Zeiss lenses for Canon

I keep coming across articles stating that Zeiss is now making lenses for Noink.

Why would they do that, when Canon controls close to 80 percent of the market? Wouldn't they sell way more lenses if they made them for "Us?"

Do we need them? Are they better than L glass? Are they way more expensive? Are the autofocus? What do you gain/lose?

mark

MDJAK wrote in post #2112825
I keep coming across articles stating that Zeiss is now making lenses for Noink.

Why would they do that, when Canon controls close to 80 percent of the market? Wouldn't they sell way more lenses if they made them for "Us?"

Do we need them? Are they better than L glass? Are they way more expensive? Are the autofocus? What do you gain/lose?

mark

canon don't need a "selling point" like zeiss lenses because as you say they have the largest share of the market, it would also undermime the L series if zeiss offered and canon accepted.

EDIT.
as for zeiss being better than L i would say no, no more than any L is better than any zeiss. I think both series have their red hot lenses and their Pretty decent lenses.
I saw a test of the 85 L MK1 + the new zeiss 85 1.4, aside from more chromatic abberation @ " and even then it wasn't THAT different" the canon thumped that zeiss well and truly.
Now either that was a poor zeiss or as the tester hinted perhaps there was an adaptor problem. If it was a poor sample then frankly doesn't that just prove that zeiss isn't the god they have been trading under? Or if its an adaptor problem then perhaps going native will always weild better results.
For me at least i have never seen any evidence that a TOTR zeiss lens can out perform a canon L prime.

Interesting response, thank you.

But as far as Canon needing it, I agree that they don't. But if Zeiss decided to do it, as they've done with Noink, I don't think it would be Canon's call, would it?

mark

If anything, Canon probably doesn't want Zeiss to make dedicated lenses for its cameras. Like baybud said, it will undermine Canon's own L sales and thus lose profit. Also, since Zeiss is now part of Sony, I can't imagine that happening as Sony is trying to directly compete with Canon in DSLR. It would be like handing your opponent your ace card... that would equalize the one area of differentiation that Sony has and compete on camera bodies alone (in which Sony would lose in IQ).

mxwphoto wrote in post #2113352
If anything, Canon probably doesn't want Zeiss to make dedicated lenses for its cameras. Like baybud said, it will undermine Canon's own L sales and thus lose profit. Also, since Zeiss is now part of Sony, I can't imagine that happening as Sony is trying to directly compete with Canon in DSLR. It would be like handing your opponent your ace card... that would equalize the one area of differentiation that Sony has and compete on camera bodies alone (in which Sony would lose in IQ).

Did you say Sony? That company name is like a phobia for spiders for me, except for sony products, LOL.

The Zeiss and Leica lens are better than Cannons in the wide focal lengths, 35 mm and under for edge to edge sharpness, and color contrast. The Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 is a phenomenal wide angle lens, but at a price. But I don't think they're long lens are any better than 85L , 135 L and longer. Plus they are not autofocus and don't have IS.

Canon has the ability to make very sharp lenses above the current L series. The only problem is price. In some of its industrial products, it states that the lenses used can resolve many times higher than its photographic lenses. But since it's a business and know that not enough people would buy such expensive lenses, so Canon will not make such products till the costs can come down.

I doubt anyone who just wants to take photo's would be disappointed in a Zeiss. I like my classic 35mm and 135mm 10/10. Depends what you're looking for. Anyone serious about it should try one rather than rely on 'opinions' of people who have probably never seen one let alone used one.

MDJAK wrote in post #2112825
I keep coming across articles stating that Zeiss is now making lenses for Noink.

Well Zeiss makes lenses for the Nikon *mount* (and the M42 mount), but I doubt there was much in the way of co-operation with Nikon. Zeiss have said that they would like to make their lenses in the EF mount, but Canon wasn't interested in licensing the mount.

Doesn't stop us using an adapter to use the lenses though.

MDJAK wrote in post #2112825
Do we need them? Are they better than L glass? Are they way more expensive? Are the autofocus? What do you gain/lose?

It's more a question of whether we want them than need them ... Canon lenses aren't exactly bad. Are they better than L glass ? Perhaps, although possibly that's more likely at the wide end.

No autofocus. As to price, they could well be cheaper than L glass ... £325-£999 each.

Don't know about Zeiss but I had some chat with a Leica and Sigma distributor. He says, In optical division, Germans are better then Japanese. but opposite when it comes to electronics like AF system.

Manufecturing cost of Leica glass is much higher. May be this is the reason why these Japanese are not touching that standard as they're looking a the market.

Imo Zeiss caters more to those that like the old feel and function of those good ol manual lenses way back then, especially when the things shot tended to be very static. It's not a multi-purpose solution like the AF lenses. I'm sure nobody would bring a MF lens to any sports competition or anything else that has movement in the frame.

mxwphoto wrote in post #2113352
Also, since Zeiss is now part of Sony

When did that happen ? It seems a bit unlikely to me ... the Zeiss companies are owned by the Zeiss foundation which isn't a publically listed company. As of today there's no mention of Sony owning any part of the Zeiss foundation on Zeiss's website.

hmv wrote in post #2114408
When did that happen ? It seems a bit unlikely to me ... the Zeiss companies are owned by the Zeiss foundation which isn't a publically listed company. As of today there's no mention of Sony owning any part of the Zeiss foundation on Zeiss's website.

Sorry about that, my bad. Upon reviewing what I read long ago, it seems that Zeiss has extensive partnerships with Sony, not owned per se. Just about all of Sony's optics are Zeiss branded now in the camera domain though.