Carl Zeiss will very soon start gathering Canon EOS photographers into their fold with the launch of their ZE mount EF bayonet lenses. Considered the finest optics in the world, Carl Zeiss lenses have been impressing Nikon camera owners, across Bangalore and the world. If we are to go with the feedback and reviews from ProPix's customers (incuding both professional photographers, and also serious enthusiasts), we can very well expect the same and more from the Canon community.
Our source said that Carl Zeiss could possibly be announce the Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f1.4 and the Carl Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f1.4, at Photokina 2008. According to our own sources, the the ZE lenses for Canon EOS, the EF bayonet, is expected to reach the shelves towards the end of 2008.
The Canon community has been rather typical, and have been showing excitement, and enthusiasm.
For those who want to know about the specs, visit www.ProPix.in and check out the Nikon ZF Mount Planar T* 50mm, and the Nikon ZF Mount Planar T* 85mm. Knowing the Zeiss philosophy of perfection, we know that the Canon lenses are not going to be hugely different from the Nikon mounts....Show more →
Oh wow - like we realy need an alternative 50 and 85 in EF mount. Sounds like Zeiss are too timid to step on Canon's corporate toes with some alternative wide and ultra wide glass.
I asked Zeiss about this and the answer was that they not going to do EOS mount lenses without the agreement by Canon. Other people received the same information
Hmmm. It would be logical move, but it seems quite dubious give past statements from Zeiss and the source of the comment.
If it is, in some measure true, would it be "electronic"? Or merely have the EF bayonet with manual aperture control? Otherwise, Zeiss would have to change the build of the lenses to accommodate an electronic aperture mechanism. I further agree with Shirozina's comment, it 's not clear that there would be significant demand for a Zeiss 85mm, and perhaps only marginally more for the 50mm (Canon's 50, unlike their 85 isn't much to write home about).
If they DO put electronics in them, maybe they will break down and put chips in the ZF lenses (and offer an upgrade to existing owners).
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I am an IT guy from Bangalore, India, with mildly off-centre views about everything. Some of it, can be deemed gaga, and some of it pistachio. Pistachio is where you first go green, and then you go nuts.
Lotusm50 wrote:
If it is, in some measure true, would it be "electronic"? Or merely have the EF bayonet with manual aperture control? Otherwise, Zeiss would have to change the build of the lenses to accommodate an electronic aperture mechanism.
It would have to be electronic as that's the only way the EF mount controls the aperture. The only other alternative is to have an aperture ring but then you're stuck with stop down metering. In that case, the only advantage over using a ZF with an adapter is that you won't have to buy the adapter.
I realize that. When I suggested "manual", I meant that you would control the aperture manually -- not through the camera -- just like you would with a Nikon or Contax lens on an adapter. The benefit would be that you eliminate adapter issues (as you suggest). Whether that is sufficient reason to produce a ZE lens line for Canon EOS is another question, but this is how it could be done without electronics (and without changing more of the lens construction than just the lens mount).
panos.v wrote:
It would have to be electronic as that's the only way the EF mount controls the aperture. The only other alternative is to have an aperture ring but then you're stuck with stop down metering. In that case, the only advantage over using a ZF with an adapter is that you won't have to buy the adapter.
The Zeiss lenses are made by Cosina I believe? Remember the Voigtländer 125mm macro in EOS mount, with automatic aperture but manual focus ring. The know how is there, but will Zeiss choose to go this route?
I'm thinking of some of their WA lenses. But without auto aperture there is no point in buying these lenses imo; better buy ZF versions knowing they will fit Nikon cameras as well...
The Zeiss lenses are made by Cosina I believe? Remember the Voigtländer 125mm macro in EOS mount, with automatic aperture but manual focus ring. The know how is there, but will Zeiss choose to go this route?
I'm thinking of some of their WA lenses. But without auto aperture there is no point in buying these lenses imo; better buy ZF versions knowing they will fit Nikon cameras as well...
EDIT: spelling
Agreed! I would rather use a ZF on a Nikon body with aperture control than use a ZE without aperture control. But if they did add an EOS chip to it I'd go ZE all the way. That would open up a whole new and larger market for Zeiss.
Jonas B wrote:
I'm thinking of some of their WA lenses. But without auto aperture there is no point in buying these lenses imo; better buy ZF versions knowing they will fit Nikon cameras as well...
EDIT: spelling
Ditto. I dont see the point unless they provide aperture control. At least with the ZF ones you can pick a D700 in a few years and use them the way they were meant to.
The aperture control could be on the lens itself as with some LF lenses. A switch could open up the aperture wide open and close it down to the set f/stop.
One upside would be the elimination of adapters, and I think we've all encountered adapter issues at one time or another. According Conurus (Bo-ming) the electronics on the Contax N AF lenses and Canon EF protocols are quite similar, so electronic integration is feasible.
If Zeiss released the current ZF line-up in a ZE mount w/ electronic aperture - '08 (or '09) would be a very, very expensive year for me!!!
Zeiss should have made the lenses in T-mount so with an appropriate T-mount adapter you count mount and use it on any camera you like. With such flexibility they could have sold even more lenses -- and got around the EOS EF mount issue.
As I understand it, the Zeiss ZF Nikon-mount lenses are made by Cosina but the ZA lenses with the Sony mount are made elsewhere - possibly where the Sony lenses are manufactured. The ZA lenses are not nearly as good (consumer grade?) as the ZF line.
If Zeiss do bring out a ZE Canon-mount lenses that are as good as their ZF line it will probably cement my relationship with Canon. Wouldn't be nice to see a Distagon 21/2.8 in ZE mount!
Jonas B wrote:
I'll believe it when I see it.
The Zeiss lenses are made by Cosina I believe? Remember the Voigtländer 125mm macro in EOS mount, with automatic aperture but manual focus ring. The know how is there, but will Zeiss choose to go this route?
I'm thinking of some of their WA lenses. But without auto aperture there is no point in buying these lenses imo; better buy ZF versions knowing they will fit Nikon cameras as well...
bobbytan wrote:
As I understand it, the Zeiss ZF Nikon-mount lenses are made by Cosina but the ZA lenses with the Sony mount are made elsewhere - possibly where the Sony lenses are manufactured. The ZA lenses are not nearly as good (consumer grade?) as the ZF line.
If Zeiss do bring out a ZE Canon-mount lenses that are as good as their ZF line it will probably cement my relationship with Canon. Wouldn't be nice to see a Distagon 21/2.8 in ZE mount!
Most of the ZA lenses are every bit as good as the ZF line. The 135/1.8 in particular is a gem and the ZA 85 is a better performer than the ZF 85. The 24-70 SSM rivals the Nikkor and outperforms the L.
The only consumer-grade ZA is the 16-80 DT, Sony and Zeiss's answer to the need for a high-end consumer normal zoom. It's easily one of the 2-3 best zooms out there with that sort of range, along with the ZD 12-60 and the Nikkor 16-85. Build is a little light for the cost though.
ZA's are most likely made by Tamron, although one of the former KM lens factories is also a possibility (Not sure if Sony got the production lines or just the tooling and designs, could be either given the gap in production between the end of KM and the availability of Sony-branded kit).
I'd love to see one of the great Zeiss 21 mm and 28 mm lenses in a native Canon EOS mount, even if it were manual only. Especially the 21 mm, for architecture, and hopefully not priced anywhere near as high as $3000.
Monito wrote:
I'd love to see one of the great Zeiss 21 mm and 28 mm lenses in a native Canon EOS mount, even if it were manual only. Especially the 21 mm, for architecture, and hopefully not priced anywhere near as high as $3000.
The C/Y 21mm cost about $1600 when it was available, so I'd expect a price similar to that in the new line if the optical characteristics are similar. I also found it to be not the best lens for architecture because of the moustache distortion.
