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Camera Lens News No. 4
Spring 1998 |
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Vario Sonnar 3,5–4 ,5/ 28–70 mm - a new zoom lens for Contax SLR
A new Zoom lens for the Contax SLR system has appeared on the scene. It accompanies the new Contax Aria, the new step into the Contax SLR program, which replaces the Contax 167 MT, but is meant to be used with any Contax SLR. Both the new camera and the new zoom lens are designed to be very compact and affordable while offering the high quality which demanding users expect from Contax cameras and Carl Zeiss lenses. Carl Zeiss lens designers developed the new Vario-Sonnar with the travelling photographer in mind, who wants all the advantages of an SLR viewfinder but would not be willing to carry the bulk and weight of e.g. a Contax RTS III camera and the proven Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 28–85 mm.
From market research Carl Zeiss is aware that a lower focal length of 28 mm is a must in a traveller’s all-round zoom, and high performance on Carl Zeiss level is mandatory to achieve pleasingly detailed images of landscapes, cities, architecture and the like. So, special attention went into excellent correction of all aberrations.
The optical design calls for 9 elements in 8 groups. Anomalous dispersion glass and a molded glass aspheric lens are used to control chromatic aberrations (some other lens manufacturers would have named the lens ”Apo” just because of it) and reduce distortion while maintaining compactness. The result is a lens weighing 325 g with an overall lenth of 63.5 mm, with a large M 67 filter thread to accept e. g. high quality circular polarizer filters without mechnical vignetting. For the first time in a Contax lens, separate rings control focus (down to 0.5 meters plus makro-function to frame subjects one third of life-size) and focal length. For a spec sheet with MTF graphs please contact us (see publishers imprint). | |
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