Rental Referral Initiative from Duclos Lenses

Rental Referral Initiative from Duclos Lenses

I’ve added a simple new feature to the Duclos Lenses website that allows visitors to see a short list of rental houses that have specific lens models available for rental. At a time when our industry is at a moral deficit, this new feature is tiny gesture, a modest attempt at helping the businesses that have been so kind to us over the last twenty years. If you’re a rental house or have friends at rental houses, read on and help spread the word!

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Sirui Launches Campaign for Nightwalker Primes

Sirui, a renowned name in the budget cine lens market, has just launched an exciting new line of compact cinema-style lenses under the name “Night Walker.” Designed to cater to cinematographers and filmmakers on a budget, the Night Walker series features three versatile lenses, including 24mm, 35mm, and 55mm focal lengths, each boasting an impressive T1.2 aperture. These lenses are compatible with APS-C and Super35 sensors, offering exceptional low-light performance without compromising image quality.

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New Tools from Duclos Lenses

New Tools from Duclos Lenses

Duclos Lenses, a renowned motion picture lens specialty shop, has once again raised the bar for professional cinema lens technicians with their latest innovation – the Service Tray Mini and Service Tray PRO. Designed by lens technicians for lens technicians, these new service trays offer an efficient and organized solution for handling screws, hardware, and small components during lens disassembly. With the growing demand in the field of professional lens servicing, Duclos Lenses continues to lead the way by introducing specialty tools that are exclusively designed and manufactured for lens technicians.

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Canon Expands Flex Zoom Series Cinema Lens Lineup

Canon Expands Flex Zoom Series Cinema Lens Lineup

Canon has announced the launch of two new additions to their highly popular 8K Flex Zoom Cinema Lens Series—the CN-E14-35mm T1.7 and the CN-E31.5-95mm T1.7 Super 35mm format lenses. In addition, Canon is also introducing four new relay kits—the RL-S1 and RL-S2 (for Super 35mm) and the RL-F1 and RL-F2 (for full-frame). These relay kits allow each Flex Zoom lens to be adapted to suit different sensor formats, providing enhanced versatility and value for cinematographers.

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Vista One – More Character from Tokina Cinema

Tokina joined the cinema market with their Vista Primes which were met with open arms for their excellent image quality and coverage. But for many cinematographers, the lenses lacked character or personality. They were simply too clean or “clinical” as I’ve come to refer to them. But that changes with the Vista One primes.

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The World’s Largest Lens

The World’s Largest Lens

While this post diverges from cinema just a tad, it’s particularly interesting to us. Duclos Lenses has been working with Formlabs for several years now, dating back to their original Form1 machine. To see such an inspiring use of modern technology compelled me to repost this quick article and share with the rest of you. Take a look and enjoy! Continue reading “The World’s Largest Lens”

LensFinder.com Launches Online Marketplace for Vintage and Pre-Owned Lenses

LensFinder.com Launches Online Marketplace for Vintage and Pre-Owned Lenses

Many of you may remember a little site that I began several years ago called LensRescue.com. It’s goal was to be a marketplace for high-end motion picture lenses. But with the growth of Duclos Lenses and the birth of my first daughter, I simply didn’t have the attention or the resources to dedicate to the site and it faded away. Fast-forward several years and I’m thrilled to bring my newest venture to life; LensFinder.com Continue reading “LensFinder.com Launches Online Marketplace for Vintage and Pre-Owned Lenses”

The Ultimate Anamorphic Lens Test

The Ultimate Anamorphic Lens Test

Yep. We did it again. Last year the folks at ShareGrid, Old Fast Glass, a brilliant, talented crew, and myself came together to test a wide variety of vintage lenses to give the cinematography world a sort of sampling, flight, if you will, of the various vintage lenses and what sort of characteristics you can expect with when using them. It’s been shared thousands of times and utilized in who knows how many pre-production meetings to determine the visual aesthetics as it pertains to lenses for a specific project.

So what’s next… ANAMORPHIC! The subject that baffles so many with a shroud of mystery. Optics designed to provide a wider field of view when bound by a specific format, fashioned by unsung geniuses from around the world – some a shining beacon of optical engineering superiority, and others a trophy of intentional flaw for the sake of introducing artifacts and characteristics that, to the average viewer, carries a subconscious nostalgia, lending honesty and legitimacy. But most importantly… They’re beautiful! Continue reading “The Ultimate Anamorphic Lens Test”

The Pacific Northwest Lens Summit

The Pacific Northwest Lens Summit

That’s right. It’s a lens test. I’ll be joining host Michael Koerner at his facility Koerner Camera Systems in Portland Oregon in just a few weeks. The perfect bridge between NAB and Cine Gear – Koerner will be hosting a range of manufacturers to showcase their latest gear. Less of a shootout and more of a hands-on event, we’ll be pairing up cameras and lenses and giving each a go to see what works best in different situations.

We’ll have lenses and reps from the following:

  • Angenieux
  • Arri
  • Canon
  • Cooke
  • Fujinon
  • IB/E
  • Leica
  • Lomo Illumina
  • PS Technik
  • Raptor
  • Sigma
  • Tokina
  • Zeiss

So how about it? Join us! No need to RSVP. You can find the event details over on Koerner’s facebook page. Looks like it’s going to be a good time. Come hang out. Drink. Eat. Mingle. I’ll have some swag on hand to give away. If you’re a lens geek like me and Michael Koerner, you’ll be in good company.

How do we decide the value of a lens?

How do we decide the value of a lens?

 A popular topic of discussion these days is whether or not certain lenses are worth their huge price tags. Moreover is there a justified correlation between a lens’ price and how “good” it is. It’s an apt time to continue this conversation since there are more lenses to choose from than ever. Also, there are some seriously high-performing cine lenses at price points that are within reach of so many filmmakers. The number of “affordable,” full frame, super speed, cinema lenses alone is incredible (Canon CN-E, Sigma Cine, Tokina Vista, Zeiss CP.2, Rokinon XEEN). It’s an exciting time to be a DP. It can also be an overwhelming time to be a DP especially if you are an aspiring cinematographer who is just scratching the surface of all the lens options out there. Continue reading “How do we decide the value of a lens?”

LENS GUTS – A New Video Series from Duclos Lenses

LENS GUTS – A New Video Series from Duclos Lenses

Duclos Lenses released the first video in a new series they’re calling LENS GUTS. The name says it all. Lens geek, Matthew Duclos, sits down with a new lens each episode and tears into it, showing us the materials, build quality, and techniques used while he discusses the history or lesser known facts about each “patient”.  Continue reading “LENS GUTS – A New Video Series from Duclos Lenses”

The Ultimate Vintage Lens Test

The Ultimate Vintage Lens Test

Over the course of two days, in a studio in Burbank, California, a band of self-proclaimed “lens geeks” set out to complete the ultimate vintage cinema lens test. The project first began as a collaboration between ShareGrid’s Brent Barbano, and Duclos Lenses’ own Matthew Duclos. Initially, Barbano and Duclos had been planning to complete a rather small-scale lens test with the industry’s most popular and widely used vintage lenses. However, upon approaching director and cinematographer Mark Lafleur to ask him to participate, they discovered that he too was getting ready to carry out his own vintage lens test. The two sides decided to join forces, and before long a whole team was assembled. With Lafleur and Barbano as Directors and Executive Producers, and Duclos as Lens Consultant, Kyle Stryker was brought on as Director of Photography. The team also came to include Camera Assistants Matthew Borek and Michelle Diaz, and Nick Ferriero as Editor. Continue reading “The Ultimate Vintage Lens Test”