New Zeiss SLR List Prices

Well, I have 2 nice Nikon cylinders. The rest is so-so, minus a a couple of notches. I believe I'll be replacing these 2 also. It'll make my FM2T shine again. :cool:
 
Here we go again...

Here we go again...

I've been waiting for this to devolve into a battle of the True Believers. Some
Questions:

Who makes the best cars? Nobody

Who makes the best TVs? Nobody

Who makes the best cameras? Nobody

Clearly I could go on, but is there anyone anywhere who actually believes that ONE
company is superior in all ways in all products all the time?

Nikon has made great stuff. Nikon has made lousy stuff. So has everybody else--
GM, Benz, Boeing, Proctor & Gamble....Everybody.

I've used the Summilux 80/1.4, the Nikkor 85/1.4, and owned the Planar 85/1.4.
Not a lot of difference between them. But my beloved Zeiss was edged out by the Summilux, just as it in return edged out the Nikkor. Could be sample variations,
differences in humidty, shifts in the earth's magnetic field. But now just to be even more infuriating, it's my pleasure to announce that the Zuiko 100/2 beat them all.
Infinity shots were close, but at minimum focus it wasn't even close. Will something
else out there smack down the Zuiko? Of course. So what?

I revel in the news that new manual focus lenses are in the offing, whether Zeiss or
Petri. It means the apocalpyse has been postponed.

And now if you'll excuse me I need to load film into my Ricoh.
 
CameraQuest said:
Guys and Gals,

There is SO much speculation in this thread that is just BS and inaccurate , it's a real shame because this thread does not live up to the normal high RFF standards.

Cosina is one of only two lens makers that I know of that makes its own glass. The other is Nikon. Neither Zeiss or Leica presently have this capability. In turn Cosina has supplied special blends of glass to many lens makers. The abiltiy to turn out relaively small quantities of special purpose glass is a MAJOR reason that Cosina was an attractive partner to Zeiss for the ZM camera and the new ZF lenses.

Cosina and Zeiss are PARTNERS on the project. Look around the net. I know of no other photography websites other than Cosina's and Zeiss that you will find the Zeiss logo.

While the new Cosina made Zeiss camera and lenses are primarily Zeiss designs (they do have the Zeiss name afterall), there is considerable Cosina input.

The new Zeiss products are NOT rebadged Cosina designs. Anyone suggesting otherwise is so far off the mark that I'm embaressed for them.

EACH Cosina made Zeiss item passes Zeiss quality control. Each serial numbered camera or lens has a signed Zeiss quality control tag in the box, signed by a Zeiss inspector at the Cosina factory.

The ZM lenses were designed to be as good or better than Leica's more expensive M lenses. Users reports seem to confirm this for the ZM 21, 25, 28, and 50. The 35/2 is almost there, but not quite. Cosina has succeeded in supplying the high end Leica RF market with Zeiss, and the best buy Leica RF market with Voigtlander -- something NO other RF maker has ever done!

Zeiss is extremely proud of their optics, and more than a little ticked off that many people believe that upstart microscope company in Solms is making the best camera lenses. You can be sure Zeiss and Cosina have done their best to make the best SLR lenses currently availalbe. IF they have not succeeded, there is no doubt in my mind the new SLR lenses will be among the very best. Time and user reports will tell.

In short folks, even if you don't ever buy one, be happy that Zeiss and Cosina have teamed up for a new lineup of high peformance manual focus 35mm SLR lenses. All it can do is help raise the bar a little higher for every new lens. Just when many are seeing film as dead, there is a new player in high end SLR lenses and Leica mount lenses! Things are gettting interesting.

Stephen Gandy
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The $149 Sony S-40 has a 3X Zeiss V-Sonnar on it. The Zeiss may well be supplied by BenQ of Taiwan.(BenQ and a few lens co. in Taiwan export more than 10 million digital lens a year)
I just bought Sony HC-1000 w a 12X V-Sonnar. This $1,500 camera was made in Japan, The Zeiss on it I doubt was made by Cosina, or Q-controled by Zeiss, I didn't get any certification, document from Zeiss in the box. Sony made their own Zeiss lenses presumably by some design input from Zeiss.
So many Zeiss on Sony digitals( check out the new R1 lens), how for a user to know which Zeiss was strictly controled?
Sakuraya of Tokyo want you to reserved the Feb 2006 released ZF 50 1.4 for Y58,800 or $509, the selling price is going to be less then $450, street price one month from Feb for this Japanese lens, as my experience tells me, is going to be
less than $400, not a lot of difference from a new Ai-S 1.4 for $299, thus all the guessing game of it's design/make originality.
You are a Zeiss merchant you speaks for Zeiss, it's you and Zeiss to be blamed for the confussion.
I don't think any cameraman has doubt about the lens quality of Zeiss, it's just that the inability of Zeiss to make their own lenses in their own land, regardless of the price they're charging that creat the confussion. did Nikon ever made lenses in Germany?
In the past 46 years Nikon has designed and made thousands of SLR lenses, many of them surpass Zeiss counterpart w lower cost.
It's the Big-deal-ness that Zeiss put out that caused the negativity and doubt.
So the 85 1.4 came out Apr. 2006, retail Y117,600 or $1,018, again, Sakuraya want you to reserve yours.
Chosen by Asahi Camera Sept 2005, one of the best Nikkor is the Ai 85mm f1.4-S(5-g 7-element), retail Y112,350, since it was issued in 1981, this lens street around $650.
 
copake_ham said:
I don't believe this!

I am not implying that Cosina makes crap at all! If you think that then you have no understanding of what I am trying to say!

What I am saying is that it is Zeiss has sold its brandname to Cosina. Now thos of us who have used Nikkors for years are supposed to think we are finally getting something better!

B.S. (Which is plain old American for Bull Shit!)

Nikon has made better glass than Zeiss (and Leitz) for fifty years. The fact that old time Europhiles will only now buy Japanese glass because Zeiss is selling their brand is what is "crap"!

I've been using Nikon gear and Nikkors for over thirty years - and I am P'd off that folks now think that "knock offs" from third party manufacturers are somehow better.

BS
Click to expand...

Pathetic drivel. :(
 
leafy said:
It all seems strange to me that you seem to imply "Cosina made == crap" or "Cosina made == it must be cheap else it's crap". Implying that even before seeing the lens or the picture it produces is really beyond me. Where did you get such reasoning?
Click to expand...
Well, Cosina is crap 10, 12 years ago, COMPARE to Nikon, Canon, Pentax or Minolta lenses.
Today, saved by the bell, Cosina gets to produce German brand Voigtlander and Zeiss. Because they've done "good" (R, R2, 2a 3a and lenses). In the other hand they also do Phoenix, Promaster, Dakoda, Vivitar... stuff, users can only say, not bad for the money's worth.
In the mean time Today's Sigma, Tokina, Tamron's consumer or pro grade lenses are considered to be "better" than that of Cosina counterparts.
No one says Zeiss is bad, this is not the first issue Japanese-Zeiss, contax G, MM, N, Zeiss on Yashica T, T2, T3, T4, T5, or on countless Sony digi-cams confused users about the originality of the brand.
 
I have to accept the fact that my only Zeiss Planar 85mm/1.4 will still be the one for my Rolleiflex and so will the Zeiss Planar 50mm/1.4. In fact, I also have a Zeiss Distagon 35mm/1.4 in Rolleiflex mount. All are multicoated and take beautiful photos.
 
Huck Finn said:
No, but they make lots of Nikon stuff in China & Thailand.
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Don't you think I know that?
There is a big Nikon factury in Taichung, Taiwan because the weather is dry and clear almost all year which is vital for lens and camera productions.
Many China factories were owned and OEM-ing for Taiwan's BenQ, which is a giant digital camera and computer co( do you have a lap-top? Acer? guess who is the original designer/manufacturer?) Your 3,4,5, MP digital cams 90% I'd say were made in China by BenQ.
Labor cost is of course is the reason for Nikon to move, Canon, is the MAJOR reason Nikon goes Thailand. canon move their production to Taichung decade before Nikon.
In early 70s, Nikon is pro choice #1 gear, they do higher priced gears, that's why there is no Nikonet GIII 17, their Nikonmat, F series beats the sh-- out of Canon's FT, FTb even the F-1, NO pro used Canon.
Today, the wheel has turned, Nikon is playing catching up game. Thailand's not so good q-control lenses, N80, are no match for Canon's Elan7, 7n made in Taiwan, now they have dicontinuted the best, made in Japan Nikon, F100. bad.

BTW, Did you sell your Rollei rf and that Sonnar 40 yet? Good luck!
 
Huck Finn said:
Don't assume that anyone else is confused just because you are. You are responsible for your own confusion. :rolleyes:
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Don't you think you're too old to look for a fight?
Or is your initials are F.H. instead of H.F?
You never have a Sony w Zeiss lens on, right? So tell me, who made/designed the 7.9-23.7mm 2.8-5.2 Vario-Zeiss on the W7? I don't think you have any clue. grandpa!
Hey, we respect the elderly in this part of the world, behave!
 
Yes, yes; I will be going Zeiss for my new Cosina Voigtlander. I trust the camera and I trust the Zeiss lenses, especially the 50mm. However, tomorrow I have to use my Leica 40mm because I don't have any Zeiss yet. But the Zeiss are coming. :)
 
raid amin said:
I have to accept the fact that my only Zeiss Planar 85mm/1.4 will still be the one for my Rolleiflex and so will the Zeiss Planar 50mm/1.4. In fact, I also have a Zeiss Distagon 35mm/1.4 in Rolleiflex mount. All are multicoated and take beautiful photos.
Click to expand...


Raid,

Your Rollei Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 Planar is the one with the triangle shaped iris. Do you only use it wide open? I heard the bokeh has many triangles in it. I almost got one 8 years ago but got the 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor instead. I love the 85 Nikkor however I like my 35mm f/2.8 Distagon better than my 35mm f/1.4 Nikkor.

R.J.
 
RJBender said:
Raid,

Your Rollei Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 Planar is the one with the triangle shaped iris. Do you only use it wide open? I heard the bokeh has many triangles in it. I almost got one 8 years ago but got the 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor instead. I love the 85 Nikkor however I like my 35mm f/2.8 Distagon better than my 35mm f/1.4 Nikkor.

R.J.
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RJ: I have no other option but use it wide open since the aperture mechanism is broken and I have not been able to find anyone willing/able to repair the lens due to spare parts that are nearly impossible to find these days. I like the bokeh of the lens, but now will look more carefully for the trinagles you mentioned. I also have the 35mm/2.8 in addition to the 35mm/1.4, which is absolutely awesome.
 
raid amin said:
RJ: I have no other option but use it wide open since the aperture mechanism is broken and I have not been able to find anyone willing/able to repair the lens due to spare parts that are nearly impossible to find these days. I like the bokeh of the lens, but now will look more carefully for the trinagles you mentioned. I also have the 35mm/2.8 in addition to the 35mm/1.4, which is absolutely awesome.
Click to expand...

Raid,

You won't see the triangle shapes unless you stop down. There is more information here.

R.J.
 
RJBender said:
Your Rollei Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 Planar is the one with the triangle shaped iris.
Click to expand...
Even if the lens is marked Rollei Planar and not Zeiss Planar this seems very hard to believe, as an outrageously cheap feature in a supposed top-quality lens. Truly only three aperture blades??
 
Doug said:
Even if the lens is marked Rollei Planar and not Zeiss Planar this seems very hard to believe, as an outrageously cheap feature in a supposed top-quality lens. Truly only three aperture blades??
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree. Rollei was having some financial difficulties at the time. It seems like Carl Zeiss should have stopped the production of this lens or, at least, instructed Rollei to leave the sacred CZ name off the lens.
bowdown.gif


zeiss_85mm1-4.jpg

source: http://www.rolleiclub.com/rollei/sl35/lenses/images/zeiss/

More information on Steve Gandy's website:
  • 85/1.5 HFT Planar, Germany, Contarex derived design with triangular aperture,
Click to expand...
R.J.
 
3 aperture blades...

3 aperture blades...

It's a bit strange. There are far more than three blades, but somehow as the lens is stopped down, a triangle with slightly convex sides is formed. This is true of the 85 in both Contarex and Rollei mounts.

I have seen this elsewhere. Occasionally in movies I've noticed that OOF highlights will have this same odd shape, suggesting is was characteristic of other Zeiss lenses,
perhaps those initially made in the '70s.

But I couldn't begin to explain how the mechanism worked or why Zeiss created such
a peculiar shape.
 
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