anuary 2006
ZEISS Lenses for Nikon F Mount
Carl Zeiss AG of Oberkochen, Germany is about to introduce ZF, a new range of interchangeable lenses for Nikon SLR cameras, both analog and digital. ZF lenses bring the highly acclaimed Carl Zeiss image quality to the Nikon SLR camera system, which has been the preferred equipment of millions of professional and ambitious amateur photographers for decades. ZF lenses can also be used on the Sinar m professional digital camera and a multitude of industrial video cameras.
ZF lenses provide Nikon F-mount cameras with the creative potential and phototechnical performance available so far only in the Contax system. In addition, ZF lenses incorporate new technical advances from the ZEISS Ultra Prime®, Master Prime® and DigiPrime® lenses for motion picture cameras. Results have been seen in feature films like "Lord of the Rings", "Alexander", "King Arthur", "Air Force One", "Collateral", "King Kong" and many commercials and music clips.
Like the ZEISS lenses for motion picture, ZF lenses feature unusually high mechanical quality, fixed focal length, very precise manual focussing, reliability, and exceptional durability. Special attention is paid to guarantee absolute color matching throughout the whole range of lenses resulting in state-of-the-art image quality.
The first ZF lens will be the Planar T* 1,4/50 ZF, which, in its Contax RTS version, was rated the world's best fast standard lens by "Popular Photography" in 1999. It will be followed by the Planar T* 1,4/85 ZF, which in its Contax RTS version became known as a great portrait lens and story-teller.
Both lenses will become available in spring 2006. The Pricing will be suitable competitive with similar items in the Nikon F-system. Several more ZF lenses will be introduced during 2006.
With the introduction of ZF lenses, Carl Zeiss will set up a new international distribution network and will announce information on availability of the ZF lenses at www.zeiss.com/photo.
More Info here:
http://www.zeiss.de/C12567A8003B58B9/?Open
ZEISS Lenses for Nikon F Mount
Carl Zeiss AG of Oberkochen, Germany is about to introduce ZF, a new range of interchangeable lenses for Nikon SLR cameras, both analog and digital. ZF lenses bring the highly acclaimed Carl Zeiss image quality to the Nikon SLR camera system, which has been the preferred equipment of millions of professional and ambitious amateur photographers for decades. ZF lenses can also be used on the Sinar m professional digital camera and a multitude of industrial video cameras.
ZF lenses provide Nikon F-mount cameras with the creative potential and phototechnical performance available so far only in the Contax system. In addition, ZF lenses incorporate new technical advances from the ZEISS Ultra Prime®, Master Prime® and DigiPrime® lenses for motion picture cameras. Results have been seen in feature films like "Lord of the Rings", "Alexander", "King Arthur", "Air Force One", "Collateral", "King Kong" and many commercials and music clips.
Like the ZEISS lenses for motion picture, ZF lenses feature unusually high mechanical quality, fixed focal length, very precise manual focussing, reliability, and exceptional durability. Special attention is paid to guarantee absolute color matching throughout the whole range of lenses resulting in state-of-the-art image quality.
The first ZF lens will be the Planar T* 1,4/50 ZF, which, in its Contax RTS version, was rated the world's best fast standard lens by "Popular Photography" in 1999. It will be followed by the Planar T* 1,4/85 ZF, which in its Contax RTS version became known as a great portrait lens and story-teller.
Both lenses will become available in spring 2006. The Pricing will be suitable competitive with similar items in the Nikon F-system. Several more ZF lenses will be introduced during 2006.
With the introduction of ZF lenses, Carl Zeiss will set up a new international distribution network and will announce information on availability of the ZF lenses at www.zeiss.com/photo.
More Info here:
http://www.zeiss.de/C12567A8003B58B9/?Open
R
ray_g
Guest
I am puzzled why Nikon is stopping film camera production. I can imagine this will bring about at least some increase in interest in film bodies, AF and manual, and not only in Nikon DSLR's.
They are still producing the F6.
C
ch1
Guest
Jorge Torralba said:
And, via Cosina they are still marketing the manual FM10.
What is odd about the Zeiss website ad for their manual focus ZM lenses is that it shows the F6.
The F6 is the latest, and probably last, Nikon AF film SLR. It employes a highly advanced focusing matrix and references an internal database with thousands of images in adjusting its auto settings.
As such, who would purchase a MF lens for the purposes of using it with a F6!
I can see doing so for the FM10 (or for any manual Nikon you already have) but I think it is disingenuous of Zeiss to suggest that their ZF lenses are appropriate to the F6.
Note: Nikon is NOT stopping production of many of its own MF primes and has already pointed out that its AF lenes can be used in manual mode with all of its cameras (subject to some limitations on certain models).
FrankS
Registered User
I enjoy using manual focus prime lenses on my "old" F4. Matrix metering works, and there is a focus confirmation light in the viewfinder.
JoeFriday
Agent Provacateur
I'm very interested in the 50/1.4 to use on my D70.. any guesses as to cost?
RJBender
RFF Sponsoring Member
JoeFriday said:
The list price is "slightly less than $500 in Japan"
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16365
R.J.
C
ch1
Guest
RJBender said:
So let's see.
I can buy a real honest to goodness AIS MF Nikkor 50/1..4 at B&H for $300 or, if I go to $430 I can get a Nikkor 50/1.2.
But instead, a Cosina-made Zeiss branded 50/1.4 will set me back just under $500?
Talk about a deal!
I've got a bridge here in NY for sale - anyone wanna' buy it?
JoeFriday
Agent Provacateur
keep in mind that B&H isn't exactly selling the Nikkors for list price.. I would hope to see a better street price on the ZFs
C
ch1
Guest
JoeFriday said:
Generally true Brett. But usually the Japanese prices are lower than US and RJ quoted the Japanese one.
I just don't see what all the fuss is about. It's not as if Zeiss is actually making these lenses and even if they were - I don't think their glass is superior to Nikon's!
Huck Finn
Well-known
copake_ham said:Talk about a deal!
I've got a bridge here in NY for sale - anyone wanna' buy it?
How much for the bridge?
Huck
naren
Established
I think you are on the wrong track here... one would purchase these lenses for Zeiss glass. The CPU is an added bonus for certain functions, but matrix metering is far from the top concerns of serious amateurs and pros who love to shoot Nikon and would have an interest in the ultimate glass (not to say Nikon isn't as good with surely more lenses) Probably just in the focal lengths of 24/25mm and 100mm micro, maybe 28mm the Zeiss has Nikon beat. I use matrix pretty much only with flash, and perhaps it's really good in some tricky scenarios with changing light situations.
So definitely the Zeiss goes on the F6 NOT the FM-10... have you ever handled one of those? No offense to Cosina- but prretty crappy. I used a new one for the 1st time working for a "party pic" guy. It jammed on me and he gave me a lot of flack on the phone for "going to hard on it with the advance". I couldn't believe there was a problem with shooting fast with a new Nikon! He told me to try this trick and maybe it would unjam... give it a firm knock against the ground on the advance side of the camera. Fortunately it worked.
Last edited:
PaulDalex
Dilettante artist
Strange thread relived after a couple years.
Anyway I have bought the ZF macroplanar and use it on the F4.
I like the combination and I impatient to se the results.
Investing a lot of time and patience I was able to find the K focusing screen. Focusing manually and at the same time seeing the green autofocus dot is very nice.
I wish I could have it in all the manual focus cameras
Cheers
Paul
Anyway I have bought the ZF macroplanar and use it on the F4.
I like the combination and I impatient to se the results.
Investing a lot of time and patience I was able to find the K focusing screen. Focusing manually and at the same time seeing the green autofocus dot is very nice.
I wish I could have it in all the manual focus cameras
Cheers
Paul
naren
Established
Yes, I remember that with my N6006. Now I have been shooting with an F3 and a couple Fs. See I am mainly a Nikon SLR shooter, and I am just getting into shooting rangefinder again. See that's why I replied on this thread... didn't even realize no one had commented in so long.
The macro lens you have I think is the 1 Zeiss lens I will buy for my Fs. I was thinking to get the ZF 25mm f/2.8 but I ended up getting a real nice sample of the Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 on eBay for $70. It's the all metal, hill and dale type that I prefer (as long as it's in nice shape) and it has the factory Ai conversion to boot. Great for this documentary project I've been working on... but that's also why I'm getting a Bessa. Too much weight to carry fast lenses and 2 F bodies.
My first camera was a Konica rangefinder actually - the Auto S2. Read some comments on here about it. It has a nice lens and some really nice features. For a camera you can get on eBay for $25- it's incredible!! Shutter priority autoexposure, AE lock, parallax compensation. When I was using I didn't even realize it had parallax compensation (I was also between the ages 9 and 11 at that time). So now its the Bessa R2s in a few weeks I hope. I'll shoot that with the 50mm and a 25mm and then my F gear for the rest (for this documentary project). I hope to get a Hexar AF, RF, R3A and an M3 in the next couple years too. Yeah, I know I have a problem!
The macro lens you have I think is the 1 Zeiss lens I will buy for my Fs. I was thinking to get the ZF 25mm f/2.8 but I ended up getting a real nice sample of the Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 on eBay for $70. It's the all metal, hill and dale type that I prefer (as long as it's in nice shape) and it has the factory Ai conversion to boot. Great for this documentary project I've been working on... but that's also why I'm getting a Bessa. Too much weight to carry fast lenses and 2 F bodies.
My first camera was a Konica rangefinder actually - the Auto S2. Read some comments on here about it. It has a nice lens and some really nice features. For a camera you can get on eBay for $25- it's incredible!! Shutter priority autoexposure, AE lock, parallax compensation. When I was using I didn't even realize it had parallax compensation (I was also between the ages 9 and 11 at that time). So now its the Bessa R2s in a few weeks I hope. I'll shoot that with the 50mm and a 25mm and then my F gear for the rest (for this documentary project). I hope to get a Hexar AF, RF, R3A and an M3 in the next couple years too. Yeah, I know I have a problem!