God shoots Hasselblad with the latest lens?

[Richard Mendales]

Does anyone know whether the new Zeiss/Cosina lenses have been reformulated in any way? Since Hasselblad itself seems to have decided that the future is with Fuji, I have been wondering whether the new Zeiss/Cosina connection might be the only way to get improvements in matters such as coatings, which seem to be improving in the d---l world.

 

[WRSchmalfuss]

It's easy to prove whether or not these ZEISS ZV CLASSIC lenses are made by COSINA! Look up whether they are Made in Japan or Made in Germany!

Cheers

 

[waitew]

Does this mean that since I have only C lenses made in the 70's for my Hasselblad that I no longer have mega bling? That I should hang my head in shame when others observe me making photographs at or near -282? I'll ever be able to photograph in public in Vegas either? I feel shame.

Dude,do you really expect us to believe you live at the bottom of Death Valley?I've walked the mile or so NW from from Badwater out to the unmarked lowest spot that's supposed to be lowest.......nobody lives there!

 

[steven_e007]

Zeiss has licenced other manufacturers to produce their designs right from the very early days. I have a "Zeiss anastigmat lens", manufactured by Ross of London in about 1890! The labelling is totally honest, it states that it was manufactured by Ross, but many Zeiss lenses over the years have been manufactured by many other companies under licence without the labelling being quite so transparent.

More recently Yashica has produced Zeiss lenses and who really knows where the lenses on Sony and Nikon products are actually made?
And now, Cosina...

Except I don't think it is that simple. Yashica had it's lenses made by a huge Japanese optical manufacturer called Tomioka opitical. Eventually Yashica aquired Tomioka and later Kyocera aquired Yashica. Yashica has now pulled out of traditional camera manufacture but AFAIK the former Tomioka plant is still going strong as 'Kyocera optec'. Zeiss certainly had a big connection with Kyocera/Yashica in the 1990s and I suspect Kyocera optiec in Nagano is probably where the Zeiss lenses for most Japanese cameras (including the modern Contax) were made.

I once read that Minolta is the only camera manufacturer in Japan that makes it's own lenses. If that is true, that would mean all the others buy them in from elsewhere. Including Cosina - from who, I wonder? IF it is true, that is...

And the situation now? What is the relationship between Kyocera and Carl Zeiss Japan and Zeiss Ikon? And is there one between Cosina and Kyocera?

I have absolutely no idea!!! :confused:

But what would be an authentic Zeiss lens anyway? One made in Obercocken, Gurtingen, Halbergmoose, Aarlen or Wetzlar?
Or Jena or Dresden or Stuttgart?
Or Nagano or Tokyo? :confused:

I reckon if it is a Zeiss design and quality control is high enough for Zeiss to be happy to stamp their name on it then firstly it doesn't matter, but secondly, we may never know for certain where a lens has come from anyway!

And it isn't just lenses: What is an Audi if not a Skoda with a more expensive badge on the bonnet?
(And they are both owned by Volkswagon !! )

Just my thoughts

Steve