Robert’s Photography Blog

Carl Zeiss ZE-Series lenses for Canon SLRs will make their debut at Photokina 2008; a full two and a half years after the launch of ZF-series lenses for Nikon SLR cameras (PMA 2006). Photographers have been trying to find a way to mount Zeiss lenses on Canon SLRs for years. The only way prior to the ZE-series lens was by using a Novoflex Body Adapter which has the unpleasant side-effect of loosing both metering (camera and flash) as well as the autofocus.

The new ZE lenses from Carl Zeiss transfer all information exclusively via the electronic contacts in the mount. This means that all exposure modes such as programmed auto exposure, shutter priority, aperture priority and manual settings are supported. These are these manual focus lenses. However, the camera’s automatic focus confirmation also remains available. With digital SLRs, the lens data and all exposure data can also be accessed via the camera’s EXIF file. E-TTL flash metering is also supported. The first lenses to be available will be the Planar T* 1.4/50 ZE (shown above) and the Planar T* 1.4/85 ZE. Other focal lengths will be announced within the next few months.

Specifications – Planar T* 1.4/50

Focal length: 50mm
Aperture Range: f/1.4 – f/16
Focusing Range: 0.45m to infinity
Lens Construction: 7 elements in 6 groups
Angle of view, diag. on 35mm: 45.4°
Minimum Focus Distance: 0.45m
Filter Size: 58 mm
Dimensions (with caps): Diam. 66mm, Length 69mm
Area covered at close focus: 16 x 24cm
Weight: 330g

Specifications – Planar T* 1.4/85
Focal length: 85 mm
Aperture Range: f/1.4 – f/16
Focusing Range: 1m to infinity
Lens Construction: 6 elements in 5 groups
Angle of view, diag. on 35mm: 28.6°
Minimum Focus Distance: 0.45m
Filter: 72mm
Dimensions (with caps): Diam. 77mm, Length 85mm
Area covered at close focus: 24 x 36cm
Weight: 570g

Pricing and Availability

Both lenses will be available in the last quarter of 2008. Pricing is as follows:

Planar T* 1.4/50 ZE: US$660 (MSRP) / €579 (incl. 19% German VAT)
Planar T* 1.4/85 ZE: US$1,170 (MSRP) / €999 (incl. 19% German VAT)