What is a Carl Zeiss lens exactly?

[nossie]

My first Canon L lens 24-105 left me wondering "why the fek did I pay all this money". I couldn't see what I got for $1400 compared to the cheap kit 18-55s and the 50f1.8 because I took it out of the box and immediately started comparing. I sent it back to Canon, they aligned it and I still saw nothing so I thought just use it and be done complaining. I used it for about 18months and then found myself needing to use another lens (I think it was ef80-200 standard) and immediately saw the quality plummet mostly from softness. I think my eyes needed time to get used to the subtle difference in quality.

Cameras are also designed by F.A.Porsche and I couldn't give a monkeys for that statement. So that said is Carl Zeiss a contender. If $ony brags about the Carl Zeiss lens should anyone care / believe the hype?

 

[Mike_E]

What is a Carl Zeiss lens exactly?

A small smile when no one is looking and a propensity for single malt whiskey.

It's over the top and gone- not because you need the ten points but just because you can.

 

[usayit]

One word: Biogon.

mmmMmmmm I'll take mine in M-mount PLEASE!

 

[JerryPH]

I was looking at my Nikkor 35mm F/1.4 today. 1940's technology, built in the 70's. Now, over 35 years later, Nikon *still* doesn't have anything in it's class. Cloest they have is a 35mm F/2 or a 50mm F/1.4.

I also own the 50mm F/1.8 and compared to the 35mm, its tiny, plastic-light and fragile, where the 35mm is built like a tank, feel sabout triple the weight and still takes incredibly sharp pics (so what if I have to focus it manually).

Indeed, new is not always better. But when I can swing it, both old and new have their place in my backpack.

 

[JIP]

Zeiss outsources lens manufacturing to Cosina in Japan, also Sony uses Zeiss designed lens

Exactly Zeiss is just a name now to give Sony and other non-camera companies some undeserved credibility by putting a name on a lens that was no exactly manufactured by that person/company.

 

[Garbz]

And I'm sure a company doesn't last the ages by being crap but then again look at $ony.

Well Sony produced some of the best and highest quality stuff back in the day. My grandpa's Sony turntable is still fantastic even by today's standards. I even had the immense pleasure of listening to Sony's "dream machine" so aptly named by audiophiles. That was then. The real question is will sony continue to last...

 

[Iron Flatline]

There is no person called Hugo Boss. It's a corporate gestalt. There's no real soul there. Nor is there is Japanese mass-produced cameras.

 

[Mike_E]

Evidently you guys aren't talking about a Rolleiflex. :lmao:

Sorry Iron, there is no soul in any camera, but some are works of art!

 

[PaulBennett]

In the 1930's, Germany developed both talented engineers and scientists and a great precision instruments industry. In the camera arena was Exacta, the first SLR, Minox, the first spy camera 8x11mm format, Leica the foremost rangefinder. Many used Zeiss lenses...best in the world using best optical glass in the world.

At the end of WWII as Germany was split and despoiled, the English and Russians carted German machine shops back home while the US funded new machines for Germany and Japan to rebuild the countries. In addition provided German technology to Japan as a jumpstart in many areas. Zeiss went to the Russians after the war as Jena came to be in East Germany but has since been unified. I believe a West German branch of Zeiss was setup in the interim Soviet period but never recovered it's former glory. A simple thing such as a secret optical glass formula can be monumental to the industry. Ain't history fun.

 

[nossie]

Exactly Zeiss is just a name now to give Sony and other non-camera companies some undeserved credibility by putting a name on a lens that was no exactly manufactured by that person/company.

So there are Canon standard lenses and L series lenses. Are we to assume that all lenses from Carl Zeiss are in the L series? Can $ony just slap on a name like Carl Zeiss and stiff you with a standard lens?

 

[Garbz]

What's in a name? Nikon produce both a $2500AU 17-55mm f/2.8 as well as a $350 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6. Carl Zeiss may produce $1000 50mm f/1.8 but I guarantee you this is not the glass in the sony point and shoot.

On that thought I wonder how much input Leica had into the lenses on Panasonic's Lumix series of cameras? Just because the name Leica is on there doesn't make it one of those wonderful Noctilux 50mm f/1?

 

[usayit]

There really isn't any way to know if Sony's P&S use Carl Zeiss and Panasonic use Leica... is there?

 

[nossie]

There really isn't any way to know if Sony's P&S use Carl Zeiss and Panasonic use Leica... is there?

Yeah it has Carl Zeiss Lens printed on the camera body :hug::

 

[RyanLilly]

Companies are willing to slap their once highly revered brand names on junk because they know that a large number of people have no clue what technology makes a good product, nor do they care to know. People just see a name and buy. The consumers and Pros who want the best will take the time to do the research and find the right product line for themselves.

There are some problems with sticking you good name on junk however.
When I was a kid I always thought that Koss made those crappy plastic headphones that come with a cassette walkman. Whereas my dads generation thought of Koss as some of the best sounding and well made headphones around.

Someone's first experience with a brand can shape there opinion of it forever. thats why some companies will sell cheaper products under a completely different name. Panasonic tried the opposite of this when they wanted to appeal the the higher end of the home audio market, they created "Technics" because panasonic was not taken very seriously.

 

[toyotadesigner]

Well, Zeiss manufactures the best lenses of the world. Lenses for photography are just a tiny division. More lenses are made for industrial robots, astronomy, medical, research, etc.

It's not correct that Cosina manufactures the Zeiss lenses. They have a licence to manufacture secondary lenses, and that's it.

Prime lenses are still made in Germany.

The cheapos for Sony and others are made by Cosina. They are designed by Zeiss, but not to the same specs as the 'real' Zeiss lenses. And - most important - they don't have the same components or types of glass as the expensive Zeiss lenses made in Germany.