CV 18mm lens.

[John Robertson]

Heard about this a while back, is it or has it been released. Anyone know???

 

[einolu]

I have never heard anything about it...

 

[RML]

Nope. Never heard of it. Could have missed, though I doubt it. Would be pretty big news.

 

[Huck Finn]

Yes, John, we probably both read about it in Stephen's post on cvug. No, it has not been released. My understanding is that the idea was promped by development of the R-D1. The reason for developing an 18 was to create something approximating a 28 with the 1.5 crop factor of the R-D1. However, the R-D1 hasn't been wildly successful, so maybe projected sales just didn't justify its development. Then, there's been Leica's announcement of a different crop factor for its digital & rumors of an R-D2 with who knows what for a crop factor. A 1.33 crop factor for a digital M would still mean a usefull 24 mm equivalent for the 18, with the 21 becoming the equivalent of a 28. So, there may yet be life in the idea once the dust settles on what the digital M world looks like in 2006. Furthermore, I would suspect that Cosina's resources have been stretched this past year with production of the R2/3A & the 40 Nokton as well as with its involvement in the Zeiss Ikon system.

 

[John Robertson]

I think that is a good explanation Huck. Especially the point about Cosinas resources being stretched at the moment.
John.

 

[Palaeoboy]

The lens was all set to be produced. Some even handled the prototypes but after the Zeiss project got underway the project was postponed then finally it was announced it would not go ahead. Pity

 

[bmicklea]

I guess it's all this crack I'm smoking, but if I were the CV product manager having a lens line-up that already includes 12, 15, 21, 24 and 28 focal lengths would prompt me to be disinclined to producing an 18. Most of the digital shooters I know are not overly hung up on having a focal length equivalent to one of the classic film focal lengths.

But then again I'm not the CV product manager and I don't even own an RD-1 so you can ignore me.

 

[peter_n]

The 25mm has been discontinued.