HOT!!! Schneider Kreuznach joins mft!!!!
What a surprise!!! Schneider Kreuznach officially announced that they joined the Micro Four Thirds group! They will soon announce their first lenses! That’s great news for us! I don’t know yet if SK will make complete new lenses or simply adapt some of their current C-mount lenses (Click here to see them on eBay). Like the Schneider 25mm f/0.95. I have to find new source within Schneider Kreuznach….somebody out there that knows what kind of lens is coming?
UPDATE1: A wonder what Samsung is thinking right now. Will Schneider also make lenses for the Samsung NX system or not?
UPDATE2: Our reader “Shutterwill” found that interesting statement made by Mr. Jos.Schneider from Schneider optic back in June. When asked about the future of their 28mm 135 PC lense, he replied: “We had lots of legendary lenses for 135 system cameras before, but to put a manual focus lenses on a digital body is not the way to exploit the full potential of a digital system camera. Moreover, the number of photographers willing to use a manual focus lens is few. Therefore we have no plan for more DSLR lenses at this moment.” Ergo: Does it mean the future m43 lenses will have autofocus?
UPDATE3: This is the official english press release (Source: Thanks Steve!).
“SCHNEIDER KREUZNACH now a member of the Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group
BAD KREUZNACH, 4 February 2011. Schneider-Kreuznach has joined the “Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group” – a consortium of companies with the objective of improving the possibilities and quality of compact digital cameras. Developed by Olympus and Panasonic, “Micro Four Thirds” is a standard for lens mounts that is tailored to digital system cameras. “This standard has great potential. It simplifies and improves the options for compact digital cameras and offers an excellent opportunity for the industry as a whole, as well as for us as a lens manufacturer. We are working intensively on a corresponding series of lenses,” says Dr. Josef Staub, CEO of the Schneider Group.
The standard defines the sensor size, the lens mount together with the communication protocol, the aspect ratio and the flange back distance, as well as the optical requirements for production and construction. The industry standard has been developed deliberately without taking into account conventional lenses, cameras or sensor sizes. In this way, compatibility problems with older components are avoided as is the need to compromise when designing new components.
The forum standard policy means that any member company can make and distribute accessories for the system that meet the standard. It is therefore possible to combine components from different manufacturers.”
Download the press release from Schneider (.pdf)
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Recent comments
Comment from Jón: What about Zeiss?
http://www.olympus...
Comment from Rob: @Chris 0.95 is the limit? Imposed by wh...
Comment from Chris: 0.95 is the limit for µ4/3, so we wont ...
Comment from tutejszy: Yeah, S-K, bring us your 0.95 or faster,...
omox
2 years ago |Incredible!
Great!
omox
2 years ago |looking deeper it gets even more interesting:
“From the start of its production in 1914, Schneider had produced their 500,000th lens by June 1932, their millionth by November 1936, and their 10 millionth lens by January 1967. As of April 2000, they have produced over 14,730,000 lenses.” (Wikipedia)
It look laike gerat times to come for us! Maybe at last high quality portrait lens with AF!
Camerageek
2 years ago |Hmmm they already make lenses for Samsung’s sysytems. Perhaps an AF lens?
Stavros
2 years ago |Thats good news, more lenses, more variety, more competition, lower prices.
I hope they make the 0.95 autofocus that voigtlander did not.
And an 20mm or 25mm f1.4 would be very welcome for me.
Joey
2 years ago |great news, don’t mind about AF, but more high quality glass coming to mft can only be a good thing
Greg
2 years ago |I don’t agree. Non AF is a niche. Alright me too I want the Voigtlander 25mm 0.95, but if these guys only go for manual stuff then it won’t be game changer at all.
twoomy
2 years ago |Actually, niche lenses are important. Take a look at Nikon or Canon SLR lenses… While MF, wide aperture primes, fisheyes, tilt-shift, exotic telephotos, etc. are all niche lenses that 95% of people don’t buy, the wide selection of lenses lets people know that companies are serious about a given format and are putting their weight behind it. It builds consumer confidence and enthusiasm. Even if the #1 selling lens is a consumer-grade variable aperture super-zoom.
pisto
2 years ago |This is exciting news, for Schneider is very well capable to produce great lenses.
Stavros
2 years ago |Also different makers make different quality lenses. Maybe Schneider will have a different feel to it.
Jack
2 years ago |Bad news for my wallet.
Schneider Kreuznach Joins Micro Four Thirds! - Micro Four Thirds User Forum
2 years ago |[...] [...]
GreyOwl
2 years ago |Hopefully they will produce some interesting lenses at affordable prices, and will have a good idea of what serious Micro 4/3rds users are looking for in the way of wide-angle and bright glass.
Jack
2 years ago |In 1985, they acquired B+W Filterfabrik, Joh. Weber KG, Wiesbaden, maker of the well-respected line of B+W filters.
In July 1987, they purchased Rollei Fototechnic GmbH.
In 1989, they purchased Käsemann/Oberaudorf, a manufacturer of glass and plastic polarizing materials.
After 1991 they acquired the former East-German (GDR) camera and lens manufacturer Pentacon/Practica (Dresden)
In 2000, they acquired Century Optics, an American lensmaking firm.
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |Great news!
But I guess the REAL questions are:
What lenses?
When?
Will they be available in quantity? So we don’t have to wait forever or pay ridiculous amounts on eBay.
Boss
2 years ago |Exactly, when and what lenses are coming. I just ordered my first MFT camera, the EPL2, and I will be attaching a 43rds lens initially, but there are literally only one or two lens that I would even consider out of those currently available. I like the 20 mm and the 7-14, but I would rather have something like the Pana/Leica 25mm f1.4 in a MFT lens. Or the Zuiko 50 mm macro in a MFT lens, etc….
Note to Olympus, Panasonic and the rest of the consortium, we need lenses, more lenses, good, high quality lenses….please.
Luis Sanz
2 years ago |Whoaa! Great news!! I bet for a fast MF portrait lens as their first release.
Nathan
2 years ago |Just great. More manual focus lenses for a system with no ground glass.
Come on Tamron, Come on Tokina….
What’s needed is more FAST autofocus glass. MF is adequately satisfied by adapters and legacy lenses.
Make more telecentric autofocus glass with good coatings on the rear element. That’s the weakness of legacy glass, and the place where a lens manufacturer can differentiate their product from 30 year old lenses.
The very last thing we need is more lenses that project a 40mm or larger image circle. We need more glass that projects a 25mm image circle and does so without needing to somehow achieve critical focus manually on an LCD of 1/10th the resolution of the sensor.
Chris
2 years ago |Exactly.
Jonathan
2 years ago |Do you know for a fact those lenses will not have AF?
Schneider, as opposed to Cosina, is an official member of the m43 consortium and this might very well mean electronic contacts and auto focus. Judging by their statement it looks like Schneider is intent on developing lenses designed for m43.
This is very good news, I’d be even happier if this was Zeiss and not Schneider
Archer
2 years ago |Optical quality between Zeiss and Schneider is similar. Also, don’t sell Olympus short: their optical reputation has always been very high, and they are by no means finished with producing lenses.
Jonathan
2 years ago |I’m not selling Olympus short!
I have the ZD 50/2 macro, the 11-22 and should be getting a mint OM 90/2 macro. If I could only afford it, the 150/2 would be the next on my list
I’d like to see Olympus produce lenses of the same caliber for micro 4/3rds (or come up with an effective way to use the wonderful SH/SHG lenses on their mirrorless camera bodies).
Archer
2 years ago |Y’know, the 90/2 is way overrated. You should just send it on to me
.
Archer
2 years ago |On a slightly more serious note, SHG lenses will never focus well on m4/3′s, due to AF design differences: phase detect AF tells the lens how far to move, while contrast detect just tells the lens which direction to move, and then tells it to stop or keep going (grossly oversimplified).
With the consumer end covered, I expect that Olympus will start to release better glass, although don’t expect constant aperture f/2 zooms, as those will always be big, and the whole point of m4/3′s is small.
Jonathan
2 years ago |Oh, I thought the 90/2 comment was serious
I would think Olympus is looking into possible solutions such as a porro mirror or what not. Maybe a phase detection mechanism could be built into an adapter such as the MMF-1? Or the rumored modular?
Anyway looks like the first HG lenses are on their way – the 50/2 macro and 8mm fish eye. I doubt we will ever be seeing native m43 SHG lenses.
Archer
2 years ago |No, there will be no porro mirror m4/3′s; although they did do that trick on the E-300 and E-330.
PD requires a diversion from the main light path. Fuji has a trick with PD sites within the main sensor, which I’m not sure is such a great idea. Anyway, a m4/3′s version of any of the SHG/HG lenses would be a bit smaller due to the shorter flange distance, and would also (likely) get video optimized. Interesting times…
Jonathan
2 years ago |Err, please let me correct myself – Cosina IS a member of the Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group.
Ulli
2 years ago |very curious about their upcoming mft products/versions!
Jón
2 years ago |Call me a sceptic, but I’m not popping the cork until I see some lenses. Remember that Fuji is a part of m43 too…
Still… Can I have 25/0.95 with AF, please?
Steve
2 years ago |Here is the quote from the English press release.
“We are working intensively on a corresponding series of lenses”
Steve
2 years ago |http://www.schneiderkreuznach.com/presse/pdf/MicroFourThirds_member.pdf
shutterwill
2 years ago |I just checked their website and I can see a lot of large format lens, cine lens, etc.
For 35mm and other smaller system cam, there are PC lenses only. Maybe I missed some of their offereing?
canard
2 years ago |Cine lens = similar imaging circle to 4/3 or APS. Big for handling reasons only. Probably S-K cine-primes for AF100, plus whatever af lenses they make for Samsung ported to m4/3.
JRK
2 years ago |They wouldn’t become members if they aren’t designing a brand new lens like Voigtlander did. This is good news in any case.
I hope they will make an AF lens though I’m assuming a cine lens is planned since that is a Schneider specialty.
sparedog
2 years ago |i hope they give us a range of good cine primes! that would complete the af101
Jonathan
2 years ago |Most chances this is exactly the market segment they are after – working professionals that can afford expensive high end lenses optimized for video application.
Miroslav
2 years ago |Excellent! Finally some good news. Is there any other system that has lenses from Leica, Cosina, Zeiss and Schneider made especially for it?
Hopefully Pentax and Fuji change their mind
.
Jonathan
2 years ago |I will follow your lead to say that this is a major advantage of micro 4/3rds as compared to ‘classic’ 4/3rds. As such, it offers micro 4/3rds much better chances of survival.
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |Absolutely!
A lineup of great lenses from great companies like Schneider and Leica, coupled with the M4/3 size/weight/bulk advantage over 4/3 and standard 35mm lenses, it gives M4/3 another serious boost of legitimacy.
When you see and feel the size and weight of the Olympus E5, it’s about the same as the Nikon D7000. So, where’s the advantage to 4/3 vs. standard format, especially given the huge selection of standard lenses?
None that I can see.
shutterwill
2 years ago |Found an interview of Mr. Jos.Schneider from Schneider optic back in June. when asked about the future of their 28mm 135 PC lense, he replied:
“We had lots of legendary lenses for 135 system cameras before, but to put a manual focus lenses on a digital body is not the way to exploit the full potential of a digital system camera. Moreover, the number of photographers willing to use a manual focus lens is few. Therefore we have no plan for more DSLR lenses at this moment.”
So I guess auto focus lenses are what they are after in a digital environment?
original:
http://info.xitek.com/Interviews/201006/11-45727.html
panka
2 years ago |so,admin, the partnership between Samsung and Schneider is gone?
… I remember some rumors about schneider and samsung last year … there was a lensmap also …
shutterwill
2 years ago |I think they will continue to design for samsung. They join M43 because they don’t want to put all eggs in one basket.
43 photo
2 years ago |Good news… more great lenses will be there soon… Now let Olympus release a cracking professional m4/3 body with a new sensor.
4/3rds also had great lenses but never made it to the crowds because of sucking bodies with lousy sensors… The sensors did not change yet. Olympus should do their work and come with a small pro m4/3 body which beats the pants out of the E5.
Joel
2 years ago |sucking bodies??? I actually think Olympus made some of the best DSLR bodies, they were the first to put swivel screen on an affordable DSLR, they made small bodies and whopping big waterproof solid bodies.. The only problem IMO was the sensors, still is really, APS-C have improved dramatically with recent sensors (k5,D7000) for example, but the panasonic sensors are still more behind than they should be (after factoring in smaller size)..
43 photo
2 years ago |You are right. They are great bodies and I own several of them (E3, E5).
The reason why 4/3 never made it to the crowds is mediocre AF and the sensors compared to the competition.
M4/3 is a nice great platform, the sensors did not change yet. Olympus should invest in more DR, fast AF and better frame rates for film.
If m4/3 is really booming, it might become interting for Sony or another manufacturer to build a new sensor for m4/3.
Important: if they want me to swap to m4/3 they should make their m4/3 bodies fully functional with SHG lenses. If they won’t do this I will never buy anyting Olympus again after 4/3.
pdc
2 years ago |This may mean the beginning of the end of the relationship Panasonic has with Leica. No problem there, as Panasonic have shown that they can produce their own excellent lenses. Schneider Kreuznach will likely produce MF lenses for mFT or perhaps the glass for Panasonic AF lenses. In any event, they are a great lens company. Their lenses won’t be inexpensive, as they won’t tarnish their image by going “cheap”, but I suspect that value for money will be better than with Leica.
Esa Tuunanen
2 years ago |Question isn’t about Leica being not interested of making lenses for MFT.
Year or two ago one Panasonic rep interview by Dpreview stated that Leica didn’t approve using software corrections to cover heavy compromising in optical corrections as reason why Panasonic’s MFT lenses weren’t done in cooperation with Leica like their Four Thirds lenses. So there’s no reason to think that this means Leica being excluded from designing future MFT lenses.
You have to remember that MFT is open standard and different companies can join it and make fully functional official equipment/lenses (no reverse engineering like for closed proprietary mounts of Canon/Nikon/Samsung/Sony) so there would be good chances for third party lens makers (like Sigma/Tamron) joining MFT if there were few more well selling cameras to different market areas (or another camera maker joined) to create enough lens market potential.
You know… reason for why “IBM PC” in the end overrun so many other home computers (some of which were more advanced in some specialities) was that different companies were able to make components/products compatible with it. So let’s hope that same happens to cameras and MFT eventually pushes closed proprietary systems into minority from their current dominant position.
Paulus
2 years ago |+ 1
Greg
2 years ago |Yup, what is needed now is one more camera body manufacturer, because I’m afraid that the competition now is a bit biased, especially when one of the competitors has to use sensors provided by the other…
Miklos Rabi
2 years ago |YES!!!!
G
2 years ago |Does this mean that KODAK will be joining the M43 fray? Hmmmmmmmm?
Gene
2 years ago |I hope Olympus will make a lot of money in m4/3 in the near future and then continue developing 4/3 with these lens manufacturers.
MikeS
2 years ago |This is great news. Now it’s up to Oly/Panny to deliver us some more cameras, as it’s starting to feel like the lens makers (Cosina, now Schneider) are more excited about the format than the camera makers.
Seika
2 years ago |Even if one died or do suicide, there’s always another place to clean the old stock
Igorek7
2 years ago |More lens choices is great! Don’t forget that “Zeiss will soon also be offering the Compact Prime CP.2 lenses with Micro 4/3″.
Jonathan
2 years ago |The compact primes come with user interchangeable mounts, you can use those lenses on Canon, Nikon and soon M43. It’s nice news, but will only save you the cost of an adapter… don’t expect micro 4/3rds dedicated CP.2 lenses.
dCap
2 years ago |this is excellent news!
Lenses from:
- Olympus
- Panasonic
+ Voigtländer
+ Schneider
~ Noktor
(+/- Sigma … are they still playing?)
Paulus
2 years ago |+ 1 – Congratulations to the founders of FT & MFT –
Olympus, Panasonic and Kodak!
Now they have finally enforced MFT as a well-established world standard!
admin
2 years ago |Guess Tokina is coming at PMA too
dCap
2 years ago |gosh … the list is endless, perhaps they said no to Pentax and Nikon (woudl be very funny to see nikon share the pentax 5.6x crop mount!)
Miroslav
2 years ago |+ Samyang (4/3 lenses)
+ SLRmagic
dCap
2 years ago |yeah … it was odd to see Samyang make FT lenses!
and how could I forget slr magic
Winston Loo
2 years ago |Hi Admin,
Just to check.. has something been done to the website? I used to be able to read the comments on my iphone, but since yesterday I cannot… can you check?
And just to get back on topic, I hope that one of these other lens makers finally make the fast primes and fast wide and fast zooms we all need !!
admin
2 years ago |Hi Loo!
Will check that now.
arash
2 years ago |for me very simple:
Oh YAAA
frosti7
2 years ago |Comments are go on my iphone, admin please try to find out about af&size
marilyn
2 years ago |thats a great news maybe m43 has its secrets with the next line up lol but i like the XZ-1 yehey
marilyn
2 years ago |i test my iphone thing its ok.. maybe your using the old OS of the iphone get the 4.2 update
vinzer
2 years ago |Good news for us m4/3 users, indeed. I just hope Schneider fills the void Sigma has left open in the m4/3 system. As much as I appreciate fantastic fast prime lenses, Cosina, Nokron, Samyang, and Zeiss are already able to fill that niche. I’m hoping for Schneider to make fast (or relatively fast) AF zoom lenses, fingers crossed.
cL
2 years ago |This is interesting. Hope we’ll get to see some nice lenses around normal range (25mm) but not based on FF ports.
Paulus
2 years ago |… damned funny!
ChrisGH2
2 years ago |As a pro m4/3 shooter this is the best news I’ve read in months!! Bring on the AF super fast primes!
tutejszy
2 years ago |Yeah, S-K, bring us your 0.95 or faster, c’mon!!! Now the party begins!!!
Chris
2 years ago |0.95 is the limit for µ4/3, so we wont see faster. Wouldn’t at all mind seeing more though.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a set of cine lenses as Schnieder’s contribution…
Rob
2 years ago |@Chris 0.95 is the limit? Imposed by what?
Rob
Jón
2 years ago |What about Zeiss?
http://www.olympus-global.com/en/news/2011a/nr110207zeisse.html