Do Japanese cameras with German labeled lenses (e.g., Zeiss, Schneider, Leica) really have German made lenses, or are the German companies just renting their names?
From what I have heard, Zeiss people were involved in the design of Sony’s Zeiss lenses and they are involved in the manufacture of the lenses too, though the lenses are made in Japan. The extent of the involvement is not clear. Here’s a letter somebody received from Zeiss on the topic. The relationship between Panasonic and Leica seems somewhat different. It is described as a collaboration, although Panasonic’s version of events seems to suggest Panasonic engineering and Leica enforcement of quality standards. (Thanks, Diego!) If you have information about the operation of other Japanese-German partnerships, please let me know.
Related Questions
- Do Japanese cameras with German labeled lenses (e.g., Zeiss, Schneider, Leica) really have German made lenses, or are the German companies just renting their names?
- Do Japanese cameras with German labeled lenses (e.g., Zeiss, Schneider) really have German made lenses, or are the German companies just renting their names?
- Are Lumix lenses the same as Leica lenses?
