New S-mount Sonnar 50/1.5 from Zeiss

[jonmanjiro]

This is certainly interesting news!

http://www.cosina.co.jp/seihin/co/s-50limited/index.html

* Rangefinder Nikon S mount
* A lens that inherits the legendary Sonnar 5cm F1.5 lens configuration
* Soft at full aperture, but sharpens up when stopped down
* 11 blade circular aperture diaphram for beautiful bokeh

Main Specs
Focal length: 50mm
Aperture range: f1.5 to f16
Focus range: 0.9m to infinity
Picture angle (diagonal/horizontal): 46 degrees / 38 degrees
Area of coverage at minimum focus distance: 36cm by 55 cm
Lens configuration: 6 elements in 4 groups
Filter size: 43mm
Weight: 190g
Diameter (at widest part): 48.8mm
Length (from mount): 34.2mm
Rangefinder coupled range: 0.9m to infinity
Mount: Nikon S
Sonnar T*1.5/50 Limited Edition　
List price: (not including tax) 105,000 yen
Lens shade included
Limited order production: orders accepted from 20th September 2007 to 31st December 2007 through authorised Carl Zeiss agents.
Note that this is limited production run and it might take some time to fill the orders.
The lens will be shipped from March 2008 (planned).

 

[drjoke]

jonmanjiro I really like your avatar. Is there a large pic of it somewhere?

Is this intended for the rumored Nikon digital RF? Or for current Nikon rangefinders (which are no longer in productions)?

Is this lens identical to my favorite ZM Sonnar 50mm?

 

[jonmanjiro]

jonmanjiro I really like your avatar. Is there a large pic of it somewhere?

Is this intended for the rumored Nikon digital RF? Or for current Nikon rangefinders (which are no longer in productions)?

Is this lens identical to my favorite ZM Sonnar 50mm?

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30822&page=3

Thanks. A large pic of my avatar is posted in the thread above.

This lens is intended for current (no longer produced) Nikon rangefinders.

 

[jonmanjiro]

Wow, it is real. Bic Camera already has it listed on their website ....

http://www.biccamera.com/bicbic/jsp/w/catalog/detail.jsp?PRODUCT_ID=0010215673

 

[jonmanjiro]

Is this lens identical to my favorite ZM Sonnar 50mm?

It looks like the optical formula is indeed identical to the ZM Sonnar 50mm. With modern multicoating, improved machining and tolerances etc. it'll probably be a better performer than any S mount Nikkor 5cm f1.4 could ever be. Of course the Millenium Nikkor 50mm f1.4 is in another league all together.

 

[goliathus]

After I bought my millennium Nikkor, I've thought that I don't need another 5cm
anymore, but this one....look so nice!

"Carl zeiss sonnar" without focusing problem, that's enough attractive!

I want see its bokeh~😎

 

[VinceC]

It's not a clone of the original formula.

It also doesn't cost Zeiss much to mount the ZM Sonnar formula into an S-mount barrel and sell a few more lenses.

 

[jsuominen]

It's not a clone of the original formula.

It also doesn't cost Zeiss much to mount the ZM Sonnar formula into an S-mount barrel and sell a few more lenses.

It's not the original formula, if it's a ZM C Sonnar 50/1.5 version's 'clone'. But quite close anyway.
Some info here http://www.taunusreiter.de/Cameras/Zeiss_C-Sonnar.html

By the way, I have made some nearly side-by-side shots with my Zeiss-Opton Sonnar T 50/1.5 and Nikkor-S 5cm/1.4 (black-chrome version) at wide open. Both lenses are from 1950's. Shots are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsuominen/1372031887/ (Sonnar at f/1.5)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsuominen/1372024357/ (Nikkor at f/1.4)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsuominen/1366539129/ (Sonnar at f/1.5)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsuominen/1367417170/ (Nikkor at f/1.4)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsuominen/329307650/ (Sonnar at f/1.5)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsuominen/329307750/ (Nikkor at f/1.4)

And here I tested so-called focus shift with my vintage Sonnar at f/1.5 and f/2:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsuominen/1380989785/
It was a hand-held shot at close range, so that's why it's not very accurate test...

 

[jsuominen]

Mount: Nikon S
Sonnar T*1.5/50 Limited Edition　
List price: (not including tax) 105,000 yen
Lens shade included
Limited order production: orders accepted from 20th September 2007 to 31st December 2007 through authorised Carl Zeiss agents.
Note that this is limited production run and it might take some time to fill the orders.
The lens will be shipped from March 2008 (planned).

Is the list price much more that the ZM version in Japan (including shade)?

 

[jonmanjiro]

Is the list price much more that the ZM version in Japan (including shade)?

Actually, the Nikon mount version list price is cheaper. In Japan the list price of the ZM version is 105,000 yen before tax, but that doesn't include the hood. The hood is sold separately and costs 7,500 yen before tax.

http://www.cosina.co.jp/seihin/co/c-s-50/index.html

 

[jsuominen]

And sooner or later Cosina is maybe announcing a SC-mount version of ZM C Biogon T* 4.5/21? 😉

 

[NIKON KIU]

For the price it will probably sell, I'd prefer to get a Millenium Nikkor-S 50/1.4...

The Price is over 100,000 yen!
Will it sell?

Kiu

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Wow, your outrage bar must be set very low.

And my fascination bar is underground. I thought this was a great development; hopefully there will be (or already is?) a C-mount version soon. I'm pretty happy with my Zeiss-Opton 5cm f/1.5 Sonnar, but a classic is a classic, either refined/tweaked a little here and there to satisfy the lime-strength high-contrast times we live in.

What I want Zeiss to do, though is make a 35mm f/1.4 ZM lens (well, all "current" rangefinder mounts), and bring out of vaporware status the 85mm f/2 Sonnar ZM at a very reasonable price.

If there is any lens I love anything besides a 50mm Summilux, is a 50mm or 85mm Sonnar.

Nikon could just tweak it for further lime-powered contrast later.

 

[micromontenegro]

I am still waiting for a modern Zess Ikon in the proper Contax mount

 

[BillBingham2]

Kiu,

Look at the dates (Order vs Mfg). This seems kind of like a hunting trip to see how much game (market) there is for a limited edition custom lens!

For the C or S mount, the first pass (SC lenses and bodies) went OK, but not as well as the M bodies did. The M mounts took off, the Nikons, not so much.

Perhaps we'll see a single coated version (ala 40/1.4) as another option for this lens.

Can Pres K bring out limited edition lenses and take Cosina up market? Wouldn’t that be great! I would rather him bring out new world class designs rather than reissues but who knows.

I’m not sure how much market there is at over 100K yen, that’s a lot of money. I think his upper price point is around $850 USD, but then as the dollar continues to crap out valuewise……

B2 (;->

 

[micromontenegro]

Haven't you noticed that I almost never post anything anymore? :angel:

 

[NIKON KIU]

Fred, there are two optical glass manufacturers in the world :

- Schott (who now belongs to the French group Corning)
- Hoya

In your opinion, *who* makes the glasses for the Nikkor lenses ?

What about Nikon and Cosina?
I had the notion that they make their own glass!

Kiu

 

[BillBingham2]

Interesting question to the thread, are we talking about making your own glass (from sand and stuff), lens blanks or forming/polishing lenses?

B2 (;->

 

[MartinP]

I think they are talkng about the hot messy stuff, rather than the grinding ?

 

[NIKON KIU]

They really went retro with the chrome filter ring.
Do you think they will include a rear cap? 😉

Kiu