Reading all these ... I have a thought.
Zeiss produces ZF lens, then people immediately think Zeiss is lining up with Nikon. Is there a chance that Zeiss is just doing this by its own as the F-mount patent held by Nikon has actually expired after F-mount is introduced for more than 50 years(?)
Medicine has a patent expiry date and after that expiry date, any manufacturer is free to manufacture that medicine without the need of paying any license fee. Maybe camera mount is also like this.
If this is true, this means that Nikon is actually passive and reluctant. Poor Nikon can do nothing to stop Zeiss producing F-mount lens and entering into its market. Do you notice that so far all the news come from Zeiss but there is no news or announcement from Nikon? If it is a marriage and not a one-way deal, Nikon would be pleased to make some news.
Zeiss cooperation with Kyocera has broken up. Zeiss still needs to maintain its position in 35mm SLR lens market. Although the brand Contax is still with Kyocera, the design & technology is with Zeiss. Zeiss can easily transfer such design and technology to any manufacturer like Cosina.
Don't forget that the latest C/Y 85/2.8MM was made in Germany although it was once made in Japan! Why switching the production back from Japan to Germany? Before, I always don't understand this as 85/2.8 is really not a special lens. Now I am much clear : as the Contax franchise with Kyocera is approaching expiry, Zeiss wants to keep a small production line running with itself in order to maintain the 35mm SLR lens mass production experience. Now while the cooperation with Kyocera has completely broken up, Zeiss can still duplicate and re-establish similar production line with Cosina. So my conclusion is, Zeiss has actually planned for the break-up with Kyocera.
Calculated Germans vs cunning Japanese. Haha ...
So I agree that most new ZF lens will be manufactured by Cosina, with the special ones still in Germany. And these ZF lens will be copying C/Y lens in design and outlook, at least at the beginning.
While F-mount patent may have expired, other lens design patents held by Nikon may not have expired yet. Electronics is never the strength of Zeiss. So I think the ZF lens will be simple F-mount design with auto-exposure coupling but the least amount of electronics, ie. manual focus with no AF USM motors.
If my prediction is true ... it would then be of much less interest to most Nikon brothers.
引言回覆:
如果真係 C/Y copies.. 咁 ZF 我買 1 支 Zoom 就夠了。
x2 ... Looking for a ZF 35-135
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Duno camera mount also has patent