked at in a much wider perspective as most purchasers of the lens never post to a gear forum. For example, the 35L is a popular lens for landscape where f8 is considered wide open.

I may not have the right argument yet but I think it is out there. From my personal perspective I like Zeiss for the look and feel they deliver. The 35L also does a good job of delivering a similar image that I also like but it is more expensive and I seldom even shoot at 2.8 so that big aperture is useless to me. Maybe I'm just the oddball. :-)

Jul 24, 2008 at 04:47 PM

Andrew Gough
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p.3 #2 · Why no EOS for Zeiss

Cosina already has the technology, they used it on the Voigtlander 125mm EOS mount. It would really easy to port this technology into the Zeiss line. I am wondering why they didn't right from the beginning...

Jul 24, 2008 at 05:26 PM

cogitech
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p.3 #3 · Why no EOS for Zeiss

Andrew Gough wrote:
Cosina already has the technology, they used it on the Voigtlander 125mm EOS mount. It would really easy to port this technology into the Zeiss line. I am wondering why they didn't right from the beginning...

This is why I don't buy into the "it's too much of a technical/design challenge" argument.

Jul 24, 2008 at 05:49 PM

DocsPics
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p.3 #4 · Why no EOS for Zeiss

I like the Canon look, I like the Zeiss look, (I would probably even like the Leica look if I could afford it).

I truly enjoy my converted Zeiss Sonar 17-35 zoom. I very much enjoy my Canon L teles.

If Ziess made direct EOS mount lenses alot of us would by both Ziess and Canon (not so much of an either or situation as I see it). We're lens junkies...and proud of it. There are plenty of worse ways to spend one's hard earned money....My wife agrees (Good thing or I'd been dead meat long ago).

Doc

Jul 24, 2008 at 05:58 PM

mh2000
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p.3 #5 · Why no EOS for Zeiss

>>Most users, most of the time, are going to use the 35mm focal length at apertures smaller than f2.

This may be true, but when you pay big bucks for a faster lens, you buy it because you have the aperture when you need it. By the time you pass f2.8 *many* tests (ok, people argue this back and forth) show that the Summicron 50 is *better* than the Summilux 50... yet it usually boils down to cost when someone chooses... and if someone offered me my choice I would take the 'lux anyday, even if I bought the 'cron.

>>Zeiss might be a little more expensive, but not a lot is my point.

I guess I was also thinking more along the lines of *real* Leica and Zeiss lenses... new prices are quite a bit higher. Also, at smaller apertures the EF 35/2 is a very good lens.

Jul 24, 2008 at 06:10 PM

Cableaddict
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p.3 #6 · Why no EOS for Zeiss

jjlphoto wrote:
Cableaddict wrote:
Even if so, reverse-engineering is still patent infringement.

Reverse engineering is not patent infringement if done to insure compatibility .

Yes, it is. I asked my old patent lawyer today, as this has been bugging me.

This is why Apogee electronics could not, for many years, sell a daughter card that would let recording studios connect the Apogee digital converter to Digidesign's Protools hardware. (the industry standard DAW platform and a huge profit potential for Apogee.

Apogee actually designed the daughter card (strictly designed for compatibility and having no other function) and listed it for sale, but Digi's lawyers stopped them cold. The Apogee was significantly superior to the Digidesign converter, at very little extra cost. Digi had to go after them, no matter what the legal costs.

Also note mawz' post stating that Canon has licensed the EF mount to Kodak. If the technology could be licensed, then they hold a patent on it. -Or t least they did at that time.

Jul 25, 2008 at 08:15 AM

Lotusm50
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p.3 #7 · Why no EOS for Zeiss

Cableaddict wrote:
[Also note mawz' post stating that Canon has licensed the EF mount to Kodak. If the technology could be licensed, then they hold a patent on it.

Not necessarily true. You can license technology that is not patented. A patent is not require for licensing. Technology can be held as "trade secrets" and not publicly available or accessible. It can be sold or licensed to anyone willing to buy. At least some of Canon's technology appears to be held this way (try to find the patents).

Jul 25, 2008 at 11:21 AM

Simon Kennedy
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p.3 #8 · Why no EOS for Zeiss

From the horses mouth so to speak, here is a very polite response from Zeiss:

"Dear Mr. Kennedy,

Thanks for your request and your interest in our products. We always appreciate the comments from our customers about product improvements and future products.
Without a co-operation with the licence owner, we are not able to release lenses that interact electronically with an EF-mount camera body.
But we will keep on working on new products and solutions in future."

So this is why no EF mount.

Jul 25, 2008 at 01:03 PM

DocsPics
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p.3 #9 · Why no EOS for Zeiss

FWIW

Here is a response from Zeiss to an inquiry I made yesterday. Looks like there is something in the works.

"Dear Gary,

Thank you for your inquiry.

Unfortunately at this point the only possibility you have is using an adapter with ZS or ZF lenses for your Canon.

We are working on solution and hope to develop something in the future.

Best regards

Filomena Moore"

Jul 25, 2008 at 02:00 PM

hans98ko
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p.3 #10 · Why no EOS for Zeiss

After months away from this forum, I am glad that we finally have the Zeiss ZE mount for Canon. http://www.zeiss.com/photo
So Zeiss did answer our calls.
One happy Zeiss camper

Oct 13, 2008 at 08:08 AM

Rene Kiesler
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p.3 #11 · Why no EOS for Zeiss

And the next logical step would be to add that triplet to the review section, right? :-)

To bad they don't have auto focus...

Oct 14, 2008 at 12:49 AM


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