Zeiss launches 18mm f/3.5 lens for Canon

Zeiss today launched the third lens in the ZE series for Canon EF mount cameras, the Zeiss Distagon T* 3.5/18 ZE. It’s an ultra-wide angle lens designed for full-frame DSLRs, delivering a 99-degree field of view. Like the Planar T* 1.4/50 and 1.4/85 ZE lenses, the new 18mm incorporates a CPU and data contacts for communication with the camera body. The lens is ideal for still photographers looking for a light-weight and compact wide-angle lens for architectural, location and landscape photography. This manual-focus lens is also well suited for the growing number of videographers who use the Canon 5D MKII. It will be available this fall for around $1,290.

For details and specifications, read the Zeiss US press release:

Infinite perspectives for full-frame DSLRs

Carl Zeiss presents the Distagon T* 3,5/18 wide-angle lens with
EF bayonet mount

Thornwood, NY– Whether shooting the elegant lines of the Eiffel Tower or the vast expanses of the Grand Canyon, both situations require a lens field wide enough to reveal the unique and full dimensions of each image. With the new Distagon T* 3,5/18 from Carl Zeiss, EOS camera users now have an ultra-wide-angle lens at their disposal while benefiting from all the other optical qualities that ZEISS lenses are well-known for. The lens’s extremely wide 99°-angle view is suitable especially for full-frame sensor cameras, delivering an array of new creative possibilities. From landscape and architecture photography to advertising images, cameras equipped with the new Carl Zeiss wide-angle lens meticulously capture once-only moments and spectacular perspectives.

Despite its short focal length, the Distagon T* 3,5/18 ZE has an extremely compact design compared to other zoom lenses in its category. Internal focusing also helps to reduce its size while delivering extremely precise and smooth focus control.

To prevent image aberrations during close-ups, internal lens groups are repositioned individually during focusing in what is called a floating elements design. This allows the Distagon T* 3,5/18 ZE to deliver exceptionally high quality — from extreme close-ups to infinity. Thanks to the ZEISS T*s anti-reflective coating and meticulously crafted lenses, the ZEISS T* is not affected by reflections or stray light. The result: razor-sharp images even under the toughest lighting conditions or with wide aperture settings.

Following the Planar T* 1,4/50 ZE and 1,4/85 ZE, already long cherished by photographers around the world, the Distagon T* 3,5/18 ZE is the first wide-range lens with EF bayonet mount on the market.

The Distagon T* 3,5/18 ZE will be available in the Autumn of 2009 at a suggested retail price of USD $1,290.

Technical specifications
Focal length: 18 mm
Aperture range: f/3.5 – f/22 (half steps)
Number of elements/groups: 13/11
Focusing range: 0.3 m – infinity
Angular field* (diag./horiz./vert.): 99/90/67°
Coverage at close range: 44 x 29 cm
Image ratio at close range: 1:12
Filter thread: M 82 x 0.75
Mounts: ZF (F bayonet)
ZK (K bayonet)
ZE (EF bayonet)
Accessories: Lens shade included

*in 35 mm format