German lens maker Schneider-Kreuznach has announced it is joining the Micro Four Thirds system standard established by Olympus and Panasonic. The company has not announced what it plans to contribute to the system - whether it will adapt its existing cine primes or develop entirely new designs for the system. The move follows Japanese maker Cosina joining in August 2010 which has resulted in the launch of the Voigtländer Nokton 25mm F0.95.

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

Bad Kreuznach, 04.02.2011, 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.