New Meyer-Optik Kickstarter will Revive Historic Lydith 30mm Art Lens
German lens maker Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz launched its fifth Kickstarter today, announcing it intends to bring the historic Lydith 30mm f3.5 art lens back to life.
Designed in the late 1950s and introduced to the market in 1964, the modern version of the Lydith will be updated with high-performance lens coatings and a short minimum focusing distance of 8 inches (16 cm). Like all of Meyer-Optik’s lenses, the Lydith will be a fully manual lens, 100 percent handmade in Germany. Meyer-Optik describes the lens as having exceptional sharpness, contrast and color fidelity and a wonderful ability to create images with an indefinable magic.
Through the Kickstarter project backers are offered the chance to be first in line to receive the new Lydith 30mm at a greatly reduced price. The initial offering allows early backers to own the lens for as little as $549, about a third of the expected retail price.
The Lydith will use high-quality Schott and O’Hara glass and its 12 aperture blades, will produce a soft, dreamy background and foreground bokeh with a very sharp center of focus. Meyer-Optik has dubbed it “the embracing bokeh,” which inspired the theme of the current kickstarter campaign as a lens that can catch the magic moment. Test photographers were amazed by the lens’ ability to use color like paint in their images.
The Kickstarter for the Lydith ends on July 4 and follows four successful Kickstarters that have raised more than $2.4 million. The Kickstarters have been essential in helping relaunch the Meyer-Optik brand, which was revived three years ago by the German firm net SE.
The Lydith is expected to ship in March 2018 and will be available with mounts for
* Canon EF
* Nikon F
* Sony
* FujiX
* Micro Four Thirds
* M42
* Leica M (rangefinder not supported/focusing via live view)
* Leica SL
To see sample images from the Lydith prototype, click here.
To see the Kickstarter, click here.
In Europe: Dr.Stefan Immes at immes@netag.de
In North America: Joe Newman at newman@cosmicsmudgemedia.com and 1 202-445-1391
About Meyer-Optik-Görlitz
A brand with a proud tradition and reputation for exceptional products, Meyer-Optik-Görlitz started manufacturing innovative, high-quality lenses in Germany in 1896. In 2014, net SE revived the traditional spirit of the lenses once known throughout the world and started developing new lenses under the Meyer-Optik-Görlitz brand in Germany. Manufacturing handmade lenses started in 2015 with first-generation prototypes. Serial production began in early 2016.
In May 2015, net SE (http://www.netag.de) created a new subsidiary, Meyer-Optik USA Inc. headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Meyer-Optik USA is online at http://www.meyer-optik-goerlitz.com and on Facebook and Twitter.