Camera Lens News

Contents
Two more DigiPrime ® lenses to be
introduced at NAB
Carl Zeiss at the “Gulf Imaging &
2
Carl Zeiss Tessar ® lens – the best
performance, lowest in price
5
Resolving power of
2
Carl Zeiss Biogon ® lens
goes digital
Photo Show” in Dubai
photographic films
6
Six reasons why the Carl Zeiss
3
Sharp Max™ is superior to other
collimators
7
Technical data for Carl Zeiss
interchangeable lenses
4
We make it visible.
N e w s l e t t e r f o r a l l w h o u s e , b u y, s e l l , l i k e , r e p o r t a b o u t a n d a r e i n t e r e s t e d i n C a r l Z e i s s l e n s e s
Carl Zeiss Camera Lens Division
Camera Lens News
19
March 2003
Camera Lens News No. 19
March 2003
Two more DigiPrime ® lenses to be introduced at NAB
NAB 2003 in Las Vegas will see the
Editorial
introduction of two more lenses in the
successful Carl Zeiss
DigiPrime®
lens
range for digital cinematography with
24p High Definition cameras.
Dear Readers,
The Distagon® T* 1.5/28 lens will bridge
Camera Lens News gives you some
the gap between the existing 20 mm
practical tips and factual information
and 40 mm lenses, while the
which will help to give you more
Distagon®
T* 1.5/70 CF lens will extend the line to
certainty in your decisions and better
longer focal lengths while, at the same
time, offering extreme close-focusing
capability where very high image quality
results in your photographic work.
In the foreground:
Two new DigiPrime® lenses
In this issue, for instance, we are pre-
is reached. At the close-focus limit of 33
The intended purpose of this capability
senting a list showing the resolving
centimeters in front of the image recei-
are commercials, where small products
power that can actually be achieved
ver, mere 6 cm in front of the front lens
or parts thereof are shown close-up
with photographic films. We will
T* 1.5/70 CF
with stunningly sharp detail and impres-
extend this list form time to time, as
sively fill the entire screen.
soon as additional test results become
element, the
Distagon®
lens can frame an object of 38 mm x 51
mm. This is less than half a credit card.
available.
While working pre-production lenses of
the Distagon ® T* 1.5/28 lens will be
We wish you many hours of enjoy-
shown at NAB, and will be available for
ment and success with your Carl Zeiss
field testing right after the show, the
lenses.
first working units of the Distagon
®
T*
1.5/70 CF lens will be available at
Best wishes
Cinegear in June 2003.
Left to right: Helmut Lenhof, Renee Contreras
(BandPro, USA), Christian Bannert, Gerhard Baier
(BandPro, Munich), Konelius Müller with the two
brand new DigiPrime® lenses
Carl Zeiss Tessar
®
lens – best in performance, lowest in price
In a recent photo magazine test, the
famous Carl Zeiss Tessar
®
Kornelius J. Müller
lens once
again came out winner: “on the bottom
f/1.9 Limited, the Voigtlaender Ultron
40 mm f/2 SL Aspherical, and the Carl
Zeiss Tessar® T* 45 mm f/2.8 MM lens.
showed the best overall
At Carl Zeiss, we see this as another
performance – and this at the most
proof that “the eagle eye of your
favourable price”. This was the conclu-
camera”, 101 years after its invention is
sion of fotoMAGAZIN, one of the two
still a very competitive photographic
big monthly German photo magazines.
tool.
line, the
Tessar ®
fotoMAGAZIN, in their Jan. 2003 issue,
compared four compact standard lenses
for 35 mm SLR cameras: the Nikkor 45
mm f/2.8 P, the Pentax SMC-FA 43 mm
Contax Aria silver with Tessar® T* 2.8/45
lens silver (Special Edition 2002)
2
Camera Lens News No. 19
March 2003
Carl Zeiss Biogon
goes digital
®
lens
The Carl Zeiss Biogon ® T* 4.5/38 lens,
the most appreciated lens available for
the Swiss Alpa camera, the only interchangeable version of this well-reputed
lens, was taken to test recently by Swiss
The Carl Zeiss Biogon® T* 4.5/38 lens and the
Sinarback 54 attached to the Alpa camera
precision product companies Alpa and
pleased to hear about this positive real
future-proof, when it comes to image
Sinar. Alpa adapted the new Sinarback
world evaluation and we are proud to
quality and optical performance.
54, a 22 Megapixel digital back for pro-
share this information with the readers
fessional medium format cameras. With
of CLN. It gives further support to our
the Sinarback 54 attached to an Alpa
claim that investing in Carl Zeiss lenses is
camera, several high performance lenses were compared for effective image
quality, among them new digital high
resolution lenses from other lensmakers,
and the famous Carl Zeiss Biogon
®
T*
4.5/38 lens in its newest configuration,
featuring the new formula using the
eco-friendly glasses. The purpose of this
test was to find the best lens to deliver
very high detail content in the images
with very low distortion for a photogrammetric application.
According to Thomas Weber-Capaul of
Alpa, the Biogon ® lens once again lived
up to its reputation of being arguably
“the best wide-angle lens in the world”:
it came out the best of them all. The
Biogon® lens, based on an optical formula developed by Dr. Ludwig Bertele in
the early 1950s, proved to be better
corrected against color fringing than the
most recent competing “apo” and
“digi” lenses. At Carl Zeiss, we were
Sinarback 54
These photos have been taken by André Oldani with
an Alpa 12 camera, the Carl Zeiss Biogon® T* 4.5/38
lens and the Sinarback 54
3
Camera Lens News No. 19
March 2003
Technical data for Carl Zeiss interchangeable lenses
Users of Carl Zeiss lenses take it for
this true performance data. However,
granted that Carl Zeiss will “automati-
Carl Zeiss does not publish technical
cally” provide the users with technical
data for lenses manufactured by third
data sheets for each and every Carl Zeiss
parties under Carl Zeiss license, based
lens on the market. However, we ask
on a Carl Zeiss lens design but not car-
you to remember that lens manufacture
rying the Carl Zeiss name, like some of
®
Planar T* 1,4/85
at Carl Zeiss is a business-to-business
the lenses made by Rollei.
activity. We are an OEM supplier. Carl
Zeiss supplies lenses to our partners, the
From the perspective of a camera manu-
camera manufacturers, offers additional
facturer the situation looks like this:
services, like data sheets, only at their
With a system camera like a 500 series
explicit request. Hasselblad, for instance,
Hasselblad, the user can choose among
orders this service, as does Kyocera for
many different lenses for his camera.
Carl Zeiss Contax interchangeable lenses
The availability of technical data sheets
for all four systems: 645, N, G, and RTS.
in such a situation, helps the user to
90
48 bis zum Film
80
®
CONTAX N
Längerbrennweitige hochlichtstarke Objektive gehören
zu den bevorzugten Optiken für anspruchsvolle
Kleinbild-Spiegelreflexkameras.
Carl Zeiss hat für das Contax N Autofokussystem ein
Objektiv Planar® 1,4/85 völlig neu gerechnet. Es
zeichnet sich durch eine über das gesamte Bildfeld
sehr hohe Abbildungsleistung aus, die schon im
Spiegelreflex-Sucher klar erkennbar ist. Dabei kann die
volle Öffnung von 1:1,4 nicht nur zum Einstellen,
sondern auch ohne Einschränkung zum Fotografieren
verwendet werden. Die große Öffnung von 1:1,4
ermöglicht Bildgestaltung mit selektiver Schärfe, sehr
reizvoll beim Porträtieren. Neuartig ist, daß die hohe
Abbildungsleistung auch über den gesamten
Fokussierbereich von unendlich bis zur
Naheinstellgrenze auf ungewöhnlich hohem Niveau
bleibt.
Sach-Nr.
Anzahl der Linsen
Anzahl der Glieder
Öffnungsverhältnis
Brennweite
Negativformat
Bildwinkel 2w*
Kleinste Blende
Kameraanschluß
Filteranschluß
Entfernungseinstellbereich (ab Filmebene)
Freier Arbeitsabstand (ab
Vorderkante Objektiv)
10 22 33
10
9
1 : 1,4
83,0 mm
24 x 36 mm
Breite 25°; Höhe 17°;
Diagonale 29°
16
Contax N
M 82 x 0,75
unendlich bis 0,83 m
Carl Zeiss erreicht dies durch ein neues
Innenfokussierungs-Design IFD, das zum Fokussieren
6 von 10 Linsen bewegt. Dieses Objektiv mit seinem
hohen Glasgehalt und entsprechender Masseverteilung
stabilisiert die Kamera beim Auslösen derart, daß auch
mit relativ langen Verschlußzeiten aus der Hand
verwacklungsarme Bilder entstehen können.
Kombiniert mit der hohen Lichtstärke von 1:1,4 und
hochempfindlichen Filmen werden ungewöhnliche
Fotos im Grenzbereich der Fotografie möglich.
Bevorzugte Anwendung:Reportageaufnahmen,
"available light" Porträts, Kinder, Sportfotos, Theaterund Bühnenaufnahmen, Innenraumaufnahmen ohne
Blitz, dynamische Fotos, die sehr kurze
Verschlußzeiten erfordern.
Kleinstes Objektfeld 221 mm x 335 mm
Max. Abb.maßstab 1 : 8,9
EintrittspupiIIe*
Lage
99,7 mm hinter dem ersten Linsenscheitel
Durchmesser
57,5 mm
Austrittspupille*
Lage
28,3 mm vor dem letzten Linsenscheitel
Durchmesser
50,9 mm
Lage der Hauptebenen*
H
82,7 mm hinter dem ersten Linsenscheitel
H'
43,7 mm vor dem letzten Linsenscheitel
Schnittweite
40,6 mm
Opt. Baulänge
85,1 mm
Gewicht
800 g
0,70 m
*Angaben für unendlich
make an informed choice and thus utilize his camera system to the fullest. This,
Leistungs-Daten:
®
Planar T* 1,4/85
Sach-Nr. 10 22 33
in turn, reflects very positively on the
1. MTF-Diagramme
Auf der Horizontalachse der
Kurvendarstellungen ist die Bildhöhe u
- von der Bildmitte aus gerechnet - in mm
aufgetragen. Die Vertikalachse gibt die
Modulationsübertragung T (MTF =
Modulation Transfer Factor) an. Parameter
der Kurvendarstellungen sind die über den
Diagrammen angegebenen Ortsfrequenzen
R in Perioden (Linienpaaren) pro mm. Dabei
ist die niedrigste Ortsfrequenz dem
obersten, die höchste dem untersten
Kurvenpaar zuzuordnen. Über jedem
Diagramm ist die Blendenzahl k, für die die
Messung erfolgte, angegeben. "Weißes"
Licht bedeutet, daß die Messung bei einer
Objektbeleuchtung mit tageslichtähnlicher
Spektralverteilung erfolgte.
Falls nicht ausdrücklich anders vermerkt,
beziehen sich die Leistungsangaben
- dem Hauptverwendungszweck normaler
Foto-Objektive entsprechend - auf große
Objektentfernungen.
Modulationsübertragung T als Funktion der Bildhöhe
Spaltenorientierung:
Weißes Licht. Ortsfrequenzen R = 10, 20 und 40 Perioden/mm.
Blendenzahl:
Blendenzahl:
T (%)
100
100
80
80
60
60
40
40
20
sag
tan
k = 5,6
system which earned its excellent repu-
20
0
reputation of that system. Here again,
Hasselblad is a very good example of a
0
0
5
10
15
20
0
5
10
u (mm)
15
20
u (mm)
Relative Beleuchtungsstärke
tation due to the practical ability of its
E (%)
100
users, with the NASA among them, to
80
2. Relative Beleuchtungsstärke
Bei diesem Diagramm ist horizontal die
Bildhöhe u in mm und vertikal die relative
Beleuchtungsstärke E aufgetragen, und
zwar sowohl für das voll geöffnete als auch
für das mäßig abgeblendete Objektiv. Die
Werte für E sind unter Berücksichtigung der
"Vignettierung" und des "natürlichen
Lichtabfalls" ermittelt.
3. Verzeichnung
Auf der Horizontalachse ist auch hier die
Bildhöhe u in mm aufgetragen. Die Vertikale
gibt die Verzeichnung V in % der
zugehörigen Bildhöhe an. Ein positiver Wert
für V bedeutet, daß der tatsächliche
Bildpunkt weiter von der Bildmitte entfernt
liegt als bei exakt verzeichnungsfreier
Abbildung (kissenförmige Verzeichnung), ein
negatives V kennzeichnet sinngemäß eine
tonnenförmige Verzeichnung.
k = 1,4
T (%)
Example of the front of a data sheet on the
basis of the Planar ® T* 1.4/85 lens
60
40
select the optimum lens for the job at
20
k = 1,4
k = 5,6
0
0
5
10
15
20
hand and show off with extremely good
u (mm)
Verzeichnung in % der Bildhöhe u
V
2,0
image results.
0,0
-2,0
0
5
10
15
20
u (mm)
Änderungen in Ausführung und Lieferumfang sowie technische Weiterentwicklung vorbehalten.
Printed in Germany 11.09.2002
Carl Zeiss
Geschäftsbereich Photoobjektive
73446 Oberkochen
Telefon (07364) 20-6175
Fax (07364) 20-4045
eMail: photo@zeiss.de
http://www.zeiss.de/photo
On a camera with a built-in lens, like a
Contax TVS or a Sony DSC-F717, however, the user has taken his irrevocable
lens choice automatically upon purcha-
Example of the backside of a data sheet on the
basis of the Planar ® T* 1.4/85 lens
sing the camera. Additional information
on the lens itself cannot alter this, since
the lens cannot be dealt with separately
Technical data provided in the Carl Zeiss
from the camera. Therefore, camera
data sheets are not simply taken from
manufacturers usually do not order lens
the computer simulations carried out
data for built-in lenses, with the 38 mm
during the lens development process
Biogon® lens equipped Hasselblad SWC
since this does not give a true assess-
905 being an exception.
ment of the actual lens performance.
Actual performance is heavily influenced
In short:
by the manufacturer´s ability, experience
Lens data sheets are provided by Carl
and willingness to manufacture the len-
Zeiss
ses with the extremely tight tolerances
upon request of the camera
required by top quality optics. Instead of
manufacturer
just publishing computer simulated
for lenses that are interchangeable
data, Carl Zeiss takes measurements on
and bear the Carl Zeiss name.
real lenses actually built and publishes
4
Camera Lens News No. 19
March 2003
Carl Zeiss at the
“Gulf Imaging & Photo Show” in Dubai
Dubai, under the direction of Sheikh
Mohammed bin Raschid al Maktoum, is
expanding its “Media City” at a rapid
pace. The Dubai Media City is home to
a multitude of Cine and TV production
facilities, TV channels like mbc and CNN,
and related businesses. This holds
opportunities for precision optical
instruments, like lenses, and related
products. Therefore, the “Gulf Imaging
& Photo Show” saw ten German manufacturers from the photo industry exhibiting their products at the Dubai
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
from Feb. 11. through 13. 2003. Carl
Dubai Chamber Of Commerce & Industry
Zeiss showed photo and cine camera
showed their medium format cameras
lenses, binoculars, as well as sun glasses.
and the whole line of Carl Zeiss (and
The camera lenses at the Carl Zeiss
Carl Zeiss license) lenses available for
booth were displayed with the respec-
these cameras. All three companies
tive
Contax,
made valuable new business contacts in
Hasselblad, Sony. Likewise, cine compa-
the Middle East during the show. As a
ny Arnold & Richter of Munich showed
result of this exhibition, more ARRI and
their latest Arriflex and Arricam 35 mm
Carl Zeiss equipment will be available
cine cameras with Carl Zeiss/ARRI Ultra
for cine productions in Dubai from 2003
Prime® cine lenses, which turned out to
on.
cameras
from
Alpa,
be the most effective magnets of attenThe booths of Carl Zeiss and Rollei
Fototechnic
tion at the whole show. Adjacent to the
Carl Zeiss booth, partner company Rollei
Fototechnic (Rolleiflex) of Braunschweig,
The most effective magnet of attention at the
show: The latest ARRI 35 mm cine cameras
with Carl Zeiss lenses
5
Camera Lens News No. 19
March 2003
Resolving power of
photographic films
Decades ago, when black & withe films
were the dominant photographic recording materials, the resolving power was
seen by many photo enthusiasts as the
deciding factor of photographic quality.
Although we at Carl Zeiss are very much
aware that resolving power is only one
of many criteria which constitute image
quality, it is quite important when
photos are taken for documentary purposes, where resolving power primarily
determines image quality. In documentation, resolving power is one of the
most important aspects of image quality. Since Carl Zeiss, by and large, is a
13 different films have been tested at Carl Zeiss
to find out the maximum performance
company with strong scientific roots and
utilized with existing films, and is not
results about new film types in future
many science related activities, docu-
just mere theory. At Carl Zeiss, we the-
CLN issues, we will also publish more
mentation is at the hearts of our photo-
refore conduct occasional tests to find
detailed information on the test target
graphic mentality. We therefore take the
out about the real-world resolving
used, and the evaluation of the resol-
power of photographic films. As
ving power, the tools and methods.
measures needed to design and manufacture our lenses with above average
announced in CLN 17, we want to share
our results with CLN readers. The tests
The film manufacturers generally con-
documentation qualities, which includes
were conducted by Kornelius Mueller of
duct their tests under special, sterile,
high resolving power.
Carl Zeiss for the the purpose of lens
precisely repeatable laboratory condi-
resolution testing and information
tions where high performance microsco-
This, of course, makes sense only when
recording. Error margin is +/- 10 line-
pe lenses with resolving powers beyond
the resolving potential can actually be
pairs per millimeter. As we add new test
1.000 linepairs per millimeter and light
Resolving
Power
(lpmm)
sources with very controlled spectrum
are used to image the test targets onto
Brand
Film
Type
Comment
Agfa
Agfaortho 25
b&w
discontinued by manufacturer
250
world photo situation. In contrast, our
Agfa
APX 25
b&w
discontinued by manufacturer
200
procedure is based on typical photo
Kodak
Ektar 25
color negative
discontinued by manufacturer
200
conditions like outside sunlight, exposu-
Kodak
T-Max 100
b&w
180
res controlled by normal camera shut-
Fujifilm
Fujichrome Velvia
color transparency
160
ters, focusing done with the normal
Agfa
Portrait XPS 160
color negative
150
focusing aids of the camera, standard
Kodak
Portra 400 b & w
monochrome C- 41
150
film developing by a normal photo finis-
Kodak
Portra 160 VC
color negative
150
her, and of course, using normal Carl
Kodak
Portra 160 NC
color negative
140
Zeiss photographic camera lenses. In
Kodak
Ektachrome 100 VS
color transparency
130
other words: we use equipment and
Kodak
T-Max 400
b&w
120
techniques which are readily accessible
Fujifilm
NPZ 800
color negative
110
and our results are therefore relevant to
Kodak
Portra 800
color negative
90
film, completely unrelated to any real
every photographer.
6
Camera Lens News No. 19
March 2003
The only non-standard tool is used for
Based on our extensive experience over
(taken on Kodak Ektar 25) at photokina
viewing the films at high magnification:
several decades of testing, there (page 6)
1996, those few employees from film
Since we are after resolutions of 200
is our list of film maximum performan-
manufacturers who saw this display
linepairs per millimeter and significantly
ces, presented in a tabular form.
were deeply impressed and finally saw
beyond, we need a suitable viewing aid
the fruit of their work, resolving power
for this purpose. With the normal
Comments of Carl Zeiss about the film
in films, utilized in real world photos.
human eye being able to resolve around
market, concerning resolving power:
Carl Zeiss may want to repeat such a
5 linepairs per millimeter at normal vie-
demonstration and bring it to the awa-
wing distance, we need at least 50 x
In recent years, high resolution low
reness of broader circles of the photo-
magnification to be able to see 250 line-
speed films have been discontined by all
graphic world.
pairs per millimeter dissolved. No loupe
large film manufacturers. We found two
would do. So we use a Carl Zeiss SV 11
reasons for this move:
Apo stereo microscope , which delivers
2. Film manufacturers find that low
speed films around 25 ISO have become
magnifications up to 100 x. Admittedly,
1. Film manufacturers live under the
increasingly unpopular. They discontinue
this tool may not be part of the normal
impression, that only few if any lenses
these films and concentrate on 100 ISO
equipment of a photographer, but it is
are capable of utilizing film resolving
and faster follower products instead,
important to note that the special
powers of 200 linepairs per millimeter
incresing their resolving power.
equipment involves the interpretation,
and beyond. When Carl Zeiss displayed
not the performance, of the tests.
“The sharpest color photos ever taken”
Six reasons why the Carl Zeiss Sharp Max™
is superior to other collimators
1. The Carl Zeiss Sharp Max™ uses a 72sectored Siemens star as internal test
target. This multi-sectored version provides a quick and accurate visual detection of the sharpness maximum.
Other collimators use an inexpensive 18sectored Siemens star, compromising
sharpness detection severely.
2. The Carl Zeiss Sharp Max™ is designed and built athermal, using very
expensive exotic materials like INVARSTAHL ® . This means that the sharpness
readout is reliable and independent of
ambient temperatures.
Other collimators completely ignore the
problems associated with changing
temperatures, compromising reliability
severely.
3. The Carl Zeiss Sharp Max™ optics are
of high quality and are corrected for
Carl Zeiss Sharp Max™
7
Camera Lens News No. 19
March 2003
spherical aberration, meaning that the
sharpness readout reliably stays the
same regardless of the aperture setting
on the camera lens.
Other collimators use undercorrected
optics of insufficient quality which produce different back focus readouts at
diffenrent aperture settings on the same
camera lens, making the back focus calibration unreliable and thus worthless.
4. The optical system of the Carl Zeiss
Sharp Max™ provides sufficient accuracy of the collimation process for all focal
lengths in the DigiPrime® lens range.
Other collimators incorporate inadequate optics which cannot provide sufficiently accurate results with lenses of
40 mm and more.
5. The brightness of the Carl Zeiss Sharp
Carl Zeiss Sharp Max™ together with the
complete set of 8 DigiPrime® lenses
Publisher’s Imprint
Max™ test target can be user-adjusted.
Camera Lens News
Other collimators use a simple consumer
grade flashlight for illumination with no
Conclusion:
means of brightness adjustment. Re-
In an industry in which the consistency
A newsletter for all who use, buy, sell,
chargeable batteries can be used and
of the final result is so critically impor-
like, report about and are interested in
can be re-charged by the Carl Zeiss
tant to the overall success of the enter-
Carl Zeiss camera lenses. All information
Sharp Max™´s internal circuitry, once
prise, and where the cost of re-shooting
in Camera Lens News is given to the best
external power is connected. Other col-
or other post-production manipulation
of our knowledge at the time of publi-
limators are unable to re-charge their
can be extremely high, the value of the
cation. Technical specifications of Carl
batteries. The Carl Zeiss Sharp Max™
Carl Zeiss Sharp Max™ becomes imme-
Zeiss products are subject to change.
can be powered externally by the
diately apparent. Anything less would
camera and other power sources. Other
be false economy. We invite you to inve-
Publisher:
collimators fail to utilize external power
stigate this for yourselves.
Carl Zeiss, Oberkochen
from the camera and other power sour-
Camera Lens Division
ces.
Editor:
6. The Carl Zeiss Sharp Max™ can be
Kornelius J. Müller
clamped to the lens under test, so the
Carl Zeiss
operator´s hands are free for other
73446 Oberkochen, Germany
work.
Phone: +49 (0) 73 64-20-61 75
Fax: +49 (0) 73 64-20-40 45
Other collimators need to be constantly
E-mail: photo@zeiss.de
held by hand during the complete cali-
www.zeiss.de/photo
bration procedure.
8