Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 Distagon Cutaway
The intricate construction of the Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 Distagon is revealed in this cutaway: 15 elements in 12 groups all intricately and precisely positioned to extreme accuracy to deliver an exceptional level of performance.
But it’s not just the optics; the mechanical focusing mechanism must move the groups relative to each other through a wide range while keeping precise optical relationships intact. Some lenses cannot be built for the mass market; their optical and mechanical requirements can prove too difficult to manufacture and/or make then very expensive to manufacture. In such cases, alternate designs must be chosen which are less sensitive to minute build tolerance variations.