As you know back in September Zeiss announced that they will release three new NEX lenses in mid 2013 (Source: Zeiss.)! All priced at around 1.000 Euro and with full electronic support (yep AF too!). And as you know the first three lenses are the 12mm f/2.8, 32mm f/1.8 and 50mm f/2.8. Zeiss also said that “Zoom lenses are an option that is still being considered“.
Now some of our sources had a talk with Zeiss representatives. And the unofficial goal for Zeiss is to launch these lenses in April 2013! Same rumor has been posted by Patrick from FujiRumors (the lenses will be available for the X system too). Finally some new high quality glass like the superb [shoplink 8450]Zeiss 24mm f/1.8[/shoplink]!
Back in September I asked you which lens you would buy. This were the results (If you haven’t voted yet than do it to see the results):
[poll id=”124″]
P.S.: The lenses are designed to cover the APS-C circle and not the for FF NEX cameras like the [shoplink 14178]Sony NEX-VG900[/shoplink].
53 Responses
hm… so tempted, but 1000 euro T_T
It would be nice if they also do an 85mm f/1.4 (yes it would be large, but Samsung has one for their NX cameras)
The Samsung 85/1.4 is huge. For NEX I hope it will be a 90mm or 85mm/1.8 with OSS (!)
The Canon 85/1.8 for example is sharper in most cases, have much faster AF and much more compact than the 85/1.2L. You really only need the 1.2 or 1.4 for extra low light situations and the bigger aperture will give a slightly more creamy bokeh, but then OSS is better to have for real life situations I think.
I thought Sony had an exclusive deal for Zeiss AF lenses?
I guess the deal is for DSLR market. These aren’t DSLRs.
But can’t be sure. Perhaps they made some agreement with Sony (as Sony doesn’t see X-mount as a threat – they could agree for that).
I can’t see that Sony won’t see Fuji as a threat, granted they’re currently only targeted the upper end of the mirrorless market but that could easily change overnight.
The xpro1 sensor is probably the only APS-C sensor which can match or beat sony’s current generation of sensors that cannot sit well with sony.
I can only imagine you’re right in your assumption that the exclusive deal with Zeiss had somekind of loophole which didn’t cover interchangeable mirrorless bodies (but yet presumably still applies for compact cameras?)
It’s probable that the XPro1 sensor is a SONY sensor. Fuji just add/contract with SONY to add use their custom CFA.
If zeiss make AF lens for fujifilm, then it is no long exclusive to sony … sad 🙁
Maybe sad for Sony – but not for users. We just get more choice.
12 f/2.8…. release ZA version, and you can have all my money already!
They won’t. No non-FF ZA coming any more.
You know this how?
Simply because ZA lenses are more expensive then a APS-C-sized DSLR/SLT camera. Sounds logic ZA lenses will only be availiable for the more professional full-frame DSLTs.
APS-C will be mirrorless only in some years anyways (as will Full-Frame in some more years). No confiration is needed for that, just think…
More professional? These days there are probably more professional photographers actually using NEX-7 and X-Pro cameras than there are using Sony A-mount cameras.
The 12/2.8 for DSLR would be HUGE, even for APS-C. It’s not small even for mirrorless, you see. That’s why DSLRs/DSLTs are doomed and will disappear in the very near future (as well as bizarre tech like any kind of PDAF)
Tell that to Sigma 11-16mm f/2.8
it covers 11mm with f/2.8 which in theory should make it even bigger and I hardly call it huge. it perfectly balances with semi-pro SLR.
“That’s why DSLRs/DSLTs are doomed and will disappear in the very near future” – BS.
It’s huge and CA are ridiculous. And it’s huge because of the wide end. Only simpleton can dream about compact and high IQ UWA lens for DSLR: it’s impossible now and this won’t became possible in the future since it is pointless — design better lenses for mirrorless cameras is easier 🙂
Well, if you have issue with size of 11-16 then all I can suggest is a visit in gym. 🙂 Then trying something like 70-200 f/2.8 might be less terrifying. lol
> “That’s why DSLRs/DSLTs are doomed and will disappear in the very near
> future” – BS.
No, it isn’t the only way of future: if japanese could read (in other words: if they wouldn’t be so unreasonably arrogant), we would already have super precise tracking autofocus in mirrorless cams. The algorithm that works is invented, I wonder when one of these oriental monkeys will read it.
can you perhaps keep your racism to yourself?? also the only one being arrogant here seems you..
I think you mean the Tokina 11-16 2.8, right? An ideal lens for a steadicam, I hear.
It was the plan all along that the new Zeiss lenses would be available in the Spring of 2013; in any case that’s what the Zeiss representative told me at Photokina. He indicated that prior estimates of a Summer release were overly conservative.
As always with Zeiss lenses, there will be no OSS (stabilization).
That means, it is not that good for video.
Yeah, no OSS is a deal breaker for me. I have enough older lenses which work just fine and with peaking I can manually focus in a jiff, but no OSS leaves me uninterested in these lenses.
so let’s hope for in-body-stabilisation for the NEX then!
Won’t happen.
Wait for mirrorless A-mount
a deal breaker huh? What are you suffering parkinson or sumthing?
keep whining and your photography won’t go nowhere. Always relying on tools and technology instead improving your own skill.
some people bitching out bout not having eniugh lenses for nex, some says “well, its too expensive”, some other complaining about not having oss, what next? The camera doesn’t have the auto framing?auto composition?
improve your skill instead of your camera and lens feature.
I own so many manual legacy lenses to use with nex. No oss, no af, but I still can produce very nice images out of them. These lenses hv helped me a lot on developing my photography skill. Technology is nice, but just don’t rely on it more than on your own skill.
With the 24mm, I don’t see too much shake with videos. But when you’re paying 1,100 bucks for a lens made for video you would expect OSS. It will be more of a problem with the 32 and a definite issue with the 50mm. I’d recommend you save your money and buy the Sony 35 or the Sony 50 which have the OSS built in. I mean is anyone besides the most meticulous pixel peeper going to notice?
good !! im definitely going to buy the 50mm f/2.8 macro
so happy .. zeiss = very sharp
“…Finally some new high quality glass like the superb Zeiss 24mm f/1.8!…”…never see a review where they call it superb…this is only a normal overpriced lens…or can u link me to a review that can prove the opposite???
You are welcome! Here are just some of the most famous reviews:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/sony_nex_7_rolling_review.shtml#24
http://slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1452/cat/all
Of course they use other words than superb…like “excellent”. 🙂
the 12mm looks like a very fine landscaping lens 🙂 currently i use the Samyang 14mm and its very big and sadly also not perfect optically..
Very funny. They are not even able to produce the 1.8/24mm lens (it is now about one year since announcement!), yet they announce three more lenses, while the 24mm Zeiss lens is overdue for almost one year. This is very funny indeed. Sorry, but I do not believe a single word…
Its Sony that needs to produce the 24mm, not Zeiss. Zeiss just ensures the QC is high.
I dont know why anyone would possibly be complaining about these lenses. Sony is in need of these lenses. Fuji has these FL’s pretty much covered(IE 14mm 2.8 and 35mm 1.4, 60mm 2.4 macro)
OSS isnt needed for such short FL, unless your shooting video. If you shoot video….dont buy these i guess? Putting OSS in them could have compromised the IQ and would have added another $500 to the price.
If the 50mm would have been 50mm F2….i would be buying it instantly(i loved the 50mm F2 makro!). 2.8 is limited on a aps-c sensor for a FL such as that. F2 would have helped make it more of a walk around.
For NEX im sure the 32mm 1.8 will be a hot seller.
f/1.8 is okay, but when can we expect to see something closer to 1.2? I think this is one of the main draws to the X line in general all their lenses are a 2/3 to a full stop faster.
F1.2 and the name Zeiss is not a good mix. 1.4 is going to be the max your going to see if it ever happens. Noone is going to be willing to spend 5000-8000 on a 1.2 lens. if it was 500 id take 2!
Depends on the image circle. If it only needs to cover APS, then making a 1.2 lens is somewhat easier.
CV35/1.2 is incredibly popular on NEX (google it). It’s also a full frame and by the same maker as Zeiss (Cosina). Zeiss will normally prefer to stick to biogon and planar designs which are sharper and less corrected around f2.
Biogon – which is fantastic on film – is unfortunately not a good design for modern digital sensors.
The common Biogons (G and ZM) are stunning on the 5n and GXR. The NEX7 smears and fringes color, but it does so with even the native 18mm. The m9 needs color correction, but the new M is reportedly fine out to the corners.
Would like to see a good comparison of zeiss 32 f1.8 and sony emount 35 f1.8 honest test. Anyway won’t buy both. Seems like Nex lenses making too much lenses within small range. Samsung seems to be coming out a 80-400mm for mirrorless real soon… Sony need to brush up as we still haven’t seen a AF lenses for APS-C at a 300mm range yet. At least come out an F1.4. Can we not be getting a 17mm F1.8 for year 2013, 18mm F1.8 for year 2014 and 19mm F1.8 for year 2015 or a 33mm or 34mm as we have a tiny gap?
We have an 30mm prime sigma. Sony 18-200mm, new Sony black 18-200mm, tamron 18-200mm, Sony 50-210mm. Looking at the road map we may get a high quality mid range zoom approx 18-55mm G lenses soon.
please no more crap emount.. ALPHA for the win!
aaron = troll
12 mm f2.8 PERFECT FOR ME . FOR STEDYCAM (AUTOFOCUS) , INSIDE SHOOT( F2.8). THANKS ZEISS .
Honestly, I’d struggle to justify spending that kind of money on glass that ties you to apsc bodies. A ff nex is almost certainly on the cards at some point in the not so distant future…
Add in the lack of oss and it’s a no for me. It’ll be interesting to see how well they sell…
Will be interesting to see how these Zeiss lenses perform with the short flange distance on NEX.
I’ll probably get a 32mm for my NEX-7. A fast Zeiss E-mount normal prime would be hot.
At a thousand Euro these will be priced similarly to the 24mm Sony-Ziess lens – but will cost way more than the excellent prime lenses Fuji make for the X-Pro which already seem to be pretty much equivalent to Zeiss lenses.
i was really hoping the zeiss would have OSS too. of course you can still use it without and probably get good image quality but the practicality of the sony 30mm and price make this one a better deal. i have the sony 50mm and find it to be pretty good. and it’s so much more cost effective. even for professional applications, i’m not shooting billboards, so the difference in zeiss image quality should be marginal, but i of course could be wrong. the question is, is the zeiss image quality 3x better than sony? and it doesn’t have oss? hard to justify. i’m also waiting for the “snap pancake” that was announced to be released next year. a fast pancake normal prime lens would be a dream on the nex-7, but not sure if it’s physically possible.
I also think these Zeiss lenses are not tempting. They aren’t exceptionally bright nor have they OSS. And is the little IQ advantage worth three times the price?
Nevertheless a greater choice is always preferable.
I love Zeiss glass and will buy all three of these for my Nex7. How about a mid length tele like the 85mm 1.4?
Hi adMIN, ANY NEWS on release dates ? 🙂
cheers!