The Schneider Kreuznach 40-80mm LS f/4.0-5.6 Zoom lens is said to render ultra-sharp resolution on all zoom distances from wide to normal focal length. Meanwhile, the Schneider Kreuznach 75-150mm LS f/4.0-5.6 Zoom lens covers a zoom range of normal to telephoto.

The two Blue Ring zoom lenses are compatible with the Phase One XF, Phase One 645DF+ and Mamiya 645DF+ or DF camera systems. Used on a Phase One XF 100MP system, the lenses are claimed to be able to capture the full 100MP perfectly.

Together, these two lenses comprise an effective zoom range from 40mm to 150mm. Each lens is equipped with a zoom-lock function on its barrel and is designed to maintain focus position while zooming. They each support flash synchronization up to 1/1600sec.  The new built-in electronics permit individual focus calibration when used with the Phase One XF Camera System.

‘Creating optics this large with such tight tolerances is quite an achievement,’ said Espen Beck, Phase One senior product manager. ‘A Phase One full-frame 100MP medium-format sensor is 1.5x larger than the cropped-size 50MP medium-format and 2.5x larger than sensors found in high-end 35mm DSLRs. Capturing the full resolution of a square sensor this size with a round lens and avoiding crop means that the entire lens must be larger, which requires larger movements of individual lens elements while meeting the requisite standards for speed and precision.

‘Schneider Kreuznach lenses are designed to deliver the ultimate analogue input to be shaped and refined with the Phase One XF 100MP Camera System and Capture One software. This design also benefits the Phase One XF 50MP system, which can exploit the “sweet spot” of the lens, producing impeccable results.’

Availability and pricing

The two new Blue Ring Zoom lenses are available to order now.

The Schneider Kreuznach 75-150mm LS f/4.0­5.6 Zoom is available now and has a suggested retail price of €5,490/$5,990US.

The Schneider Kreuznach 40-80mmLS f/4.0­5.6 Zoom is expected to be available by 1 August 2016 and has a suggested retail price of €7,990/$8,990US.