Carl Zeis newsLetterN36_en_web

Contents Along the Horizon ������������������ 2

Night Colors ............................ 12

Getting the Right Balance for the Perfect Image .................. 5

A Broad Perspective ................. 14

Sublime Views

Landscape

at Breakneck Speede . ................. 8

Photography Exhibitions . ......... 14

A newsletter for anyone who enjoys using, writing about, buying and selling Carl Zeiss camera lenses.

Carl Zeiss Camera Lens Division

Camera Lens News

36

July 2010

Camera Lens News No. 36 Carl Zeiss

July 2010

Page 2

Along the Horizon Panoramic photography casts familiar subjects in a new light

Time-lapse panorama: Dubai’s skyline in a fixed location from sunrise to sunset (digitally blended together)

Panoramic photographers cre-

360 degree panoramas show the

“My goal is to capture interesting

ate extraordinary images by

seemingly impossible by presenting

details with a tremendous degree of

overcoming the limits of the

the views to the left, front, right and

sharpness,” states Josh von Staudach.

field of view imposed by the

rear in a single continuous image.

“Things like rusty rivets in a disused

camera. Josh von Staudach

The location is revealed to the

water tank, rails and planks scattered

from Stuttgart, Germany, has

observer from a previously unseen

around an abandoned railway yard,

perfected the art of 360 degree

perspective. Panoramic images can

or fallen branches in a forest deci-

photography. In this article he

sometimes appear confusing because

mated by storms.” The details merge

recounts his experiences with

they depict something real in an

into the picture to create an overall

the Distagon T* 3,5/18 ZE and

unreal way, but they simultane-

geometry that exudes harmony and

Distagon T* 2,8/21 ZE and gives

ously provoke enormous pleasure by

dramatic tension in equal measure.

some useful tips on how to get

providing a new take on something

started.

familiar.

360 degree panorama: A forest clearing damaged by a storm provides a perfectly composed image.

Camera Lens News No. 36 Carl Zeiss

July 2010

Page 3

Telephoto panorama: Mountain slope in Iceland at an astonishing level of detail – similar to a view through binoculars but much broader.

The basic equipment you need is

top and bottom of the picture in the

sometimes you cannot actually get

a tripod with a panorama bracket

frame as possible. After each shot,

to the center because it is occupied

that enables you to rotate your

the photographer rotates the camera

by a pillar or stairway, in which case

camera around what is known as

a little further around the nodal

it generally loses its appeal,” von

the ‘nodal point’. To eliminate image

point. Experts recommend that each

Staudach adds.

mismatches, generally referred to

shot overlaps with the previous shot

as ‘parallax errors’, it is necessary

by between 10 and 20 percent. On

To get optimum depth of field, the

to find the specific nodal point for

that basis, a 360 degree panorama

Stuttgart-based photographer works

the camera and focal length you

with a focal length of 20 mm would

with an aperture of between f6 and

are using in order to ensure that

require eight shots, for example.

f9. Focusing poses no problems

the camera rotates precisely around

assuming that all the objects are

that point. This ensures that vertical

A software program is then used

approximately the same distance

objects such as a street light and

to ‘stitch’ the images together into

away; if any objects do appear in

the corner of a house do not shift in

a panorama. There are numerous

the foreground then von Staudach

relation to each other as the camera

professional packages on the market,

adjusts the focus accordingly for

turns – an essential prerequisite for

but Josh von Staudach uses Pan-

those particular shots. He has no

ensuring that the shots you take can

orama Factory because it allows him

interest in deliberately using blur as

be smoothly stitched together in the

to specify the exact settings he wants

a stylistic device: “I need to see every

subsequent editing process. “Before

for aspects such as focal length.

detail of the images I create.”

little test set-up in my studio,” von

Choosing a subject and a good place

He recently used his Canon 5D MKII

Staudach explains. “I place a CD

to position your tripod ultimately

and the ZEISS Distagon T* 3,5/18 ZE

about five centimeters in front of

comes down to experience. “I look

and Distagon T* 2,8/21 ZE lenses

the tripod in the middle of the frame

for symmetry and try to locate the

to take some pictures in a forest

and tinker with the camera’s position

very center of the subject,” explains

near Stuttgart. “The 21 mm is a

until the edge of the CD no longer

von Staudach, who has devoted

fantastic lens that provides superb

shifts against the window frame or

himself to conceptual series of

performance right out to the corners

some other vertical object in the

industrial subjects such as turntables

without any gradient or loss of

room – then I know I have found the

and engine sheds. “I love the process

sharpness. It is easy to use and offers

nodal point.”

of finding circular locations to

high-precision focusing. Although the

photograph. I end up climbing

18 mm lens features slight blurring in

The camera is placed on the tripod in

construction cranes and towers and

the corners, it is actually my favorite

portrait format to get as much of the

lowering myself into boiler tanks! But

because the lower focal length

I go on a shoot I put together a

Camera Lens News No. 36 Carl Zeiss

July 2010

Page 4

Blurred panorama: Triptych taken near Zingst on the Baltic Sea, with the colors of nature mixing together on the digital sensor.

Façade panorama: Berlin Hauptbahnhof – perspectives, angles of view and sharp focus that surpass single-shot photography.

enables me to fit more in the frame.

in’ the slope over a distance of

It copes brilliantly with backlighting:

several hundred meters while staying

Find out more about

instead of lens flare you just get a

in the same position. Obviously the

Josh von Staudach:

delicate glowing effect around lights.

focus has to be adjusted for each

http://www.stuttgart360.de/

The blurring issue does not make any

shot, but you end up perceiving

http://www.joshvonstaudach.de/

difference to me because the edge

connections and structures that you

regions fall by the wayside in the

would otherwise never have seen.”

stitching process anyhow. von Staudach also sometimes In addition to classic 360 degree

employs the polar opposite technique

panoramas, von Staudach also works

of actually moving the camera

with specialist techniques such as

horizontally while taking the shot.

macro panoramas, which involve

“Rapidly rotating the camera allows

photographing a surface centimeter

me to capture a broad swathe of the

by centimeter. He has also used the

surroundings within a single image.

telephoto panorama technique to

By blurring together colors and

shoot mountain slopes in Iceland:

shapes I can create paintings using

“I basically used the camera to ‘scan

the color palette provided by nature.

Camera Lens News No. 36 Carl Zeiss

July 2010

Page 5

Getting the Right Balance for the Perfect Image Whether you are taking extraordinary aerial photographs, atmospheric panoramic shots or captivating images of the polar lights, you can rest assured that Carl Zeiss lenses will deliver consistently superb quality and outstanding results even under challenging conditions. Christian Beder, an optical designer at Carl Zeiss, explains what makes the lenses so special.

What is the biggest challenge in producing lenses?

Modern CAD programs support the work of design engineers.

It all comes down to finding the perfect balance. In optical design, we dictate how the optical system

offer the best possible combination of

parameters, it also requires the ability

is constructed, specifying everything

image quality, price, size and weight.

to handle those parameters creatively.

from the number, size and form of

Optical design at Carl Zeiss is based

the optical elements to the air spaces

What are the key factors you

on 120 years of in-house experience,

and coating. To do this, we have to

have to take into account?

but it also draws on tremendous

take numerous issues into account,

The ultimate goal is that the lens

sensitivity and the creative urge to tap

not only image quality aspects such as

should produce outstanding pictures:

into new possibilities.

sharp focus and freedom from distor-

razor-sharp, distortion-free images

tion, but also mechanical limitations

– without any chromatic aberrations –

What would it be like if you

and budget constraints. Generally

that stay crisp and bright right to the

could work without any of these

speaking, you cannot simultaneously

edges. Not only does that require

constraints?

satisfy every single requirement. If the

in-depth knowledge of the technical

Then there would be very little artistry

main emphasis is on price, then it is,

involved in developing the perfect

of course, possible to manufacture

lens. It would be about one meter

an economical lens – for example

long with a diameter of 50 centime-

by reducing the number of optical

ters and would cost millions, but it

elements – but then you have to

would be as perfect as the laws of

be willing to accept inferior image

physics allow!

quality, which is not something we are prepared to do. But if you focus

Wide-angle lenses pose a

solely on imaging performance, then

particular challenge to optical

the costs quickly get out of hand.

designers. Why is that?

We endeavor to strike just the right

Well, their wider angle of view means

balance to ensure that our lenses

that they show a large portion of the

Camera Lens News No. 36 Carl Zeiss

July 2010

Page 6

subject. In this situation it is quite a

and horizontal lines of the image to

which means they need to be placed

challenge to produce a consistently

appear at varying levels of quality.

a long way from the aperture –

good image of the entire field of view.

generally at the front, which is where

There are three field-dependent image

There are different types and forms

they can effectively counteract this

errors that are particularly significant

of optical elements that can be used

problem. That is why so many wide-

in this context: distortion, field

to correct these aberrations. The most

angle lenses have a tapering shape

curvature and astigmatism, a form

important aspect is ensuring that the

that makes them bigger and heavier

of aberration that causes the vertical

lens elements are correctly positioned,

at the front.

“Ghosting� can mar the effect of a photograph.

Camera Lens News No. 36 Carl Zeiss

July 2010

Page 7

simultaneously incur more costs in

What are the latest trends

production. We set some of our toler-

in optical design?

ances as low as just a few hundred

Reducing chromatic aberrations is

nanometers.

becoming increasingly significant.

Digitalization means that anyone can

What is the greatest achieve-

now view their images in unprece-

ment ever in the field of optical

dented sizes. Nowadays we look at an

design?

image on the screen that corresponds

I would have to say the development

to a picture measuring 2x3 meters

of the anti-reflective coating, which

from a distance of 30 centimeters,

Carl Zeiss subsequently developed

which in some ways provides an

into the multi-layer coating T*. This

absurd, unnaturally enlarged view.

coating is applied in a vacuum by

It enables users to detect chromatic

Thorough checks and validation ensure that

means of vapor deposition and

aberrations on an individual pixel

every single product meets the stipulated quality

serves to reduce the amount of

level that they would never have seen

light reflected from the surface of

before. So our job now is to correct

the lens, so it essentially improves

these aberrations by using more and

Why is it that ZEISS lenses tend

light transmission and suppresses

more lens elements and increasingly

to be more expensive than lenses

unwanted reflections. It is only thanks

specialist and more sophisticated

made by other manufacturers?

to this invention that we can now

types of glass. So digitalization is also

That stems from two factors that

make optical systems with more than

having an effect on lenses!

lie behind the high quality of the

five or six lens elements – without

lenses, namely low tolerances and

this coating far too much light would

an almost pedantic obsession with

be lost through reflections. Some of

quality control. On its journey from

the zoom lenses Carl Zeiss currently

the raw material phase to the finished

makes for cinematography applica-

product, each lens passes through

tions have more than 25 optical

more than 50 quality control stages.

elements. The more elements an

standards.

optical system has, the better the None of our lenses can leave the

image quality – but only if we are able

production hall unless they have been

to adequately reduce the amount of

thoroughly tested, and the same

reflection, which is precisely where

applies to components manufactured

the T* coating has played such an

by our partners. And, on top of that,

essential role. This does not apply

we demand extraordinary precision

in a completely linear fashion of

in the manufacture and assembly of

course – doubling the number of lens

our lens elements. The surface of a

elements does not necessarily lead

lens element is never entirely flat; the

to a doubling of image quality – but

way it is constructed means that it will

there is certainly a clear correlation.

inevitably feature certain irregularities.

It works because the individual lenses

Anti-reflection coatings are applied to the surface

By having lower tolerances for this

are able to cancel out each other’s

of the lens using vapor deposition to suppress

surface unevenness we improve

optical aberrations.

the image quality of the lens but

reflections.

Camera Lens News No. 36 Carl Zeiss

July 2010

Page 8

Sublime Views at Breakneck Speed Aerial photographs pose particular challenges to photographers and their equipment

Carl Zeiss Planar T* 1,4/50

Algimantas Deikus and Vidas

The remarkable thing about Deikus

CLN: Vidas, what is the differ-

Kaupelis are photographers from

and Kaupelis is that they are both

ence between aerial photogra-

Lithuania who specialize in aerial

highly experienced pilots and pho-

phy and other forms of photog-

photography. These two fre-

tographers. This makes for a perfect

raphy? What technical challenges

quent fliers pursue the ambitious

combination: As photographers

does it pose in terms of the

goal of capturing superlatively

they understand that the speed of

equipment you need?

atmospheric images of nature.

an airplane requires rapid decision-

VK: The most difficult part of aerial

making and special equipment, while

photography is getting your shot in

their skill as pilots is intricately linked

focus. We take photographs from a

to their ability to see landscapes with

fast-moving, low-flying airplane, and

a photographic eye. We chatted to Vi-

if your subject is still partially hidden

das Kaupelis about aerial photography

by morning mist then it can be very

and his experiences with ZEISS lenses.

tricky indeed to get the perfect shot.

Camera Lens News No. 36 Carl Zeiss

July 2010

Page 9

Carl Zeiss Planar T* 1,4/85

In such rapidly changing conditions,

which means you can simply set the

the solution is fairly simple: you just

it is often impossible to get the results

focus ring to infinity and start snap-

position your tripod where you want it

we want using autofocus lenses,

ping away without worrying about

and select a slow shutter speed. But in

which rely on contrast detection

focusing. The irony is that – however

an airplane you are racing above your

algorithms to focus.

much we all love high-tech solu-

subject at 300 km/h, and you can only

tions – omitting certain technologies

compensate for the extreme vibrations

CLN: So how did you get around

can occasionally be more of a benefit

by using shutter speeds of around

that problem?

than a hindrance!

1/1000.

solutions before we realized that

CLN: How do you deal with

CLN: So do you use special

manual focusing is the key to a suc-

exposure issues?

equipment?

cessful shot, because if you are taking

VK: In order to emphasize the charac-

VK: In weak light, we depend on

landscape shots at focal lengths

teristics of the terrain we are photo-

lenses that offer outstanding image

below 85-100 mm, the subject almost

graphing, we work at specific times of

quality at wide aperture settings. If

always lies beyond the infinity focus

day, basically just before sunrise or just

we are taking shots directly towards

point. Unfortunately, most autofocus

before sunset. That’s when the light

the Sun, we can only use lenses that

lenses are not suitable for manual

is at its most dramatic. But weak light

are designed not to produce flare,

focus operation. But Zeiss lenses

falling obliquely on a subject is one of

and the optical elements need to

have been designed to offer simple,

the greatest challenges the technol-

have a high-quality coating. Carl Zeiss

high-precision manual focusing,

ogy has to tackle. On the ground

lenses have proved to be a superb

We tried out a number of different

Camera Lens News No. 36 Carl Zeiss

Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2/35

Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2/28

July 2010

Page 10

Camera Lens News No. 36 Carl Zeiss

July 2010

Page 11

Carl Zeiss Planar T* 1,4/50

choice in terms of both those criteria.

Lens flare is minimal and the image quality at wide aperture is visibly better than that of similar lenses from other manufacturers that we have tried out.

Algimantas Deikus and Vidas Kaupelis embarked on their career in aerial photography in 2006. They are both

Algimantas Deikus

Vidas Kaupelis

highly experienced pilots who have

is a professional pilot and photog-

is a computer scientist and project

racked up thousands of hours in the

raphy enthusiast. He lives in Vilnius,

manager who has a keen interest in

pilot’s seat, and every flight marks

Lithuania.

flying and photography. He also lives in Vilnius, Lithuania.

another step on their journey to find unusual aerial views. 2009 saw the first public exhibition of their work in

You can see more photographs

Lithuania.

and find out more about the duo at www.FlyFoto.lt

Camera Lens News No. 36 Carl Zeiss

July 2010

Page 12

Night Colors On the trail of the aurora phenomenon Auroras, also known as polar lights, are an extraordinary natural spectacle that present a major challenge to photographers, requiring good planning and a healthy dose of luck as well as the right equipment. The photographer Thilo Bubek from Tomasjord, Norway, has been involved in aurora photography for many years, producing fascinating images of the night sky with a ZEISS Distagon T* 2,8/21.

Vivid colors and shapes flitting across the sky like gigantic creatures: Eyewitness accounts from more than 2,000 years ago reveal how a number of different cultures – especially in North America, Europe and Asia – interpreted these phenomena as signs from the gods, malign spirits or heavenly messages. Even today, this spectacular nocturnal light display continues to inspire interest and fascination.

Scientists long ago discovered that auroras are caused by electrically charged particles that continuously flow outward from the Sun. Known as the solar wind, these particles are trapped by the Earth’s magnetic field and drawn into the atmosphere

and red. Auroras are known as the

This particular light show is only vis-

at high latitudes. At a height of

northern or southern polar lights

ible in the dark. Photographers need

between 100 and 200 kilometers,

because they primarily occur in polar

a tripod and very fast lenses since the

some of these particles collide with

regions such as northern Scandi-

delicate structure of the polar lights

oxygen and nitrogen atoms, causing

navia, Iceland, Greenland, Canada,

only remains visible when exposure

them to emit light. The color of light

Alaska, and Siberia, as well as in the

times are kept extremely short.

ranges from green to blue-violet

Antarctic.

(The other stumbling block of longer

Camera Lens News No. 36 Carl Zeiss

July 2010

Page 13

exposure times is that stars appear as

suited to nighttime photography than

infinity saves me time and avoids the

lines due to the rotation of the Earth.)

a camera with a comparatively small

kind of focusing errors that crop up

“The level of quality you get with

DX sensor. “But that only holds true if

every now and then when you are

digital images of the polar lights is far

you can get hold of wide-angle lenses

using autofocus lenses, however much

superior to what you could get using

for the large full-frame sensor that

care you take.”

old-fashioned film,” enthuses Thilo

offer superior image quality even at a

Bubek. One of the aspects he likes

low aperture,” Bubek cautions.

best about digital technology is the

The polar light expert also emphasizes how important it is to frame the

fact that he can check the exposure

Bubek tested the new ZEISS Distagon T*

auroras as part of an ensemble with

right after taking a shot by simply

2,8/21 ZF with his Nikon D3 and D700.

the landscape: “I seek out attractive

viewing the RGB histogram.

“In terms of optical performance, I

backgrounds such as mountains, the

would say from my experience that

ocean and fjords. I am particularly

Bubek is flexible when it comes to the

the ZEISS is roughly on a par with the

interested in tracking down unspoiled

choice of camera: “I have worked with

standard-setting lens in the wide-angle

scenes that are not marred by artificial

a whole range of different cameras

arena, the Nikon 14-24mm/2.8,“

light.” Just some of the techniques

over the last seven years, mostly with

Bubek reports. But the manual

that have enabled this photographer

the professional Nikon bodies from

focusing of the ZEISS lens proved to

to capture such timeless landscapes

the D1, D2 and D3 series, though oc-

be a major advantage in practical use.

infused with almost unearthly magic.

casionally also with the Fuji S2Pro and

“The importance of manual focusing

S3Pro bodies and an EOS 5D.” The

cannot be underestimated, because

Find out more about

choice of sensor, however, is a much

the camera’s autofocus function does

Thilo Bubek:

more significant factor: A camera with

not perform reliably in the dark. Being

http://www.bubek-fotodesign.com

a large, full-frame sensor is better

able to manually focus my lens to

Camera Lens News No. 36 Carl Zeiss

July 2010

Page 14

A Broad Perspective The new ZEISS Distagon T* 2,8/25 ZF.2 wide-angle lens with electronic interface The Distagon T* 2,8/25 is now

crevices forming patterns and forma-

available in the ZF.2 version for

tions that extend to the horizon. The

digital SLR cameras with an F

Distagon T* 2,8/25 from Carl Zeiss can

bayonet. One of the most excit-

help you create these kinds of unusual

ing features of the lenses from

images – and not only in the realm of

the ZF.2 series is that they sup-

nature photography.

port all the key modes such as shutter priority, aperture priority

Thanks to its electronic interface

and program mode.

(CPU), the ZF.2 range of lenses supports all the essential modes such

Wide-angle lenses open up a scene

as shutter priority, aperture priority

by providing maximum depth of field:

and program mode as well as manual

Think of a dragonfly landing on a

mode, even with non-AI camera

water lily with dozens of blossoms

bodies. This makes a ZF.2 lens easy

behind its iridescent body all in crisp

to use even under the most hectic

perspective, or rocks, moss and

conditions.

Landscape Photography Exhibitions July events Berlin: Wagner + Partner Gallery

Munich: Jordanow Gallery

Open Landscape

Chiffreschrift Landschaft

Peter Dreher, Friederike Jokisch, Josef

(Landscape Cipher Codes)

Schulz, Thomas Wrede

Group exhibition

21.05. – 31.07.10

07.05.10 – 21.08.10

http://galerie-wagner-partner.com/

http://www.galerie-jordanow.de/

exhibitions/current

chiffreschrift.html

Hamburg: Flo Peters Gallery

Cologne: Karsten Greve Gallery

Woodlands and Beyond

Water & Rocks

Mat Hennek

Lynn Davis

02.07.10 – 28.08.10

07.05.10 – 31.07.10

http://www.flopetersgallery.com/

http://www.artnet.com/kgreve.html

http://www.mat-hennek.com/

http://lynndavisphotography.com/

flash_hennek.html

waterrocks.htm

Camera Lens News A newsletter for all who use, buy, sell, like, report about and are interested in Carl Zeiss camera lenses.

All information in Camera Lens News is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication.

Publisher: Carl Zeiss AG Camera Lens Division Marketing 73446 Oberkochen Germany Phone: +49 (0) 7364/20-6175 Email: photo@zeiss.de Internet: www.zeiss.de/photo