New Zeiss Ikon Rangefinder and Leica mount lenses

>I shouldn't be suprised after all my old Contax SLR/Carl Zeiss lenses were made by Kyocera

 

Sorry to disappoint you, Trevor. Kyocera (formerly Yashica) definitely didn't make those Zeiss lenses. (Guess who did?) They did make your cameras, though.

>The Contarex Hologon has no ability to focus

 

I think Cameron was referring to the interchangeable lens itself, not the fixed-lens Hologon camera (which was only introduced when the Zeiss Ikon death bell started to toll.)

 

>I shouldn't be suprised after all my old Contax SLR/Carl Zeiss lenses were made by Kyocera

 

Sorry to disappoint you, Trevor. Kyocera (formerly Yashica) definitely didn't make those Zeiss lenses. (Guess who did?) They did make your cameras, though.

 

>Today Cosina has officially launched their pages on Zeiss lenses.

 

Cosina follows Zeiss who insists on calling this double-Gauss design "Sonnar." Most baffling.

 

http://www.cosina.co.jp/seihin/co/s-85/index.html

Andrew, obviously Carl Zeiss lenses are made by Carl Zeiss even though in the case of the Contax lenses they are produced in a facility in Japan. What's more interesting is the fact that on their website, Zeiss says that although the original decision to move the manufacturing facilities to Japan was originally done for reasons of cost, that this would no longer be necessary today, that it is no longer more expensive to manufacture lenses in Germany than in Japan. In contradiction of this, Zeiss says on the Zeiss Ikon website that the decision to manufacture the ZI camera body & 5 of the 7 lenses to Cosina in Japan was for the purpose of reducing costs. sounds like theirs more to the story.

>obviously Carl Zeiss lenses are made by Carl Zeiss

 

That's what I've been trying to say....for the umpteenth time.

 

>Zeiss says on the Zeiss Ikon website that the decision to manufacture the ZI camera body & 5 of the 7 lenses to Cosina in Japan was for the purpose of reducing costs.

 

No contradiction there. The lenses for Contax are made by Zeiss themselves (even in Japan.) The ZM lenses (except two) are made by Cosina, obviously an outsourcing measure to lower cost.

Andrew, Zeiss is saying on their website that manufacturing in Japan does not represent the cost savings that it once did. So where does the cost savings come from in having the new lenses manufactured by Cosina in Japan? I'm confused.

Perhaps Cosina has a cost advantage over the Japanese Zeiss works (particularly w/regard to Leica-type lens mounts & assemblies, as opposed to just the glass)?

 

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"Andrew, Zeiss is saying on their website that manufacturing in Japan does not represent the cost savings that it once did. So where does the cost savings come from in having the new lenses manufactured by Cosina in Japan? I'm confused."

CC is right. The paragraph Bill mentions actually refers to the Zeiss plant in Japan (which makes the lenses for Contax) and surely not every single factory in the entire country. Also it was written before Cosina started the Voigtlander business, I believe.

Thanks for the comments, Andrew & Chris.

 

Andrew, I think you're right about the comment re Japanese vs German manufacturing economics may be a little dated. I just wonder how Cosina is able to do it cheaper than Zeiss could do it in their own Japanese plant.

Now, are there any mailorder houses that offer these products?

www.classicconnection.com has 4 of the lenses listed as "in stock" on their website.

 

www.photovillage.com syas on their website that they will be carrying the Zeiss Ikon. No other details listed.

 

I haven't seen any others yet.