Veydra has done very well with their Micro 4/3 mount Mini Primes designed for cameras like the Panasonic GH4 or the Blackmagic Pocket Camera. Until now, the Mini Primes were available only in Micro 4/3 mount. But today they released a short video showcasing the new mount options and the wide range of cameras that these primes will work with. Continue reading “Veydra Debuts New Mount Options For Mini Primes”
Category: Uncategorized
Duclos Lenses Adds Leica, CW Sonderoptic To Authorized Service Schedule
Leica, CW Sonderoptic have approved Duclos Lenses for complete factory authorized service of the Summilux-C and Summicron-C cinema prime lenses. To celebrate the cooperative milestone, Duclos Lenses will be offering a free diagnostic check for any Leica cinema lens through the month of July. Bring your lenses in today for a free check up. For additional information, call or email – (818) 773-0600, service@ducloslenses.com Continue reading “Duclos Lenses Adds Leica, CW Sonderoptic To Authorized Service Schedule”
Zeiss CZ.2 15-30mm Wallpaper, 5K!
I think it’s fitting that I offer this wallpaper in 5K, perfect for all those shiny new 5K iMacs, considering that Zeiss is currently the only manufacturer offering a cinema zoom lens that will be able to accommodate Red’s pending 8K sensor. Let there be pixels!
Enjoy -Matthew
P+S Thechnik Announces 35-70mm Anamorphic Zoom
Here’s a unexpected announcement. The first thought that comes to mind is, what glass is this? My guess is Leica R series 35-70mm. Check out the press release from P+S Technik below. Continue reading “P+S Thechnik Announces 35-70mm Anamorphic Zoom”
Rokinon Finally Adding a Much Needed 50mm (UPDATED)
Rokinon (Samyang, whatever brand you prefer) has been quick to jump into the world of motion picture lenses, using the optics and core mechanical design of their popular all-manual still photography lenses. The Rokinon lenses aren’t what most would consider professional, mostly because of their plastic housings, but the price, availability, and quality more than make up for their cheap feel. I’ve seen some very, very nice cinematic work shot with the Rokinon cine primes regardless of their “status” compared to the likes of higher-end cinema lenses. Currently, Rokinon offers an 8mm, 14mm, 16mm, 24mm, 35mm, and an 85mm. This would be a pretty decent set of cinema primes if it only had the 50mm.
Rumors have been floating around for over a year that a 50mm would be available and it loos like the wait is finally over. Rokinon recently posted a photo to their Facebook page indicating the imminent announcement of a new focal length in their cine prime line-up. Additionally, a lot of the rumors floating around are claiming that the lens will feature a fast aperture of f/1.2. While I don’t know if this is true or not, a 50mm focal length in the Rokinon cine primes series will be a welcome addition at f/1.4 or faster.
Keep an eye on the blog for an update once officially announced. You can bet Duclos Lenses will offer a Pro Set with all the great focal lengths including a new 50mm, at a substantial discount!
UPDATE:
Well there you have it. Rokinon officially announced the new 50mm with specs and a September ship date. The lens will offer a respectable aperture of T1.5 just like the rest of the fast primes. I know a lot of folks were hoping for a faster aperture but I think that matching the rest of the set is plenty fair. Naturally it will cover 35mm Full Frame and feature all the other accouterments as the rest of the Cine Prime line. The other great bit of news is the price: at $549, this is by far the most affordable 50mm Cine Prime currently available. Head on over to Duclos Lenses to pre-order the new 50mm Rokinon today!
Shane Hurlbut Puts Duclos to the Test
Shane Hurlbut recently took a set of the Canon Cinema Compact Zoom lenses, 15.5-47mm and 30-105mm, complete with Multi-Mount and Zoom Motor Bracket as well as the two flagship lenses, the 14.5-60mm and 30-300mm with our Carry Handle and Motor Bracket kits out for a spin on his newest project that you may have heard of – Need for Speed.
I love what Duclos has made. They are ergonomically made to flow with the lens and they also incorporate a Haden M26T motor bracket to engage the zoom focal lengths. They are built like a brick house,
Check out his full article on his blog here – Adapting Your Canon Arsenal with Duclos: A Way for Filmakers to Increase Speed and Convenience on Set.
There Is No Perfect Lens
While browsing my usual blogs, I came across a great article written by Roger Cicala of LensRentals.com. Roger is probably one of the few people who sees more lenses come through his office than myself. LensRentals.com not only stocks and rents an impressive range of optics, but also sees multiples quantities of each lens. This gives Roger and his team a great perspective on how well a lens can and should perform. To sum up the article, Roger is basically showing us why we can’t expect perfection from every lens, even if the manufacturer has some great MTF chart that shows how great a lens can perform, you may not always get the golden ticket. While his article focuses mostly on manufacturing tolerances and quality variation of still photo lenses, he notes several times throughout the article the high standards to which motion picture lenses are held to and why such lenses are priced significantly higher than their still photo cousins. Give the article a read, gain what you can from it, and appreciate the effort and tolerances motion picture lens makers go through in the design, manufacturing, and assembly of such exotic lenses. You can continue reading the article below or view the original article on the LensRentals.com blog here.
Angenieux to Introduce New 25-250mm 10x Zoom at IBC (UPDATED)
Angenieux recently revealed their 56-152mm S2 Optimo Anamorphic Zoom at NAB which was a welcome addition to the currently lacking offering of anamorphic zoom lenses. Angenieux still hasn’t released a single S2 56-152mm zoom but is already introducing yet another lens.
This new lens will be an addition to the Optimo DP series which is Angenieux’s more affordable range of professional zoom lenses. According to sources, this will be a NEW 25-250mm similar to the beloved classic 25-250mm HR. Hang tight for more specs such as speed and format coverage during IBC 2013, September 13th.
UPDATE
Angenieux did in fact announce their newest addition to the Optimo DP series, a 25-250mm T3.5. The lens looks like it could be a great hit given the classic focal length with modern optics and mechanics. Coverage will reach out to a 31.5mm image circle, just enough to cover most Super35 format cameras. The lens isn’t too heavy weighing in around 16lbs, available in PL, PV, Nikon, and Canon mount. Price is set right around $50,000, scheduled to begin shipping Fall 2014. It’s never too early to pre-order.
Proper Maintenance Is Critical For New Lenses
Duclos Lenses recently announced a now program that offers customers the ability to bring their equipment in anytime for what is essentially routine check-up and maintenance. Any lens purchased from Duclos Lenses is eligible for two years from the date of purchase at no additional cost to the customer. This is great for users who shoot in harsh climates or rough conditions since they can simply bring their lens in to Duclos Lenses after a shoot and have it cleaned up, back-focus checked and calibrate, and evaluated for any potential damage done during the shoot. It’s like having your own personal lens tech to inspect your gear before and/or after every shoot. Considering Duclos Lenses has been servicing lenses for over a decade and has over 100 years of combined motion picture lens service experience, this is just another reason why Duclos Lenses is the premiere destination for professional motion picture optics. Continue reading “Proper Maintenance Is Critical For New Lenses”
SALT III “WFO” (updated)
CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS POST!
The SALT (Southland ALternative Lens Test) is an informal yet professional collaboration of motion picture industry professionals who gather a specific genre of cinema lenses and evaluate their characteristics and features for the masses to explore and learn. This particular round of SALT included the talents of Will Kier, Matt Hayslett, Evin Grant, Matt Uhry, Ryan O’Hara, Charlie Pickle, Phil Holland, Jeff Whitehurst, Luke Edwards, and myself, Matthew Duclos, evaluating the most recent crop of high-speed prime lenses available. With resources at hand, we were able to secure a respectable selection of prime lens sets including:
- Leica Summilux-C
- Zeiss Master Primes
- Zeiss Super Speeds
- Zeiss CP.2 Super Speeds
- Illumina S35
- Elite High-Speed
- Canon Cinema Eos Primes Continue reading “SALT III “WFO” (updated)”
Sensor Size Vs. Sensor Resolution
Everyone knows that bigger is better. Kinda… Larger sensors are often associated with lower noise levels and generally higher quality photos while smaller sensors are associated with lower data loads and higher transfer rates but noisier and generally lower quality images. It’s a trade off at this point in technology. What a lot of folks need to remember is that there is a fundamental difference between sensor size and sensor resolution. In particular when it comes to Red cameras and their wonky formats. A lot of people including Red staff will describe lens coverage in regards to a specific resolution such as “4K” or “5K”. That’s great since they pretty much own the names and if someone is asking if a lens covers 4K, they’re usually referring to a Red One or 5K on an Epic. But that’s where things get confusing.
Angenieux’s Updated Zooms
Angenieux usually has something fun to play with every year at NAB. Last year they had their newly announced 24-120mm Optimo lens. And this year was no exception with the unveiling of their updated Optimo zooms. Albeit slightly less than exciting, the new zooms from Angenieux feature updated (not upgraded) optics that exhibit a larger image circle than their predecessors. This is pretty cool for the 24-290mm, now the 28-340mm, that covers beyond the RED Epic sensor but even more impressive is the 17-80mm’s update that also covers the RED Epic sensor. The older 17-80mm barely covered the 35mm frame and didn’t cover Super 35mm at all. With the new updated 19.5-90mm lens, vignetting is no longer an issue on S35mm format cameras. Not exactly revolutionary these lenses. But it shows that Angenieux is paying attention to its users wants and needs. Unfortunately the prices are still about the same coming in around $70k for the big daddy 28-340mm and slightly less for the mid-range 19.5-90mm. Their speed is slightly reduced from T2.8 to T3.2 on the 28-340mm and from T2.2 to T2.6 on the 19.5-90mm. Not too bad. (thanks for the help, Ryan)
Celebrating 10 Years of Service
Duclos Lenses was founded in February of 2002 and has enjoyed expanding their brand and reputation. Now it’s 2012 and we are celebrating 10 years of service to the motion picture industry. Join us for some BBQ and drinks at the new Duclos Lenses facility. Details below.
When: 3pm-8pm – Thursday, February 23rd 2012
Where: 20222 Bahama St., Chatsworth, CA 91311
Why: Because if it weren’t for our customers, we wouldn’t be here.
Stop by to check out our new lens lab and chat. See you there!
Lens Options : Scarlet Edition
This article was originally written by Matthew Duclos, posted at www.NoFilmSchool.com. Ryan Koo runs a great resource for cinematographers of all walks. I highly recommend subscribing to his weekly email which also gives you access to his versatile DSLR Cinematography Guide. You can view the NFS version here.
Red hit the ground running. …Again. The new Scarlet camera is an impressive little hunk of metal and silicate. The ability to choose your mount at the time of purchase is certainly a nice way to open up the options for a growing generation of cinematographers. I do find it a little funny that Canon announced their C300 camera only hours before Red, then Red trounced Canon, featuring a Canon mount on their new Scarlet camera. Well played, sir. There’s no doubt that all of the new cameras announced in the past couple years are very capable in their own field and will prove to produce many, many beautiful images. Regardless of your camera choice, everyone is going to need to find a lens that really fits their style and fills the needs for a range of productions. Whether you’re shooting a film school project or shooting a feature film, there is a balance to lensing your imagers. I’ll make things a little more simple by dividing the options into three categories. Don’t feel obligated to throw yourself into one category or the other, it’s not the tools that justify a creative project, but they way in which they are utilized. I’ll split the options even further into two sub-categories base on the mount of choice. Traditionally, PL mount lenses have been the more professional option for cinematography. Alternatively, the Canon Eos mount has been making waves ever since the 5D MkII became a common cinematic tool. Now that even Red is offering a native Canon mount for their new Scarlet camera, it’s certainly become a more competitive option. Continue reading “Lens Options : Scarlet Edition”
SOLD!
SOLD!
A little out of the norm here… I purchased a Fujifilm X1oo back when it was brand new on the market and I’ve had a great time with it. It’s a head turner and a work-horse of a camera, built like a tank. It takes amazing photos as I’m sure every online review you’ve read has raved about. However, it’s time with me has come to an end. I am constantly swapping cameras and trying the newest, latest and greatest in digital tech which means this little beauty has to go. I don’t like to think of it as an obsession, but let’s be honest… I have to have new toys. So this brings me to this post. I have been burned on eBay a few times now and I’m trying to avoid selling through auction sites as much as I can. This post will serve as an ad for the entire kit I have for sale which includes the following. If you are interested in purchasing, email me HERE
- Fujifilm X100 w/strap, cap
- Screen Protector (installed)
- Leather Case w/strap
- 2 (Two) Lithium-ion Batteries
- 4 Gb SD Memory Card
- Battery Charger w/cable
- Portable Expanding Tripod
- USB Connection Cable
The camera is in absolutely perfect condition. The only sign of use are few micro scratches on the bottom of the camera where the little feet are. I don’t have the original box or instruction manual due to a recent break in at the shop. Apparently empty product boxes are of high value these days… Anyway, I can ship anywhere in the US (well packaged) and accept Paypal payments (visa, master card, american express). If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Spread the word so I can get this camera in the hands of someone who will really appreciate it.