An Idea With Potential?

[Mike Farley]

I have to say that I find Zeiss' approach to its lens range is confusing, with a different name for each of the camera systems it supports. Admittedly here is some overlap, such as Otus being available for Canon and Nikon DSLRs, and Touit for the Sony E mount and Fuji X, but there is no consistency between the ranges. Each consists of primes with its own set of focal lengths and maximum apertures. Now added to the mix we have Batis, with two lenses for the Sony E mount* and yes, these designs are unique to the range.

http://www.zeiss.com/camera-lenses/en_d ... batis.html

That, though, is not the point of this post as Batis introduces a genuinely useful innovation with the focussing distance and DOF shown in a small OLED screen. It does not take too much imagination to see that this could be extended to zoom lenses, where indicating DOF at each focal length is not really feasible with an analogue display.

* I think that is the correct designation. The reports I have seen state that the new lenses are intended for Sony's** full frame E mount, which I thought was for Sony''s APS-C mirrorless cameras.

** Sony partners with Zeiss for some of its lenses and is similarly schizophrenic***, having its own proliferation of lens mounts which I have never properly understood.

*** Is this just coincidence?