Zeiss announced their new range of ZF lenses a day early in issue 23/Jan 2006 of Camera Lens News.
Highlights:
- As previously hinted, they will indeed be in Nikon F mounts. They will all be primes.
- Announced are a 50mm Planar T* (7 elements in 6 groups) and an 85mm T* Planar (6 elements in 5 groups). Both are f/1.4 – f/16, click-stopped in half-stop increments. There’s a technical data sheet here. They’re expected to be available in early summer 2006.
- They will have "round" irises but the number of blades wasn’t mentioned.
- As a surprise, the same lenses will be issued in parallel as the ZS range with identical optics but with M42 mounts, with the idea that they be used with adpater rings, which will make this range useable on, among other systems, Canon EOS and FD bodies as well. I didn’t see any mention about whether the lenses will be shorter to compensate for the thickness of the adapter ring or not, so infinity focussing ability for the ZS range is currently unknown [to me].
- The lenses will be made by Cosina.
- Zeiss will be setting up a new distribution network to replace? in addition to? their normal distributors. Details will be announced at www.zeiss.com/photo
There’s also a Q&A about the range with Dr. Winfried Scherle, VP & General Manager, Camera Lens Division and Kornelius Mueller, Marketing Manager of Zeiss.