Carl Zeiss announces Distagon T* 2/25 for Canon and Nikon

Carl Zeiss presents the Distagon T* 2/25 ZE and ZF.2 moderate wide-angle lenses. The large image angle allows photographers to capture exciting perspectives. With its excellent imaging quality at all aperture settings, the lens flexes its muscles particularly for photo documentaries in interior rooms where space is at a premium, as well as for pictures of objects, architecture and landscapes. In many situations, a flash is an unwelcome feature — at family gatherings, in a museum or in a church for example. To capture the mood in such places, photographers gladly do without aggressive lighting and instead work with particularly high-speed lenses that enable short exposure times even under difficult lighting conditions.

The optical experts have now virtually eliminated the chromatic aberrations on these lenses through a special design and selection of materials. Selected types of glass and two aspheric surfaces prevent color fringes from appearing on high-contrast edges. "The Distagon T* 2/25 elegantly combines a compact design with a large initial aperture," explains Christian Bannert, Senior Director of Product Development in the Camera Lens Division at Carl Zeiss AG.

Lens elements meticulously crafted to minimize stray light and reflections in the lens, and the Carl Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating to increase light transmission enable high-contrast image rendition and color saturation.

The previously available Distagon T* 2,8/25 ZF.2 will continue to be on stock and supplements the new Distagon T* 2/25. Therefore, this new lens is also the first 25-mm lens of Carl Zeiss for the EF-bayonet.

The Distagon T* 2/25 will be available end of 2011 at a recommended retail price of €1217 (excluding VAT).

Sony unveils four new lenses

Sony DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM

The growing range of compatible A-mount lenses for both cameras now includes the quiet, bright DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM standard zoom with 16mm wide angle coverage that's ideal for both portrait and everyday shooting.

The high-performance lens features a dust- and moisture-resistant design, and offers a zoom range of approximately 3x range at constant wide F2.8 aperture. Optical performance is assured by aspherical glass and three ED (Extra Low Dispersion) lens elements to minimize aberration at all focal lengths. An internal Super Sonic wave Motor (SSM) drive enables fast, quiet autofocus.

The SAL1650 lens will also be sold separately for about $700 this October at Sony retail stores.

Sony E-mount lenses

The growing choice of E-mount lenses compatible with all E-mount cameras now includes the new Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA (SEL24F18Z), E 50mm F1.8 OSS (SEL50F18) and long-awaited Telephoto zoom E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS (SEL55210).

The new E-mount Telephoto zoom E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS (SEL55210) will be available this October for about $350. The new Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA (SEL24F18Z) and the E 50mm F1.8 OSS (SEL50F18) will each be available this December for about $1000 and $300, respectively.

Carl Zeiss introduces Distagon T* 1,4/35 for Canon & Nikon

A woman is sitting at the bar of a dimly-lit cafe. Lost in thoughts, she doesn’t notice the glass of wine the bartender places before her. From a distance, a photographer tries to capture her mood. He brings her face, which is leaning toward her phone, into focus. Everything around her becomes a blur, and the lights in the background coalesce into a wild “dance” of diffuse shapes.

This shot will only work with a fast lens with short focal length and harmonious bokeh. Carl Zeiss introduces a new lens for just such images: the Distagon T* 1.4/35.

By introducing the Distagon T* 1.4/35, Carl Zeiss is complementing the Planar T*1.4/50 and T*1.4/85 lenses with a wide-angle lens that shares the same high speed. Crisp, sharp images work every time, whether at dusk or in the weak lighting conditions of a café, and without the need for a tripod. With its 35-mm, the Distagon T* 134/35 matches the classic and versatile standard focal lengths when used on cameras with APS-C sensor formats.

Due to the special bokeh effects in both the foreground and background areas, the Distagon T*1.4/35 opens up new creative possibilities, giving photographers more options to ‘play’ with focus. Thanks to its large focus ring, photographers can also create highly accurate, sharp pictures, even at maximum aperture opening. In addition, the optical construction of the lens guarantees high image quality across the entire image range. Furthermore, with one step less than the full aperture opening, the light fall-off toward the edges is just one f-stop.

With the ZEISS T*‘s anti-reflective coating, its sophisticated stray light reduction and the excellent flare control the new Distagon also takes pictures of bright light sources without artifacts. The Distagon T*1.4/35’s extremely long-lasting and robust all-metal precision mechanics, for which Carl Zeiss is known, make this lens perfect for use on-the-go and for photo reports.

The Distagon T* 1.4/35 will be available in first quarter of 2011 at a recommended retail price of €1385.71 (excluding VAT)

Carl Zeiss Announced Makro-Planar T* 50mm f/2 and 100mm f/2 ZE Lens

Carl Zeiss has again applied its expertise in lens manufacturing to enable photographers to create wonderfully expressive images. With two new macro lenses, the Makro-Planar T* 2/50 and the Makro-Planar T* 2/100, both now also available with EF bayonet, Carl Zeiss expands its existing ZE line of lenses. Owners of EOS camera models can now create detail-rich macro images that allow sharpness and unsharpness to be deployed as creative elements as they choose. These highly light-sensitive, versatile lenses are also perfect as standard focal lengths for portraits or still life photography.

Even in tricky situations such as dusk, the Makro- Planer T* 2/50 and T* 2/100 ZE create distortion- free images thanks to their extraordinary light intensity of 1:2. Whether capturing an insect resting on a flower or the dampness on a piece of fruit, these lenses allow a degree of sharpness that was hitherto impossible. Even with a maximum aperture opening and a low focal depth, the desired image can be easily isolated from its disruptive surroundings.

Both macro lenses render objects in close-up on a scale of 1:2. To enable such detail, these lenses include Carl Zeiss’s acclaimed “floating elements” design. This special lens alignment enables high optical performance across the entire focusing range, from 0.24 m to infinity. The Makro-Planar T* 2/50 and Makro-Planar T* 2/100 are already available with F bayonet (ZF) and K bayonet (ZK). The Makro-Planar T* 2/50 is also available as a ZF.2 version. Both lens systems are optimized for analog and full-format digital SLR cameras.

The Makro-Planar T* 2/50 ZE is available in December 2009 at a recommended retail price of € 965,55 (excluding VAT).

The Makro-Planar T* 2/100 ZE will be available from beginning of 2010 at a recommended retail price of € 1.385,71 (excluding VAT).

Zeiss launches ZF.2 lenses with CPUs for Nikon

Optics specialist Carl Zeiss today announced its introduction of a new series of lenses for the semi-professional market: the ZF.2 with F bayonet for digital SLRs. Thanks to its electronic interface (CPU), these new ZEISS lenses support all- important operations such as the automatic mechanisms for time, aperture setting and program. The CPU also supports manual exposure settings, including those for camera casings that are not AI-compatible. Since the lens now transmits the EXIF data such as manufacturer, date, metering system and exposure to the camera, photographers no longer need to set the parameters manually. These quicker and faster handling capabilities of the ZF.2 lenses are especially useful under hectic shooting conditions.

ZEISS lenses truly come into their own in situations that demand extreme photographic creativity and maximum image quality. Carl Zeiss’ established fixed focal length lenses are known for their high light sensitivity and precise manual handling, leaving the photographer in full control. The new ZF.2 series will be especially interesting for photo enthusiasts who value creative, high-quality images combined with the comfort of automatic settings.

Martin Klottig, Marketing Manager of the Camera Lens Division at Carl Zeiss AG: “The ZF.2 lenses are ideal tools for photographers who want to concentrate more on the subject than on their camera equipment. Whether at a wedding, a toddler’s first steps or impressions from faraway countries, these lenses are perfect for photographers who want to capture once-only moments quickly and accurately. These situations demand first-class technology that captures spontaneous actions without too much effort and delivers fantastic images each time.”

The ZF.2 lenses are available in eight focal lengths, six of which will be available from the end of November: 3.5/18, 2.8/21, 2/35, 1.4/50, 2/50 and 1.4/85. The Distagon T* 2/28 ZF.2 and macro Planar T* 2/100 ZF.2 will be introduced in Spring 2010. “We are currently completely reworking and optimizing the Distagon T* 2.8/25 ZF. As a result, it will be available for other mounts somewhat later,“ says Klottig.

The prices for these new lenses will lie between EUR 545 and EUR 1.386 (excluding VAT). With the new ZF.2 series, Carl Zeiss extends its acclaimed ZF family of lenses, for which there is still high demand and possibly long waiting times.

“We will offer the ZF series as long as the demand lasts,” stresses Klottig.

Carl Zeiss launches Distagon T* 2/35 lens for Canon

A squirrel nimbly scampers along a moss-covered tree trunk. It has made a promising discovery amongst the fallen leaves of an oak tree. A deer emerges from the half darkness of the woods. A photographer documents the winter preparations of various woodland creatures. This requires a versatile, high-speed, easy to use lens that produces razor-sharp images of the details and the entire scenery.

Optical expert Carl Zeiss has now added an EF bayonet to its proven lens for photographic reporting: the Distagon T* 2/35 ZE. The high-speed, moderate wide-angle Distagon T* 2/35 ZE fits all analog and digital EOS cameras. Its classic 35 mm focal length is particularly well-suited for advertising, travel and nature photography as it captures dynamic perspectives with high depth of focus and few distortions.

With a moderate wide angle of 53 degrees (horizontal), the Distagon T* 2/35 ZE can easily capture wide scenery without forcing photographers to consider perspective effects as design elements as they would have to with shorter focal lengths. The relatively short angle of rotation of the precision focusing mechanism enables fast but precise focusing when required.

For the growing number of photographers and videographers using DSLR’s for movie making, the Distagon T* 2/35 ZE is one of four prime lenses making a core set, joining the Distagon T* 2/28 ZE, Planar T* 1.4/50 ZE and Planar T* 1.4/85 ZE. These lenses are well suited for HD video applications due not only to their exceptional image quality, but for the smooth focus and long focus rotations.

The Distagon T* 2/35 ZE features high image quality for the entire aperture and focusing range. Thanks to its sophisticated optical design in which nine lens elements are perfectly aligned, it permits particularly high imaging performance across the entire image field.

When a tripod is not available, the fast f/2 aperture allows easily handling under low light, making perfect pictures possible even under difficult lighting conditions. Thanks to its special optical design and the Zeiss T* anti-reflection coating, this lens captures bright light sources without artifacts. The Distagon T* 2/35 is also perfect on-the-go thanks to its all-metal and extremely durable precision mechanics for which Carl Zeiss lenses are well-known.

This is ZEISS’ fourth wide-angle lens with an EF bayonet (ZE mount). It follows the recent introduction of the two ultra-wide-angle Distagon T* 3.5/18 ZE and Distagon T* 2.8/21 ZE lenses, as well as the moderate wide-angle Distagon T* 2/28 ZE.

The Distagon T* 2/35 ZE will begin shipping on November 16th for a suggested retail price of $870.

Carl Zeiss announced the Distagon T* 2/28 wide-angle lens in Canon EF mount

The breaking dawn is a special time for photographers. When the early-morning sun reluctantly chases away the still-glistening dew on the trees, this delicate transition between night and day creates moments of calm and anticipation. But without a tripod at hand, these shots will only succeed with a lens that can handle intense light.

Carl Zeiss today introduces the wide-angle lens Distagon T* 2/28 ZE with EF bayonet, suitable for all analog and digital EOS camera models. With an initial aperture opening of 1:2, it is among the most light-intense of its kind in its focal length. From landscape photography at dawn to interior shots with weak lighting and close-up portraits, the Distagon T* 2/28 ZE offers photographers plenty of room for creativity when a tripod is not used. Following the recent introduction of its two ultra-wide-angle lenses, the Distagon T* 3,5/18 ZE and the T* 2,8/21, the new Distagon T* 2/28 ZE is Carl Zeiss’ first moderate wide-angle lens with EF bayonet.

Despite its high light intensity and complex retro-focus construction, the Distagon T* 2/28 ZE has a compact build. These characteristics make the lens a highly versatile and performance-driven tool for all types of photographers. Even with its wide angle, the lens enables photographers to play fully with an image’s depth of focus. With a wide aperture opening, for example, one can effectively separate the motif from its background. With a small aperture opening, photographers can use the sharpness of the lens system for the entire image range. The floating elements design guarantees high imaging performance each time, from close-ups to infinity, enabling the photo- grapher to make razor-sharp close-up images of even the tiniest objects. Thanks to the Carl Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating and meticulously crafted lenses, the new Distagon T* 2/28 ZE deals effortlessly with reflections and stray light. Brilliant pictures work every time, even under tough lighting conditions such as a breaking dawn.

The Distagon T* 2/28 ZE will be available starting autumn for a suggested retail price of EUR 965.55 (excluding VAT)*.

Carl Zeiss presents the Distagon T* 2.8/21 with EF Bayonet

Dusk is falling in Manhattan, and a swarm of commuters on their way home is hurriedly crossing the street toward Grand Central Station. Behind them, the skyscrapers reflect the golden light of the setting sun. To capture this unique atmosphere, photographers need a fast wide-angle lens.

Carl Zeiss is proud to present the Distagon T* 2.8/21 ZE, an ultra-wide-angle lens with EF bayonet designed specifically for such tricky shooting moments. It fits all analogue and digital EOS camera models. It is ideal for architectural and landscape photography. Following the recent release of the Distagon T* 3.5/18 ZE, the new Distagon T* 2.8/21 ZE is now the second Carl Zeiss wide-angle lens with EF bayonet on the market.

Photographers taking wide-angle shots often encounter image errors at the transition between bright and dark light as a result of lenses breaking the various wavelengths differently. The Distagon T* 2.8/21 ZE’s ability to flawlessly correct color errors prevents color fringing and unwanted lack of focus that can result from chromatic aberrations. Thanks to these capabilities, the Distagon T* 2.8/21 ZE is ideal for contrast-rich scenes and intense lighting angles. The lens’s floating elements design also guarantees high imaging performance, from close-ups to infinity. Thanks to the Carl Zeiss T* anti-reflex coating and meticulously-crafted lenses, the Distagon T* 2.8/21 ZE is not affected by reflections or stray light. Capturing scenes with tough lighting conditions, such as the summer dusk in downtown Manhattan, works every time—even with wide aperture settings.

The Distagon T* 2.8/21 ZE will be available in autumn this year for a suggested retail price of EUR 1,549 (including German VAT of 19%)*.

Technical specifications:

Focal length: 21 mm

Aperture range: f/2.8 - f/22

No. of elements/groups: 16/13

Focusing range: 0.22 m - infinity

Angular field (diag./horiz./vert.): 90/81/59 °

Coverage at close range: 19 x 12.4 cm (close-up)

Image ratio at close range: 1:5 (close-up)

Filter thread: M 82 x 0,75

Mounts: ZF (F bayonet), ZK (K bayonet), ZE (EF bayonet)

Accessories: Lens hood included

Carl Zeiss announces 18mm F3.5 for Canon

Whether shooting the elegant lines of the Eiffel Tower or the vast expanses of the Grand Canyon, both situations require a lens field wide enough to reveal the unique and full dimensions of each image. With the new Distagon T* 3.5/18 from Carl Zeiss, EOS camera users now have an ultra-wide-angle lens at their disposal while benefiting from all the other optical qualities that ZEISS lenses are well-known for.

The lens’s extremely wide 99°-angle view is suitable especially for full-frame sensor cameras, delivering an array of new creative possibilities. From landscape and architecture photography to advertising images, cameras equipped with the new Carl Zeiss wide-angle lens meticulously capture once-only moments and spectacular perspectives.

Despite its short focal length, the Distagon T* 3.5/18 ZE has an extremely compact design compared to other zoom lenses in its category. Internal focusing also helps to reduce its size while delivering extremely precise and smooth focus control.

To prevent image aberrations during close-ups, internal lens groups are repositioned individually during focusing in what is called a floating elements design. This allows the Distagon T* 3.5/18 ZE to deliver exceptionally high quality—from extreme close-ups to infinity. Thanks to the ZEISS T*s anti-reflective coating and meticulously crafted lenses, the ZEISS T* is not affected by reflections or stray light. The result: razor-sharp images even under the toughest lighting conditions or with wide aperture settings.

Following the Planar T* 1.4/50 ZE and 1.4/85 ZE, already long cherished by photographers around the world, the Distagon T* 3.5/18 ZE is the first wide-range lens with EF bayonet mount on the market.

The Distagon T* 3.5/18 ZE will be available in autumn 2009 at a suggested retail price of EUR 1,049.00 (excluding VAT)*.

Carl Zeiss Launches New 21mm Super Wide Angle Lens

OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 16.09.2008. The legendary Distagon T* 2.8/21 is now being introduced for SLR cameras with EF, F and K bayonets. Thanks to its excellent performance, this modernized version from the former Contax system sets new standards in this focal length class. “The outstanding correction of chromatic aberration enables photos without color fringes even in high-contrast light conditions”, says Martin Klottig, Marketing Manager, Carl Zeiss Camera Lens Division. “Even at full aperture, the floating element design ensures optimum edge-to-edge image quality over the entire focusing range. And even in difficult light conditions, the new Distagon provides excellent results thanks to its T* coating, optimum reflection reduction and exceptional chromatic correction.”

The shortest possible distance setting of only 0.22 m makes the lens ideal for impressive perspectives. Typical applications include architectural, journalistic and landscape photography.
The Distagon 2.8/21 is available with an EF bayonet (ZE), F bayonet (ZF) and a K bayonet (ZK). It is suitable for both digital and analog full-format SLR cameras.

Delivery of the Distagon T* 2.8/21 is scheduled to begin by the end of this year with the ZF and ZK version. Its selling price is estimated at 1,399 euros (incl. 19% German VAT).

[via zeiss.com]

Carl Zeiss Presents Compact 85 mm Tele Lens

OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 17.09.2008. The compact tele lens Tele-Tessar T* 4/85 ZM fits perfectly to the popular ZM line of lenses. Thanks to its small size, this lens is ideal for portrait and landscape photography. Together with the compact C Biogon T* 2.8/35 ZM, the Tele-Tessar is the perfect equipment for you to travel with, providing you with fascinating possibilities. Despite its compact design, the image quality of the Tele-Tessar T* 4/85 ZM is by no means inferior to that of other lenses in the ZM line. The lens is almost distortion-free and features excellent field curvature correction. Its shortest possible distance setting of only 0.9 m ensures maximum diversity of use. Its all-metal mount and sturdy design make it a multi-purpose lens for a wide variety of applications, even in tougher conditions.

Delivery of the Tele-Tessar T* 4/85 ZM is scheduled to begin by the end of the year. Its recommended retail price is at 769 euros (incl. 19% German VAT).

[via zeiss.com]

Click here for full spec.

Carl Zeiss lenses for Canon SLRs

OBERKOCHEN/Germany, Carl Zeiss is expanding its successful line of SLR lenses: ZE lenses with EF bayonet for all analog and digital EOS camera models. As with all EF lenses, the new ZE lenses from Carl Zeiss transfer all information exclusively via electronic contacts. This means that all exposure modes such as programmed auto exposure, shutter priority, aperture priority and manual setting are supported.

The camera’s automatic focus confirmation also remains available to an unlimited extent with these manual focus lenses. With digital SLRs, the lens data and all exposure data can also be accessed via the camera’s EXIF file. Even E-TTL flash metering is supported. The first lenses to be available will be the Planar T* 1.4/50 ZE and the Planar T* 1.4/85 ZE in the last quarter of this year.

Further focal lengths will be added to the line within the next few months.

You can read the spec for both lens here.

Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 and Carl Zeiss 16-35mm F2.8

Press Release

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 9, 2008 - Sony is expanding its number of high performance Carl Zeiss® and G Series lenses with the addition of the new SAL1635ZA and SAL70400G models.

Vario Sonnar T* 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Series Lens

The SAL1635ZA model is a super wide angle 16-35mm f/2.8 constant aperture zoom lens, well-suited for landscape, snapshot and indoor photography.

It is constructed of 17 lens elements in 13 groups, including an extra-low dispersion (ED) for exceptional clarity and center-to-edge resolution and a super ED glass element for much stronger correction of chromatic aberration or discoloration. It also features three aspherical lens elements that provide greater brightness from center to the edge of the image field.

Its Carl Zeiss T* (T star) coating technology provides higher light transmission, and minimizes flare to produce images of luminous clarity, color and sharpness.

The SAL1635ZA lens offers the utmost flexibility in challenging lighting conditions due to its wide f/2.8 constant aperture. Combined with Sony’s in-camera SteadyShot® Inside image stabilization system, this lens is the only large aperture, full-frame capable, wide-angle zoom lens with the benefit of stabilization in the industry.

Smooth, fast and precise focusing is delivered by Sony’s Super Sonic wave Motor (SSM) autofocus drive system. It utilizes a solid-state focus drive motor to provide silent, high-speed response, powerful torque and fine rotational control - critically important for large wide-aperture lenses.

70-400mm f/4-5.6 G Series Lens

The SAL70400G lens is a 5.7x super telephoto zoom lens and the latest addition to Sony’s G-series line of premium lenses. Designed to deliver extremely sharp descriptive performance across its wide focal length range, it is ideally suited for sports, action and wildlife photography.

Constructed of 18 elements in 12 groups, it includes two extra-low dispersion glass lenses for high contrast, sharp details, and exceptional center-to-edge resolution with minimal chromatic aberration. A circular aperture with nine diaphragm blades is utilized to achieve natural, aesthetically-pleasing de-focusing effects.

With a minimum focus distance of 1.5m and maximum magnification of 0.27x, the lens delivers best-in-class performance.

Like the SAL1635ZA lens, focus drive is provided by its SSM system, which offers the speed and rotational precision often required for telephoto shooting. Additionally, the lens has an internal focusing system for faster auto focusing.

A focus-mode/range switch and three focus-hold buttons have been added to the lens barrel for enhanced operability.

For both models, when attached to the flagship α900 camera body, the AF hold buttons can be customized to activate the intelligent preview function.

Price and Availability

The Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA and 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G lens will ship in January 2009 for about $1,800 and $1,500, respectively. They will be available at sonystyle.com, at Sony Style® retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), at military base exchanges, and at authorized dealers nationwide.

Sony A900 and Zeiss 16-35mm f/2.8 in the Wild

As usual, the eagle-eyed forum posters have dug up the inevitable - someone using the Sony A900 and Carl Zeiss 16-35mm f/2.8 lens in the wild. While gaffer tape covers up most of the markings, there’s no mistaking this combo.

[DPR via Xitek]