Photokina is underway so naturally there are a ton of lens related announcements. There’s some camera news too, but who cares… Cameras are outdated dated within a few months these days anyway. One of the most interesting announcements which I’ve been waiting weeks to discuss is the new 10.5mm from Voigtlander. Not only is this a nice wide focal length, it comes in at an impressive f/0.95. That’s fast for such a wide angle lens.
Rokinon just released their new Cine-DS line of cinema prime lenses with color matched optics and uniform focus and iris gears – but what’s the difference between these new lenses and the older lenses in the lineup and which ones will work well for you? Wether you’re just getting into cinematography or you’re tired of wrestling with your L Series or or crummy kit lens, there’s a better solution available. In this post we’ll take a look at the new DS line of lenses from Rokinon and how they’ll work with a range of different cameras. Continue reading “Are Rokinon Primes Right For You?”→
As expected, Zeiss is following up their very well received 55mm f/1.4 Otus lens with a much anticipated 85mm f/1.4. The new Otus continues with Zeiss’ quest for absolute, superior optical performance with a price tag to reflect. In this article, I’ll go over some of the features of the new 85mm Otus and who this lens is designed for, providing some sample photos (that hardly do the lens justice). Read on for all the crisp, drool inducing details. Continue reading “Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 Otus Reviewed”→
Zeiss showed a very basic prototype of their upcoming Servo Unit back in April at NAB (read more on that here). They’ve just released some additional details and specs to accompany their updated prototypes to be shown at IBC in a few weeks. Check out the details and decide for yourself if a servo unit mounted to a compact, lightweight, full-frame, 4k zoom lens is going to benefit you and your workflow. Continue reading “Zeiss Releases More Details About Their CZ.2 Servo Unit”→
Everyone should be familiar with the price of equipment sporting a small red dot. In this particular case, the red dot is pretty large. A venerable cream of the telephoto crop, this set consists of a Leica APO-Summicron-R 180mm f/2.0, a Leica APO Telyt-R 280mm f/2.8 and finally a massive Leica APO-Telyt-R 400mm f/2.8. The set is currently owned by Samy’s Camera – but not for long as it’s being sold for $100,000.00. This is no ordinary set of rare Leica telephoto primes. Custom modified with PL mounts and integrated focus and iris gears by Duclos Lenses, this is a one-of-a-kind set making the rare even rarer.
A view of the Leica 280mm f/2.0 PL mount and iris ring.
About two years ago I was paid a visit by some fellow named Samy who claimed he was from Samy’s Camera. It took me a few seconds to realize he wasn’t just some guy from Samy’s… He was Samy’s. Samy proceeded to explain what he wanted done to these lenses, at which point I gave some examples of what something like this costs and the down-time associated with custom modifications. You see, performing this type of work isn’t something that we here at Duclos Lenses do for just any lens. There are several prerequisites for this type of work that we stick to pretty closely which usually discourage customers from advancing with bespoke engineering. The most important condition is quality. We don’t design or engineer anything that we aren’t confident putting our name on, abel to admire once completed and say “damn… that’s marvelous”. The second most important factor is the cost. I understand that there are some individuals out there that simply don’t care about the cost, and want, need, must have something despite the fee. This entire process requires a balance of these two primary factors (quality/cost) which I felt Samy understood and shared in our enthusiasm. As a result of our unrelenting crusade for precision and quality, custom conversions go through many stages within Duclos Lenses beginning with conception and going on to design, engineering, prototyping, manufacturing, and finishing.
You can’t have such nice lenses and not provide appropriate protection. The set comes with custom foamed travel cases.
Over the next few months we penned, plotted, rendered, caffeinated, and repeated many times over. The final result was a set of three Leica telephoto primes with stainless steel PL mounts, integrated focus and iris gears, and industry standard supports, ready to deliver to Samy. As far as I know, at the time, Samy had no plans to offer these lenses to anyone because of their rarity but I’m glad to see that they are for sale and possibly going on to shoot stunning images. I hope that whoever ends up purchasing these lenses lets me know so that I can keep an eye on them over time. It’s this desire to follow bespoke projects throughout their life, that I feel makes the work that I’m involved with special. If you’re interested in purchasing this set, check with your accountant/wife and then head on over to the eBay listing.
It happens more often than you’d think. A call comes in from a customer informing me that a lens was dropped in water. My immediate response consists of two questions. One, fresh or salt water? And two, dunked or submerged? The answers to these two question drastically effect the prospect of repair. A lens submerged in salt water is almost certain death for a lens (if not properly cared for) whereas fresh water usually has a good chance of being repaired to perfect working order. I’m pretty sure the worst water damage I’ve seen was a Zeiss lens that went for a dive in the Salton Sea. The customer was just as smart as they were quick and took our advice, rinsing repeatedly with fresh water and delivering in a sealed Tupperware of fresh water. The lens was fully repaired and restored to perfect working condition shortly thereafter. The folks over at ZGC put up a great blog post that shows the horrifying results of a lens submerged in salt water if not treated with appropriate measures and punctuality. They also go into more detail on what to do if you find yourself with a salted lens. Give the post a read and take notes!
It happens in real time; so quickly you can only watch as that lens, which costs many thousands of dollars, plummets to the floor. An expletive escapes as you attempt to stop the lens mid-fall but, alas, you just aren’t fast enough to overcome Newton’s Law. There’s that horrible feeling in your gut as you watch the lens hit, and maybe bounce a time or two, because you know you are the responsible party: How are you going to explain what happened?
OK, look on the bright side. Maybe it’ll only be a few parts that need to be replaced. It’ll put the lens out of service for a while, but the lens will most likely go on to live another day.
Now let’s take a look at the “Dark Side”. Instead of the lens landing on the floor it lands in the drink. No, not that drink. (You know, the one you’ll probably have to calm yourself after “The Drop”). The drink I’m referring to is that body of water that covers the majority of the planet: sea water. Unlike a fresh water pond or river, sea water has an element that just doesn’t mix well with lenses. Sodium Chloride (NaCl), otherwise known in its common term as SALT. NaCl, aluminum and brass don’t go well together.
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!
If you haven’t already, you should grab a copy of P3 Update. After you do that, check out a neat article by James Thompson, that explores what choosing a lens means these days and why shooters make the decisions they do. With feedback from industry professionals such as Richard Crudo, ASC, Steven Poster, ASC, and Jon Nelson, it’s a nice article that I feel taps into the direction that the motion picture lens industry is going in that you need to find what works best for you and the only way to do that is experience.
Take anyone of these lenses from any manufacturer, off any shelf in any rental house in the world, and I guarantee it will deliver an amazing image,” says Cinematographer Richard Crudo, ASC (“Justified”). “But, what does that tell us? Is it the right feel? Is it the right texture? Is it the right thing for what you are trying to do? And, that you only know when you have a script in hand and a director to talk about it with.” That chat with a director will also cover the subject of resolution. “We’re already at 4K resolution, which is more than the human eye can handle,” explains Crudo. “The only thing that really changes is apparent contrast at that point. [Manufacturers] should be worrying more and putting all their R&D into bit depth and color space [and] black level. That is where we really need to work, capturing highlights [and] the high-end of the spectrum.
Zeiss recently released a technical article written by Dr. Vladan Blahnik. The article explores the history of Zeiss lenses and what drove them to design and manufacture more accurate, high speed lenses including the now famous f/0.7 50mm prime used by Stanley Kurbick to shoot Barry Lyndon. The article continues on to discuss the physics of a lens aperture and it’s relation to optics with a wealth of formulas and illustrations. If you’re a huge lens nut and have a spare 15 or 20 minutes, give this tech article a read and appreciate the knowledge and pursuit for optical performance that is Carl Zeiss.
Duclos Lenses has spent a few years designing and refining their very own Autocollimator Bench for measuring and adjusting back focus of precision cinema optics. Here’s a bit from their press release. Continue reading “The New Duclos Autocollimator Bench”→
I don’t usually cover too much still photo lens news but let’s face it.. It’s all merging these days. Yes, I’ve devoted my entire professional life to cinema lenses. Yes, there’s a large difference in design, manufacturing, and application between photo in motion lenses. But I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t equally interested (and invested) in still photography. I believe a bit of background is due before we get to the news. I’ve shot with a good range of cameras just like most hipste… I mean, people… Everything from a 120 twin lens reflex camera, to Leica rangefinders, to my shiny new Fuji X system. At the moment, most of my personal lens investment is in the Fuji X System including Fujinon, Zeiss, and Rokinon lenses. Leica is a system that I’ve always loved but never had the means to dive into beyond a vintage M3 with 50mm ‘Cron. I used to feel that Leica had lost some of it’s magic in the recent past due to it’s partnership with Panasonic. But I’ve since come to learn that some organizations make better products than others and when you recognize the quality and efforts of a fellow manufacturer and are able to collaborate successfully, it can sometimes lead to magical new products that consumers would otherwise never had access to. On top of that, Leica has proven that they still have the magic touch when they unveiled their Summilux-C Primes – one of the most advanced, highest performing cinema prime lens systems one can wish for. That said, the new products announced by Leica today are a gesture to the rest of us that Leica is paying attention to what photographers want and injecting it with a bit of that Leica design and manufacturing that has set them apart from their competition time and time again.
T-Mount Lenses
Leica is launching the new system with two lenses; a 23mm f/2 prime and an 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom. As one would expect, the optics are very nice. The build quality is fine considering their compact, portable form factor – reminiscent of the older Leica R mixed with Panasonic Lumix / Leica lenses in a way. The new lenses which, needless to say, are designed for the new camera. When I say they are “designed” for the new camera, I don’t mean that they’re custom tailored to some unicorn sensor that benefits from a uniquely manufactured lens… All that really means is that these lenses are APS-C format. Leica designs and manufactures lenses for a variety of other formats including their compact point and shoot cameras with tiny little sensors, Micro 4/3 sensors in the form of their Panasonic partnership, 35mm Full Frame that everyone knows as their vintage R Series and broad range of M Series lenses, and of course their medium format S System lenses. These two new lenses are designed specifically for the APS-C T Mount system of their new camera which somewhat new territory for Leica (unless you consider the Super35 format Summicron and Summilux-C primes as APS-C). Personally, I think this is a great intro to an underutilized format. APS-C (very similar to Super35) is the standard in the motion picture world but it gets a bad wrap in the world of still photography which is why everyone is still comparing APS-C lenses to 35mm equivalents. I won’t go down this path too much because it’s a topic that has plagued the motion picture industry and fueled countless internet forum wars and I simply can’t stand all of the incorrect, uneducated information that is floating around. I digress.
More Lenses to Come
Two lenses at launch isn’t really anything great but you have to start somewhere. Fuji did the same thing with their X system and even now after a few years only offers a limited selection of lenses. Leica also showed two additional lenses that are begin developed which are a 11-23mm f/3.5-4.5 and 55-135mm f/3.5-4.5 due out later this year. You can bet that Leica has a few aces of their sleeve including some fine Summilux and even Noctilux primes in the near future. In addition to the new T Mount System, Leica is also supporting their legacy M Mount lenses with a very nice adapter. I’m sure with it’s mirrorless, shallow flange depth, there will be plenty of other adapters to come from other manufacturers as well. Here’s some of the nerdy specs we all love:
Leica T Type 702 with Leica M series lenses usable with Leica adapter
Leica Summicron-T 23mm f/2 ASPH specs:
Compatible cameras
All Leica T models
Field angle (diagonal, horizontal, vertical)
Approx. 64°, 53°, 35°, corresponding to around 35 mm focal length in 35 mm format
Optical design
Number of lenses / groups
9/6
Aspherical surfaces
2
Position of entrance pupil (at infinity / at close up limit)
-22,7/10,5 mm (in direction of light incidence behind /in front of bayonet mount)
Distance setting
Setting / Function
Electronically controlled, mode selectable using camera menu: Automatic (AF) or manual (M), in AF mode manual override possible at any times with setting dial
Focusing range
0.3 m to ∞
Smallest object field / Largest scale
Approx.: 295 x 196 mm / 1:12.6
Aperture
Setting / Function
Electronically controlled, adjustment using dial on camera, third values also available
Lowest value
16
Bayonet fitting
Leica T quick-change bayonet with contact strip for Leica T models
Filter mount / Lens hood
External bayonet fitting for lens hood (included), internal thread for E52 filters, filter mount does not rotate
Finish
Black anodized
Dimensions and weight
Length to bayonet mount
Approx. 37/69 mm (without/with lens hood)
Largest diameter
Approx. 63/73 mm (without/with lens hood)
Weight
Approx. 154/186 g (without/with lens hood)
Leica Vario-Elmar-T 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 specs:
Compatible cameras
All Leica T models
Field angle (diagonal, horizontal, vertical)
At 18 mm: Approx. 75°, 62°, 41°, At 56 mm: Approx. 28°, 23°, 15°, corresponding to around 27-84 mm focal length in 35 mm format
Optical design
Number of lenses / groups
10/7
Aspherical surfaces
4
Position of entrance pupil (at infinity / at close up limit)
At 18 mm: -37.8/19.9 mm, at 56 mm: -28/49.7 mm (in direction of light incidence behind / in front of bayonet mount)
Distance setting
Setting / Function
Electronically controlled, mode selectable using camera menu: Automatic (AF) or manual (M), in AF mode manual override possible at any times with setting dial
Focusing range
0.3/0.45 m (at 18/56 mm) to ∞
Smallest object field / Largest scale
At 18 mm: Approx. 312 x 207 mm / 1:13.2, at 56 mm: Approx. 110 x 73 mm / 1:7.5
Aperture
Setting / Function
Electronically controlled, adjustment using dial on camera, third values also available
Lowest value
16
Bayonet fitting
Leica T quick-change bayonet with contact strip for Leica T models
Filter mount / Lens hood
External bayonet fitting for lens hood (included), internal thread for E52 filters, filter mount does not rotate
Finish
Black anodized
Dimensions and weight
Length to bayonet mount
Approx. 60/99 mm (without/with lens hood)
Largest diameter
Approx. 63/73 mm (without/with lens hood)
Weight
Approx. 256/287 g (without/with lens hood)
Leica T Type 701
The camera is what it is. There will be a new one to replace it in a few months. I had a chance to play with it and I really do like the build quality. The mono chassis that Leica is touting so much really does make this a solid, well balanced camera. The large touchscreen at the rear is a nice way to keep the camera clean and uncluttered. The optional EVF is a bit on the sluggish side especially when compared to something like the XT-1 from Fuji. Overall, this is a very strong camera with some impressive specs and quite an attractive price. I think this camera line will keep Leica competitive in the current camera space for at least the next decade or so. Here’s the specs:
Leica T detailed specifications:
Camera type
Leica T (Type 701)
Lens connection
Leica T bayonet fitting with contact strip for communication between lens and camera
Lens system
Leica T lenses
Sensor
CMOS sensor, size APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) with 16.5/16.3 million pixels (total/effective), format aspect ratio 3:2
Resolution
JPEG: 4928 x 3264 (16 megapixels), 4272 x 2856 (12.2 megapixels), 3264 x 2160 (7 megapixels), 2144 x 1424 (3 megapixels), 1632 x 1080 (1.8 megapixel), DNG: 4944 x 3278 pixels
Three pictures in graduations up to ±3 EV, adjustable in 1/3 EV increments
Shutter speed range
30 s to 1/4000 s
Picture series
Approx. 5 fps, 12 pictures with constant picture frequency, then depending on memory card properties
Flash modes
Automatic, automatic / red eye reduction, always on, always on / red eye reduction, slow sync, slow sync / red eye reduction
Flash exposure compensation
±3 EV in 1/3 EV increments
Flash synchronization
Sync time: 1/180 s
Guide number of built-in flash unit
for ISO 100: 4.5
Recovery time of built-in flash unit
Approx. 5 s with fully charged battery
Monitor
3.7″ TFT LCD , 1.3 million pixels, 854×480 per color channel
Self timer
Selectable delay time 2 or 12 s
WLAN
Complies with IEEE 802.11b/g/n standard (standard WLAN protocol), channel 1-11, encryption method: WiFicompatible WPA™ / WPA2™, access method: Infrastructur operation
Power supply
Leica BP-DC13 lithium ion battery, rated voltage 7.4V, capacity 1040mAh (based on CIPA standard): approx. 400 pictures, charging time (after total discharge): approx. 160 min
Connections
Micro USB port (2.0 High Speed), Leica flash interface with integrated connection for optional accessories; battery charging via USB connection possible with max. 1A
Charger
Leica BC-DC13, input: AC 100-240V, 50/60Hz, automatic reversing, Output: DC 8,4V 0,65A, Weight: approx. 90 g, Dimensions: approx. 96x68x28 mm
Body
Leica unibody solid aluminum design, two removable dummy plugs for carrying strap and other accessories, ISO flash shoe with center and control contacts for connection of more powerful external flash units, e.g. Leica SF 26, or for attaching the Leica Visoflex electronic viewfinder
Tripod thread
A 1/4 DIN 4503 (1/4″)
Dimensions (WxHxD)
134 x 69 x 33 mm
Weight
Approx. 384 g / 339 g (with / without battery)
Items supplied
Camera body, carrying strap, 2 carrying strap release pins for detaching the carrying strap, battery (Leica BP-DC13), charger (Leica BC-DC13) with 6 adapter plugs, USB cable
Software
Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® (free download after registration of camera), Leica T app for iOS® (remote control and image transfer, free download from Apple® App-Store®)
If you’re looking for more details on the new Leica T Type 701 Camera, head on over to Leica Rumors for some more in-depth coverage. If you have any feedback, please drop a comment below. If you’d like to see more non-cinema news such as this, please let us know so that we can load you up with news of other new goodies coming down the pipe.
Fujinon started a trend when they took their professional mid-range cinema zooms and slapped on a servo unit borrowed from their Broadcast Division. The result was the very successful 19-90mm Cabrio zoom, followed shortly by the 85-300mm Cabrio and just recently the 14-35mm Cabrio. During NAB 2014, or as I call it, Spring Christmas, Angenieux, Canon, and Zeiss all announced lenses with servo units in various practical applications. Credit where credit is due, Fujinon started it… Continue reading “2014, Year of the Servo Lenses”→
Duclos Lenses has developed a conversion process for the Canon Cinema Eos CN-E Primes that provides a high quality, stainless steel PL mount that allows the primes including the 14mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, and 135mm to be used with any PL mount camera. Continue reading “Canon CN-E PL Primes From Duclos Lenses”→
Not to be outdone by other recent announcements from Canon and Fujinon, Angenieux announced today a new line of Optimo Style lenses that will be added to their extensive, respectable line of professional zoom lenses. The press release details the new lenses as a 16-40mm and a 30-76mm. The two new lenses with be offered with or without their new Angenieux Servo Unit (ASU). No word on the speed of the lenses just yet but it’ll likely be between T2.6 and T2.8. If you’re familiar with Angenieux’s current line of Optimo (15-40mm and 28-76mm) and Optimo DP (16-42mm and 30-80mm) lenses, it may sound like the new Optimo Style line is simply another variation on their existing lenses. The Optimo DP 16-42mm and 30-80mm will be discontinued as individual lenses and available in pairs tuned from the factory as a 3D package. The new Optimo Style lenses will also feature interchangeable mounts in Arri PL, Canon EF, and Panavision flavors. Both new Optimo Style lenses will weigh in at a very nice 4.2 lbs. – almost half the weight of other “lightweight” zooms available. Angenieux goes into more detail noting that these lenses are tailored for high standards of UHD 4K production and will be available Summer 2014.
Other bits included in the press release simply cover existing lenses, shipping soon the new 25-250mm Optimo and their now shipping 56-120mm S2 Anamorphic Zoom. One other detail new to the press release is the Angenieux Servo Unit (ASU) which Angenieux had mentioned about a year ago but has just now officially announced it. the ASU will work with all of the lightweight Optimo lenses. This now makes three manufacturers who have jumped aboard the CinENG train. (I just made that up: Cine + ENG = CinENG get it?) The (ASU) provides control of zoom, focus and iris and is compatible with broadcast remote handles, cinema remote controls and wireless remotes. It generates lens metadata based on the Cooke/i technology protocol. The ASU and lenses are matched and calibrated at the factory.
Read the full press release below and check back often for live updates from NAB where we’ll find out what the real details are behind the new Optimo Style line of lenses. New optics? Rebranding? Either way, Angenieux has a reputation all over the world for making top-notch cinema zooms.
Press Release from Angenieux
Thales Angénieux Debuts New Optimo Style Lens Series at NAB
Charting New Course for 4K and Beyond Live TV and Mid-Budget Cinema Productions
Las Vegas, NV (April 4, 2014) – Inspired by the escalating demands for cinematic quality content to meet the rise of multimedia viewing and the trend of Ultra definition television, Thales Angénieux is introducing their new Optimo Style Series of zoom lenses. The family features three zooms – two hand-held and one full size — and provides focal length from 16mm-250mm with ability to lengthen the range with a 2x extender. The two lightweight zooms are also available with the optional Angénieux lens servo motorization system.
“A wider spectrum of production content is migrating to a cinematic look with 4K quality and that trend requires equipment which is adaptable to a large variety of cameras, configurations and budgets,” said Pierre Andurand, President and CEO, Thales Angénieux. “The all-new Optimo Style Series addresses those needs and provides a benchmark for quality and price/performance. It takes into consideration the industry’s most stringent requirements for ergonomics and versatility for live TV recording. Angénieux is going to exceptional lengths to ensure the first deliveries of this new lens line will be made in Summer 2014.”
The 16-40mm and 30-76mm zoom lenses are extremely light weight at only 4.2 pounds each, allowing perfect camera balance for on the shoulder or hand- held configurations. The 25-250mm lens, weighing 16 pounds, is an all-purpose zoom featuring the
desirable 25mm wide angle position and a 10x zoom range to meet a variety of production needs. This lens was previously introduced at IBC 2013 branded Optimo DP.
The Optimo Style series is fully compatible with the latest generation of digital cameras and provides the unique cinematic look of the Optimo line at an affordable price. The lenses additionally feature an easily interchangeable mount (PL, Canon EF, Panavision) for full compatibility with a wide variety of cameras.
The Angénieux Servo Unit (ASU) provides control of zoom, focus and iris and is compatible with broadcast remote handles, cinema remote controls and wireless remotes such as Preston or others upon request. It generates lens metadata based on the Cooke/i technology protocol. To help ensure flawless performance, the ASU and lenses are matched and calibrated at the factory. The ASU will additionally be available as an option for all the Optimo Lightweight Cine Zooms including the Optimo Style 16- 40 and 30-76 and the Optimo 15-40, 28-76mm and 45-120mm lenses.
Right on the heels of Canon’s newst announcement of their 17-120mm Cine-Servo zoom, Fujinon drops a bombshell with their newest addition to the Cabrio line of lenses: a 25-300mm. Fujinon’s press release doesn’t specify a T-stop, but a photo clearly shows an aperture ring with a T3.5 maximum marking. Not bad for a 12x zoom range. Fujinon says the lens will begin shipping in June but the servo unit won’t be available until Q3.
Updated Specs
MSRP
$44,000
Camera Format
PL Mount
Focal length
25 – 300 mm
Zoom Range
12 ×
Maximum Photometric
Aperture T-No.
1 : 3.5 (25-273mm)
1 : 3.85 (300mm)
Iris Blades
9
Focus Rotation (degrees)
280
Zoom Rotation (degrees)
120
M.O.D. from image plane
1.2 m / 3′ 11″
Object dimensions at M.O.D.
9 Aspect ratio*
25 mm 937 × 527 mm
300 mm 77 × 43 mm
Angular field of view
16 : 9 Aspect ratio*
25 mm 57°32′ × 34°19′
300 mm 5°14′ × 2°57′
Macro
Available as standard
Filter thread
N/A
Diameter × Length
136 × 401 mm
Weight
8.9 kg
Features
• Detachable Digital Drive Unit – Optional
• Flange Focal Distance Adjustment
Fujinon’s Words
FUJIFILM’S NEW CABRIO OFFERS ZOOM RATIO OF 12X TO COVER 25MM WIDE ANGLE TO 300MM AT TELEPHOTO
Wayne, N.J., April 2, 2014 – The Optical Devices Division of FUJIFILM North America Corporation willannounce the latest addition to its popular series of cine zooms – the Premier PL 25-300mm Cabrio[ZK12x25] at the annual NAB 2014 convention, held in Las Vegas, starting on April 7th.. The company will exhibit in NAB Booth #C7025.
Equipped with a 35mm PL mount, the PL 25-300mm boasts a high zoom ratio covering the focal length of 25mm to 300mm. Like all Cabrio zooms, the PL 25-300mm supports an optional detachable drive unit for electric zooming, focusing and iris. Mounting the unit enables remote control of zoom, focus,and iris adjustment. It can be used as a self-contained ENG-style or cine style lens. When used without the drive, industry-standard cine motors can be fitted.
Designed using the latest proprietary optical simulation software, the PL 25-300mm offers exceptional optical performance in the center of the image and in the corners of the frame. The digital servo’s 16-bit encoding assures operators that all lens data output—including the position of the zoom, iris, and focus—is extremely accurate. The zoom supports Lens Data System (LDS) and /i Technology metadata formats, and can be controlled using cinema industry standard wireless controllers as well as existing FUJINON wired and wireless units.
FUJINON’s PL 25-300mm lens is the latest development in the company’s popular Cabrio series, which includes the recently introduced Premier PL 19-90mm, the PL 85-300mm, and the recently introduced PL 14-35mm lenses.
The PL 25-300mm zoom will be available in June of this year, the optimal digital servo drive approximately Q3
A presentation running on two monitors within the Optical Devices Division’s NAB booth will feature several of the industry’s top cinematographers, including Claudio Miranda, testifying to the unsurpassed versatility and image quality of the FUJINON cine-style lenses. This year also marks FUJIFILM’s 80th anniversary, and 40 years for the Optical Devices Division, formerly known as FUJINON, in the U.S.
Photokina is underway so naturally there are a ton of lens related announcements. There’s some camera news too, but who cares… Cameras are outdated dated within a few months these days anyway. One of the most interesting announcements which I’ve been waiting weeks to discuss is the new 10.5mm from Voigtlander. Not only is this a nice wide focal length, it comes in at an impressive f/0.95. That’s fast for such a wide angle lens.
I don’t usually cover too much still photo lens news but let’s face it.. It’s all merging these days. Yes, I’ve devoted my entire professional life to cinema lenses. Yes, there’s a large difference in design, manufacturing, and application between photo in motion lenses. But I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t equally interested (and invested) in still photography. I believe a bit of background is due before we get to the news. I’ve shot with a good range of cameras just like most hipste… I mean, people… Everything from a 120 twin lens reflex camera, to Leica rangefinders, to my shiny new Fuji X system. At the moment, most of my personal lens investment is in the Fuji X System including Fujinon, Zeiss, and Rokinon lenses. Leica is a system that I’ve always loved but never had the means to dive into beyond a vintage M3 with 50mm ‘Cron. I used to feel that Leica had lost some of it’s magic in the recent past due to it’s partnership with Panasonic. But I’ve since come to learn that some organizations make better products than others and when you recognize the quality and efforts of a fellow manufacturer and are able to collaborate successfully, it can sometimes lead to magical new products that consumers would otherwise never had access to. On top of that, Leica has proven that they still have the magic touch when they unveiled their Summilux-C Primes – one of the most advanced, highest performing cinema prime lens systems one can wish for. That said, the new products announced by Leica today are a gesture to the rest of us that Leica is paying attention to what photographers want and injecting it with a bit of that Leica design and manufacturing that has set them apart from their competition time and time again.
Right on the heels of Canon’s newst announcement of their