Schneider Kreuznach working on Micro Four Thirds lenses
updated 05:00 pm EST, Fri February 4, 2011
Schneider Kreuznach joins Micro Four Thirds group
German lens maker Schneider Kreuznach on Friday announced it has become the newest member of the Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group. As such, it will build lenses that support the standard, which was pioneered by Olympus and Panasonic. Micro Four Thirds cameras are digital cameras with interchangeable lenses, but unlike larger DSLRs, they lack a moving mirror and traditional shutter.
"We are working intensively on a corresponding series of lenses," said Dr. Josef Staub, CEO of the Schneider Group. The German outfit supplies LG, Kodak and Motorola, among others, with optics for their cameras in smartphones.
The Micro Four Thirds standard outlines the sensor size, the lens mount, the communication protocol, the aspect ratio and the flange back distance in addition to the optical requirements for production and construction.
Micro Four Thirds lenses are usually manufactured by camera makers themselves, with Schneider Kreuznach being one of the few companies that focuses solely on the design and manufacture of optics.
