a blog by Matthew Duclos
Leitz Cine has introduced the iD Mount, a replacement mount that adds Cooke /i metadata support to existing Summilux-C and Hugo lenses. Available in PL for Summilux-C and LPL for Hugo, it houses the electronics entirely within the mount, allowing these mechanical lenses to communicate their identity and optical data to compatible cameras without internal modification.
Continue reading “Leitz Cine Introduces iD Mount for Hugo and Summilux-C Lenses”
SIGMA has been making cinema lenses for years, but the Aizu Prime Line represents a continued refinement of that experience. Introduced in 2025, the Aizu were designed not as tools, but as a commitment to filmmakers who seek beauty in imagery. They combine SIGMA’s renowned resolving power with delicate character and an image that feels at home in artistic, narrative filmmaking.
The result is a modern cinema lens set that prioritizes both performance and personality. If you were apprehensive about the sharpness in the previous cinema line, it’s still there, but massaged in with extra bits of loveliness that paint the image instead of capturing it. A sight to behold. Now, SIGMA is expanding the family with three new focal lengths: 21mm, 100mm, and 125mm.
Continue reading “SIGMA releases 3 new AIZU primes!”
Cooke Optics has announced native Nikon Z mount support for its SP3 spherical primes and AP3 anamorphic primes, further expanding the company’s mirrorless lens ecosystem.
Continue reading “Cooke Adds Z Mount to SP3 Primes”
DZOFILM continues to expand its ecosystem of cinema tools with the introduction of two new accessories designed to improve flexibility across modern camera systems: the Marlin 1.4x Expander and the second-generation Octopus II PL-to-mirrorless adapter.
Built for filmmakers working across multiple formats and mounts, both accessories aim to simplify workflows while extending the life and versatility of your existing cinema lenses.
Continue reading “DZO Releases new Octopus Adapter and Marlin 1.4x Extender for PL Lenses”
Laowa is making a surprisingly aggressive move into the broadcast and live-production market with its new Ultima Zoom Series, a lineup of long-range parfocal cinema zooms built for sports, wildlife, and live-event production. Rather than chasing the crowded compact cine zoom market, Laowa appears to be leaning hard into extreme zoom ranges and operational flexibility instead.
Continue reading “Laowa Refocuses on Long-Range Cine Broadcast Zooms”
Leitz Cine has introduced a Fujifilm G mount option for its Hektor prime lenses, opening the door to compatibility with Fujifilm’s GFX platform, including cameras like the Fujifilm GFX100 II and the Fujifilm GFX Eterna 55.
Continue reading “Leitz Cine Adds Fujifilm G Mount Option for Hektor Primes”
The legend of the Angenieux 12x zoom is one that most cinematographers know by heart. Since the original 24-290mm T2.8 first landed on sets, it has been the gold standard for long-range cinema zooms. With the introduction of the Optimo Ultra 12x 65, Angenieux is expanding that legacy to the medium format market in more than one sense of the word with a truly impressive bit of optical engineering that packs a massive punch.
Continue reading “Angenieux Expands Line with Optimo Ultra 12x 65”
Canon has officially introduced the Cine-Servo 40-1200mm T5.0-10.8, a new ultra-telephoto zoom that expands the company’s long-running Cine-Servo philosophy in a meaningful and ambitious direction. Framed by Canon as “Your Vision, Extended” and promoted as offering an “extraordinary zoom range in a compact footprint,” the lens is clearly designed to capture attention while reinforcing Canon’s position in the hybrid broadcast and cinema space.
Continue reading “Canon Debuts Cine-Servo 40-1200mm T5.0-10.8”
Zeiss has announced the new Aatma Primes, a nine-lens full frame T1.5 cinema set that places the company squarely back into the conversation around vintage inspired optics. Covering focal lengths from 18mm through 135mm, Aatma is positioned as a more character forward option within Zeiss’ modern cinema lineup while retaining contemporary mechanics and workflow compatibility. In a market already dense with lenses aimed at nostalgia, Aatma presents an important consideration. Is this a meaningful refinement of Zeiss’ recent direction, or simply another option competing for attention?
Continue reading “Zeiss Introduces Aatma Primes: Heritage Influence, Modern Intent”
Vintage camera lenses from the mid-20th century often develop a yellow or brown tint as they age. This “yellowing” results in a warm color cast and reduced light transmission, impacting image quality. At Duclos Lenses, our technicians frequently encounter this issue in classic optics across a wide variety of lens brands. This article endeavors to explain the technical causes of lens yellowing and outlines the process of de-yellowing – the restoration of clear glass – using ultraviolet (UV) light. We will delve into the physics behind the discoloration, the UV treatment procedure (sometimes called annealing or bleaching), as well as the associated effects, risks, and benefits. The intended audience is lens technicians and engineers, so we will prioritize scientifically grounded knowledge over speculative or anecdotal information.
Continue reading “Thorium-Induced Yellowing in Mid-Century Lenses – Cause, Effect, and Solutions”
At Duclos Lenses, we have always had an eye for glass that goes beyond the look. There’s always more than meets the eyes when it comes to optics and we have an eye for spotting potential. Some might say we are optics experts. Canon’s newly announced CINE SERVO 11-55mm T2.95-3.95 PL and RF is reminiscent of a broadcast lens, but this servo is ready to rock cinema. With wide coverage, great resolving power, and suite of professional luxuries, this lens opens the door for creatives who need versatility with little compromise.
Continue reading “Canon CINE SERVO 11-55mm T2.95 – Built for Broadcast, Ready for Cinema”
Laowa has added a long-awaited piece to their expanding ultra-wide cine arsenal: a factory-built PL-mount version of the 10mm T2.9 Zero-D VV Cine. With support confirmed for professional motion picture cameras, this release rounds out what is arguably one of the most complete ultra-wide full-frame prime sets in recent memory. But while the optics remain unchanged, the mount matters.
Continue reading “Laowa’s 10mm Zero-D Cine Prime Gets a PL Mount”
SIGMA’s latest foray into high-end cinema optics comes with a respectable technical achievement. The newly announced Aizu Prime Line is not just another set of fast cine primes. It’s the first complete set of full-frame T1.3 cinema lenses, an achievement that places SIGMA in rare company and challenges long-standing norms in lens design.
Continue reading “SIGMA Aizu Primes: A Love Letter to the Art of Cinematography”
When you hear the name Laowa, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Normally, and I’ll say this with the utmost respect, weird lenses. Laowa always goes against the norms, choosing innovation over following trends. They consistently deliver tools that at first seem niche or strange, but quickly prove themselves as must-haves once you see the results. I’ve always appreciated that approach. It’s a bit like that middle-school idea that not trying to be popular ends up making you stand out anyway.
Now comes the Laowa 8-15mm T2.9 Fisheye Zoom, their latest ultra-wide cine lens, and a potential game-changer for AR and VR creators. This lens fills a noticeable gap left by a certain lens with a red ring, which was widely used in immersive production workflows. The question is whether this new Laowa offering is simply trying to replicate what came before, or if it’s pushing things forward on its own terms.
Continue reading “Mind-Bending Perspective: Laowa’s New 8-15mm T2.9 Zoom Fisheye”
DZOFILM is no stranger to high-speed glass. Their original Arles T1.4 primes offered a technically sharp, mechanically sound set of modern cine lenses that made few artistic claims but plenty of practical ones. Now, with the announcement of the Arles Lustre series, DZO takes a different tack—aiming straight for the hearts (and eyes) of cinematographers chasing mood, texture, and a brushstroke of nostalgia.
Continue reading “Impressionist Cinema: DZO Announces the Arles Lustre Primes”