Any word on new 3rd party lenses?

[ABCDave]

Carl Zeiss and Sigma announced that they would be making lenses for :43:back in February. Does anyone have any idea how long it takes to go from announcement to production? Cosina announced in August 2010 and had the Nokton 25mm F0.95 available in October 2010. Does anyone know if they plan to release any other lenses?

...and hopefully their offerings will be orders of magnitude less expensive than the Noktor Hyperprime 50mm f09.5 ($8,350.00 )

Thx

 

[RT_Panther]

I went to the website. Hopefully, that price is a typo...

 

[Luckypenguin]

It's Hong Kong $ which converts to about $US1050, but still quite expensive for a CCTV-esque lens that never really existed...

 

[Grinch]

I hope it's a typo as well if it's really f09.5

 

[Ned]

I heard the Noktor is not good, either. The Cosina/Voigtlander 25mm came with lots of love however, and I'm sure the Zeiss lenses as well as the Sigma lenses will be good as well.

What I had heard is that Zeiss will be offering their cine prime lens collection with HD optimized features for Micro Four-Thirds. This is very exciting, and I'm glad they're joining with such specialized lenses, particularly with mFT being such an ideal still/video system. Voigtlander came in with the fastest prime ever, and now Zeiss with an HD Video collection. Both companies are positioning themselves wisely in the mFT marketplace.

I just wish Zeiss would hurry up. Same with Sigma, who had been good for offering affordable but unique lenses to the Four-Thirds collection, including stuff that we couldn't get from Olympus such as the 50-500mm and 300-800mm zooms (I know, the last one wasn't affordable - but it sure is a unique offering!).

 

[RT_Panther]

Will Zeiss & Sigma lenses autofocus?

 

[Luckypenguin]

Aren't the Zeiss lenses the crazy expensive MF film lenses? More for the AF100 than popping on your Pen.

 

[RT_Panther]

Tough to say since Zeiss will also be making NEX lenses....

 

[Luckypenguin]

I think that the Zeiss-branded NEX lenses will be Sony's IP and not specifically a Zeiss lens, along the same lines as the Leica-branded Panasonic lenses.

 

[Pan Korop]

Samyang had also expressed interest by exhibiting an MF, 7.5mm, m43-dedicated fisheye, but no recent news on this prototype.

For Zeiss, if it's only a blue sticker to overprice Cosina, Tamron or Kyocera lenses, it leaves me even colder than Leica silkscreening. For their cine primes, if you found a producer/sponsor, even Kipon makes Arri to m43 adapters now...

I guess many makers just wait to see which microsystem takes the best of the market...

Now, one has also to dial-in the delayed supplies of key components--from glass to chips and cutting tools--from a still widely disrupted Japanese industry.

 

[pictor]

What I had heard is that Zeiss will be offering their cine prime lens collection with HD optimized features for Micro Four-Thirds.

At the moment Zeiss offers at least their Compact Primes CP.2 with a µ4/3 mount.

 

[fredlong]

Schneider-Kreuznach also announced joining m4/3 back in Feb. along with everyone else.

From an article from somewhere (sorry for the horrible attribution)

Bad Kreuznach, 04.02.2011, Schneider-Kreuznach has joined the “Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group” – a consortium of companies with the objective of improving the possibilities and quality of compact digital cameras. Developed by Olympus and Panasonic, “Micro Four Thirds” is a standard for lens mounts that is tailored to digital system cameras. “This standard has great potential. It simplifies and improves the options for compact digital cameras and offers an excellent opportunity for the industry as a whole, as well as for us as a lens manufacturer. We are working intensively on a corresponding series of lenses,” says Dr. Josef Staub, CEO of the Schneider Group.

 

[Linh]

Seems like they'd be prime to jump in on the glaring gaps... namely a medium fast telephoto zoom with lens stabilization =) or even a normal zoom. But we have a decent set of prime lenses to pick from there.. I want to see faster telephotos.

 

[Bokeh Diem]

Crazy Expensive Zeiss?

Well, the Oly Top-Pro line for Four Thirds, which adapt nicely (with full electronics) onto Micro Four Thirds, fetch $2200 (new) for the 150/2.0 and around $7300 or less for the 300, all weather sealed and dustproof Pro units.

Expect to pay for niche, and quality. I can hardly wait for Zeiss to show up with a dedicated range offering and take us to another level. We will be all sitting around talking about how cheap those Leica branded Mu-43 lenses are then. Here's the Zeiss compact prime as it is... http://www.zeiss.com/compactprime

$3900.00 U.S for the 25mm f2.0 CP.2.. but look and LISTEN to the video there... they HAVE a full range, waiting to be adapted.... and selling for $11000.00 for three lenses. This is serious, PRO gear.

Aren't the Zeiss lenses the crazy expensive MF film lenses? More for the AF100 than popping on your Pen.

 

[Linh]

Well, the Oly Top-Pro line for Four Thirds, which adapt nicely (with full electronics) onto Micro Four Thirds, fetch $2200 (new) for the 150/2.0 and around $7300 or less for the 300, all weather sealed and dustproof Pro units.

That certainly is desirable when pro bodies come out (though, not specifically for me). I'm more looking for the 50-150 OS sigma has.... but built for m43. I am just missing something in the 100 to 200 range that is native, and has stabilization (panny user, and prefer it in lens for telephoto).

 

[Luke]

I am just missing something in the 100 to 200 range that is native, and has stabilization (panny user, and prefer it in lens for telephoto).

What's wrong with the Panny 45-200? It's my 2nd most used lens.

 

[Linh]

What's wrong with the Panny 45-200? It's my 2nd most used lens.

I'd like to see it at f/2.8, constant.

 

[RT_Panther]

We will be all sitting around talking about how cheap those Leica branded Mu-43 lenses are then.

+5
You got that right! For those who think Leica/Panasonic lenses are expensive now will not be complaining if Olympus brings µ4/3 versions of their Super High Grade lense into the fray...

 

[Ned]

Schneider-Kreuznach also announced joining m4/3 back in Feb. along with everyone else.

Oh yeah... So now we have all the lens makers which have a commitment with Panasonic (Leica), Sony (Zeiss), and Samsung (Schneider). Sweet.

I nearly forgot this most excellent article on Micro Four-Thirds lens contributors...

If 2010 is Micro FourThirds' Year, 2011 is the Year of Olympus - Zone-10 - Beyond the Light

 

[Bokeh Diem]

More on Zeiss CP.2 Range MFT Lenses IMPORTANT UPDATE

Designed for cinemaphotography, these lenses are ALL available now, tested and in use.

See: DVuser: Carl Zeiss Compact Prime CP.2 Lenses

"I've become something of a fan of Panasonic's AF101 film-like HD camcorder, so it seemed obvious to test these lenses with this camera. The AF101 has a MTF (micro four third) mount and the Zeiss lenses are now available as an MFT mount option."

We would have been talking about this earlier but this Site has very little if any resonance with the Micro Four Thirds video shooting community, amateur or pro.

All these lenses mount directly onto the MFT still-shooting bodies, and I would expect that once Panasonic get their head out of the cheap trick clouds and builds a prosumer GH2 (3?) MFT weather sealed body to match these lenses we might have a real tiger by the tail.

Bokeh Diem