l_a_k_h_i_n_d_e_r Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 I heard this from Rollei USA and now I heard this from one more source. Apparantly after Hasselblad has followed the Fuji connection in their new 645, Zeiss has decided to perhaps reorganize. No more Rollei lenses will come from Zeiss. Rollei is going with Schneider. Please treat this as unconfirmed news/rumour. I am in no position to find out more. (I know this thread will make a certain person jump up and down). I do not know the inside story and do not claim the statement above are 100% accurate. I would not mind hearing more on this topic though, i.e if you have found out something. Maybe Senor Kornelius will tell us more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dale_dickerson2 Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 What does the H1 lens have not have in common with the Rollei 6008AF with a 4560 back? Beside the retating film back, the answer is Zeiss and Schnieder optics. Zeiss optics and Schneider optics are made by Rollei under agreement. So it would be true to word it "No more Rollei lenses will come from Zeiss." All my Rollei Zeiss design lenses come from Rollei, but are made to the same standards as all Zeiss lenses. Rollei uses might say to a but higher standard. "Rollei is going with Schneider." True to a point. Schneider designs are used for the AF series, and the WA TLR. That does not mean no more Zeiss. Why Hassy turned its back on Zeiss and went to bed with Fuji is odd to my way of thinking. The bottom line on any camera is the optics. I use Rollei for the optics choices and quality. I find the rumor odd. The 50, 80, 150mm Zeiss lenses do not need a redesign in the Rollei line up. So why drop lenses from the line up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luciano_capitanio1 Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 Maybe...but why a Fuji lens is expensive as or more than a Zeiss lens when is mounted on an Hasselblad and so cheaper when mounted on a Fuji? To pay only for the Trademark is a strange commercial politic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Ingold Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 According to information on the Zeiss web site, Zeiss supports only one manufacturer of a given class of cameras. What qualifies as a class is somewhat of a mystery (e.g., Hasselblad vs. Rollei). The baton went to Contax for 645 cameras well before Hasselblad came out with the H series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik scanhancer Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 Lakhinder, As far as I've heard Zeiss is not going to develop any new lenses for Rollei, but will support the existing line. Dale, Only a few Zeiss models are produced under license by Rollei. The more exotic pieces of glass come from Zeiss directly and are HFT-coated by and built into their tubes by Rollei. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan_dong1 Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 Zeiss is also doing the same for Hasselblad. No more new lenses in the pipeline to come. Just maintaining the existing lens and also the low cost upgrades or updates if they choose to buy. Updates as such the Eco-Glass for the optics. Re-formulation due to the Ec0-Glass and redesign interior baffling of the lens housing. With the medium format industry shrinking because of the Digital Movement, most companies are trying not to spent enormous funds for something that they can not recoup fast enough. Evan Evan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary_ferguson1 Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 "No more new lenses in the pipeline" A depressing thought, but is it really so bad? Many of the current Zeiss MF lenses have served multiple generations of photographers and still stand comparison against the very latest designs. The Hasselblad 150mm was introduced with the 500C in 1957, and it produces results that look just fine next to the Zeiss 140mm on my Contax 645. I believe the Hassie 250mm f5.6 and 38mm Biogon are even older. Maybe it's the end of history for MF lenses, in other words maybe Zeiss designs are as good as they can possibly get and there's just no practical advantage to be gained from newer optics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick roberts Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 Zeiss' policy on "manufacturers in the same class" has always been stretched to allow for those who have a long-standing relationship with Zeiss, i.e. Rollei and Hasselblad for 6x6. As regards Fuji's lenses, ignoring pricing issues, their lenses are superb, and always have been - in no way inferior to Zeiss glass, and I say that as a Zeiss/Schneider fanatic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.baxendell Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 My understanding of the "same class" issue was that Zeiss manufacture 6x6 lenses for Hasselblad and 645 lenses for Contax. The 6x6 Rollei lenses are old designs that are manufactured by Rollei with the blessing of Zeiss. Presumably Zeiss cannot manufacture 645 lenses for Hasselblad because they already manufacture lenses in that "class" for Contax. Likewise they cannot manufacture new designs for Rollei because of their deal with Hasselblad. I'm not sure why we are losing sleep over this as the Rollei boys have always preferred the Schneider lenses and nobody seems too upset about the quality of the Fuji lenses on the H1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kornelius_j._fleischer Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 It has always been funny to watch outsiders discuss Zeiss internals. Are you ready for some facts, folks? 1. Zeiss will continue to manufacture lenses for Hasselblad and Rollei as long as these companies like to purchase those. 2. Zeiss is ready to develop new lenses for Hasselblad and Rollei as soon as they order such developments. 3. It was not Zeiss who decided to develop 645 autofocus lenses for the Contax only. Rather it was Hasselblad who decided to decline the Zeiss autofocus offer for the new Hasselblad AF system and go with Fuji instead. At Zeiss, we currently work on an extremely impressive new lens for the Hasselblad 6 x 6 system. It will take us a while, so I do not promise it for this year´s photokina. Rollei, having just announced the hiring of a new CEO, will redefine its business directions shortly. We shall see what that means for their medium format plans. Also, Zeiss will announce a new line of medium format lenses this Photokina 2004 which has the potential to surprise you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan_dong1 Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 Kronelius, It's always a pleasant to see and read your presence here. The news presented by you without revealing anymore details than necessary looks encouraging and hopefully it will allow people to seek out new optics for your MF system. I do hope that some of the newer lenses that will come forth from Zeiss will go for the Hasselblad system. The former CEO of Victor Hasselblad AB, Göran Bernhoff, mentioned at the last two PhotoPlus Expo in NYC that Hasselblad has not abandoned Zeiss, but has reinforced their relationship. He mentioned that new lenses were being developed and will hopefully be available soon. Until the new lenses are available, i will continue to use my Hasselblad system with their superb Zeiss optics. Thanks for the clarification. Evan Dong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendrik Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 OOooooooooo I love my Contax!! More and More. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l_a_k_h_i_n_d_e_r Posted January 20, 2004 Author Share Posted January 20, 2004 I want to thank Kornelius for his update. I hope Rollei's direction will get clearer to us in the next few months. So far they have offered only a few Schneider lenses for their AF model! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymond_tai Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 Thank you Dr. Fleischer. I took a hugh leap in faith yesterday and bought a new Hasselblad 203FE. Good to know the format is still alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreas_carl Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 Wow - it's really good news to hear that Hasselblad has not abandoned the 6x6 format! I thought it to be a huge mistake and great pity that Hasselblad went 645. (I assume that extremely impressive lnes will also be extremely expensive, right??? ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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