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X80QF 80mm f/3.2 Lens for UV/IR in Limited Edition from Dr. Klaus Schmitt


Andrea B.

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I chatted a bit with Klaus about his limited edition UV/IR-capable lens - the X80QF - an apochromatic quartz/fluorite lens which will shoot a nice wide 200-1200nm range with very little focus shift. The X80QF specs are on Klaus' blog post announcing the lens along with some photos of the lens and UV photos made with it.

Link: Photography of the Invisible World by Dr. Klaus Schmitt, Weinheim, Germany.

Do go have a look.

 

Here is another link Klaus' blog which shows the performance of the lens at infinity:

http://photographyof...orite-lens.html

 

It is cool that you can order the X80QF with some mount and helicoid options. M42 macro, perhaps? Or Pentax close-up? The X80QF lens optics are corrected primarily in the macro/close-up range for use when stopped down to f/8 - f/11. Aperture calibration is also offered as an option. I was thinking T-stops would be useful for exposure accuracy in a laboratory setting.

 

The X80QF image circle covers a DX sized sensor so this lens will be good to go on any m4/3, Nex, Nikon D5300/7100, for example. Talk to Klaus about possible 'optical tricks' for full frame use.

 

Klaus tells me that the lens element sets are from the US, the adapter parts are made by CNC (Netherlands), and the focusing helicoids are from Taiwan. Everything is assembled and adjusted in Germany. The X80QF has quite an international flavor! (Those Taiwanese helicoids are well made, BTW. I have three F-mount versions of them.)

 

On the blog link given above you can find an email link for contacting Klaus about X80QF modification details and specific price of the X80QF which might range from $1700-2000. He says he plans to make only about 3-5 of them, so it would be a good idea to investigate the X80QF soon if you are interested.

 

*****

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That lens gives nice results. I would still prefer to have Ultra-Achromatic Takumar for my own work, but X80QF is a viable alternative.
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