Wanted-Hasselblad Zeiss CFE IF 40/4 Distagon lens

Nestor,

Sadly that is really what they cost if you want one new. It is the reason that a lot of photographer have a 50mm as their widest lens.

If you are prepared to buy a used one then you can find them at KEH for around half the new price or you may get one for less than that on Ebay

Simon

The IF version can be found on eBay or KEH, but it is expensive even when used.

If you must have CFE IF then pay thru the nose. Else there are many dealers who carry the CF versions.

A new Distagon CFE f/4 40mm IF is available on ebay in Nuernberg, Germany for 4299 euros. (About US$6.350,00), and another one in Hong-Kong for US$4.850,00. Anywhere the price is insane. You pay for what you have.

For all those who think the price is insane start producing lenses for Hasselblad cameras for less money that are at least as good as the Carl Zeiss lenses. I will be the first to buy them but as it stands Carl Zeiss does not have to fear any competition not where quality and price are concerned. Like Hasselblad cameras Carl Zeiss products will last many decades. Quite a few of the earliest lenses for the 500 series are still in use daily. Some like the 100 mm Planar are still produced exactly as the first 100mm Planars thirty years ago. I think Carl Zeiss deserves a little more respect for excellent designs and built quality of their lenses.

You can do both, of course: admire Zeiss and the lenses they produce, and complain about how much they cost.
And don't believe there isn't a considerable margin, on top of the manufacturing and R&D costs, we pay for the privilege of using Zeiss lenses. But do we begrudge Zeiss this healthy profit, or do we not? ;-)

Nestor, keep searching! The 40mm IF is an astonishing lens, noticeably crisper than the 38mm Biogon but it does have one catch, terrible distortion. If you can live with the distortion however you will not be disappointed. The other breathtaking piece of Zeiss exotica that I've been lucky enough to use is the 350mm sa. It's every bit as good as the best 35mm 300mm optics, which is praise indeed considering it delivers this stellar performance right across an 80mm image circle.

Currently no used 40 mm IF lens on offer. Not at well known Hasselblad traders nor at evilbay. It appears people just do not want to sell this lens once they bought one. Must be because they like distortion. Compared to the 40 mm CF(E) FLE distortion is about twice as high. Still not bad for a retrofocus design.

Scarcity in the used market in this case will reflect the fact that not many were bought new to begin with, rather than that people would not want to part with it.