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Something is going on with Zeiss

dirk

dirk

MFF-Founder
Administrator
Something is going on with Zeiss...

http://www.zeiss.de/C12567A8003B58B9?Open

Look at the Photokina special on their webpage. There, they write:

"Medium format is still considered the upper class of photography. It's no surprise either – it simply offers more. More picture, more fun, more possibilities. Carl Zeiss also offers more for the medium format at Photokina 2004. Find out more at Photokina 2004 – and on this page after September 10, 2004."

and

"Creative photography requires a flexible camera system with perfect optics. Our solution will be presented on Sept. 28, 2004 at Photokina 2004 in Cologne, Germany (Hall 1.2/ booth B040). Until then, you can check it out on this web page. Come back on Sept. 5 for an ex&le."

Of course we will update you on this. We will be also at the photokina, searching for the hottest news
happy.gif
 
I donot know Cecret, but not to expect it cheap. German camera quality, Zeiss lens quality, just imagin it will be comparable to Leica M.
 
Still, the body is made by Cosina, Japan (those Voigtlaenders aren't that expensive, are they? ;-)).

And the lenses... while designed by Zeiss, it could well be that Cosina will produce them too.

If so, with Hasselblad selling these things too, there seems to be very little "Zeiss" content in the reborn "Zeiss Ikon". ;-)

But yes, they'll probably cost and arm and a leg.
 
As Hasselblad IS the distributor for the Zeiss Ikon Cameras, it will be priced in the range of Hassey cameras. See Hasselblad site>Products>ZeissIkon.
 
FYI

Zeiss confirmed us that it will be significant cheaper than the Leica M-counterparts.

The body itself will come at around 1.800 euro. The lenses will cost roughly 55-65% of the Leica M prices.

Most of the ZM lenses are available already now, the rest will come in January/ February.

The body will come in May. No digital Zeiss Ikon camera in the pipeline.
 
... and we were playing with a demo model at Photokina. But this is too early to give a a judgement over it. It sounded louder than my M6. But the M7 is also louder than the M6. It needs a battery to make a shot.

It looks like the Zeiss Ikon system will be only available in silver. Only in Japan it will be sold in black. There are also lenses with 1.4 in discussion - at least a 50mm. Shall come in 2005, but do not expect it before summer.
 
> From the Ziezzikon.com site - lenses page - "We also decided to make > these groundbreaking lenses, with the exception of the Biogon T* > 2.8/21 ZM, at Carl Zeiss, Oberkochen in Germany." Camera body made by > cosina lenses made in germany... sounds like mid-ground to me...
 
Whether the camera will be available in black depends (so Zeiss say) on whether enough people want their camera in black. So it's a wait-and-see thing.

And a digital ZI will appear too as soon as enough interest in such a thing is shown.
That despite Zeiss' comment that their lenses are (still) too good for digital. (They claim that they are too good for film too, so ... ;-))

And don't they say that with the exception of two, all other lenses (5 now, more later) will be made in Japan?
So a camera built in Japan, lenses built in Japan, marketed by a Hong-Kong owned Swedish firm... a lot of Far-East in Zeiss today. ;-)
 
Still, the body is made by Cosina, Japan (those Voigtlaenders aren't that expensive, are they? ;-)).
And the lenses... while designed by Zeiss, it could well be that Cosina will produce them too.
Click to expand...

Is it true???
If so, it does not deserve all that sound, in my openion(at least).
Thanks.
 
It is true, yes.

But Cosina is quite capable of producing decent goods. Including optics.
So i don't think you need worry.
;-)
 
Oh and...

Don't forget that this is merely a marketing thing.
Zeiss has a well-earned reputation of being a top quality producer of both cameras (the Zeiss-Ikon bit of admittedly a long time ago. And how about Contax?) and optics.

Now they see that Leica appears to be faring well in a steeply declining 35 mm film market, and that they do so by aiming at the (excuse me) "snob-appeal" traditional names have, Zeiss too apparently think that offering a "luxury fashion accessory" thingy will be lucrative.

And who's to say it will not be?
As long as the "luxury fashion accessory" is indeed what people expect from a "luxury fashion accesory" bearing the name Zeiss, no, even Zeiss-Ikon.
Still, a large part of the price you're asked to pay is for the brand name.
 
> Thats a very interesting point... so on that basis, is there a NON > luxury branded item available that can achieve the same (if not > better) results?
 
Antony,

Since when does quality have anything to do with it?
;-)

No, seriously.
There are many ways of selling things. One is to sell the brand first, the item bearing the brand second.
That is what Hermes is doing, that is what Zeiss is doing now too.

Sure, people are still buying Leicas (for instance) because they actually are good. But not very many.
And if you can't increase (rather diminish the rate of decrease of) sales figures by selling your goods as the good-old high quality sturdy working photographer's unmissable tools, you can start selling the reputation of being the good-old high quality working photographer's unmissable tool. Next sell your low sales "success" as being "exclusive", and Bob's your uncle.

Now this bubble will burst the moment people find out that their "luxury fashion accessories" is just a badge bearing piece of nothing.
So you either make sure they dont find out by making sure it isn't, or just accept the risk.
Either way, you do not sell the quality of the item (real or only implied), you sell the quality of the name on the item.

And that (again) because selling the item itself isn't generating enough income.

So if a thing wil not sell because the market for it is disappearing (as in Leica's case), or because it (being nothing special) wouldn't sell as (say) a Cosina camera, it may still generate lots of interest from people with lots of money to burn if it bears a Great Name.

Why, for instance, did Cosina buy the right to trade under the name Voigtlaender? Because it works. That's why.
So now Zeiss is trying to see if it works too, using the old Zeiss-Ikon name.

Quality? Not the number one selling point.
The suggestion of quality is.
 
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