Zeiss to discontinue producing lenses for photography?

[Keith]

This may be old news (?) but it surprised me. I'm sure Cosina and Sigma will benefit.

Reports Confirm That Zeiss Has Exited The Photo Industry

 

[Freakscene]

I’m not surprised, but it is sad. I’ll always keep my Zeiss C-Y lenses and a few Contax cameras.

Speaking of sad, like most things at the Phoblographer, that article is appallingly badly written.

 

[Keith]

I’m not surprised, but it is sad. I’ll always keep my Zeiss C-Y lenses and a few Contax cameras.

Speaking of sad, like most things at the Phoblographer, that article is appallingly badly written.

I decided to hang on to my 35mm f2 ZM Biogon because I thought it might be very good on the Sony ... which it is to a point but to me it's not really that much better than the late model 35mm f2 Zuiko I have. A bit more flare resistant maybe but has the disadvantage of nearly a metre minimum focusing distance. It was a great lens on my M240 though ... it really suited that camera. 🙂

 

[Gregm61]

Not too much Zeiss these days is really Zeiss at all anyways, and none of the "Voigtlander", both being "High-End Cosina" (meh).

If I really want to use a "Zeiss" lens on my Leica digital M bodies, it's the 50mm f2 Sonnar from my Contax IIa via the Amadeo adapter.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I'm sure Cosina and Sigma will benefit.

Reports Confirm That Zeiss Has Exited The Photo Industry

Zeiss ZM lenses were made by Cosina just as Viogtlander.

 

[Keith]

Zeiss ZM lenses were made by Cosina just as Viogtlander.

Nothing unusual about that in this day and age ... for a multitude of products.

 

[Rob-F]

Too bad. What will this do to used Zeiss lens prices?

 

[Freakscene]

Zeiss ZM lenses were made by Cosina just as Viogtlander.

The ZM lenses were, but the Otus, Milvus, Loxia and Batis lenses were not. The Otus and Milvus, at least, were made by Zeiss in Germany.

It is also worth keeping in mind that the Zeiss Foundation is a huge entity, for whom photography has been a minor segment for over 70 years. Zeiss is not stopping manufacture of microscopes, endoscopes, sporting optics and a huge range of other equipment that keeps them a world leader in optical equipment. But I will really miss new T* coated camera lenses.

 

[wlewisiii]

Didn't Cosina have Zeiss doing QC on their lens as they did during the days of the C/Y lens production?

 

[pvdhaar]

It is also worth keeping in mind that the Zeiss Foundation is a huge entity, for whom photography has been a minor segment for over 70 years. Zeiss is not stopping manufacture of microscopes, endoscopes, sporting optics and a huge range of other equipment that keeps them a world leader in optical equipment...

Withdrawing from consumer products and concentrating on business to business is a broader trend. Konica/Minolta for instance left photography to concentrate on office solutions already more than a decade ago. Olympus recently spun off the camera business to OMDS, and now focuses on medical/healthcare applications.

It continues to amaze me that Leica, where photography is also only one of the business lines, is still in the game..

 

[CMur12]

So, Hasselblad won't be using Zeiss lenses anymore? This one is hard for me to imagine.

Rollei also used Schneider lenses for their 6x6 SLRs, so maybe Hasselblad will do the same (?).

- Murray

 

[pvdhaar]

So, Hasselblad won't be using Zeiss lenses anymore? This one is hard for me to imagine.

Rollei also used Schneider lenses for their 6x6 SLRs, so maybe Hasselblad will do the same (?).

- Murray

Hasselblad has been teaming up with Fujifilm since the late 90's. That led to the Hassy X-PAN/Fuji TX-1. If I'm not mistaken, also lenses for the H series used optical formulas from Fujifilm.

 

[cboy]

Really sad...not that it wasn't suprising since the writing was on the wall, but they truly paved a legacy with their lenses and it's sad theyre leaving the stage.

 

[skahde]

Sad, though no suprise. Zeiss has always been a niche-player in photography and a giant in the optics-business as a whole.
I quite liked how they partnered with several manufactures to bring excellent and at the same time affordable products to the public.

With respect to Cosina I can't find anything meh about a manufacturer who dedicates to deliver interesting as well as in some cases outstanding lenses for LTM as well as M-mount-cameras and I like the character of many Cosina-made Zeiss-lenses (had a love-affaire with the Distagon 2/35 ZF among others) in some cases even more than Leica's counterparts, and price not considered.

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

Not too much Zeiss these days is really Zeiss at all anyways, and none of the "Voigtlander", both being "High-End Cosina" (meh).

Not quite the same thing.

Zeiss outsourced lens production to Cosina.

Voigtlander *is* Cosina.

And for what it’s worth, today’s ‘high-end Cosina’ is pretty bloody good and has been for a while.

 

[Freakscene]

It continues to amaze me that Leica, where photography is also only one of the business lines, is still in the game..

Not the same. Leica Camera, Leica Microsystems and Leica Geosystems are separate entities, and the profits of the Micro and Geo companies do not support the Camera entity. Leica Camera have to make their profit from cameras and sporting optics, or they go bust. So their business approach makes a lot of sense.

 

[Dogman]

I have nothing interesting to add to the conversation but I will state the four ZF.2 Zeiss lenses I own are some of the best optics I've ever used. Also some of the most solidly made and heavy (thank you, Cosina).

It's a PITA to read anything on that website. You can't use an adblocker so the gaudy, constantly updating videos and flashing pop ups drive me nuts. But once you wade into it, you find some truly gawdawful writing and questionable information on the web. Also a lot of phony self praise.

 

[KoNickon]

Never even heard of these: Batis, Milvus, Otus, and Loxia.

 

[oldwino]

Never even heard of these: Batis, Milvus, Otus, and Loxia.

Well...Good Morning then!

 

[oldwino]

I can't bring myself to read anything on that site, as it makes my stomach turn at the poor quality of the writing. So I cannot reply to anything specifically in the article, but...Is Zeiss also exiting cinema as well?