Hello folks,
does anybody know if Rollei is going to release a new short lens like a 28mm for the HY6? They have a 30mm, but i guess it's a fisheye...

They should work A.S.A.P on AF lenses from AF 28mm if not even wider, through AF 110mm 2.0 and up... especially if it spreads on three different companies Rollei/Leaf/SINAR, it shouldn't be a problem.

We'll see if it happens, perhaps Hasselblad won't allow it with those witty and aggressive moves they're making....

They've got a 35mm in development - see EPd's post about it here where he says the design is finished on the 35 and he also writes a bit about other lenses (scroll down to post#27):

http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....pic=28104&st=0#

More precisely, here's my post that Eric refers to: http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....st&p=224140

Keep in mind that the Rollei lenses have a full image circle to cover 6x6 frames. 35mm is going to give a very large angle, while a true high quality 28mm with such a long back focus and which should be sharp into the very 6x6 corners would be nearly impossible to design. The 28mm lenses for Hasselblad and Mamiya have a smaller image circle than Rollei lenses. F&H and Jenoptik have put a lot of effort in getting the optical design for the 35mm right. The latest types of glass with high breaking index and very sophisticated optical design knowledge are needed to be able to make this lens. I expect to see larger sensors before wider angles would emerge (as we can see already with the new Leaf offerings).

EPd,
Would you happen to have heard any approximate dates when the 35mm will be available and or possible pricing?
Thanks,
Eric

Eric,

I have indeed heard an approximate date for the new 35mm. When all goes well this time, it will probably appear in Q1 2009. Let's keep our fingers crossed that no further setbacks will pop up.

Normally F&H fixes a price for new products only after they have started production, so a possible price for this lens is not known yet. (Other companies would at least estimate pricing for new products before they even consider developing them, but F&H's marketing skills seem not to include this method, even though the big Jenoptik is involved with this lens design as well.)

EPd

Just to add to EPD's comments, 29mm (which I hear the Hasselblad '28mm' actually is) on a 48x36mm sensor is equivalent to 34mm on full frame 645. In other words, when a 645 sensor becomes available for the Hy6, the 35mm lens will give about the same FOV as the '28mm' on a Hasselblad.

The nice thing about the Hasselblad 28.8967856 mm is, that I can work with it now & it delivers stunning images

/Frank

This is correct and is what I'm planning on doing.
I will trade-in my eMotion-75 for the new Leaf AF10 with the wide sensor to go on my Hy6.
And get the new 35 mm.
I have no idea how much this will cost though?
Regards,
Willem.

I think the HCD 28mm for H is purposed designed and built for 36X48mm sensor, so in its perspective a real 28mm lenses, when mounted on a full 645 sensor (or 94% full frame 645 sensor), it is a wider than 28mm but with a image circle not fullfilling the frame, I believed, and it is why 28mm lens is quite a bit smaller than the HC 35mm. The Mamiya 28mm is more honest 645 format lens but on today's 36X48mm sensor it is wider than labeled on the lens. Hasselblad itself said the 28mm is a lens design with digital calculated in mind, so it can be produced smaller, and faster. The image from the HCD 28 is a very good and sharp, and only very close focus that still exhibits sight distortion - even with the digital correction, but it is quite good enough. I guess they are competing in this regard to common medium format DSLR, not those offering from Rodenstock and Schneider on technical camera, and especially the ArTec - which is probably the new standard for wide angle lens work today and certain can support true 645 sensor. It is a camera on many photographer's wish list.

Graham,
I hadn't done these calculations before so thanks.

Frank - Just wanted to point out that even though the 35mm isn't ready yet, one can buy either the 40mm f/3.5 Super Angulon or the 40mm zeiss with floating rear element now - only 5mm longer. I've only shot the 40mm f/3.5 but its quite a lens. Very impressive sharpness and high contrast with actually very little distortion. I wonder how much better the 35mm could be?
Eric

And I wondered? Is there so many people really need the superwide lenses? A superwide lens is at the same time hugely compromise if without the shift/tilt function.
How about a short zoom, 45-90mm AF that really can take care the most situations? To me, wide angle is good, but if you don't have it, then stitch is still a solution, better than nothing. Hy6 is already a system inherited from a very large collection of lenses, in fact more so than the Hasselblad V system.

BTW all,

apologies for this not being the correct place, but it may be relevant,

I have a 40mm Schneider f/3.5 for sale. New 6 months ago, hardly used.

Please PM if you are interested.

Murray