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”
Tag: Duclos
Canon CN-E PL Primes From Duclos 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”
Angenieux Refreshes Optimo Family, New Servo Unit
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.
Fujinon Steps Up With 12x Zoom 25-300mm
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.
Cinema Lens Buying Guide
Here at Duclos Lenses we’ve devised this somewhat satirical guide for buying new cinema lens. Take a gander and see what lens you come up with. Post your results in the comments and five winners will be chosen at random at the end of the week to receive some cool lens geek swag including shirts, hats, cleaning kits, etc.
This guide is all in good fun, but if you really do want some professional advice, contact Duclos Lenses.
Click here or on the image below for a full res version. Enjoy!
Canon Announces 17-120mm Cine Zoom Ahead of NAB
Canon has announced their new 17-120mm T2.95 Cinema Zoom Lens. Usually we have to wait until at least the first or second day of NAB for major new gear announcements. Canon was kind of enough to provide their big news a week ahead of the big show. Canon announced their original Cinema EOS lenses back at NAB 2011 and were ready to ship in 2012. So far the feedback on the Canon cinema lenses, both zoom and primes, has been a bit slow to gaining traction, but they’re running at full steam now and there’s a lot of ground to cover. Continue reading “Canon Announces 17-120mm Cine Zoom Ahead of NAB”
Zeiss 0% Financing Offer Is Alive Again
Last year, Zeiss introduced a 0% financing offer for their CP.2 Compact Primes and CZ.2 Compact Zooms which was only available for a short time. Rejoice – It’s available again and this it starts today, April 1st (no joke) and goes through December 31st, 2014. This offer allows business customers to purchase any CP.2 set or CZ.2 lens with no money down, 0% financing for 12 months. It’s really pretty simple, $83.33 per month per $1,000 financed. This means if you opt for a CZ.2 28-80mm, your payment would approximately $1,666/mo. Not too shabby for a working professional looking to up their lens game. Check out all the details over at Duclos Lenses.
Leica Summicron-C Wallpaper – 4K! Compliments of Duclos Lenses
I know… There’s been a few wallpaper posts lately. It’s because we’re gearing up for NAB which is right around the corner. If you’re not familiar with NAB – you should be. It’s an annual convention that takes place in Las Vegas where manufacturers and vendors come together from all over the world. There’s tons of antenna companies and manufacturers who make blink light panels that I have no idea how to use but have to walk by to get the the lenses…
All you really need to know is that NAB is basically Christmas morning for lens geeks like us. Stay tuned for some very exciting lens news straight from the show floor and giveaways from Duclos Lenses. In the meantime, enjoy this 4K photo of a Leica Summicron-C 25mm – she’s a beaut.
Canon Compact Zoom Multi-Mount Down Under
I get asked about shipping products to Australia quite often to which I usually have to respond based on the rules set fourth by a particular manufacturer. Most lens manufacturers have obligations to their dealers to provide a fair market price and service. This means that dealers are equally obligated to obey the rules set by such manufactures in order to respect fellow distributors. Obviously this doesn’t always happen – sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. Duclos Lenses always does their best to accommodate international customers but sometimes the rules set fourth by manufacturers are simply prohibitive. One alternative for most regional restrictions is to simply purchase your gear locally, supporting your regional market, and sending equipment to Duclos Lenses for modifications such as the Cine-Mod or the Multi-Mount. Continue reading “Canon Compact Zoom Multi-Mount Down Under”
Fujinon 14-35mm Cabrio Wallpaper – Compliments of Duclos Lenses
Compliments of Duclos Lenses – Enjoy this high-res desktop wallpaper of Fujinon’s newest addition, the Cabrio 14-35mm T2.9. Happy New Year from the folks at The Circle of Confusion and Duclos Lenses. Check out the other Fujinon cinema zooms from Duclos Lenses here.
Leica’s Summicron-C Primes Are Coming!
The Summicron-C prime lenses from Leica were introduced at NAB 2013. With 2014 right around the corner, Leica is gearing up to deliver their new Summicron-C primes very soon. But how has Leica gone about producing these new lenses in a way that benefits the Leica brand as well as the cinematographer considering them as a prime lens option? There are plenty of questions that this new set of prime lens demands answers to. We’ll take a look at their performance specs, and image characteristics here. Continue reading “Leica’s Summicron-C Primes Are Coming!”
Xenon Wallpaper – Compliments of Duclos Lenses
Compliments of Duclos Lenses – Enjoy this high-res desktop wallpaper of a 35mm Schneider Xenon FF-Prime in all of it’s glorious detail. Happy Holidays!
Go Wide With Arri’s 9.5-18mm T2.9 UWZ
UWZ… It’s pretty simple really. Ultra Wide Zoom. It’s not much of a zoom really with a mere 1.8x zoom range but who cares when you’re at 9.5mm! Arri’s newest zoom lens is something of a technical achievement and an answer to many cinematographers’ pleas for a high quality wide angle zoom lens option. While it’s range isn’t much to brag about, being just under 2x, it provides enough flexibility for a cinematographer to replace two or three prime lenses without sacrificing overall image quality. The real benefit of this lens is it’s rectilinear image and stunning quality across the entire image – all 33.7mm⌀ of it. Continue reading “Go Wide With Arri’s 9.5-18mm T2.9 UWZ”
Samyang Officially Announces 10mm f/2.8 Lens
Samyang originally displayed a prototype 10mm prime lens at Photokina 2012 with a few details. They recently announced the official development of their new 10mm f/2.8 prime lens. If you’re not familiar with the Samyang line of lenses, they’re a very confusing bunch which shares it’s designs with different branding such as Rokinon, Bower, Vivitar, etc. Rokinon offers their photo lenses in a cinema variety that feature 32-pitch focus and iris gears as well as a smooth, click-less aperture and T-stop markings instead of f-stop. Needless to say, this new 10mm will make it’s way into a Rokinon Cine Prime flavor soon enough. There are quite a few interesting details about this lens. Continue reading “Samyang Officially Announces 10mm f/2.8 Lens”
Schneider Cine-Xenar III Rebate + Warranty Offer
The Xenon FF-Primes are only a few weeks away and are positioned to be an excellent mid-range set of prime lenses. But what if you want something with just a tad more performance? You reach for the Schneider Cine-Xenar III primes. I did a quick write up on these a few months back explaining how Schneider drastically improved the operational usability of the Xenar IIIs over the previous two versions. Unfortunately the first two iterations may have left a sour taste in some operators mouths. So what’s the best way to encourage cinematographers to give the Xenars another chance? Discount the heck out of them. Continue reading “Schneider Cine-Xenar III Rebate + Warranty Offer”