Phase One announces Schneider-Kreuznach 40-80mm f/4-5.6 lens

Phase One has announced the Schneider-Kreuznach 40-80mm f/4-5.6 leaf shutter lens, the second of its kind for the company’s medium format cameras.

Earlier in 2014, Phase One introduced the IQ250, the manufacturer’s first medium format lens with a CMOS image sensor. The company is back with another announcement which consists of a new lens aimed at 645-series shooters. The Schneider-Kreuznach 40-80mm f/4-5.6 leaf shutter lens is now official and available on the market.

Schneider-Kreuznach 40-80mm f/4-5.6 lens is now official with a leaf shutter design and aimed at Phase One medium format cameras.

Schneider-Kreuznach 40-80mm f/4-5.6 lens, based on leaf shutter design, unveiled by Phase One

The medium format is not very popular due to prohibitive prices. Although the optical quality is nothing short of amazing, medium format cameras and lenses are expensive as well as rather large and heavy.

Such is the case with leaf shutter lenses, with their costs increasing even further when it comes to zoom models. Most optics are prime models, but after launching the 75-150mm f/4-5.6, Phase One is back with another zoom unit, consisting of the Schneider-Kreuznach 40-80mm f/4-5.6 lens.

A leaf shutter lens sports several metal blades which open and close when exposing a shot. The blades are called leaves and exposing is done differently when compared to a focal-plane shutter.

The biggest advantage of the leaf shutter optics is the fact that they can work with faster flash sync speeds, reaching even 1/1600th of a second, which is a lot faster than what you get in conventional DSLRs or mirrorless cameras.

The complexity of its design and high optical quality make the 40-80mm f/4-5.6 lens a very expensive product

The new lens is a result of a strong collaboration between Phase One, Schneider-Kreuznach, and Mamiya.  It consists of 15 elements split into 11 groups, including two aspherical elements.

A Phase One manager has revealed that more effort has been put into the Schneider-Kreuznach 40-80mm f/4-5.6 leaf shutter lens than in any other lens that came before this product.

Senior Product Manager Espen Beck has confirmed that a design of a zoom lens is more complex, especially when the optical quality must be kept at the highest levels.

The company is said to be “very proud” about how it all turned out, so this lens is already available for purchase through its worldwide partners.

As stated above, it will be very expensive with a price standing at $8,990 in the US and €6,990 in Europe. More details can be found at Phase One’s official website.