Zeiss unveils ZX1 and Batis 40mm f/2 CF
Camera will feature a fixed Distagon 35mm f/2 lens and 37.4MP full-frame sensor, as well as integrated Lightroom
Zeiss revealed that it’s developing a full-frame camera based around a fixed Distagon 35mm f/2 lens and a 37.4MP sensor. The ZX1 has traditional analogue controls, with top-plate shutter speed and isO dials alongside aperture and focus rings around the lens. An OLeD electronic viewfinder is used for composition.
so far, this is as much as you’d expect from Zeiss, but the rest of the camera is radically innovative. The whole of its back is given over to a 4.3in multitouch screen, and there’s no memory card slot either. instead images are stored on the impressive 512GB of internal memory, which should be enough for 6,800 DNG raw files.
The really big news, though, is that the touchscreen can be used to operate an integrated version of Adobe Lightroom CC for processing and retouching photos. Wi- Fi, Bluetooth and UsB- C connectivity are intended to make it easy to share processed images. Tell-tale on-screen buttons reveal that Lightroom runs on Android. Zeiss won’t let anyone so much as touch the camera yet, so we have no idea how well the concept works. Other firms have made Android-based cameras before, including Nikon and samsung, but without any commercial success.
With its intriguingly unconventional design, the ZX1 sets itself apart from other full-frame compacts such as the sony RX1R ii and Leica Q. However, its price is likely to be in the same ballpark, so expect to fork out well over £3,000 for one when the camera goes on sale next year.
The perfect normal lens
Zeiss also announced the latest member of its Batis family of autofocus lenses for sony full-frame mirrorless cameras. With a focal length that many photographers prefer to the more common 35mm or 50mm, the Distagon T* 40mm f/2 CF should provide a very natural perspective to images.
CF stands for close-focus, with the lens offering a minimum object distance of just 24cm, affording 0.3x magnification. A limiter switch enables focusing over the entire range, or restricts it to either infinity to 40cm for everyday shooting, or 50cm to 24cm for close- ups. Like all Batis lenses, the 40mm features an LCD that shows the focus distance and depth of field.
At 93mm long and 91mm in diameter, and weighing in at 361g, the lens is rather large for its specification. The optical formula utilises 9 elements in 8 groups, with three aspheric elements and four elements made of special glass with anomalous partial dispersion. it features weatherproof construction, accepts 67mm filters, and comes supplied with a bowl-shaped lens hood. The Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2 CF is due to go on sale in November, priced at £1,129.99.