Zeiss has a very worrying attitude towards digital photography that is going to be disastrous for their company if they dont change paths soon.
If you read any of their press releases or interviews, they betray an alarming head-in-the-sand approach to the digital challenge, putting their energy into mis-placed product lines and a general hostility towards digital image making, for example:
http://keppler.popphoto.com/blog/2006/09/s...ing_frankl.html** Their new Zeiss Ikon line is a waste of energy towards retro enthusiast RF film market (very small). what planet are they on spending valuable R&D on this stuff?
** The recent 35mm lenses do not have a Canon fitting (a complete disaster as Canon OWN the dslr market)
** The one set of lenses they do make for pro MF digital is dedicated to Sinar M series, and at a cost so crazy ($10000 for a 40mm wide angle?) that its pointless.
I'm a long term fan of Zeiss' lenses, and believe firmly in their design and quality control, BUT they are messing things up royally here, and we are all the worse of for it.