ZV Classic – that is the name of the most beautiful lenses by Carl Zeiss for the Hasselblad, perhaps the best camera system ever for photography. The Hasselblad with its ZEISS lenses has captured many of the most significant images of mankind. The pictures of NASA’s landings on the moon are probably the most famous of them. The image quality made possible by this photographic system is legendary.
ZV-lenses feature the most recent optical designs by Carl Zeiss in an elegant new attire: modern eco-glass types free of lead and arsenic, durable all-metal construction with satin silver finish, carefully etched scales for focus, f-stop and shutter speed setting, hard chromium plated bayonet mounts on both the camera and the attachment side. All ZV-lenses feature, in addition to the traditional front bayonet, the same M 67 filter thread.
The heart of the ZV-lenses is a fully mechanical Prontor central shutter from the Black Forest, the home of the German watch-making industry. The shutter itself consists of more than 300 tiny, high precision parts offering the precision and reliability of a Swiss chronometer. Its powerful mainspring accelerates the five shutter sectors so rapidly that their edges almost reach supersonic speed. And it functions without any battery – for decades – reaching a lifetime of several hundred thousand releases.
ZEISS ZV-lenses are made for long-term heavy-duty service. They create sensational results on both film and digital sensors. Even the most demanding photographers can with good reason be proud of them. ZEISS ZV – they are the lenses of those who strive for perfection.
Source: "Zeiss ZV-Lenses" booklet.