Last Updated on 07/09/2017 by Chris Gampat
The Citograph 35mm is a new campaign over on Kickstarter by the team at C.P. Goerz. The idea behind the project is to address an issue: needing to carry your standalone camera with enormous lenses or carry big and awkward accessory lenses which complicate the smartphone photography process. As C.P. Goerz explains, the lens will give you the best of both worlds; access to the speed and convenience of a smartphone camera with the image quality of your stand-alone DSLR or Mirrorless camera.
There have been quality smartphone lenses for some time now, the Moment and Zeiss options being just two examples, but one common problem with these mobile add-ons is that they are inherently limited by the inferior sensors they are exposing (compared to our larger format sensor cameras). But the issue with stand-alone interchangeable lens cameras is that most lenses are big, bulky and it’s overall just a cumbersome experience compared to a phone. So the Citograph 35mm is trying to be both.
Oh – this lens is always in focus too. So no focusing needed, just throw the lens on your camera and you can start snapping away capturing the world around you. They achieved this by giving the lens a constant aperture of F8 and a lens design with hyperfocal technology. The result is a lens that is always in focus from 3m to infinity.
The Tessar-type lens means it is not only sharp but incredibly compact, and using the lens to its full effect is easy as well. According to the Kickstarter page, all you will need to do is set your ISO to auto and shutter priority – that is it!
Supplied Technical Data
- Focal length 35 mm
- Magnification ratio 1:8
- Optical construction 4 elements in 3 groups
- Field of view +/- 31°
- Distortion ≤ 1% Light loss max. 27 %
- Focussing 3m bis ∞
- Filter thread M 37 x 0,75
- Dimensions Ø 58 mm x 23 mm
- Weight ±. 120g
The project is seeking $30,000 in funding – a goal they are already halfway towards meeting with 20 days remaining. You can back the project and reserve your own Citograph 35mm lens for as little as $219 (limited space at that bracket remaining), and should the campaign be funded they expect to start shipping around March of 2018. It is also expected to be available for Nikon, Canon, Sony, Leica M, Micro Four Thirds, and Fuji mounts.