Kipon Announces the Third-Gen of Its Ibelux 40mm f/0.85 Lens
Optics manufacturer Kipon has announced an updated version of its 40mm f/0.85 ultrafast prime, the Ibelux 40mm f/0.85 Mark III, that it claims features a new lens coating that removes flare and purple fringing. Rated as one of the fastest lenses in the world, the 40mm f/0.85 Mark III is designed with art and portrait photographers in mind.
The lens is designed with ten elements in eight groups and a 10-bladed diaphragm to produce a circular, smooth bokeh. But unlike its predecessors, the Mark III version has special lens coatings designed to address problems in the Mark II, which suffered from flares, ghosting, and irregular light reflection and diffusion problems.
Working with German Optics company IBE Optics, Kipon says that the custom coatings promise to reduce all these issues, plus eliminate the nagging purple fringing brought on by the light diffusion issue. Kipon says that the new coatings, applied inside and out, have mitigated the purple fringing issue, particularly when dealing with backlight streaming into the camera from behind the subject.
The lens, which is available with mounts for Canon EOS R, Fujifilm X, Leica L, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon Z, and Sony E-mount APS-C camera systems, has a minimum focusing distance of 75cm, uses a 67mm front filter thread and has an aperture range of f/0.85 through f/22. Manual focus is driven by a Swiss-German mechanism and the focus ring offers 270º of rotation.
The Kipon Ibelux 40mm f/0.85 Mark III is constructed of an aluminum outer barrel with a brass core and stainless steel mount. It measures 74mm in diameter by 128mm long and weighs 1,150g.
The lens retails for $1,780, but Kipon says that owners of previous models can trade in from the previous Mark II model and receive a discount of anywhere between $500 and $800, depending on condition. The lens must be purchased directly from Kipon’s official online shop to receive the trade-in credit.
More info on Kipon’s website.
