photoxels
ExoLens and ZEISS, together, have developed the first aspherical lenses for mobile photographers and videographers.
The series of three high-performance lenses includes ExoLens with ZEISS Mutar 0.6x Asph T* Wide-Angle (18-mm equivalent), ExoLens with ZEISS Mutar 2.0x Asph T* Telephoto (56-mm equivalent) and ZEISS Vario-Proxar Macro (40-80-mm equivalent).
The new lenses can be used on the iPhone 6 Plus / 6s Plus with the customized ExoLens’ mounting brackets as shown above.
PRESS RELEASE
ExoLens Brings Legendary ZEISS Lenses to Your iPhone
Itasca, IL – June 14 2016 – ExoLens®, accessory brand dedicated to elevating the mobile photography category, today announces the availability and shipping of ExoLens with Optics by ZEISS. Together, ExoLens and ZEISS, a market leading brand in professional lenses, have developed the first aspherical lenses for mobile photographers that will forever raise the standard of mobile photography and videography.
“The joint goal of ExoLens and ZEISS is to bring never before seen quality and versatility to the rapidly growing market of mobile photographers and videographers,” says John E. Fellowes, Chief Executive Officer of Fellowes Brands, which owns ExoLens. “The collaboration represents a truly pivotal step in the development of accessory lenses for mobile phones.”
With more than 170 years of experience engineering professional optics, ZEISS has gained unrivaled trust among professional photographers and cinematographers in the industry. The series of three high-performance lenses (wide-angle, telephoto and macro) is a new breed of mobile photography optics that will allow the massive community of iPhone photographers and videographers to tell a deeper story with gold-standard gear.
The wide-angle and telephoto lenses bring the same aspherical lens technology that has been previously reserved for high-end DSLR cameras, straight to your iPhone as a compact mobile accessory lens. All of the lenses also incorporate the proven T*® antireflective coating from ZEISS, which minimizes reflections at the glass-to-air surfaces and improves the transmission of light. The innovative ExoLens bracket, which connects the ZEISS lens to your phone for a truly portable professional setup, is made from precision-machined aluminum and includes soft interior liners to ensure a perfect fit and protection from scratches. The substantial and secure bracket also features an integrated standard tripod mount (1/4”-20) and cold shoe mount, allowing for compatibility with additional accessories such as microphones and exterior video lights.
“The quality of an image is decisively influenced by the lens and its technical properties,” says Dr. Winfried Scherle, Executive Vice President of Carl Zeiss AG and Head of the ZEISS Consumer Optics business group. “The ExoLens with Optics by ZEISS series has achieved the best possible technical balance between small size, light weight and high image quality to provide ambitious mobile photographers with high-quality tools to support their creativity.”
Leading the collection is the new ExoLens with Optics by ZEISS Mutar 0.6x Asph T* Wide-Angle lens. The lens is virtually distortion free thanks to its aspherical design, has exceptional edge-to-edge contrast and a picture quality unmatched by any other iPhone lens in the world. The wide-angle lens (18-mm equivalent) is ideal for landscape, architecture as well as creative shots with unusual perspectives. It’s also ideal for the many videographers now filming professional-quality 4K videos on their iPhone, who want a wider shot than their narrow iPhone camera currently offers.
The ExoLens with Optics by ZEISS Mutar 0.6x Asph T* Wide-Angle lens and the Telephoto Mutar 2.0x Asph T* (56-mm equivalent) lens both use an afocal optical design, which is different than traditional interchangeable lenses for system cameras. This means the lenses have infinite focal length, i.e. the focus is set at infinity. This enables photography of objects from infinity to the close-up range, the limits of which are defined only by the technical properties of the mobile phone camera. Protection against dust and water spray makes the wide-angle and telephoto lenses perfect for the challenges of outdoor use.
Meanwhile, the macro lens is the first and only mobile lens to offer a continuous focus adjustment function giving a 40-80-mm equivalent to allow users to fill the frame with subjects with diameters between 1.2 to 4.7 inches. An optionally attachable and semi-transparent diffuser serves as a spacer, allowing light to shine evenly on the object and enables convenient focusing.
ExoLens with Optics by ZEISS wide-angle lens kits are available today for $199.95 at Apple® retail stores and Apple.com for the iPhone® 6/6s and iPhone® 6 Plus/6s Plus. These wide-angle lens kits include the ZEISS Mutar 0.6x Asph T* Wide-Angle lens, machined aluminum ExoLens bracket, soft device-specific liners (for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s), lens hood and caps, and microfiber carrying and lens pouches. A la carte macro and telephoto lenses will be available for purchase later this summer.
Media members interested in more information can contact Jen Mangham at jenmagham@maxborgesagency.com.
Technical data for ExoLens® with optics by ZEISS
1) iPhone® is a trademark of Apple Inc.
2) EP = Entrance pupil diameter of mobile phone camera = f/(f-number)
3) equivalent focal length including mobile phone camera referring to 35mm-format (36x24mm): f = 28mm
4) assumed mobile phone camera optical parameter:35mm-format equivalent focal length f = 28mm, sensor diameter Øim = 6mm, minimum optical distance MOD = 80mm, min. magnification ß = 0.058
About ExoLens®
ExoLens® expands mobile phone camera capabilities with a wide range of premium grade lenses, offering superior image quality in a simple, easy to use solution. Every lens opens up a new world of possibilities to users, increasing the quality and expanding the capabilities of mobile phone photography. ExoLens has its origins in the development of lenses and protective cases for mobile phones and is owned by Fellowes Brands. Fellowes Brands provide home, workplace and mobile technology solutions for a world with an ever-changing need for innovation.
About ZEISS
ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the optics and optoelectronics industries. ZEISS develops and distributes lithography optics, measuring technology, microscopes, medical technology, eyeglass lenses, camera and cine lenses, binoculars and planetarium technology. With its solutions, the company constantly advances the world of optics and helps shape technological progress. The company is divided up into the six business groups Industrial Metrology, Microscopy, Medical Technology, Vision Care, Consumer Optics and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology. ZEISS is represented in over 40 countries – with around 30 production sites, over 50 sales and service locations and about 25 research and development facilities. In fiscal year 2013/14 the company generated revenue approximating 4.3 billion euros with just under 25,000 employees. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. Carl Zeiss AG is the strategic management holding company that manages the ZEISS Group. The company is wholly owned by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung (Carl Zeiss Foundation). Further information at www.zeiss.com
