Jammy Straub wrote:
@ Cogitech: I don't think they'll be releasing any of the ZA lenses in F mount anytime soon. That would do bad things for the appeal of the Sony system for pro's. The main draw is these lenses, and if you can get one to work on a Nikon.... well you know.
I think the F mount series will be expanded to include pretty much all of Zeiss lens designs that were previously available for Contax mount. With 21/2.8 Zeiss plugged a whole in its wide-angle lineup. Next one will be a medium telephoto. I'm betting 135/2 or 180/2... Although 15/3.5 might also be an option, which will complete the wide angle options.
eosslr wrote:
I think the F mount series will be expanded to include pretty much all of Zeiss lens designs that were previously available for Contax mount. With 21/2.8 Zeiss plugged a whole in its wide-angle lineup. Next one will be a medium telephoto. I'm betting 135/2 or 180/2... Although 15/3.5 might also be an option, which will complete the wide angle options.
I agree that this would be the most likely scenario, though I doubt it Zeiss would go all the way up to 180-200mm range since Canon and Nikon already offer good glass in that range and AF would be essential for many users as well. I do hope they will cover the full range personally. I also hope we will see some zoom lenses even though Zeiss have already mentioned they won't go this way. They also mentioned they won't do ZE mount and they did so I think there is still some hope
edwardkaraa wrote:
I agree that this would be the most likely scenario, though I doubt it Zeiss would go all the way up to 180-200mm range since Canon and Nikon already offer good glass in that range and AF would be essential for many users as well. I do hope they will cover the full range personally. I also hope we will see some zoom lenses even though Zeiss have already mentioned they won't go this way. They also mentioned they won't do ZE mount and they did so I think there is still some hope
Just think of it like when they only release GT5 for PS3 and not Zbox or PC so you'll have to buy PS3 if you want the best driving game.
Pixel Perfect wrote:
Just think of it like when they only release GT5 for PS3 and not Zbox or PC so you'll have to buy PS3 if you want the best driving game.
And I'm really getting the feeling they are succeeding. They will soon make me shell 3k for the camera, 1750 for each zoom. I hope they will stop at the 70-200
....
Just think of it like when they only release GT5 for PS3 and not Zbox or PC so you'll have to buy PS3 if you want the best driving game.
Appropriate analogy, although Zeiss is making money off lenses and less so cameras. I think Sony needed Zeiss more then the other way around. Zeiss already has 85/1.4 in ZA, ZF, ZK and now ZE mounds, so I think Zeiss was smart enough to put some kind of provision in their agreement with Sony that will allow them to market similar lens designs for other mounts. But I agree that manual focus zooms would not make much sense. Hence we see all these in ZA mount and not ZF/ZS/ZK/ZE...
eosslr wrote:
Appropriate analogy, although Zeiss is making money off lenses and less so cameras. I think Sony needed Zeiss more then the other way around. Zeiss already has 85/1.4 in ZA, ZF, ZK and now ZE mounds, so I think Zeiss was smart enough to put some kind of provision in their agreement with Sony that will allow them to market similar lens designs for other mounts. But I agree that manual focus zooms would not make much sense. Hence we see all these in ZA mount and not ZF/ZS/ZK/ZE...
The ZA 85 is not the same optical design as the ZF version. If anything it seems closer related to the Minolta 85G, almost like Zeiss started with the G then modified the design to produce Zeiss rendering rather than the Leica-esque rendering of Minolta's high-end glass.
mawz wrote:
The ZA 85 is not the same optical design as the ZF version.
That's right and they are actually quite different. The ZA 85 is an internal focusing design, while the ZF/ZE/ZK (and original Contax) design was not. The Contax N 85 mm is also an internal focus design (which is needed for AF in a lens like this) but the new ZA lens is even different from this lens.
mawz wrote:
If anything it seems closer related to the Minolta 85G, almost like Zeiss started with the G then modified the design to produce Zeiss rendering rather than the Leica-esque rendering of Minolta's high-end glass.
I suppose this might depend on what you think Sony's design process is for the Zeiss lenses. I guess it is conceivable. However, it would be useful to see a schematic of the Minolta 85 G lens to see more conclusively, if there is a design relationship. There doesn't appear to be one with Zeiss' previous AF 85mm (the N), and certainly not with Zeiss' manual focus 85mm's.
The Zeiss ZA 85mm is NOT an internal focus designed lens. Maybe you're thinking of the ZA 135mm?
Regardless, I don't think the ZA 85mm was a Minolta design spin-off, because Sony may have had plans for this design before the Minolta take over, seeing as how the 85mm was released so quickly. Granted, this is all speculation, but I've read that Sony planned on releasing their own DSLR, with a new mount, but acquiring Minolta enabled them to inherit a legacy, and they went that direction. So, it's entirely possible that Zeiss began designing the lenses for Sony pre-Minolta. At least on APS-C, the ZA 85 outperforms the ZF 85, so I think the ZA lenses are just newer designs optimized for digital.
douglasf13 wrote:
The Zeiss ZA 85mm is NOT an internal focus designed lens. Maybe you're thinking of the ZA 135mm?
Actually, I do believe you are wrong. According to the Sony datasheet I have on the lens, which is in German, it clearly says, "Innenfokussierung". This means Internal focus. It is VERY difficult to design a fast 85mm AF lens without using an internal focus design. Too much glass for the AF mechanism to move otherwise.
douglasf13 wrote:
Well, considering I have the lens sitting right beside me, you may want to reconsider.
ZA 85mm: external focus
ZA 135mm: internal focus
ZA 24-70: external zoom, internal focus
ZA 16-35: internal zoom, internal focus
Sony's product literature says it is internal focus. Just in case you don't have it, I've uploaded it so you can have a copy. You can find it here; http://tinyurl.com/5yv6wu Quite frankly, I should think that Sony and Zeiss know their own products.
I apologize. I misunderstood. I assumed you were referring to the lens extending when focusing. I thought that internal focusing did not move the front element.
What exactly are you referring to as "internal focusing?" AFAIK, internal focusing doesn't extend nor spin the front element, which, in the ZA 85's case, the front element extends.
Lotusm50, I notice that you edited your post to remove statements like "how can you tell by looking if the lens is internal focus?," and now it just reads as a slight on Sony not knowing it's own products. You're unbelievable.
googling for IF reveals that: 'An internal focus lens (sometimes known as IF) is a photographic lens design in which focus is shifted by moving the inner lens group or groups only, without any rotation or shifting of the front lens element...." (WikiPedia)
douglasf13 wrote:
Lotusm50, I notice that you edited your post to remove statements like "how can you tell by looking if the lens is internal focus?," and now it just reads as a slight on Sony not knowing it's own products. You're unbelievable.
