Is anyone as curious as I am? We'll see in less than 1 day!

INFO

Heck, I even sold my EF 16-35L in hope of a new EOS mount Distagon or Vario-Sonnar.

Hi DJ

rumors says about Nikon-mount to be supported; but IMO, this wouldn't make big sense.

Still you ca use a Nikon to EOS-adapter from cameraquest.

I've been watching that site for a couple weeks, seems like everyday it says you'll find out tomorrow. All the rumors I've heard do say it's going to be a nikon thing

I think they'll do Canon and Nikon mounts, and maybe others. But why wouldn't they want to cash in on the 2 largest makers is my hopeful thinking.

Funny about a year ago I sent Zeiss this email and encouraged friends wanting better EOS wide lenses to do the same:

quote:

At 1:07 AM -0700 1/21/05, John MacLean Photography wrote:
Is it at all possible for Zeiss to make a 21mm like the MM Contax design to fit Canon EOS? I recently learned that this Contax lens was discontinued. It was adaptable to the EOS with various converters.

Canon is seriously lacking quality in the wide angle department, and if Zeiss made lenses to directly fit EOS, just like Tokina and Sigma, I'd bet you would have every serious amateur and pro lining up to buy one!

I very much look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
John MacLean

and their reply to us:

quote:

From: "Gruppen-User Photo"
Subject: Your e-mail dated January 21, 2005
To: john@johnmaclean.com
Sender: "Heike Maier"
Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 13:55:57 +0100

Dear Mr. MacLean,

Thank you for your suggestion. We keep hearing similar ideas and are working towards solutions. It would be premature to disclose further details, but if things go well we might be able to announce interesting news later this year.

Best regards,
____________

Carl Zeiss AG
Gesch�ftsbereich Photoobjektive/Camera Lens Division
Manager Marketing

K o r n e l i u s J. M u e l l e r

73446 Oberkochen, Germany
Tel/Phone: +49 73 64-20-2687
Mobile: +49 171 55 10 747
mailto: ko.mueller@zeiss.de
http://www.zeiss.de/photo and www.zeissikon.com and www.digiprimes.com

the you gotta love this http://www.ogisaku.com/

It's out now

-- short translating:

For Nikon F: a 1.4/50 and a 1.4/85

klick

Plus for the Sinar with the Nikon F-mount -adapter

and: more important: Zeiss starts selling it s own lenses, and not giving to any DSLR-manufacturer! Selling early summer 06.

The lenses are for FF, Canon photographers have to use the M-42-adapter. This serie is called ZS.

Manual focus only, for the Nikon's too, as Nikon gave up today on MF lenses. The lenses are made by Cosina (sic) in japan, but controlled by Zeiss Germany.

My first impression:

Hmm, that's interesting, but I'm not to sure about these decisions:

made by Cosina, will that not do dammage to zeiss; and Nikon F only: the Nikon wide's are regarded to be better than the canon one's. And I'm not to sure that the M-42 will be attractiv enough for the canon users; I'd rather think they would prefer the EOS-mount, which would be easy possible.

Bart,
I'm surprised you can actually read all that Japanese stuff, being Dutch....
Been to too many Sushi joints lately ?

But seriously, is there an English version of that site ? I couldn't find a link.

Met vriendelijke groeten,
Peter ( )

here is my letter I just emailed to Zeiss:

Dear Kornelius,

I had emailed you just about a year ago (Jan 21, 2005) requesting your lenses with an EOS mount. This news is VERY DISAPPOINTING to say the least. Giving preferential treatment to Nikon users is not only disappointing, but a bad business decision on your company's part. Having to use an adapter to utilize the EOS mount is ridiculous! Think about how MANY Canon EOS users there are worldwide and how much money you're loosing by not making what we're desiring, which is your wide angle glass in an auto EOS mount!

I won't be buying any adaptor to use your lenses, period!!! And I'll bet that I'm not alone!

Sincerely,
John MacLean

DJ

did you read the "Future of Film" article?
Look here
- in english. Looks funny in 2006.

I'd think that Zeiss wasn't getting the licence from either Canon or Nikon - to use the mounts in auto-diafragma's.

Even the Nikonian will not be saddiesfied with the manual settings, only, we're talking about a lens system launched in 2006, probably not beeing the cheapest one!

I don't think Zeiss will go a long way with these lenses; geez- what a huge hype the made, with this every day teasing - and disappointing the result!!

Yeah, what a bunch of hype, with a very anticlimactic finish!

I think they're in a vacuum and don't get the big picture!

Well I got back 3 read receipts from the 3 different email addresses I used, but no written replies...

quote:

Originally posted by John MacLean Photography:
[qb]

Well I got back 3 read receipts from the 3 different email addresses I used, but no written replies... [/qb]

That's modern management

Still wondering why then Sigma and Tokina, etc can screw EOS-mounts on the glass

quote:

Originally posted by John MacLean Photography:
Yeah, what a bunch of hype, with a very anticlimactic finish!

I think they're in a vacuum and don't get the big picture!

Well I got back 3 read receipts from the 3 different email addresses I used, but no written replies...

Hello John Maclean,

Seems that the patent expiration of the Nikon F mount was the reason they went this direction. I doubt they expected huge sales, or challenging Tamron, Tokina, or Sigma. Third party autofocus is already a pretty saturated market. Paying a license fee for a more modern mount would have increased lenses prices from Zeiss.

I like the idea of a really good 50 mm f1.4, and would be interested in a Zeiss design, if the quality control is good. Cosina have done a good job with their Voigtl�nder line, so I think it would be possible. That link above to a Japanese website indicates near $500 for a ZF 50 mm f1.4 . . . not bad.

There have been a few posters on PDN mentioning using a Zeiss/Contax wide lens with Canon. If people were already doing a little of that through an adapter, don't you think some of them might want a more modern design from Zeiss?

quote:

Originally posted by Gordon Moat:
[qb] [QUOTE]
..... If people were already doing a little of that through an adapter, don't you think some of them might want a more modern design from Zeiss? [/qb]

Hi Gordon


I am one of these adapter users, with some Zeiss (Hassi) and some Zuiko (oly) lenses on my 1 Ds-2. As I very rarely shoot out of the hand, manual focus is not a problem to me.

But I think, that Zeiss missed a big point; they' re lauching a new lens line, which hasn't any advantages over the old, "self-made" adapter, and as far as I could see, there's nothing really new in that "new" product; apart from the manual Nikon mount.

That's not really what I would call "innovative + creative"

To be honest, I can't see the point in paying full new price for a ZF lens. I have plenty of Nikon bodies, but it seems that the two 'new' lenses are just Contax RTS lenses with a Nikon mount and some external cosmetics. Considering the sate of the SLR MF film-based market at the moment, it would be much wiser, and far cheaper, to simply buy a near mint Contax RTS body and both the original Planar T* 50mm and 85mm lenses on Ebay.
The T* 85mm is a nice lens, but I've not found it to be much better than the Nikon's own Nikkor 85mm f1.4 or the superb Pentax 85mm f1.4.