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Camera Lens News No. 15
December 2001 |
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"Meet the Presidents"
Press Symposium at Carl Zeiss, Oberkochen
For this year's fall press symposium held on Sept. 30th and Oct. 1st by its Camera Lens Division, Carl Zeiss chose an unusual forum: Leading representatives of all important business partners of the lens manufacturer formed a forum for discussing topical questions concerning photography and cinematography. In addition, Carl Zeiss announced a new partnership in the field of digital cine production. A technical highlight was the discussion of the effects that film flatness errors have on image quality.
Many different partnerships offer new business opportunities. "We are an efficient and reliable business partner for our camera-manufacturing partners," said Dr. Winfried Scherle, Vice President and General Manager, Carl Zeiss Camera Lens Division. "Some of our co-operation ventures have already existed for decades. We are, however, also very open to new ideas."
With these words, he announced the latest partnership in the development, manufacture and marketing of high-performance lenses for digital high-definition cine cameras with Band Pro of Burbank, California. "This new co-operation is of strategic importance for us. In future, digital cinematography will be gaining increasing importance and create great demand for high-performance lenses."
The starting point for this new partnership in which both companies place high hopes is the unique wealth of know-how Zeiss possesses regarding almost all important segments of the still and cine camera markets for which the company develops and manufactures camera lenses: from APS to medium format cameras, from analog to digital, still and video cameras for cine film production.
The invention of roll film eventually replaced the fragile, heavy glass plates but caused a new problem at the same time: insufficient film flatness. With a look back on history, Kornelius Fleischer, Marketing Manager of the Carl Zeiss Camera Lens Division, started the discussion of technical subjects. Fleischer and Dr. Hubert Nasse (Manager of Applications Technology) presented new insights into this problem using measurements and image analysis. "Carl Zeiss makes these detailed analyses available to its partners for the further development of their cameras," commented Fleischer on the practical use of these new insights.
Dr. Nasse then explained why cameras with small image formats, and here in particular the modern digital cameras, provide markedly increased depth of field. He also discussed the exacting demands made on mechanical precision which result from the miniaturization of cameras, demands which were already encountered during the development of the first 35 mm cameras in the world. "This explains why the worldĠs first successful 35 mm cameras came from microscope manufacturers, not from the carpenters that were successful making large format cameras", Dr. Nasse concluded his presentation.
Guests of honor and much sought-after participants in the discussion were:
Göran Bernhoff, President and CEO of Victor Hasselblad AB, Göteborg, Sweden,
Paul Dume, Managing Director of Rollei Fototechnic GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany,
Wilhelm H. Hotes, Managing Director of Yashica Kyocera GmbH, (Contax), Hamburg, Germany,
Peter Körsgen, Director, Consumer Business Management of Sony Deutschland GmbH, Köln, Germany,
Franz Kraus, Managing Director of Arnold & Richter (ARRI) TV Produktionsservice GmbH, München, Germany,
Thomas Weber-Capaul, Managing Director of Alpa, Capaul & Weber, Zürich, Switzerland,
Amnon H. Band, President, Band Pro, Film/Video, Burbank, USA.
This was the first time ever to have the presidents of all Zeiss camera lens partners together in the same location at the same time. This enabled a unique group photo, which can be seen at www.zeiss.de/photo.
Over 30 photo magazines and newspapers from all around the world were represented at this Zeiss press symposium. First articles on "Meet the Presidents" have already appeared in print. | |
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