Schneider-Kreuznach "Working Intensively" On Micro Four Thirds Lenses

If you're even a little familiar with the world of camera lenses then you're likely aware of Schneider-Kreuznach, and so you'll probably be excited to hear that the company has signed up as a new member of the Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group. It's not just out of vague interest, either; "We are working intensively on a corresponding series of lenses" CEO Dr. Josef Staub confirms.

Micro-4/3 "offers an excellent opportunity for the industry as a whole, as well as for us as a lens manufacturer" he suggests, though the company is yet to reveal what sort of lenses they're actually working on. Still, given the platform's cross-manufacturer compatibility, this is good news for anybody looking to add to their camera kit-bag.

[via 43rumors]

Press Release:

SCHNEIDER KREUZNACH now a member of the "Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group"

BAD KREUZNACH, 4 February 2011. Schneider-Kreuznach has joined the "Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group" – a consortium of companies with the objective of improving the possibilities and quality of compact digital cameras. Developed by Olympus and Panasonic, "Micro Four Thirds" is a standard for lens mounts that is tailored to digital system cameras. "This standard has great potential. It simplifies and improves the options for compact digital cameras and offers an excellent opportunity for the industry as a whole, as well as for us as a lens manufacturer. We are working intensively on a corresponding series of lenses," says Dr. Josef Staub, CEO of the Schneider Group.

The standard defines the sensor size, the lens mount together with the communication protocol, the aspect ratio and the flange back distance, as well as the optical requirements for production and construction. The industry standard has been developed deliberately without taking into account conventional lenses, cameras or sensor sizes. In this way, compatibility problems with older components are avoided as is the need to compromise when designing new components.

The forum standard policy means that any member company can make and distribute accessories for the system that meet the standard. It is therefore possible to combine components from different manufacturers.

About the Schneider Group: The Schneider Group specializes in developing and producing high-performance photographic lenses, cinema projection lenses, as well as industrial optics and precision mechanics. The group comprises Jos. Schneider Optische Werke, founded in Bad Kreuznach in 1913, and its subsidiaries Pentacon (Dresden), Schneider Kreuznach Isco Division (Göttingen), Schneider-Optics (New York, Los Angeles), Schneider Bando (Seoul), Schneider Asia Pacific (Hong Kong) and Schneider Optical Technologies (Shenzhen). The company's main brand is "Schneider-Kreuznach". It has around 620 employees worldwide, with 330 based in its German headquarters. For years now the group has been a world market leader in the area of high-performance lenses.