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Camera Lens News No. 10
Sommer 2000 |
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Zeiss lenses for Hasselblad - Sales are growing by two-digit rate
The new CFi/CFE-generation of Zeiss lenses for Hasselblad has enjoyed a healthy growth in sales over the last year and keeps moving fast. Introduced at Photokina 1998, the new lenses offer the high optical performance Hasselblad users have appreciated for decades, plus enhanced stray light suppression based on newly developed absorbing techniques and materials. In addition to this, a new main spring made of NIVAROX extends the service life of the Prontor shutters considerably.
Market evaluations show that Hasselblad users, on average, have tended to be even more quality conscious than most other medium format photographers. This is reflected clearly in their current lens preference: Recently, especially those Zeiss lenses are in rising demand that are known to be extraordinary performers.
These include the Superachromat 5,6/250, Tele-Superachromat 5,6/350, Tele-Superachromat 2,8/300 + Apo-Mutar 1,7x within the Telephoto Power Pack, the Planar 3,5/100, and the Biogon 4,5/38 built into the Hasselblad Superwide camera.
Another well sought-after long-term friend of many Hasselblad users is the Planar 2/110 FE, the fastest lens in 6 x 6 medium format. The rise in demand for this lens can be attributed in large part to the success of the newly introduced Hasselblad 202 FA camera. Quite often this camera is the most appealing model for people who decide to enter the Hasselblad system today. And the Zeiss Planar 2/110 is seen by many to be the optic that complements this new camera better than any other lens.
Also in rising demand are the Distagon 4/40 and the Makro-Planar 4/120. These lenses are especially popular with professionals who use digital backs with their Hasselblad workhorse in their day-to-day activities.
Impressively successful is the Zeiss Sonnar 4/180 in its new CFi version. Attached to a new Hasselblad body with improved stray light suppression and shaded with the Hasselblad ProShade compendium, the combination can handle very challenging lighting situations without suffering the loss of color saturation experienced with previous versions of cameras and lenses. This improvement is found deeply convincing by professional beauty photographers. | |
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