ZI announces new lens delivery date

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For those of you who have asked, Hasselblad has an announcement on www.zeissikon.com FAQ partially as follows:

"(It) will take more time for series production ramp-up than announced previously. Start of deliveries is therefore now scheduled for February."

They link this to time needed to achieve quality standards. If this is the case, the delay is good news. If, however, it is simply manufacturing delays in getting new tooling & other production equipment, then I guess . . . C'est la vie.

If anyone hadn't noticed, two of the four new lenses scheduled for release in February - the 25/2.8 & 28/2.8 - are spec'd for a minimum focus distance of 0.5 meters (19 inches), or 8 inches closer than any other RF lenses currently on the market. The bad news is that the new ZI will be the only RF camera that is rangefinder coupled to distances less than 0.7m when it is released this spring. The other two lenses scheduled for February release are the 50/2 & 35/2. The 21/2.8 & 15/2.8, scheduled for release in May, will also have close focus capability, although the 15 Distagon (0.3 minimum focus distance) will not be rangefinder coupled.
 
The new/old format seems to have forgotten me. :( I've managed to correct it, so I can acknowledge that the ZI lens post above is mine. :)

Cheers . . .
Huck
 
Re: ZI announces new lens delivery date

Unregistered said:
"(It) will take more time for series production ramp-up than announced previously. Start of deliveries is therefore now scheduled for February."

They link this to time needed to achieve quality standards. If this is the case, the delay is good news.
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I feel a bit equivocal about it. I mean given the reports of some of the new CV cameras being less than well made, it does make you wonder about the production quality in the CV factory.

I think the good news is that CZ cares enough about the quality level to delay release. The bad news is that they had to do this. :mad:
 
Yes, Peter, it does make me leery of buying one of those first 1200 ZI cameras in the initial limited release. I don't want them to be working the bugs out on my time. This seems to be the case for all kinds of new equipment from Leica on down & in non-camera equipment as well, like automobiles, etc.

Huck
 
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Absolutely right, Huck. I use Volvo cars and they are notorious for 'beta' testing their cars on consumers. Its a sad reflection I suppose but it does pay to wait as you point out.
 
Good point, Huck. I knew a person who used to pride himself in being on the 'trailing edge' of technology. Bugs worked out, and everything cheaper ...

Gene
 
Any price estimates for these new ZI lenses yet? I need to start selling, I mean saving. I see the price for the camera on BH but didn't see any of the lenses listed.
 
Prices for the 4 lenses to be released in February, as listed on www.classicconnection.com are:

50/2.0 = $824
35/2.0 = $1042
28/2.8 = $1042
25/2.8 = $1152

My understanding is that these are MSRP. We'll have to wait to see if B&H can do any better. I doubt it because the price B&H has listed for the ZI body ($1619) is virtually the same as the price at Classic Connection ($1617).
 
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Someone (here in RFF I think) quoted some prices posted by a dealer. I think the 25mm was under $1200 for instance. We wondered if this dealer had gotten specific pricing from Hasselblad, or if they'd just gone by Carl Zeiss's prediction that the gear would be priced about 60% of equivalent Leica prices. I thought I'd bookmarked that dealer, but I don't find it...
 
Ouch, pricey! But still brings the cost of the ZI and lens less than my dream custom configured M7 on the Leica site.
 
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