Zeiss Loxia Lenses Are Discontinued as Kenko Tokina Ceases Production
Zeiss Loxia lenses have been officially discontinued according to a public notice published by Kenko Tokina and confirmed to PetaPixel by Zeiss.
The Zeiss Loxia line began back in 2014, with the 85mm joining in 2016 and the 25mm getting added in 2018.
In a public notice published to Kenko Tokina’s website, and spotted by Sony Alpha Rumors, the glass and optics manufacturer announced that all four Zeiss Loxia lenses are no longer in production.
“Kenko Tokina Co., Ltd. would like to inform you that production of the following products has been discontinued. Thank you for your patronage. We look forward to your continued support: Loxia 2.8/21, Loxia 2.4/25, Loxia 2/50, Loxia 2.4/85,” the company states. All four lenses were being made for Sony E-mount through a partnership between Zeiss and Kenko Tokina. Zeiss also has a manufacturing partnership that is still ongoing with Cosina.
As recently as 2023, Zeiss was rumored to be removing some of its lens products from sale. While the company disputed rumors that it was fully leaving the photography space entirely — which was backed up by the announcement of new Otus lenses earlier this year — there was an expectation by some global retailers that Zeiss wouldn’t be making Loxia optics for much longer.
“In response to the latest market developments, we have decided to adapt our product portfolio and therefore, will no longer offer the lens in question,” Zeiss tells PetaPixel in an email, citing statements provided last year and confirming this quote applies to its Loxia line.
“Of course, our comprehensive service remains available for the products that are out of stock. We are and remain fully committed to our photography community and are actually working on new products that align with the current market landscape while upholding our promise of quality and innovation.”
While no new Loxia lenses are being produced, some are still available new from retailers like B&H Photo, which has the 85mm f/2.4, 21mm f/2.8, and 35mm f/2 lenses still in stock. The 50mm f/2, however, has been marked as discontinued. A few Loxia lenses are also regularly available to find pre-owned from KEH.
Two years ago, Zeiss said that it still had a “very trustful partnership with Sony,” but that calls for its lenses to be available on other mounts was a different story.
“It takes two to tango,” a Zeiss representative told PetaPixel. “New mounts require a perfect match of brand, quality, and R&D, as well as working together on the optimal alignment of lens and camera, plus software. It sounds like a good idea, but in practice it can get complicated.”
Image credits: Zeiss
