Zeiss lenses coming in new mount - Zx?

[sockeyed]

Zeiss has announced that they will release their lenses in a new mount come September 15th. Some guess that it might be Canon EF (although there are patent issues to deal with there), or perhaps Sony or 4/3. Zeiss lenses are already available in Leica, Nikon, M42 and Pentax mount.

The announcement is advertised on Zeiss' homepage.

And Mike Johnston's blog has a discussion going.

Anyone want to hazard a guess?

[rover]

Sony, Za, is already listed on their website.

[sockeyed]

True, Rover.

The following are already identified on the Zeiss site as being under production:
Sony (ZA)
Zeiss Ikon (ZM)
SLR-lenses (ZF, ZK, ZS)
Hasselblad (ZV)
Hartblei Tilt and Shift
ALPA
Rollei
Sinar

[Avotius]

ZA has been out for a while already, I am really really really hoping its a Canon mount, I have been bugging Zeiss to make this and take advantage of that fact that Cosina already has made lenses for this mount before. The only other thing I can think of is that Zeiss will start making 4/3rd mount lenses or m4/3 mount lenses, if they do that, then I would be very happy as well though I dont think that is where they are going with this.

Any other guesses? Maybe they are making Mamiya mount lenses for the new PhaseOne cameras or maybe RED mount lenses?

[sockeyed]

I can't think of anything that it could be other than Canon EF. It's obviously something pretty big or Zeiss wouldn't get folks all excited like they are doing. 4/3 is a possibility but that's a fairly small market I would think, plus they already have some pretty good Zuiko primes. m4/3 cameras haven't even been developed, so I can't imagine why they would build lenses in that mount. Contax and Leica-R are pretty small segments of the market that are also well-served with primes. Mamiya and Red are also small players.

Canon themselves focus mostly on big zooms with a few (large) exotic L primes thrown in and a some really old standard primes. The primes Zeiss offers may not be viewed as a threat by Canon, so they may let them use the mount. Canon also has never been strong with wides, so Zeiss could fill a niche there. Zeiss optics could also make images from Canon bodies look very, very good. Cosina has made EF-mount lenses before, of course, so the know-how is certainly there.

As a 5D user, I'm really hoping we're looking at ZE mount lenses mid september. I'm jonesing for a 25/2.8, 35/2 and 50/1.4. Heck, why not an 85/1.4 too.

[Avotius]

I like the way you think there... If there is a mess of Zeiss lenses for Canon coming, which seems like the logical choice, I really cant think of any other mounts out there that they could come out with. 4/3 maybe but that would seem to require some serious retooling of their lenses, but then again they will have to do that for the Canon's also. I hope they keep the aperture rings most of all but also have a setting for being able to set the aperture in camera, kind of like the A setting on Leica 4/3rd lenses but more of an M. For M 4/3 they would have to completely redesign their entire set of lenses they are milking right now but whos to say in the future a few of the ZM lenses could not be retooled for such use as they are pretty much set up for that use already.

Mamiya is a small player in the amateur market, but a huge player in the pro market, so its not such a huge stretch, but still the line of lenses they are talking about here is their 35mm SLR line so yes, I think its going to be Canon. Contax or Leica R mount is probably not what they are thinking, Contax's already excellent line of Zeiss lenses coupled with my more preferred Yashica lenses making that an already very well rounded system, not to mention a dead end one. Leica R mount already has a spectacular lenses and a wide range from ultra wide to tele covered well. The only thing its missing is a more decent mid range zoom but that is just one hole.

If it is EF mount then I will stick to Canon and not make the jump to Nikon that I have been seriously considering more and more. While I like the Nikon bodies more, I highly prefer the couple of Canon L lenses that I do use, for instance the 70-200 2.8 L IS which is my fav in their line. If they retool the ZF lenses for EF mount, count me in, I will be looking for that 28 f2 as my first purchase.

ps. I have used that Zeiss 85mm in ZF mount a lot, its really awesome but the close focus is 1 meter, tisk tisk.

[noimmunity]

A totally uneducated guess, but my intuition says Canon.

[Rayt]

If it is going to be "Z-EF" then I hope it will be chipped so it'll have AF confirm.

[yzblog]

I'd be more than happy to have Zeiss glass for Canon but I seriously doubt it. (A Canon 5d with Zeiss lenses - a dream come true) I don't think Canon will let a premium brand make lenses for their mount, and Zeiss definitely will not 'backward design' it.

Four thirds? Probably, but I don't think manual focus is a good idea for those small viewfinders. (except E-3)

Most probably they will make manual focus lenses for Sony, which is not at all that big news as they already have the ZA line with af. But the rather strange thing is that on their 'teaser ad' the ZA mount is missing. Maybe because they're going to extend it in a way?

But apart from all that I think the greatest news for all of us would be a Zeiss Ikon Digital announcement at Photokina

[Ray Nalley]

The ZI digital would at least make more sense than still more lenses. It isn't like we aren't already awash with lenses to play with.

[jaap]

Wishfull thinking CONTAX CONTAX ................CONTAX

[Darren Abate]

There are two things I am demanding – yes, demanding – from Zeiss: Canon EF glass and a digital ZI. As long as they provide me with those two things, then I won't have to reprimand them.

[yzblog]

Originally Posted by Darren Abate

There are two things I am demanding – yes, demanding – from Zeiss: Canon EF glass and a digital ZI. As long as they provide me with those two things, then I won't have to reprimand them.

I agree but on the other hand if they make it, I'll go seriously bankrupt

[gohaj]

anyone think it will be nikon rf mount?

[icebear]

I wouldn't care too much for Z-EF but a ZI digital [FF of course] that'd be nice. And I'd go bankrupt, too . Btw a LOT more going on at Zeiss than at Leica, or maybe the Red Dot will surprise all of us at Photokina...

[sockeyed]

Originally Posted by gohaj

anyone think it will be nikon rf mount?

I don't believe so. If you look at the teaser graphic on their site, it shows a series of three SLR lenses labelled ZF (Nikon), ZS (M42) and ZK (Pentax), and a space with a question mark. To me this implies a continuation of the SLR series of lenses but in a new mount.

And Zeiss has already make a Nikon RF lens - the C-Sonnar 50/1.5, right?

Colin - I'm with you on the "A" setting if it's going to be an EF mount. It would be nice to use all the auto settings in the body rather than just aperture priority and manual.

[wintoid]

I'm not clear, the viewfinder darkens as you stop down with ZK and ZS lenses right? Does it darken with ZF on Nikon? Should we expect it to darken with ZE on EOS (assuming that's what's coming)...

[wpb]

The EF mount is not patented per se. The code in the chip is a proprietary trade secret and must be licensed from Canon. You can reverse engineer the code, as Sigma has done with mixed results.

[sockeyed]

Originally Posted by wintoid

I'm not clear, the viewfinder darkens as you stop down with ZK and ZS lenses right? Does it darken with ZF on Nikon? Should we expect it to darken with ZE on EOS (assuming that's what's coming)...

Simon - I think that if you use them on the appropriate body (ie, ZF on Nikon, ZK on Pentax), all Z* lenses have automatic aperture that closes down when you fire the shutter, leaving you to compose and focus with the lens wide open. When you start using adapters, like mounting a ZF lens on a Canon body, then you have to deal with stopped-down lenses. If they made an EF-mount series of lenses, I think that they would function as they should - with automatic apertures (and hopefully full AE capabilities).

[wlewisiii]

I must admit that the idea of a 50/1.4 T* Planar on my A2E is quite a tasty. Disasterous for my wallet, but tasty... Still they have always answered that EF was unlikely whenever I've emailed them asking for it & a nice 28 Biogon.

William

[shadowfox]

Want: ZO for my Olympus OM-1 and OM-4
Chance: less than zero percent

[kram]

Leica R fit?? Nah, its got to be a ZEF, with NO coding )Hey us ZF users can't have it so why Canon). Is this really a Ikon thread?

[Prosaic]

Why not go ask Zeiss customer service directly if they are going to offer Canon compatible lenses soon?

[ljsegil]

The ZF 2.0/100 Makro Planar is so good that it is worth picking up an old Nikon film SLR just to be able to use it (F3 for me). A new lens line will be very interesting, whatever it may be. Kiss your L lenses goodby, maybe?
LJS

[Avotius]

On the Zeiss website they say the new lenses are ZE so I think we can be sure they are giving into all the emails I have sent them about making canon mount lenses as long as E does not stand for (Olympus) e420

I am quite interested to see how they will deal with aperture linkage, it's going to be interesting.