Optics from Carl Zeiss - High Quality Guarantee. Select a camera. Continued

Fans of photo and video filming When choosing equipment, much attention is paid to optics, from which the quality of photos and video depends in many ways.

The best choice In this case, Carl Zeiss products are. To substantiate the approval, consider the history of the company and the list of products it produces.

How did Zeiss Optics begin?

The name Corporation received in honor of the founder, who in 1846 established an enterprise to create lenses for microscopes, but in the future the range has significantly expanded. The peculiarity of the German producer was excellent product characteristics that were provided by the introduction of the most modern technologies and cooperation with leading scientists of their time. In particular, a great contribution to the development of the company was made by Chemik Otto Shot. Thanks to cooperation with scientists, an anti-reflective coating was developed, without which today it is impossible to present optics. In addition, the company first began to use the MTF practice, with its help you can estimate the quality of the image, now this technology is standard in the industry.

The turning point was the Second World War, after which production turned out to be fragmented: the part was located on the territory of the GDR, and the other in Germany. However, after the reunification of Germany, the work continued in the same mode.

List of goods

For many years of history from the enterprise conveyor, it was gone:

PRAKTICA and CONTAX;
zeiss lenses for glasses;
contact lenses;
lekets for cameras.

The latter are widely used in Sony, Kyosera gadgets and other Japanese corporations. This product is recognized as standard. The confirmation is the fact that the Karl Tseis lens was widespread not only in civil, but also in the space sphere. In particular, the company has manufactured a model under the order for NASA, the contract costs the American Space Agency of $ 1 million.

If we talk about the civilian sphere, in addition to professional cameras, German optics are installed on many modern smartphones. Thus, the manufacturer over time not only has not lost its position in the market, but also continues to actively develop.

September 11, 1816 in Weimara was born Karl Friedrich Tsey, German optical mechanic, founder of the famous firm for the production of optical instruments. His father - the Kraar Rodorofer was constantly fought in his workshop with cars and machines, so it was not surprising that Karl since childhood was interested in technician. He finished the gymnasium ahead of time, then for 4 years he studied at the university mechanics, physics, mathematics, wisdom of manufacturing scientific instruments and optical instruments.

After that, he traveled for another seven years in German cities, studying the craft. After Karl Zeis mastered the melting methods of glass, learned the necessary temperature of the furnaces and the composition of the glass and learned to handle the lenses, he opened his own workshop in Jena. By this time he was already 30 years old. At first he made magnifiers and simple microscopes. Soon due to the impeccable quality of the instruments, the Tseis workshop began to use authority, and customers began to ask him to make more complex devices.

At first, the work was almost blind, the "trial and error" method. But soon it became clear that simply improving the quality of the products of success would not achieve. Tseys realized that he needed fundamental scientific research And began to look for assistants in a university environment. There he met the young physicist Ernst Abbe. Actually, Abbe was the son of a worker, but thanks to exceptional abilities, he received doctoral degree and privat-associate professor. He became a leading researcher at Tseis. According to his instructions, a variety of accurate devices for the production of perfect glasses were constructed and built. Ernsta Abbe's studies of those years have become basic in optics forever. Thanks to him in 1872, after six years of work on the production of new varieties of optical glass, a complex microscope was created, which became the progenitor of all modern microscopes.

After that, the production of microscopes that did not have analogues in quality and capacity began in the workshop of Tseys. The firm was on the rise and thousands of microscopes did a year. Karl Zeis acknowledged that this was the merit of Abbe, and made it a partner in his violent growing business. The third member of the team became Chemist Fritrich Otto Schott. Its research in the field of glass production technology and especially chemical composition Optical glasses came to the way. Thanks to the proposed shott additives, color distortions were disappeared in the images under the microscope.

As a result, Charles Tseis's workshop rose into the most famous enterprise of the optical industry. When In 1888, Herr Zeis died at the age of 72, his colleagues and students created the Karl Zeys Foundation - a peculiar production partnership. Employees of the company had an extremely high level of social security: they participated in profits, had an 8-hour working day, free medical service, paid vacation and retirement.

Now the expression "Ceesovskaya optics" has become the same sustainable phrase and synonymous with excellent quality, like Damascus steel, Chinese mascara, French perfume and Persian carpets. Nowadays, the company produces microscopes, binoculars, lenses, photographic, glasses and sights. True, if you, for example, want to do a photo and are thinking about buying Casey optics, it's better to think carefully. It is about the same as a person who is only going to learn to play violin, buy a violin of Stradivari immediately. Of course, learn to play such a violin is good, but somewhat assigned. And the difference in the first pores between just a good violin and it is Stradivari to notice very difficult.

About Carl Zeiss and other legends in photographic

"Photography - Dark Case"
Folk wisdom

Introduction

A bit of history

I think it will be appropriate to mention the history of Carl Zeiss. Karl Tseys was born in the city of Weimar on September 11, 1816. His father was a locking workshop. Shortly after the end of the gymnasium, Carl decided to become a student from Dr. Frederick Kerner, who was engaged in developments in the production of glass for lenses of telescopes. After graduation, Karl Tseis worked for some time at Jen's University.
At this very time, Tseys began to study the theory of optics. Later, he traveled as much as seven years, visiting plants for the manufacture of optics and glass in such cities as Stuttgart, Darmstadt and Berlin. He made significant records for various topics, for example, the methods of melting glass, materials required by the firing furnaces, as well as about everything related to the manufacture of glass, microscopes and other optical instruments. Then he returned to Ian University, where he studied chemistry and mathematics. In 1846 (just thirty years old), he founded his own workshop. The first workshop products were magnifying glasses and simple microscopes produced by a group of twenty hired workers. Production of more complex microscopes began in 1858. Karl Zeis won a good reputation with its quality products, and in 1861 his workshop received the Golden Prize at the exhibition in Thuringia.

All the work of Karl was based on empirical methods (i.e. on trial and error methods). It was obvious that this method of production required a lot of effort and led to the losses of significant volumes of materials. Zeis believed that scientific approach will lead to the possibility of producing more accurate, predictable and economical products. Herr Zeis has been unsuccessful with this problem for five years. In the end, in 1866, he visited the University of Jen, where he met Ernst Abbe, who at the time worked as a lecturer.
Abbe entered the case of Tseis as a lead researcher, intending to create a scientific foundation necessary for the production of optical products together with Zeis. Ultimately in 1872, after six years of work on the production of new varieties of optical glass, their joint work led to the creation of a complex microscope that did not have analogues in quality. This device is the progenitor of all modern microscopes.
A year after the start of the production of a complex Case microscope, in 1873, Abbe published a scientific work describing the mathematical apparatus with which this invention was made. For the first time in the history of aberration optics, and were described and studied. Abbe as well described the optical process that his work became basic in optics. As a reward for the works of Karl Zeis made Abbe's partner in his growing business in 1876.

The third member of the team, which was the source of the company Carl Zeiss, was Frederick Otto Scott, who was invited to Abbe in 1879 to continue work on improving microscopes. Scott was engaged in research on the use of lithium in a new type of optical glass and wrote about his successes to Dr. Abbe. Abbe immediately interested and tried the glass, giving high rating Scott studies. So Scott and Abbe got acquainted, after which the cooperation continued until the end of their days. Scott produced glass exclusively for new McSis microscopes and in 1884 a special glass production factory was founded. Her owners were Tsei, Abbe and Scott, and the factory was called Schott & Genossen Glass Works.

In 1890 (after the death of Zeys himself), the development and production of optics for cameras began. Dr. Pol Rudolf developed Protar, the first lens of Carl Zeiss. Protar did not suffer from such "diseases" as.
In 1896, also Dr. Rudolph, the legendary Planar was invented - the optical scheme, which is still a sample for the creators of optics. Planar perfectly solved the problem and astigmatism thanks to. Planar is one of the most concentrated optical schemes in the world ...
On this we will finish a brief excursion in history and return to our time ...

Why is Zeiss and Leica optics such expensive?

To begin with, it is worth noting that the Optics of Carl Zeiss for 35 mm cameras are not always more expensive than Japanese optics. For example, the lens 50 / 1.4 for Canon is more expensive than Carl Zeiss 50 / 1.4.
The cost of optics is largely determined by production volumes, and Zeiss is obviously lower than, for example, Nikon or Canon.
Pure marketing nuances, which are very complex, depend on the situation in the market, geography and other factors. Of course, the legendary brand Carl Zeiss itself adds a lot to the cost of optics. Otherwise it can not be.

With optics and cameras, Leica is somewhat different. The fact is that Leica's optics and cameras are unique in their own way, and in fact are exclusively preceded products in fact handmade. Metal components are customized individually, production materials are selected with the highest thoroughness, providing uncompromising reliability and stability of the characteristics (the firm ensures the preservation of the exact functioning of the camera nodes after 100,000 shutter triggering).
Leica is actually the only firm among optics manufacturers for 35mm cameras, which causes a lens, given the properties of the glass from which the lens is made. Each lens is controlled on a laser interferometer with an accuracy of 1/1000 mm. Another unique procedure is the re-laser centering of each lens lens after the assembly. In conclusion, each lens Leica is exposed to a sophisticated projection test. All without exception, the production stage is strictly controlled.
Leica optics is resistant to different types of shock effects and works equally well in a wide temperature range, since all the elements are extremely carefully adjusted, and the materials are selected in such a way that the optical components cannot be displaced at the temperature expansion of the materials.

Leica is the only firm in the world using ball bearings in the jamming diaphragm mechanism. Due to this, closing time before maximum value The diaphragms do not exceed 40ms, and the mechanism saves high accuracy Even after 50000 aperture of the diaphragm.

And this is not a complete list. distinctive features Production of chambers and optics Leica.
Leica remains the only firm in the world that continues to produce 35mm mechanical rangefinder chambers with transparent optics ( we are talking About Leica M cameras). Although these cameras may seem complete anachronism and a sample of doppoplating equipment, in fact, it is completely unique mechanical devices, equipped, beyond any doubt, the best optics that ever existed.
I hope now you understand why Leica system is worth such expensive. Compliance with exceptional accuracy everywhere and in all, full control, the most accurate German assembly and the amazing imagination of uncompromising makes the use of the Leica system very expensive. In addition, you should not forget that the name Leica is a living legend, this is a kind of philosophy and lifestyle.

While Leica has concentrated on the release of perfected 35mm optics, Carl Zeiss covers as a narrow-format market (CONTAX SLRs, unique autofochemical rangefall with replaceable optics CONTAX G1 / G2, as well as compact chambers of the High End class) and the average format (CONTAX 645 AF, HASSELBLAD, ROLLEI). Previously, Zeiss was also engaged in manufacturing optics and for format cameras.
Cheap and low-quality optics for the medium format does not exist at all, but in this niche carl Zeiss managed to reach the ceiling - both in quality and alas - at prices.

Zeiss has a lot of interesting lenses. For example, it is BIOGON 21 / 2.8 and HOLOGON 16/8 for CONTAX G RANGERAL CAMERATING CAMERS. The last lens has a fixed diaphragm 8 and a special gray central filter is attached to it, which compensates for the brightness of the image edges. The optical formulas of Hologon and Biogon lenses are specifically designed in such a way as to benefit from the small working segment, possible only on the range cameras.

The HASSELBLAD cameras line includes among other and unreliable 900 series cameras (with flood over matte glass), equipped with a non-vigorous Carl Zeiss Biogon 38 / 4.5. Due to the use of a small working segment, the manufacture of a wide-angle lens of the highest quality was possible, actually free from distortions and having exceptional sharpness, including on the edges of the frame. Even on the fully open diaphragm Biogon 38/45 gives excellent image quality.

Another interesting optical device is the PC-Mutar 1.4x Shift-Teleconverter, with which you can correct the prospects using "conventional" optics that does not have such a function.

The Optical Planar Optical Scheme is widely known, which can contain from 5 to 7 lenses, depending on the lens. The lenses built according to this scheme are usually very plastic and have an exceptionally beautiful recognizable pattern. It is according to this scheme that the legendary Planar 80 / 2.8 is built for Hasselblad and Rollei, and the famous Planar 85 / 1.4 for Contax.
Optics with an equally well-known Sonnar scheme is often used in designing telephoto lens (many of which are excellent portrait lenses). For example, Sonnar 150/4 for Hasselblada has on the one hand, it seems to be excellent sharpness and high contrast even on a fully open diaphragm, and on the other hand, it can very carefully and gently depict a portrait.

For the Hasselblad Carl, Zeiss system has developed a special Sonnar Superachromat CF 250 / 5.6 lens, in which chromatic aberration is so well that this lens can easily be used to photograph in the infrared range without the introduction of any amendments. There is also a unique Zeiss lens for photographing in the ultraviolet range.
Initially, the four-tie Tessar scheme provides very high sharpness with very compact sizes. The most compact lens for CONTAX Tessar 45 / 2.8 is made in this scheme, and so miniature that it can be confused in size with a lid for a lens.

Japanese Zeiss.

Most modern CARL ZEISS lenses for 35 mm cameras are produced in Japan, not Germany (with the exception of very expensive models like 50 / 1.2). Will they become worse or not? There are different opinions on this issue, but I can definitely say one thing - the optics from this has become much cheaper. Of course, the Zeiss Optics (like any other optics for 35 mm cameras) cannot boast of such a thorough manufacturer, like Leica, but the optical schemes of lenses were developed in Germany, and a special composition for corporate multiprospectiveness T * - also seen from Germany. Carl Zeiss fits the firm and comes up that the optics from the transfer of production to Japan did not lose anything. So it is or not, however, optics for CEX cameras undoubtedly has a characteristic "handwriting" peculiar to German optics.
Optics for medium-format cameras Hasselblad and Rollei are produced only in Germany and, perhaps, in relation to its production, it is or at the same level, or close to what Leica is on a 35-mm format.

Is it worth the optics zeiss of their money?

Or, how else do you like to ask, is the price / quality ratio of Zeiss optics as possible? Honestly, I put such questions in a dead end. First, as the price / quality ratio can be applied in art unclear in principle. For example, as you think, what is the price / quality ratio, say, will the "sunflowers" van Gogh? Secondly, since the Optics Zeiss and Leica are sold, therefore, they need someone, and despite the high price, for someone they have their own money.
The taste for good optics (as music or guilt) comes (or not comes) with time and experience. So if you are just starting to engage in the photo and reflect on to seriously invest, say, in the optics of Carl Zeiss, then think prey. It is about the same as a person who is only going to learn to play violin, buy a violin of Stradivari immediately. Of course, learning to play such a violin is good, but it can be somewhat ass. And the difference in the first pores between just a good violin and it is Stradivari to notice very difficult. In addition, you are suddenly thinking to play the violin and decide to play the game on the drum or collecting beer labels.
In order to enjoy the game of the violin, there is enough room with good acoustics. The sound of the violin was born and reached your ear. With the photo the situation is somewhat more complicated. You must competently complise the plot for a good film that was properly kept, then this film is to show high quality, then to print it right and only then the imprint to show the viewer (by the way, you are ready to pay three dollars for one mark of the format of 20x30 and show film minimum for a dollar In a professional laboratory?). An error on any of the listed steps can spoil the snapshot. You must control all stages of the process. Otherwise, it turns out how if you were playing a noisy transition on the notorious violin. Well, but no differences from a much cheaper tool, your listeners will most likely be found. So think the choice, as always, remains yours.

Sharpness

As it turned out, most people still think that the most important thing is the only advantage of optics - sharpness. Those. The sharper lens, the better. And, therefore, once the "best" optics in Zeiss, then it is the sharpest.
This is not true.

If you say short, then any firm can do sharp optics. Anyone. Do you have a complete able to believe that firms like Canon, Nikon, Minolta, Olympus or Pentax, having more than half a century experience in the design and production of optics, still can't make a sharp lens? This is ridiculous. In general, the optics, which costs the same money from different firms, is similar. And it is suppressed is a complete, pure absurd statement that Zeiss optics is the sharpest. It is about the same as to say that once the violin Stradivari "the best", then, therefore, she plays louder. Of course, this is not. And thank God! There is such a thing as excess sharpness (perhaps you have ever heard the statement that the "lens cuts to the blood"). Zeiss optics are good that, removing the portrait even on the middle format, you do not get a snapshot with which your model can well go to the dermatologist. The picture is like all the details, but it is very gentle and plastic.

We emphasize once again that sharpness may well be too much. As the owner of the Canon EF 100 / 2.8 Macro lens, I constantly come across the problem of simply pathological sharpness of this lens when shooting people. It is able to literally displeane the portrait of an emphasis on the quality of the skin model. The microcontrast is so high that it is often possible to see individual particles of powder on the hair on her face. Or suddenly it turns out that it turns out that the model has small mustache, which the eye does not notice the eye, but which are mercilessly fixed in the image of the macro lens. Just in case, I will say that the mentioned lens simply perfectly performs its direct purpose (for which it actually has been developed) - macro shot.
Thus, the manufacture of a sharp lens in itself does not represent the problem. It is difficult to make such a lens that would possess your own vision of the world, handwriting, character or pattern. To the picture, all the necessary parts are captured without excessive accents on unnecessary. So that the image was sharp and plastic at the same time. That's what is characterized by the optics Zeiss or, say, Leica. As a rule, simple classic optical schemes are used, tested by many decades (Planar optical scheme for more than 100 years). Does this mean that the optics of other firms have no right to life? Not at all. And Japanese manufacturers have a great many lenses that can be proud of. By the way, if you go down in a story, Leica has long been working closely with Minolta, which was done for Leica, including some lenses. And the company Carl Zeiss at one time collaborated with Pentax.
There will be a rough mistake to think, as if by purchasing the cheapest zoom from Minolta, you remove almost that Leica optics. Re-read above how the leica optics are made and you will understand that there can be nothing in common between these two products. Just if the company put a task to do let the expensive, but a good thing - she will do it. Therefore, the optics of the G series in Minolta or with an asterisk of Pentax is excellent. As well as the optics of the L series of the Canon. Etc. In the production of such optics, the company invests all the best in it that it has, primarily materials and technologies. Therefore, it turns out very well (and at the same time very expensive). Firms like Carl Zeiss and Leica Cheap optics do not do at all, but this does not mean that the optics of firms that make cheap optics, always worse.

Just in case, once again I will say about sharpness. Any lens with a constant focal length from any firms of the big five, as a rule, sufficiently cut, especially for amateur shooting. The overwhelming majority of branded budget zooms allow you to increase the pictures to a 20x30 format with quite acceptable sharpness, which is usually more than enough for amateur shooting.
The most sharp lenses seem to be macro lens. If you still want to enjoy the "best" sharpness, buy such a lens, the sharpness will be maximum.
Keep in mind that the sharpness of optics can be easily spoiled, for example, printing on poor-quality optics, shooting on too long excerpts without a good tripod, etc. So maybe in pursuit of sharpness not always be sure to start with the acquisition of optics?

Bokeh - what it is and with what they eat

Bokeh word (read: "bokeh") japanese origin (The Russian analogue of this term is unknown to me), and is the characteristic of how optics draw objects located outside the zone.
There are even attempts to classify Bokeh, however, in my opinion, it is still a poorly informable concept. The lenses with beautiful bokeh are drawing out the focus objects, especially the bright details of the background and light glare, in the form of pleasant homogeneous stains, creating an impression of the image volume and apparently appropriate to how the objects of the human eye perceives are outside the focus. Lens with "bad" bokeh often draw objects outside the focus in the form of double rather sharp lines and spots, creating significant contrast differences. Due to this, the image looks more roughly, "Pottit" is deprived of volume and some charm.
It is believed that the most pleasant bokeh has optics from German manufacturers. This should include Zeiss, Leica, Schneider and Rodenstock. Also magnificent professional optics (medium and large formats) from Fuji. By the way, the most pleasant are often not the most expensive and "sophisticated" lenses of these manufacturers. Examples of this - Summicron-M 50/2 or Elmarit-M 90 / 2.8 - Some of the most inexpensive lens Leica, at the same time possessing amazing bokeh.
The optics of other firms can also have an interesting bokeh, but there it is necessary to deal with each lens separately. Nikon, for example, produces two lens (105/2 and 135/2) of the "DC" series (defocus control) - these are lenses with controlled, the nature of the image of the unwitting items in which it may vary at the request of the photographer. Examples of optics and other firms can be given, for example, exceptionally beautiful (you can even say, even picturesque) Soft lenses from Pentax, Canon EF 135 / 2.8 SF lens with three levels of software adjustment and recently appeared Minolta Smooth Trans Focus. Not to mention a specially designed DREAMAGON lens, which has a very interesting handwriting, resembling an old oil painting.
Rodenstock's assortment has a legendary IMagon lens, specially designed to shoot romantic portraits and landscapes. The lens allows you to create a certain soft circuit around a fairly clearly defined image, the degree of softness of which can be varied using a special diaphragm with special holes in it. A beautiful softening effect is achieved by conscious incomplete correction of spherical aberration, which, depending on the desired degree of mitigation, can give a greater or smaller contribution to the formation of an image itself.

It should be noted that bokeh can be qualitatively different on different values diaphragms. In general, the behavior of optics changes greatly when diaphragm. There is an opinion that bokeh directly depends on the number of petals of the diaphragm and the degree of their "rounding". It is unlikely that this statement is true, since the Hasselblad optics known to me is only five apertures of the diaphragm with a very pleasant bokeh and fantastically beautiful transmission of the volume of the image.

Figure and plastic optics

About some lens can say that it has a "magnificent drawing." It is also a weak formalized concept, in something can be echoing with such concepts as bokeh or "plastic". To some extent plastic optics can be characterized as the ability to divide the finest shades The same color (or gray tones in b / w photos). The drawing is more than the nature of the transfer of sharp lines and contours. At high-class optics there is a combination of incomprehensible things - thin lines Clearly and separately transmitted, at the same time some residual aberrations are preserved, creating a light halo around sharp lines and just cause a characteristic pattern of optics.
Quite often, the owners of the cheapest zooms (print photos of 10x15 in the minillab) talk about the drawing of their optics. It seems to me, let's say, somewhat strange. Since, printing in the minilab photographs of the size of 10x15, you are unlikely to be able to see the drawing of your optics, even if it is there. In most, the cheapest optics does not have some special expressed "drawing" at all.
As written above, the optics behaves differently on different diaphragms. Maximum plastics usually manifest small values The diaphragms, and when closing the last (up to a certain limit), the lens becomes sharper and contrast. By the way, even if the optics have a magnificent drawing, it is often optional that it should manifest itself in any picture. It depends on a number of factors, in particular, on the contrast of the plot. Especially brightly advantages are manifested in black and white photos.

A little about painting

IN again Considering the works of the 19th century landscape players in the Tretyakov Gallery, I noticed that the Zeiss Optics transmits a sensation of space from a similar way. It is incredible, but very pleasant plastic and air, such real on the canvases of artists, are also present in some pictures made by Zeiss optics. The transmission of the volume of space also may be, the developers of optics "studied" the painters look at the world ...

Monocle. Lovers study MTF graphics is dedicated

I must say that somehow it happened that lately It became fashionable to discuss and compare MTF graphs in different optics. It cannot but rejoice the ever-growing literacy of our photographers. By the way, you never tried to choose a life companion only for the growth and size of shoes or favorite dish According to the numbers contained in it phosphorus, calcium and vitamin A? I hope no.
Of course, the study of MTF graphs gives us some information about the lens, but still nothing can fully fully characterize the lens than the pictures performed using it. MTF graphics will tell you a little about the drawing, plastic and bokeh optics. Therefore, the MTF graphics (as well as the results different tests) You need to approach with caution, and in no case seen somewhere MTF graphics should not serve as the only reason for buying a lens.

Now get to know the monocle in his glory. If you build a MTF monocle schedule, it will be simply indecent "low" compared to any, even the cheapest and low-quality lens. Sharpness and contrast are very small. Resolving ability near zero. Spherical aberration and coma are not corrected. Finally, the unrefined optics works very badly against the light. This is a list of "diseases" of monocle. However, despite all the above "Disadvantages", monocle in skillful hands Creates to create the most real masterpieces. An unusually soft and plastic drawing, beautiful halles around light sources - all this creates an indescribable feeling of air and volume in the picture. So beauty lies somewhere in a different plane, rather than the MTF graphics, sharpness, multiplement and the like things. Beauty is harmony, which or either there is no one, and it doesn't matter how it has been achieved.

Conclusion

I really hope that after reading this material, you have less questions about optics in general and Carl Zeiss in particular. As we see, Carl Zeiss stood at the very beginning of creating optics, and Zeiss had time to bring the production of optics to perfection, both optical and mechanical. Being a very conservative manufacturer, Zeiss does not make bad or mediocre lenses. The design of each lens is turned out for many decades and almost every lens has its own special "handwriting" and "character". For this, Zeiss Optics is loved by many. However, this does not mean that it makes sense to buy optics only by German producers, since other firms have very interesting lenses. The main thing is that you yourself liked the Optics you use, and it is not so important that it is written on it, Zeiss or Nikkor.
Once again I remind you that the use of expensive optics (including Carl Zeiss, Leica, Schneider, Rodenstock, Fujinon and so on) makes sense with a very serious approach to the case when you strictly control all the "production" stages and your end masterpieces are printed manually On expensive professional equipment. Otherwise, you better spend money on something else.
I wish good pictures!

HASSELBLAD 500 C / M, Carl Zeiss Sonnar CF T * 150/4, Kodak Portra film

"Photography - the dark thing"

Folk wisdom

Introduction

Reading modern editions of phototechnics, as well as sometimes communicating with buyers in a photomagazine, I am with a constantly increasing amazement I observe the process of mythologization of some "working instruments" of the photographer, most often - optics from Carl Zeiss, less commonly Leica and midformat chambers. I regret also notice that significant number technical informationcontained in most magazines often has negative influence on the consciousness of readers. There is a care from the essence of the photo, and people, instead of dealing with the item itself, are concerned about close to meaningless reflections on the number of measurement zones of cameras, exposure and autofocus calculation algorithms, or the resolution and color reservation, in general, of anything, only Not about the very photo.

I will say right away that it is impossible to talk about good optics without using some irrational terms, such as "drawing", "plastic", "bokeh" and so on. Purely mathematical approach like the number of lines per millimeter, MTF graphs and the like fiasco, and more suitable for purely speculative reasoning, which are not the most direct relation to reality. In addition, the technical aspects of optics are already quite well known to the reader, so here, as far as possible, I tried to describe not completely obvious properties of optics.

A bit of history

I think it will be appropriate to mention the history of Carl Zeiss.

Karl Tseys was born in the city of Weimar on September 11, 1816. His father was a locking workshop. Shortly after the end of the gymnasium, Carl decided to become a student from Dr. Frederick Kerner, who was engaged in developments in the production of glass for lenses of telescopes. After graduation, Karl Tseis worked for some time at Jen's University.

At this very time, Tseys began to study the theory of optics. Later, he traveled as much as seven years, visiting plants for the manufacture of optics and glass in such cities as Stuttgart, Darmstadt and Berlin. He made significant records on various topics, for example, on glass melting methods, materials required by firing furnaces, as well as all that was associated with the manufacture of glass, microscopes and other optical tools. Then he returned to Ian University, where he studied chemistry and mathematics. In 1846 (just thirty years old), he founded his own workshop. The first workshop products were magnifying glasses and simple microscopes produced by a group of twenty hired workers. Production of more complex microscopes began in 1858. Karl Zeis won a good reputation with its quality products, and in 1861 his workshop received the Golden Prize at the exhibition in Thuringia.

Abbe entered the case of Tseis as a lead researcher, intending to create a scientific foundation necessary for the production of optical products together with Zeis. Ultimately in 1872, after six years of work on the production of new varieties of optical glass, their joint work led to the creation of a complex microscope that did not have analogues in quality. This device is the progenitor of all modern microscopes.

A year after the start of the production of a complex Case microscope, in 1873, Abbe published a scientific work describing the mathematical apparatus with which this invention was made. For the first time in the history of aberration optics, diffraction and coma were described and studied. Abbe as well described the optical process that his work became basic in optics. As a reward for the works of Karl Zeis made Abbe's partner in his growing business in 1876.

The third member of the team, which was the source of the company Carl Zeiss, was Frederick Otto Scott, who was invited to Abbe in 1879 to continue work on improving microscopes. Scott was engaged in research on the use of lithium in a new type of optical glass and wrote about his successes to Dr. Abbe. Abbe immediately became interested and tried the glass, giving a high assessment of Scott research. So Scott and Abbe got acquainted, after which the cooperation continued until the end of their days. Scott produced glass exclusively for new McSis microscopes and in 1884 a special glass production factory was founded. Her owners were Tsei, Abbe and Scott, and the factory was called Schott & Genossen Glass Works.

In 1896, also Dr. Rudolph, the legendary Planar was invented - the optical scheme, which is still a sample for the creators of optics. Planar excellently solved the problem of spherical aberration and astigmatism due to a symmetrical optical scheme. Planar is one of the most concentrated optical schemes in the world ...

On this we will finish a brief excursion in history and return to our time ...

Why opticsZeiss.andLeica.such expensive?

The cost of optics is largely determined by production volumes, and Zeiss is obviously lower than, for example, Nikon or Canon.

Pure marketing nuances, which are very complex, depend on the situation in the market, geography and other factors. Of course, the legendary brand Carl Zeiss itself adds a lot to the cost of optics. Otherwise it can not be.

With optics and cameras, Leica is somewhat different. The fact is that the optics and the Leica cameras are unique in their own way, and in fact they are exclusively precharged products in fact handmade. Metal components are customized individually, production materials are selected with the highest thoroughness, providing uncompromising reliability and stability of the characteristics (the firm ensures the preservation of the exact functioning of the camera nodes after 100,000 shutter triggering).

Leica is actually the only firm among manufacturers of optics for 35 mm cameras, which causes multiplement on the lens, considering the properties of the glass from which the lens is made. Each lens is controlled on a laser interferometer with an accuracy of 1/1000 mm. Another unique procedure is the re-laser centering of each lens lens after the assembly. In conclusion, each lens Leica is exposed to a sophisticated projection test. All without exception, the production stage is strictly controlled. Leica optics is resistant to different types of shock effects and works equally well in a wide temperature range, since all the elements are extremely carefully adjusted, and the materials are selected in such a way that the optical components cannot be displaced at the temperature expansion of the materials. .

Leica is the only firm in the world using ball bearings in the jamming diaphragm mechanism. Due to this, the closing time to the maximum value of the diaphragm does not exceed 40ms, and the mechanism retains high accuracy even after 50000 the aperture response.

And this is not a complete list of distinctive features of the production of cameras and optics Leica.

Leica remains the only firm in the world that continues to produce 35mm mechanical rangefinder chambers with a change of optics (we are talking about Leica M cameras). Although these cameras may seem complete anachronism and a sample of doppoplating equipment, in fact, it is completely unique mechanical devices, equipped, beyond any doubt, the best optics that ever existed.

I hope now you understand why Leica system is worth such expensive. Compliance with exceptional accuracy everywhere and in all, full control, the most accurate German assembly and the amazing imagination of uncompromising makes the use of the Leica system very expensive. In addition, you should not forget that the name Leica is a living legend, this is a kind of philosophy and lifestyle.

While Leica has concentrated on the release of 35-mm optics communicated to perfection, CARL Zeiss covers as a narrow-formatte market (CONTAX SLRs, unique autofocusal rangefall with interchangeable optics CONTAX G1 / G2, as well as compact chambers of the High End class) and the average format ( CONTAX 645 AF, HASSELBLAD, ROLLEI). Previously, Zeiss was also engaged in manufacturing optics and for format cameras. Cheap and low-quality optics for the medium format does not exist at all, but in this niche carl Zeiss managed to reach the ceiling - both in quality and alas - at prices.

Another interesting optical device is a PC-Mutar 1.4x Shift-connector, with which you can correct the prospects using "ordinary" optics that does not have such a function.

Optics with an equally well-known Sonnar scheme is often used in designing telephoto lens (many of which are excellent portrait lenses). For example, Sonnar 150/4 for Hasselblada has on the one hand, it seems to be excellent sharpness and high contrast even on a fully open diaphragm, and on the other hand, it can very carefully and gently depict a portrait.

Initially, the four-tie Tessar scheme provides very high sharpness with very compact sizes. The most compact lens for CONTAX Tessar 45 / 2.8 is made in this scheme, and so miniature that it can be confused in size with a lid for a lens.

JapaneseZeiss.

Most modern CARL ZEISS lenses for 35 mm cameras are produced in Japan, not Germany (with the exception of very expensive models like 50 / 1.2). Will they become worse or not? There are different opinions on this issue, but I can definitely say one thing - the optics from this has become much cheaper. Of course, the Zeiss Optics (like any other optics for 35 mm cameras) cannot boast of such a thorough manufacturer, like Leica, but the optical schemes of lenses were developed in Germany, and a special composition for corporate multiprospectiveness T * - also seen from Germany. Carl Zeiss fits the firm and comes up that the optics from the transfer of production to Japan did not lose anything. So it is or not, however, the optics for CONTAX cameras undoubtedly has a characteristic "handwriting" peculiar to German optics.

Optics for medium-format cameras Hasselblad and Rollei are produced only in Germany and, perhaps, in relation to its production, it is or at the same level, or close to what Leica is on a 35-mm format.

Is it worth opticsZeiss.his money?

The taste for good optics (as music or guilt) comes (or not comes) with time and experience. So if you are just starting to engage in the photo and reflect on to seriously invest, say, in the optics of Carl Zeiss, then think prey. It is about the same as a person who is only going to learn to play violin, buy a violin of Stradivari immediately. Of course, learning to play such a violin is good, but it can be somewhat ass. And the difference in the first pores between just a good violin and it is Stradivari to notice very difficult. In addition, you are suddenly thinking to play the violin and decide to play the game on the drum or collecting beer labels.

In order to enjoy the game of the violin, there is enough room with good acoustics. The sound of the violin was born and reached your ear. With the photo the situation is somewhat more complicated. You must competently complise the plot for a good film that was properly kept, then this film is to show high quality, then to print it right and only then the imprint to show the viewer (by the way, you are ready to pay three dollars for one mark of the format of 20x30 and show film minimum for a dollar In a professional laboratory?). An error on any of the listed steps can spoil the snapshot. You must control all stages of the process. Otherwise, it turns out how if you were playing a noisy transition on the notorious violin. Well, but no differences from a much cheaper tool, your listeners will most likely be found. So think the choice, as always, remains yours.

Sharpness

As it turned out, most people still think that the most important thing is the only advantage of optics - sharpness. Those. The sharper lens, the better. And, consequently, the "best" optics at Zeiss, then it is the sharpest.

This is not true.

If you say short, then any firm can do sharp optics. Anyone. Do you have a complete able to believe that firms like Canon, Nikon, Minolta, Olympus or Pentax, having more than half a century experience in the design and production of optics, still can't make a sharp lens? This is ridiculous. In general, the optics, which costs the same money from different firms, is similar. And it is suppressed is a complete, pure absurd statement that Zeiss optics is the sharpest. It is about the same as to say that the violin of Stradivari "The Best", then, therefore, she plays louder. Of course, this is not. And thank God! There is such a thing as excess sharpness (perhaps you have heard the statement that the "lens cuts to the blood"). Zeiss optics are good that, removing the portrait even on the middle format, you do not get a snapshot with which your model can well go to the dermatologist. The picture is like all the details, but it is very gentle and plastic.

Thus, the manufacture of a sharp lens in itself does not represent the problem. It is difficult to make such a lens that would possess your own vision of the world, handwriting, character or pattern. To the picture, all the necessary parts are captured without excessive accents on unnecessary. So that the image was sharp and plastic at the same time. That's what is characterized by the optics Zeiss or, say, Leica. As a rule, simple classic optical schemes are used, tested by many decades (Planar optical scheme for more than 100 years). Does this mean that the optics of other firms have no right to life? Not at all. And Japanese manufacturers have a great many lenses that can be proud of. By the way, if you go down in a story, Leica has long been working closely with Minolta, which was done for Leica, including some lenses. And the company Carl Zeiss at one time collaborated with Pentax.

There will be a rough mistake to think, as if by purchasing the cheapest zoom from Minolta, you remove almost that Leica optics. Re-read above how the leica optics are made and you will understand that there can be nothing in common between these two products. Just if the company put a task to do let the expensive, but a good thing - she will do it. Therefore, the optics of the G series in Minolta or with an asterisk of Pentax is excellent. As well as the optics of the L series of the Canon. Etc. In the production of such optics, the company invests all the best in it that it has, primarily materials and technologies. Therefore, it turns out very well (and at the same time very expensive). Firms like Carl Zeiss and Leica Cheap optics do not do at all, but this does not mean that the optics of firms that make cheap optics, always worse.

The most sharp lenses seem to be macro lens. If you still want to enjoy the "best" sharpness, buy such a lens, the sharpness will be maximum.

Keep in mind that the sharpness of optics can be easily spoiled, for example, printing on poor-quality optics, shooting on too long excerpts without a good tripod, etc. So maybe in pursuit of sharpness not always be sure to start with the acquisition of optics?

I hope now you understand that optics should be harmonious in everything, and it does not necessarily mean the highest sharpness, maximum contrast, etc.

Bokeh.- What it is and with what it is eaten

The word bokeh (read: "Boke") has a Japanese origin (the Russian analog of this term is unknown to me), and is the characteristic of how optics draw objects located outside the zone. There are even attempts to classify Bokeh, however, in my opinion, it is still a poorly informable concept.

The lenses with beautiful bokeh are drawing out the focus objects, especially the bright details of the background and light glare, in the form of pleasant homogeneous stains, creating an impression of the image volume and apparently appropriate to how the objects of the human eye perceives are outside the focus. Lens with "bad" bokeh often draw objects outside the focus in the form of double rather sharp lines and stains, creating significant contrast differences. Due to this, the image looks more roughly, "Pottit" is deprived of volume and some charm.

It is believed that the most pleasant bokeh has optics from German manufacturers. This should include Zeiss, Leica, Schneider and Rodenstock. Also magnificent professional optics (medium and large formats) from Fuji. By the way, the most pleasant are often not the most expensive and "tricky" lenses of these manufacturers. Examples of this - Summicron-M 50/2 or Elmarit-M 90 / 2.8 - Some of the most inexpensive lens Leica, while at the same time possessing amazing bokeh .

The optics of other firms can also have an interesting bokeh, but there it is necessary to deal with each lens separately. Nikon, for example, produces two lens (105/2 and 135/2) of the "DC" series (defocus control) - these are lenses with controlled aberrations, the nature of the image of the unwitting items in which may vary at the request of the photographer. Examples of optics and other firms can be given, for example, exceptionally beautiful (you can even say, even picturesque) Soft lenses from Pentax, Canon EF 135 / 2.8 SF lens with three levels of software adjustment and recently appeared Minolta Smooth Trans Focus. Not to mention a specially designed DREAMAGON lens, which has a very interesting handwriting, resembling an old oil painting.

Rodenstock's assortment has a legendary IMagon lens, specially designed to shoot romantic portraits and landscapes. The lens allows you to create a certain soft circuit around a fairly clearly defined image, the degree of softness of which can be varied using a special diaphragm with special holes in it. A beautiful softening effect is achieved by conscious incomplete correction of spherical aberration, which, depending on the desired degree of mitigation, can give a greater or smaller contribution to the formation of an image itself.

It should be noted that bokeh can be high-quality different at different values \u200b\u200bof the diaphragm. In general, the behavior of optics changes greatly when diaphragm. There is an opinion that bokeh directly depends on the number of petals of the diaphragm and the degree of their "rounding". It is unlikely that this statement is true, since the Hasselblad optics known to me is only five apertures of the diaphragm with a very pleasant bokeh and fantastically beautiful transmission of the volume of the image.

Figure and plastic optics

Quite often, the owners of the cheapest zooms (print photos of 10x15 in the minillab) talk about the drawing of their optics. It seems to me, let's say, somewhat strange. Since, printing in the minilab photographs of the size of 10x15, you are unlikely to be able to see the drawing of your optics, even if it is there. In most, the cheapest optics does not have some special expressed "drawing" at all.

As written above, the optics behaves differently on different diaphragms. Maximum plastics is usually manifested in small diaphragms, and when the latter is closed (up to a certain limit), the lens becomes sharper and contrast. By the way, even if the optics have a magnificent drawing, it is often optional that it should manifest itself in any picture. It depends on a number of factors, in particular, on the contrast of the plot. Especially brightly advantages are manifested in black and white photos.

A little about painting

Once again, considering the works of the 19th century landscape players in the Tretyakov Gallery, I noticed that the optics from Zeiss continually transmits the feeling of space. It is incredible, but very pleasant plastic and air, such real on the canvases of artists, are also present in some pictures made by Zeiss optics. The transmission of the volume of space also may be, the developers of optics "studied" from the painters look at the world ...

Monocle. Lovers study MTF graphics is dedicated.

I must say that somehow it happened that lately it became fashionable to discuss and compare MTF graphics in different optics. It cannot but rejoice the ever-growing literacy of our photographers. By the way, you never tried to choose my life companion only for the growth and size of shoes or favorite dish in terms of phosphorus contained in it, calcium and vitamin A? I hope no.

Of course, the study of MTF graphs gives us some information about the lens, but still nothing can fully fully characterize the lens than the pictures performed using it. MTF graphics will tell you a little about the drawing, plastic and bokeh optics. Therefore, the MTF graphics (as well as the results of different tests) must be approached with caution, and in no case seen somewhere MTF graphics should not serve as the only reason for buying a lens.

Monocle, camera Pentax 645N, image scanned with imprint

Now get to know the monocle in his glory. If you build a MTF monocle schedule, it will be simply indecent "low" compared to any, even the cheapest and low-quality lens. Sharpness and contrast are very small. Resolving ability near zero. Spherical aberration and coma are not corrected. Finally, the unrefined optics works very badly against the light. This is a list of "diseases" of monocle. However, despite all of the above "Disadvantages", the monocle in skillful hands is able to create the most real masterpieces. An unusually soft and plastic drawing, beautiful halles around light sources - all this creates an indescribable feeling of air and volume in the picture. So beauty lies somewhere in a different plane, rather than the MTF graphics, sharpness, multiplement and the like things. Beauty is harmony, which or either there is no one, and it doesn't matter how it has been achieved.

Conclusion

Once again I will remind you that the use of expensive optics (including Carl Zeiss, Leica, Schneider, Rodenstock, Fujinon and so on) makes sense with a very serious approach to the case when you strictly control all stages of "production" and your end masterpieces are printed manually On expensive professional equipment. Otherwise, you better spend money on something else.

Mikhail Shafeev (Canada) for

help in the preparation of this material

Nokia has recently announced partnership with Carl Zeiss. This is not the first to combine them for the production of joint products.

The HMD Global belongs to the brand of Nokia and under the guidance of which the last line of smartphones was released, recently announced both with the market leader in image processing technologies. The agreement between companies is promoting good prospects for future Nokia smartphones, which will return excellent Zeiss optics in the chambers of new Nokia camera.

Oldfagi Remove the products of the Norwegian company with Optics from Carl Zeiss still in Bearded Symbian OS times. Lumia products also had this optics.

So let's analyze the history of the company, which is the leader in the field of photography.

About Carl Zeiss

Zeiss AG - german companywhich became famous for the release of excellent optics since 1846. For one and a half century, she gave the world a large number of optical development and made a coup in devices such as microscopes and optical sights. Now the main directions of the company ZEISS are medical sphere, optical devices, consumer optics and semiconductors.

Consumer photographs and technologies that are associated with the camera, just a small part of the company Zeiss. Main profit brings precisely medicine (microscopes, spectroscopes and technologies for processing obtained images).

Consumer goods are lenses for cameras, binoculars, optics.

Previous OEM transactions

The company is well known to the partnership with Sony. Nokia is far from the first, because the Germans work with Sony since 1995. By the way, from this year, Sony's rapid growth began in the consumer photography market.

The first chamber, in joint production with Sony, was Handycam CCD-TR555 in 1996. The continuation was the launch of the DSC-F55K Cyber-shot in 1999. And since 2006, Carl Zeiss produces all DSLR lenses for Sony's top cameras.

Nokia N90 - the first smartphones that was joint work With Zeiss. The phone had a camera for 2 megapions. Released in 2004.

With the beginning of the introduction of its products in smartphones, the company began close cooperation with Nokia.

The latest Nokia-Zeiss gadgets were 808 PureView and The Lumia 1020, which possessed the best modules on the market - the best solution for smartphones. It was a revolution in the chambers for smartphones.

It is also worth mentioning the iconic N95 model, which is considered to be the best on Symbian with a 5 MP camera installed. And N93 became the best smartphone for recording video.

Future from Nokia-Zeiss

Since it was not officially notified over what technologies will work together by Nokia-Zeiss, we can only guess.

Most likely it will be a restart of PureView. The release of an updated module for 41 MP for smartphones with improved characteristics is possible.

Phones with two main cameras that can create a stereo effect, optical zoom, new image processing technologies ... as an alternative - continuation of digital photo processing, improved digital zoom (something similar to what is used in the phone

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