Micro 4/3 shooters are a great bunch. They realize the value of a lightweight, portable rig while still demanding 4K recording with image quality that rivals much more expensive rigs. The list of viable Micro 4/3 cinema cameras continues to grow and show son sign of slowing down. One of the only drawbacks to shooting Micro 4/3 has been the crop factor when compared to Super 35 format. Micro 4/3 requires wider lenses to achieve a field of view similar to that of a Super 35 format sensor, therefor increasing the depth of field of a given shot. For example, if you wanted to shoot a scene with a 50mm lens on Super 35 format, but with Micro 4/3, you would need to jump to a 25mm lens. This wider focal length is going to increase your depth of field and give you less bokeh. Most shooters struggle to compensate for this by using faster lenses. Continue reading “Planet5D Takes a Closer Look at Voigtlander Noktons”
Tag: 25
Schneider Adds More Xenon Focal Lengths Ahead of Launch
What’s The Big Deal?
Schneider has, quite possibly, the most anticipated new cinema prime lenses soon to be available. Announced and revealed April 2013, the original set of three Schneider Xenon-FF primes which included at 35mm, 50mm, and 75mm, all with a consistent T-stop of 2.1, the Xenons are unique in that they are purpose built cinema prime lenses with a 35mm (24x36mm) format coverage at a very attractive price around $4k per lens. Feedback for the initial three was well received by Schneider with a return promise of more focal lengths. The initial three lenses are due to begin shipping Q4 2013, just a few months away, and Schneider already announced their follow-up focal lengths including a 25mm and 100mm, both T2.1. The two new primes offer an excellent complete set of primes all at T2.1 with excellent size and weight, not to mention Arri PL, Canon EF, or Nikon F mount. Schneider also hinted at a few more focal lengths to come including a macro and other focal lengths. This set of five primes is sure to be a hit among professional operators looking to own their own set of cinema prime lenses. Perhaps the perfect transition lenses for those coming from DSLR cinematography, and even those looking for a professional set of primes that doesn’t weigh a ton. Continue reading “Schneider Adds More Xenon Focal Lengths Ahead of Launch”
Zeiss Reveals New 25mm f/2.0
Not exactly the most unique lens to be introduced in the past decade. What a boring focal length, 25mm… The current 25mm ZF is an f/2.8 and really doesn’t do anything special except make clean images. It doesn’t perform really well in low light, it’s not some crazy wide focal length, and it doesn’t even focus automatically for you or stabilize your image. You might think, hasn’t this been done over and over again? Not really. Zeiss knows that people are carefully criticizing their ZF/ZE line of lenses these days. With all the attention they are getting for motion picture use, Zeiss is really stepping up the quality of their lenses. Some of their current line-up is what I would consider sub-exotic, like the current 25mm f/2.8. This new lens, with it’s dual aspherical element design, practically eliminates chromatic aberrations and distortion, according to Zeiss. I don’t usually believe press release claims especially when the samples provided are absolutely useless… But Zeiss isn’t usually one to claim false features. I’ll be waiting to get my hands on one of these bad boys as soon as they hit the market in late November with an estimated price of $1,700, at which time I’ll take some more conclusive sample photos that really show off the features of the new and improved 25mm f/2 Zeiss. Continue reading “Zeiss Reveals New 25mm f/2.0”