Sony Photography News and Rumors

The Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Biotar 58mm f/1.5 II  was just announced for X-mount, and you can get one from B&H Photo.

Meyer Optik Görlitz – Biotar 58 f1.5 II available
Bad Kreuznach, Germany – September 07th, 2022 – Meyer Optik Görlitz releases the Biotar 58 f1.5 II, the long-awaited new edition of the world famous lens and adds another unique imaging style to its existing portfolio, of high quality character lenses. The Biotar 58 II is available now and can be purchased directly from the manufacturer & from well-stocked photo retailers.

“After several delays simply due to the current unforeseeable circumstances, we are extremely pleased to welcome this very exciting lens to our family and introduce it to the public,” says Timo Heinze, Managing Director Meyer Optik / OPC Optics. “Even though the Biotar is not a classic Meyer lens, it fits perfectly into our portfolio of creative tools, with unique characteristics. Nevertheless, to honor its foreign origin, we decided to manufacture it with a Biotar-exclusive coloring.”

About Biotar 58
Originally, the Biotar 58, among other focal lengths and versions, was designed by the ingenious optical designer Willi Merté. After its launch in the mid-1930s, it was offered for about 25 years, making it the longest and best-selling Biotar in that series to date. The new version of that extremely popular, highly versatile lens also delivers its incomparable charm and comes up with excellent imaging characteristics as the Biotar 58 f1.5 II. With the help of the Görlitz-based designer, Dr.-Ing. Wolf-Dieter Prenzel, the new edition of the Biotar 58 has been significantly improved in terms of light intensity, image sharpness and contrast behavior, and the wonderful characteristics of the original Biotar 58 have been transferred to the new version of this classic lens.

What makes the Biotar 58 f1.5 II stand out?
Biotars have always been appreciated for their wonderful bokeh options, a creamy image look, particularly harmonious focus gradients and good sharpness performance. In the out-of-focus area, with the right setting, a swirl of light circles can be created (also called ‘Swirly-Bokeh’), which particularly emphasizes the focused main subject. The captured light points near the center of the image appear circular and take on a more elliptical shape toward the edge of the image (also called ‘cat eyes’). The Biotar 58 f1.5 II is already characterized by high image sharpness at open aperture and at the same time delivers the beautiful effects in the out-of-focus area of the image. It also impresses in difficult lighting situations – the Biotar 58 II produces little to no color fringing even in strong backlighting and with an open aperture, and still achieves excellent results even in low light situations thanks to its speed. The targeted use of the effects, the many design options and the high sharpness make the Biotar 58 II the perfect choice for many different genres of photography and videography.

The fastest and sharpest Biotar 58 ever
In the course of redesigning the Biotar 58 and optimizing its optical system, the initial aperture of the lens has been increased from the original f2 to f1.5. There has never been a faster Biotar 58 and at the same time the Biotar 58 f1.5 II now represents the ‘fastest’ lens in Meyer Optik Görlitz’s portfolio. In addition to the higher speed, the Biotar 58 II, through various optimizations of the optical system, achieves a sharpness that its predecessors could not reach. This high sharpness or extreme resolution is a particularly noteworthy advantage for close-up and portrait photography.

Well-proven mechanical design and optimized aperture
For the Biotar 58 f1.5 II, the proven mechanics of the previous new editions were used and the individual optical elements were thus combined in a well-proven, highly precise and durable mechanical system. Compared to the original Biotar 58 lenses, 14 steel blades now form the stepless & silently adjustable aperture of the new edition. The circular aperture is particularly noticeable in the bokeh of the image and draws more harmonious points of light than its historical predecessors. All mechanics were, as with all Meyer Optik Görlitz lenses, sourced from renowned German precision mechanics manufacturers and were produced to the highest quality. The aluminum- / natural-colored anodizing used for the Biotars is intended to represent a connection to the historical origin and offers an excellent feel as well as a precious appearance at the same time.

Sample photos:

via Photorumors, FujiAddict