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Camera Lens News No. 8
Fall 1999 |
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Makro-Planar lenses outsell Proxar close-up attachments by far
All Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar lenses are dedicated tools for close-up photography. The optical system of Makro-Planar lenses is not optimized for infinity (e. g. landscapes, aerials) as is the case with the vast majority of all usual photographic lenses, but for close range photography like copying a page of paper onto a frame of film or product shots, nature close-ups and the like. In recent years sales of the Makro-Planar 4 /120 in the Hasselblad and Rolleiflex medium format systems have gone up significantly. At Carl Zeiss, we see this as an endorsement of the impressively high image quality and over-all usefulness of the Makro-Planar.
However, there has been around another tool for close-up photography: the Carl Zeiss Proxar series of optical attachments, that can be simply combined with almost any lens like a filter. It does to a lens what an eyeglass or loupe does to the human eye: it extends the close-up range. The Proxar lens is designed to be a universal accessory rather than an optic dedicated to a certain camera lens right from the stage of optical calculation. The concept of the Proxar dates back from times when real makro-lenses were not easily available to photographers. But today, with modern high resolution color films and correspondingly high expectations by both photographers and image users the superiority of a well designed special makro-lens over a normal lens plus Proxar attachment in the field of professional close-up photography cannot be denied.
Therefore it is not too surprising that Makro-Planar lenses have been outselling all Proxar lenses by multiples in recent years indicating that today’s users of Hasselblad and Rolleiflex systems are really going after superior, uncompromising image quality when choosing a medium format system with Carl Zeiss optics.
For the new Contax 645 medium format autofocus system there are, of course, no long term sales statistics available, yet. But one trend can be clearly recognized: The Apo-Makro-Planar is on its way to become the most sought-after lens for this camera. Many photographers decide to enter the Contax 645 system only because they want to make use of this Apo-Makro-Planar lens.
Wrapping it up: Makro-Planar lenses are the preferred tool for all pho-tographers who are really serious about close-up performance. | |
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