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Meyer Optik Görlitz, the German brand that offered lenses through Kickstarter before its parent company filed for insolvency last year, has confirmed speculation that the Nocturnus lenses were slightly modified versions of a Chinese lens, and the Somnium lenses were modified versions of a Russian lens.
The brand’s new owner OPC Optics revealed its finding in a press release, stating that it had spent time analyzing the Meyer Optik products and planning how it would move forward with the brand. According to OPC Optics Managing Director Timo Heinze, ‘It’s fair to say that the previous organization and processes shocked us on occasions.’
Among other things, the company said it discovered that past speculation about the Somnium and Nocturnus lenses proved true, and as such it will discontinue both ranges ‘for the time being.’ The company didn’t say which lenses were used, but online speculation over the years had pegged the $ 3,000 Nocturnus as a modified $ 849 Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 50mm F0.95 lens.
Heinze explained, ‘That is an absolute no go. As a German manufacturer using the ‘Made in Germany’ quality seal, this is a shameful indictment. These lenses may be perfectly good in their own right, but their production methods and marketing goes against all our principles.’
Heinze acknowledged that Meyer Optik may relaunch lenses ‘with similar characteristics’ under its ownership in the future, but they would not be rebranded, modified Russian and Chinese lenses. The potential future lenses ‘would, of course, be our own designs
and produced by us, in order to genuinely earn the ‘Made in Germany’ label,’ according to Heinze.
Via: PetaPixel
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)