What's coming on Dec 21?

[JoeFriday]

I haven't investigated it much, but I think non-CPU AI-S lenses are compatible with the D70.. you lose metering capability, but I generally don't use the internal meter on that digital camera.. I just shoot a photo.. look at the histogram and make a quick adjustment

 

[ch1]

well, as a D70 owner, I can safely say that if the Zeiss lenses are remotely affordable, they will be very welcome in my camera bag.. I've stopped using my Nikon gear mostly because the Nikkor glass generally sucks compared to most RF gear.. and to my knowledge there isn't an adapter for the Nikon mount like there is for the EOS system

once I see the prices I'll decide if I'll be keeping my Nikon DSLR after all

Actually, the high grade Nikkor lenses (i.e. made in Japan) are very good. And priced accordingly.

But they also have the plastic cheapos (made in Thailand etc.) that are sold as "kit" lenses with lower end camera bodies and are kind of crappy.

Looks like this marketing tactic has "cheapened" the Nikkor lens reputation and apparently created an opening for Zeiss at the high end.

 

[JohnL]

Sigma has been making lenses for EOS mount, Nikon, Minolta etc as well as their own Sigma cameras for several years, and some of their EX line are pretty good. If CZ are going into the aftermarket for Nikon, I'd guess they'll have an EOS mount also within a pretty short time. Why not? It's probably the biggest segment of that market.

 

[JoeFriday]

I agree.. I know there is high quality Nikkor glass out there.. but I never felt like paying the price they demand.. if Zeiss can move in and grab that 'between' market, a lot of people will notice

 

[Bryan Lee]

Actually, the high grade Nikkor lenses (i.e. made in Japan) are very good. And priced accordingly.

But they also have the plastic cheapos (made in Thailand etc.) that are sold as "kit" lenses with lower end camera bodies and are kind of crappy.

Looks like this marketing tactic has "cheapened" the Nikkor lens reputation and apparently created an opening for Zeiss at the high end.

Calling something a cheepo and crap because of where it is made "Made in Thailand" is a colorful statement but far from reality. Because Im writing this from Thailand and involved in some manufacturing projects here I can tell you for a fact anything and I mean anything you can dream up can be made here to the highest qaulity standards. It is more a reflection on Nikon and what they choose to produce rather than the Country of origin. All technology started with food production and the need to grow more food on less desireable and or smaller plots of land and took off from there. Foodwise Thailand is the richest country Ive ever seen from the amounts, diversity, and qaulity.

I like the rest of us wait in anticipation to see the confirmation of ZF lenses and find all this very exciting, I just hope it dosnt turn out to be some kind of elaborate hoax. Long live the Nikon F, Ziess, and Black and White Film.

 

[ch1]

Calling something a cheepo and crap because of where it is made "Made in Thailand" is a colorful statement but far from reality. Because Im writing this from Thailand and involved in some manufacturing projects here I can tell you for a fact anything and I mean anything you can dream up can be made here to the highest qaulity standards. It is more a reflection on Nikon and what they choose to produce rather than the Country of origin. All technology started with food production and the need to grow more food on less desireable and or smaller plots of land and took off from there. Foodwise Thailand is the richest country Ive ever seen from the amounts, diversity, and qaulity.

I like the rest of us wait in anticipation to see the confirmation of ZF lenses and find all this very exciting, I just hope it dosnt turn out to be some kind of elaborate hoax. Long live the Nikon F, Ziess, and Black and White Film.

Seems to be a misunderstanding here. It was not my intent to say that because it is made it Thailand it is cheapo crap. But rather that Nikon chose Thailand as the locale for where they make lower end lenses.

That's all I'll say about this.

 

[ZeissFan]

They make three tilt/shift lenses that are manual focus only.

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Mazurka]

The EOS mount has no mechanical coupling for aperture control. I don't see Zeiss bothering with the electronics or offering lenses that can only be used with stopped-down metering. Canon would also be reluctant to license out to Zeiss who, unlike Tamron, is a formidable competitor of their L range and even the higher-priced non-L's.

And don't forget Sigma who reverse engineer the mount and the resulting compatibility issues. Yet another reason not seeing Zeiss lenses in EOS mount.

 

[RJBender]

The stats at the bottom of the page say 2 members and 62 guests are viewing this thread!! 😛

R.J.

 

[RJBender]

Check the FAQs on the Zeiss site:

FAQ

Zeiss Lenses for Cameras from Nikon, Canon, Minolta,...?

Carl Zeiss keeps receiving inquiries for high quality Carl Zeiss lenses to be used with cameras from Canon, Minolta, mainly Nikon.

Yes, it is possible, in a way:

Novoflex, the well known manufacturer of versatile accessories produces an adapter system to ac-comodate Carl Zeiss high quality lenses made for Hasselblad medium format cameras to almost any important 35 mm SLR camera.
With the Novoflex adapter the imaging per-formance of the respective Carl Zeiss lens can be utilized to the fullest in manual mode, while automatic features like diaphragm actuator, f-stop-simulator, and autofocus won't work. Our tests with Hasselblad lenses and Contax cameras gave perfect results. With the Contax AX even autofocus worked properly.

R.J.

 

[ZeissFan]

The EOS mount has no mechanical coupling for aperture control. I don't see Zeiss bothering with the electronics or offering lenses that can only be used with stopped-down metering. Canon would also be reluctant to license out to Zeiss who, unlike Tamron, is a formidable competitor of their L range and even the higher-priced non-L's.

And don't forget Sigma who reverse engineer the mount and the resulting compatibility issues. Yet another reason not seeing Zeiss lenses in EOS mount.

I agree as well. More trouble than it's worth. Plus, they would be marketing to a large audience that wouldn't want to bother with manual focus and cameras that were not designed for manual focus.

 

[Bryan Lee]

Seems to be a misunderstanding here. It was not my intent to say that because it is made it Thailand it is cheapo crap. But rather that Nikon chose Thailand as the locale for where they make lower end lenses.

That's all I'll say about this.

No problem, I didnt think you had bad intentions or anything anyway. I havent had much interest in anything Nikon has been making lately outside of the scanners. The FM2 on the otherhand with a new Ziess telephoto lense would be very appealing.

 

[RJBender]

Well, I don't see this as too surprising (using hindsight of course). Zeiss is no longer selling as many camera lenses as they used to. Contax is dead, and Hasselblad has gone to Fuji, and Rollei is a shadow of its former self, which was not that formidable in the first place. They needed to reestablish themselves in the pro / expensive enthusiast lens category, and so they are doing it with the Ikon and with aftermarket lenses for a major manufacturer. Since they are not competing with themselves (they have no native SLR/lens system in 35mm or MF now that contax is gone), it makes perfect sense for them to try to piggyback on another system's lens mount. They are selling M mount lenses (and a body) for the simple reason that they don't need to create a market. They can just undercut Leica prices with lenses that are approximately equal in quality and expect to sell a lot of lenses. With Nikon, it is a slightly different model, but still very similar. They can sell lenses that will be perceived as better than Nikon for a higher price and try to take the top of the market away from Nikon. Competition's a bitch. It is the good/bad of sticking with the old lens mounts: on the one hand you make the customers happy because they can use their old lenses, but on the other you open yourself up to competition when the patents expire...

The Rollei story is a bizarre one. Some people think that Samsung bought Rollei in 1995 just so they could use the Rollei name on their wristwatches. Samsung no longer owns Rollei but they own Burett Swiss Sports Watches, Haas & Cie. and Nouvelle Piquerez. Rolex sued them in 1997 and won. If you want a Rollei wristwatch, you'll have to go to Korea to buy one. 🙂 More here

R.J.

 

[RJBender]

According to this website, Cosina made the Canon T-60, Nikon FM-10, Olympus OM-2000, Ricoh KR-5-Super-2 and Yashica FX.

R.J.

 

[Huck Finn]

You may be in for an ugly surprise, I think they'll make non-CPU AI-S lenses which won't be of much use on anything below a D2h, D2x or D200 and the older or current high end film bodies.

Nikon has made one AIS manual focus lens WITH a CPU - the 45/2.8-P, a pancake lens to mate with the FM3a. They have not come out with any more "P" lenses, i.e. MF lenses that will work with advanced metering systems. This would be a nice niche for Zeiss to fill with theses ZF lenses.

 

[RJBender]

Check this out.

Check this out.

B&H has the Voigtlander lenses in Nikon AI mount. I'll bet that the Zeiss lenses will look very similar to these:

R.J.

 

[ch1]

B&H has the Voigtlander lenses in Nikon AI mount. I'll bet that the Zeiss lenses will look very similar to these:

R.J.

R.J.

Great minds think alike - although you posted first - darn it.

As I thought about this more and more - and who would be benifited it became obvious. This is the "next shoe drop" of the Zeiss/Cosina partnership.

The Nikon-compatible, Cosina-made lenses are going to be re-branded with the Zeiss label.

Makes a whole lot more sense now - I mean really, how else could Zeiss "suddenly" come up with a line of Nikon F-mount lenses?

Another "clever" case of Cosina taking advantage of a German "brand" and vice versa. 😛

 

[Mazurka]

how else could Zeiss "suddenly" come up with a line of Nikon F-mount lenses.

The way they "suddenly" come up with a line of Leica-mount lenses is also by re-branding Voigtlander offerings. Very clever indeed. 🙄

 

[Bryan Lee]

I wonder if Cosina has changed the Bessa Flex and will offer it as a F mount or just configred a whole new manual reflex camera with the AE shutter off the new R2a/R3a for new Ziess F mount lenses? I better lay off the coffee.

 

[ZeissFan]

The Nikon-compatible, Cosina-made lenses are going to be re-branded with the Zeiss label.

I must disagree with this point. If these are Zeiss designs: Planar, Sonnar, Distagon, etc., they won't be rebadged Cosina Voigtlander lenses. These will be built under license using Zeiss lens designs and adhere to Zeiss quality control.

If anything, they will rely on Zeiss designs from the Kyocera Contax. After all, Zeiss -- not Kyocera -- holds the patents on those lens designs.

And the Zeiss M-mount lenses for the Zeiss Ikon are not rebadged Voigtlander M lenses.