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Posts Tagged ‘Zeiss’

Zeiss launches new lineup of lightweight and compact ‘Supreme Prime’ lenses

26 May

Zeiss has announced a new lineup of 13 ‘Supreme Prime’ lenses for large format cinematographers who want smaller and lighter glass that still produces top-quality results. The kind of lenses that’ll make your salivary glands work… and your wallet groan.

The Supreme Prime range will comprise focal lengths from 15mm to 200mm, and Zeiss says that most of those lenses will have a maximum aperture of T1.5. In fact, ten of the focal lengths will offer a maximum aperture of T1.5, while the 15mm and 150mm will be T1.8, and the 200mm will be a T2.1.

Despite their diminutive size, Zeiss stresses that the Supreme Primes are designed for high-end advertising work and movie production; consequently, they will be compatible with large format (full-frame) movie cameras such as the Sony Venice, ARRI Alexa LF, and the RED Monstro. Zeiss says the lenses will be versatile and able to create different looks because of their “gentle sharpness, the aesthetic focus fall-off, and elegant bokeh” which the company claims makes them suitable for a wide range of production styles.

Communication between the lenses and the camera will be performed via the Zeiss eXtended Data and Cooke’s /i metadata protocols. These record optical characteristics and lens settings to every frame recorded to assist post-production processes, especially when visual effects need to be added to the footage.

The 25mm, 29mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm lenses will be released in August 2018 and the 100mm will be ready in December. All six can be purchased together as a set for $ 108,000, but you’ll have to wait until 2019 for the 15mm, 18mm, 21mm, 65mm, 135mm and 150mm focal lengths to finish drip-feeding into the range. The 200mm T2.1, meanwhile, will arrive in 2020.

To see the new Zeiss Supreme Prime lenses in action, check out the sample film below shot with these lenses on the Sony Venice, Phantom 4K, and RED Monstro VV. And if you want to learn more about the lenses, head over to the Zeiss website.

Press Release

New High-End Cinema Lens Family ZEISS Supreme Primes

With its 13 high-speed, full-frame, prime lenses for high-quality film productions, ZEISS is focusing on maximum quality, low weight, and significant versatility when it comes to creating superb visual imagery.

ZEISS has introduced a new family of high-speed lenses for high-end film production: The ZEISS Supreme Prime family consists of 13 lenses with fixed focal lengths between 15 and 200 millimeters, the majority with a maximum aperture of T1.5. “The lenses are designed for film productions of an extremely high quality,” says Christophe Casenave from ZEISS. “They are perfect for high-budget advertising or feature films, for example.” ZEISS Supreme Primes are designed to cover cinematic large format camera sensors and are compatible with all of the latest camera models, such as the Sony Venice, ARRI Alexa LF, and RED Monstro. According to Casenave, the versatility of the Supreme Prime lenses to create different visual looks is due to the gentle sharpness, the aesthetic focus fall-off and elegant bokeh. The lenses are extremely flexible and can be used equally well for science fiction thrillers as well as for dramas.

Compact and Lightweight

“Weighing an average of 1600 grams (3.5 pounds), ZEISS Supreme Primes are significantly lighter and smaller than comparable lenses on the market,” says Casenave. With these compact and lightweight lenses, ZEISS is responding to many camera operators’ desire for compact equipment that still meets the highest standards of quality. “ZEISS Supreme Primes are unbelievably rugged and reliable. Regardless of whether filming in the desert or in the Arctic, the lenses perform flawlessly. And in the event that something should ever break, our worldwide service network provides fast and professional help.”

ZEISS eXtended Data Metadata Technology

The ZEISS Supreme Primes are equipped with the ZEISS eXtended Data metadata technology. Introduced in 2017, ZEISS eXtended Data provides frame by frame data on lens vignetting and distortion in addition to the standard lens metadata provided using Cooke’s /i technology1 protocol. This greatly speeds up the entire film production’s workflow. When using visual effects for example, with only a few clicks, the lens properties can be removed so that computer-generated effects imagery can be accurately applied to the captured imagery. The lens properties can then be reapplied with the same click of a button and combined with the film material to create a realistic image. Previously, all of the data had to be measured manually so that it could be corrected in post-production. But ZEISS eXtended Data eliminates this time-consuming job.

Price and Availability

The first ZEISS Supreme Primes lenses with focal lengths of 25, 29, 35, 50, and 85 millimeters will be available starting on August 1, 2018. The ZEISS Supreme Prime 100 millimeter will be available in December 2018. The set of six lenses, consisting of the focal lengths mentioned above, is available from ZEISS Cinema lens dealers for 108,000 USD. The remaining focal lengths will be released successively until 2020.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nokia 8 Sirocco features 2x optical zoom and Carl Zeiss optics

26 Feb

HMD Global has today launched the Nokia 8 Sirocco. The Sirocco is the new top-end model in the Nokia line-up and comes with a range of improvements over the original Nokia 8 which was only unveiled to the public in September 2017.

The most important change has arguably taken place in the camera module. Where the old model combined an RGB with a monochrome sensor in its dual-camera setup, the Sirocco comes with a secondary tele-lens instead. The main camera features a 12 MP sensor with 1.4 µm pixel size and an F1.75 aperture. The tele lens offers a 2x optical zoom and has a 13MP pixel count and smaller 1.0 µm pixels. At F2.6 the aperture is slower as well.

Dual-pixel AF is on board, too, and, as before, the camera optics have been co-developed in cooperation with Carl Zeiss.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco is built for rough conditions. Its front and back are 95% covered by durable Gorilla Glass 5 and HMD Global says the metal body, which is hand-milled from stainless steel, is a lot tougher than its aluminum counter parts. The device is also water and dust resistant (IP67 certified).

Like the original 8, the Sirocoo is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 chipset and 6GB of RAM. 128GB of storage can be expanded via a microSD slot. The display has grown from 5.3″ to 5.5″ and uses now AMOLED technology rather than IPS, but the QHD resolution has remained unchanged.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco will be available in Europe from April for 750 Euros (approximately USD 920). Pricing for other regions has not been announced yet.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Zeiss unveils ‘small, robust and versatile’ Loxia 25mm F2.4 lens

16 Feb

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The Zeiss Loxia manual focus lens family for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras just gained a new member. Say hello to the Loxia 25mm F2.4, a wide-angle lens that boasts a compact design, the ability to de-click the aperture for video shooting, and “outstanding image performance across the entire image field.”

Zeiss is calling this lens “small, robust and versatile,” a “new focal length of modest proportions” that joins four other manual-focus Loxia lenses: the 21mm F2.8, 35mm F2, 50mm F2, and 85mm F2.4.

The point of the Loxia line and its lack of autofocus is to provide compact, durable, lightweight companions for the Sony full-frame E-mount system that do not draw too much attention—great for street and travel photographers who are happy to trade the convenience of autofocus to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

Here is a sample photo shot with the Loxia 25mm F2.4 in Taipei, by photographer Jeff Hsiao, for your pixel peeping pleasure:

Photo © Jeff Hsiao, courtesy of Zeiss

To see more official Sample Photos, visit the Zeiss Camera Lenses Flickr account.

The Zeiss Loxia 25mm F2.4 will be available in March for €1,300 (including German VAT) or $ 1,300 USD (excluding local taxes), lens hood included. Zeiss also says to look out for a special filmmakers set comprising all five Loxia lenses to be available soon. To learn more, read the full release below or visit the Zeiss website.

Press Release

The New ZEISS Loxia 2.4/25 – Flexibility for Photography On-the-Go

With this compact wide-angle lens, ZEISS is adding a new focal length of modest proportions to its ZEISS Loxia lens family.

OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 2018-02-14. – With the ZEISS Loxia 2.4/25 compact wide-angle lens, ZEISS is adding a new focal length to its lens family that will benefit both landscape and architectural photographers: “High resolution across the entire image as well as low distortion ensure the perfect result,” says Product Manager Christophe Casenave. “The compact lens delivers great images thanks to the new optical design.” The ZEISS Loxia 2.4/25 also features high-quality mechanical parts, and the durable metal housing makes this a reliable lens for photographers on the road.

The right companion for years to come

Small, robust and versatile: the lenses in the ZEISS Loxia family for mirrorless cameras in the Sony Alpha series are particularly well-suited for street and travel photographers who love being inconspicuous as they capture special moments in cities and in nature without carrying around a lot of equipment. The compact design of the ZEISS Loxia lenses has been specially developed for the mirrorless full-frame Sony E-mount cameras. Used in tandem, the lens and camera enable filmmakers and photographers to achieve a high-quality result, while the equipment’s modest dimensions ensure users always have whatever they need with them. “This is a significant advantage for anyone who wants to blend into the background and is also on the road a lot,” says Product Manager Casenave. The all-round talent from the ZEISS Loxia family is also great for filming.

Bringing creativity to life through precise, manual focusing

Traditional photography and cutting-edge technology all in one: with the ZEISS Loxia 2.4/25, photographers can let their artistic creativity run free. “A steady hand and the manual focusing means users achieve impressive results,” says Casenave. The electronic interface for the ZEISS Loxia 2.4/25 transfers both lens data and focus movements to the Sony camera and then activates the focus peaking or the zoom function. Demanding photographers can achieve a wide range of creative possibilities thanks to precise, manual focusing, including a retro look and feel.

Precise and sophisticated – the ZEISS Loxia lens family featuring five focal lengths between 21 and 85 millimeters gives users a large number of creative possibilities when taking photographs or filming because of its technical refinement, linking traditional photography with modern technology.

A strong all-rounder for taking photographs and filming

The ZEISS Loxia family comprises five lenses with focal lengths between 21 and 85 millimeters. The lenses with manual focusing are all compact, durable and do not draw too much attention. With these lightweight companions, photographers and filmmakers have the necessary equipment and flexibility they need while on the road. The ZEISS Loxia lenses along with all the accessories have the same diameter and enable users to quickly and easily switch between different focal lengths during a shoot. The lenses offer the optimum foundation for capturing photographs and filming, both individually and as a set. These strong all-round talents excel at a wide range of uses.

Price and availability

The ZEISS Loxia 2.4/25 will be available at the ZEISS Webshop and at dealers from March 2018. The price of the new ZEISS Loxia 2.4/25 is €1,299 (incl. German VAT) or $ 1,299 US (excl. local taxes). The lens hood is included. Filmmakers can look forward to a special offer on a set comprising all five ZEISS Loxia focal lengths ranging from 21 to 85 millimeters.

For more information, please visit www.zeiss.com/photo/loxia2425

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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A strange shootout: $5,000 Zeiss Otus 28mm F1.4 vs $4,250 Leica Q

31 Jan

PhotoShelter founder and CEO Allen Murabayashi recently decided to pit two unlikely competitors against each other. In a short, unscientific comparison review, Murabayashi wanted to see how the $ 5,000 Zeiss Otus 28mm F1.4 lens stacked up against the almost-as-expensive $ 4,250 Leica Q, which sports a fixed 28mm F1.7 lens.

When you consider the identical focal lengths and “must have deep pockets” price tags, the shootout almost makes sense—so Allen slapped the Otus on a Nikon D850 and went out shooting with both cameras. And despite the fact that Allen admits “it’s impossible to make a straight apples to apples comparison” when it comes to image quality—given the D850’s 45MP resolution compared to the 24MP Leica Q—he was still able to draw a pithy conclusion about who the Otus is made for, and why you might choose the Leica Q instead:

You can certainly make the argument that a 45MP sensor needs great glass, and in this regard, the Otus delivers the goods. But the slow operation of the lens turns a pretty great digital camera into something more like a large format camera.

If you like “slow” photography and have deep pockets, the Otus might be for you. If you just have deep pockets (and a bad back), stick with the Leica.

For a bit more depth, or if you want to check out some side-by-side comparison shots from PhotoShelter’s testing, watch the video above or check out the full written comparison on the PhotoShelter Blog.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Cosina has discontinued the Zeiss SLR Classic series of lenses

15 Dec

Cosina Japan has officially discontinued the Zeiss SLR Classic lens series, specifically bringing an end to the: Zeiss Distagon T* 15mm F2.8, 18mm F3.5, 25mm F2, 28mm F2, and 35 F1.4, as well as the Zeiss APO?Sonnar T* 135mm F2.

The notice simply reads (translated):

“[Production End Guide] The ZEISS SLR classic series of products (2.8/15, 3.5/18, 2/25, 2/28, 1.4/35, 2/135) has finished production.”

The announcement comes a couple years after Cosina launched a new lens series called Milvus, which is designed for digital SLR cameras and more-or-less replaced the SLR Classic series. The Milvus series more than makes up for the lenses that are currently being discontinued, already boasting 11 lenses to its name, but there’s no doubt that some true gems will be relegated to eBay auctions from this point forward.

You can still find some Zeiss SLR Classic glass new at online retailers for now, but don’t expect that to last much longer.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Hands-on with Zeiss Milvus 25mm F1.4

28 Oct

Hands-on with Zeiss Milvus 25mm F1.4

Zeiss just announced a new prime lens for full-frame Canon and Nikon DSLRs: The Milvus 25mm F1.4 is very big, very heavy, and should be very high-performing – and we just got our hands on one.

Hands-on with Zeiss Milvus 25mm F1.4

The new Milvus 25mm F1.4 is the fourth widest lens in the family – which ranges from 15mm to 135mm – and brings the total number to Milvus lenses to 11, four of which boast fast F1.4 apertures. As we’d expect from previous lenses in this series, build quality is extraordinarily good. If you can handle the size and weight, the experience of using a Milvus is nothing short of luxurious.

Hands-on with Zeiss Milvus 25mm F1.4

Optical construction comprises 15 elements in 13 groups, including a grand total of six aspherical elements, for a (claimed) almost total reduction of CA. If that sounds like an expensive way to make a lens, it is. The Milvus will cost $ 2400 (but that’s still a lot less than a new Leica Thambar).

Hands-on with Zeiss Milvus 25mm F1.4

At 123mm (4.8 inches) long and 1225 g (43.20 oz), the Milvus 25mm F1.4 is a large, heavy lens. The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV shown here is a pretty chunky camera, but the Milvus makes it look like an Olympus OM-D E-M10 III…

Hands-on with Zeiss Milvus 25mm F1.4

Announced earlier this year, the Milvus 35mm F1.4 is similarly tank-like, weighing in at 1174 g (41.40 oz).

Hands-on with Zeiss Milvus 25mm F1.4

As well as being slightly lighter, the Milvus 35mm F1.4 is a little less expensive than the 25mm too, at $ 2228.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Zeiss reveals Milvus 25mm F1.4 lens, the 11th in the manual-focus family

22 Oct

Zeiss has added a new wide-angle lens to its Milvus line of full-frame, manual focus lenses for Nikon and Canon DSLRs. The new Milvus 25mm F1.4 is now the fourth widest lens in the family—which ranges from 15mm to 135mm—and brings the total number to Milvus lenses to 11, four of which boast fast F1.4 apertures.

According to Zeiss, the Milvus 25mm F1.4 is “suitable primarily for landscape and architecture photography, and for journalistic shots and videos” thanks to its fast aperture and a new optical design that uses 15 elements in 13 groups to deliver “high-contrast photos and a harmonious bokeh.” They also claim “hardly any color fringes,” even when you’re shooting with the lens wide-open.

Like the entire Milvus line, the new 25mm F1.4 is manual focus only, and features a robust all-metal housing as well as ‘special seals’ for protection against dust and splashes.

The new Milvus 25mm F1.4 will be available starting November 2nd for 2,400 Euros (including tax) or $ 2,400 USD. To learn more about this lens or the entire Milvus line, head over to the Zeiss website by clicking here.

Press Release

ZEISS Unveils High-Speed DSLR Lens: ZEISS Milvus 1.4/25

With its new wide-angle focal length, the ZEISS Milvus family now boasts eleven lenses for single-lens reflex cameras, including four focal lengths with a maximum aperture of 1.4, which are perfect for videographers too.

OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 2017-10-18.

The ZEISS Milvus 1.4/25 is the latest focal length to be added to ZEISS’s largest range of lenses for full-frame single-lens reflex cameras. The lens, which was developed for the DSLR systems from Canon and Nikon is suitable primarily for landscape and architecture photography, and for journalistic shots and videos. “The completely new optical design ensures superior performance across the entire image field,” says Christophe Casenave, Product Manager at ZEISS. “This results in high-contrast photos and a harmonious bokeh.”

High-speed wide-angle lens

Thanks to a maximum aperture of 1.4, this lens can even capture exceptional images in poor light. “Even at full aperture, there are hardly any color fringes,” says Casenave. “The finest details can be reproduced in high definition and contrast all the way into the corners.” The metal housing is what makes the lens robust, and its dirt and dust protection even makes the ZEISS Milvus 1.4/25 ready for action in adverse weather. The large 172-degree focus rotation angle enables precise manual focusing for adding creative touches to photos and videos.

The largest ZEISS lens family yet

Featuring eleven focal lengths ranging from 15 to 135 millimeters, including two macros, the ZEISS Milvus family covers a host of applications, such as portrait, landscape, architecture and street photography. “We can offer every photographer just the right lens,” says Casenave.

Perfect for videographers too

The four ZEISS Milvus focal lengths 25, 35, 50 and 85 millimeters with an aperture of 1.4 are just perfect for filming. Thanks to their high speed, they are suitable primarily for interviews and documentaries where the videographer can utilize natural light. Thanks to the de-click function in the version for the Nikon-Mount the aperture can be adjusted continuously. ZEISS Lens Gears in a range of sizes permit the use of follow-focus systems.

Price and availability

The ZEISS Milvus 1.4/25 retails for 2,400 Euros including 19 percent sales tax (RRP) or $ 2,400 USD and will be available starting November 2nd 2017 at dealers and from the ZEISS online shop.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Zeiss offering €12,000 in lenses and €3,000 trip in annual photo contest

13 Oct
Photo by the 2017 winner, Kevin Faingnaert

German optics manufacturer Zeiss has opened its annual photography competition for entries, and this year it will be offering lenses to the value of €12,000 for the best collection of images. The winning photographer will also get €3,000 to spend on travel for a photography-related project.

Now in its third year, the Zeiss Awards partner with the Sony World Photography Awards. Winners get to go to the ceremony in London, and will have their work exhibited alongside the SWPA winners in the finalists show.

The theme this year is ‘Seeing Beyond – Untold Stories’ and entrants are expected to submit between five and ten images that operate as a single series, along with a short description of the project.

The Brief:

Seeing Beyond – Untold Stories

Photographers are again asked to look beyond the ordinary and everyday to present judges with strong series of 5-10 images that capture an ‘untold story’. The brief is intended to be understood in its broadest sense – the work could explore a familiar theme told from a different perspective or address an issue that has previously had little attention. All forms of photography are welcome, but judges are specifically looking for series of works that have a strong narrative. The ‘untold story’ the photographer is addressing must be visually clear in the submitted image.

The competition is free to enter, and you have until February 6th, 2018 to do so. For more information, including terms and conditions, see the Zeiss Photography Awards website.

Press Release

ZEISS Photography Award

Photographers from all over the world are invited to submit a photo series by 6 February 2018 in response to the topic “Seeing Beyond – Untold Stories”.

The third round of the ZEISS Photography Award is underway – and ambitious photographers from all over the world are invited to present their work on the topic of “Seeing Beyond – Untold Stories” to an international expert jury. The photographers have until 6 February 2018 to submit a series of five to ten images here.

“Untold Stories” can be understood in all manner of ways, but the end result should be stories that have not yet been told (in full). The works can bring to life familiar tales from a wholly new perspective – or be dedicated to topics that have received little attention to date.

A renowned jury

All submissions will be reviewed by a renowned jury comprising three international photography experts: British Art Director Chris Hudson from National Geographic Traveller, Publisher of Dutch photo magazine GUP Magazine Peter Bas Mensink, and Patricia Morvan from French photo agency Agence VU’ who is in charge of exhibitions and cultural projects. The submissions will be judged on both their quality and creativity. All forms of photography are welcome and judges are specifically looking for series of works that have a strong narrative.

Attractive prizes: ZEISS lenses to the value of €12,000 and a photo trip

The winner and shortlist will be announced on 3 April 2018. The winner can look forward to fantastic prizes: ZEISS camera lenses of their choosing to the value of €12,000 and €3,000 to put towards a photo trip. An award ceremony will take place on 19 April 2018 in London. The winning photos plus a selection of those shortlisted will be on display at Somerset House in London alongside the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition; the winner will attend the opening of the exhibition. ZEISS will also invite the winner to the company headquarters in Germany, where they will get a peek behind the scenes of the ZEISS world and the opportunity to get to know its lenses. They will also get the chance to work with ZEISS and the World Photography Organisation.

“Due to photo editors having seen my work through the news of winning the ZEISS Photography Award, my personal documentary work has since gone on to be printed in magazines and newspaper around the world,” says last year’s winner Kevin Faingnaert, who wowed the judges with his photos of life on the Faroe Islands. “Winning the award helped secure more clients but, more importantly, my self-confidence as a photographer has certainly grown since the win.”

The ZEISS Photography Award is hosted jointly by ZEISS and the World Photography Organisation. Last year, around 4,700 photographers from 132 countries submitted more than 31,000 photos.

Dates

All the dates for the ZEISS Photography Award 2018 are listed below:

  • 10 October 2017: Competition open for submissions
  • 6 February 2018: Competition closed for submissions
  • 3 April 2018: Winner and shortlist announced
  • 19 April 2018: Award ceremony and gala dinner in London
  • 20 April to 6 May 2018: Winner’s photos and selected photos from the shortlist on show at Somerset House in London

For further details about the ZEISS Photography Award, the Terms and Conditions of Participation and to apply, please visit www.zeiss.com/zpa2018.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nokia 8 flagship phone features 13MP dual-cam with Zeiss optics

17 Aug

HMD Global, the company behind the Nokia smartphone brand, has launched its long-anticipated Nokia 8 flagship. With a 5.3″ QHD IPS display covered in 2.5D Gorilla Glass 5, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, 4GB of RAM and 64 or 128GB storage options the Android device comes with high-end specification all-around and has a lot to offer in the camera department as well.

HMD says the rear cameras has been developed in collaboration with Zeiss but has not revealed any further detail. The unit features a 13MP RGB sensor with 1.12µm pixels, F2.0 aperture and optical image stabilization with a secondary 13MP monochrome sensor. As usual with this kind of system, image data from both sensor is combined for more detail, lower noise levels and better dynamic range. However, there is no word of a background-blurring portrait mode like it can be found on most dual-cam equipped devices.

There is also a dual-tone LED-flash and the in video mode the camera is capable of recording footage in 4K resolution. The front camera comes with a 13MP sensor and F2.0 aperture.

An interesting camera feature is the so-called “Bothie” mode which allows you to take pictures or record video with front and rear cameras at the same time. We’ve seen this function before on LG and Samsung phones but Nokia adds the ability to live-stream to Facebook or Youtube in this mode.

All the Nokia 8’s components are wrapped up in an IP54 rated aluminum uni-body which will be available in Gloss Blue, Tempered Blue, Steel, and Polished Copper. In Europe the Nokia 8 will cost you €599 (approximately $ 700). No information on availability in the US has been released yet.

Key specifications:

  • Dual-cam with 13MP RGB/Mono sensors, 1,12 um pixel size
  • OIS in the main module
  • F2.0 aperture
  • PDAF + laser AF
  • 13MP / F2.0 front camera with display-flash function
  • Dual-tone flash
  • 5,3” IPS LCD QHD 2.560 x 1.440 display, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
  • 4GB RAM, 64/128GB storage
  • microSD support up to 256GB
  • Android Nougat 7.1.1
  • 3090 mAh battery with Qualcomm quick charge
  • Splashproof body with IP54 rating

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Oprema Jena seeks to resurrect the legendary Zeiss Biotar 75mm F1.5

16 Aug

The company behind the new Meyer Optik Goerlitz lens manufacturing business has formed a new brand to bring back the Biotar 75mm F1.5 that was made by Carl Zeiss Jena in the 1940s and 50s. Many of the original examples were made in East Germany after WWll and in quite low volumes, so they command high prices for their rarity, but also the extraordinary swirling they create when used at wide apertures.

The new version is being redesigned by the company that owns the Meyer Optik Goerlitz brand, but as it will not be made in Germany this time a new name has been conceived—Oprema Jena, in recognition of the location of the original factory. The attempted lens resurrection launched this morning on Kickstarter:

As the Kickstarter describes, this lens is a rarity:

The Biotar 75/1.5 is probably the most legendary lens ever produced in Jena, Germany.

It is a six lens gauss type optical scheme whose design dates back to the year 1927 when famous lens designer Willi Merté developed his first Biotar which was designed for cinematography.

In the 1930th Merté continued to improve the Biotar lenses among which the 75mm/1.5 reached legendary status. The Biotar 75/1.5 was first introduced in 1938, sales began to pick up with a presentation at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1940.

But due to second world war and to its high price at the time it remained a very special lens for the selected few. Until today it has become one of the most expensive vintage lenses easily selling for over a thousand dollars – if you get a usable one.

The original Biotar (left) next to the Oprema Jena version (right) currently being funded on Kickstarter.

The lens is being designed by Dr Prenzel who works with Meyer Optik on its reinvented lenses, and by Andre de Winter, a former Leica engineer. All the manufacturing will be done in Japan by Tokina, so that this new line doesn’t interfere with production of the Meyer lenses.

The company’s goal is to “maintain the exact Biotar characteristics while carefully improving the mechanical aspects and making it feasible for modern camera equipment and different mounts.” That means a tack-sharp center with “dramatic but not overly-aggressive” swirly bokeh when shot wide-open.

Thanks to new lens technologies, high-quality glass, advanced coatings and more, Oprema Jena is confident they’ve avoided some of the disadvantages of the classic Biotar without sacrificing any of the lens’ advantages.

Launched on Kickstarter this morning, the lens is already fully-funded and the total funding ($ 107,000 as of this writing) goes up with every page reload. Fortunately, there are still some great deals to be had if you hurry over to the Kickstarter page now.

The ‘Crazy Deal’ earlybird special will snag you a Biotar 75mm F1.5 in any mount for $ 950. Once those are gone, Super Early Bird deals are $ 1,000, Early Bird are $ 1,050, and the regular Kickstarter price is $ 1,100. The lens is available in Canon, Nikon, Sony-E, Leica-M (rangefinder coupling supported), Fuji X, and M42 mounts.

To learn more or put down a pledge and claim your own Biotar, head over to the Kickstarter page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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