a blog by Matthew Duclos
Zeiss launched their Milvus line back in September of 2015 and has continued to add focal lengths over the past two years including the still-new 15mm, 18mm, and 135mm. Originally, the Milvus line was Zeiss’ answer to the long-in-the-tooth Classic line of primes which desperately needed an optical design overhaul. The initial line of Milvus primes included a brand new, fast 50mm and 85mm, but lacked a fan favorite; 35mm f/1.4. Until now… Continue reading “The Missing Milvus Link: 35mm f/1.4”
Zeiss pulled the veil of their long anticipated update to the Compact Prime line which will officially be called the CP.3 and CP.3 xD. The new line will consist of FF35 primes ranging from 15mm to 135mm in a lightweight, compact cinema housing. The new lenses will feature high performance optics at affordable prices with a couple of features not yet seen in the Sub-$5K market. Let’s take a look at the details of Zeiss’ new cinema primes.
Just ahead of the European trade show trio, Zeiss has lifted the veil on their newest zoom lens project – The 21-100mm T2.9-3.9 LWZ.3. A Super 35 format, 4.7x cinema zoom lens weighing in at a mere four and a half pounds. We’ve got the scoop on Zeiss’ newest light weight zoom lens.
Continue reading “Zeiss Revives LWZ Line With New 21-100mm T2.9-3.9 LWZ.3 Zoom”
One of the most frequent questions we receive at Duclos Lenses from all over the world is in regards to the different versions of the Zeiss Super Speeds. Sticking to just the 35mm format (not 16mm format) version of Zeiss’ high speed primes, we’ll discuss some of the basic differences in an attempt to clarify some common misconceptions around the heritage of illustrious prime lenses.
Continue reading “What’s in a Name? A Guide to Zeiss Super Speeds”
NAB is officially over and we have a ton of news from throughout the show at the links below. Now back to our regular schedule. Start your monday off with a bit of light reading from TheCineLens.com. Continue reading “Weekly News Roundup #5”
NAB has officially begun. It looks like just about every lens manufacturer couldn’t keep it in their pants and dropped their news ahead of the actual show, with a few exceptions. This post is a general roundup up the news announced as of Sunday night before the show. We’ll be posting a daily wrap-up with a ton of photos and additional news from the show floor so be sure to subscribe and check back soon. If there’s anything we missed that you found interesting, send a tweet to @MQDuclos and we’ll make him run across the expo to check it out ;-). Let’s get to it! We’ve broken the product announcements up by manufacturer in alphabetical order. Continue reading “NAB 2016 Preview”
It’s that time again. Start your Monday with a bit of light reading featuring some news, tips, social media, and buying advice from TheCineLens.com. On to the news! Continue reading “Weekly News Roundup #3”
Phil Holland, a friend and Zeiss Embassador, recently published an article on Zeiss’ cleverly titled blog – LENSPIRE. The post explores the conditions in which Phil finds himself needing the absolute best image quality possible, and how the Zeiss Otus primes allow him to achieve his vision. With an ever growing line up, 28mm f/1.4, 55mm f/1.4, and 85mm f/1.4, the Otus line continues to set the bar for photographers and cinematographers alike. Continue reading “Phil Holland Takes The Otus Trio Out For A Spin”
Arri published a new video to their YouTube channel in which Zeiss Service Trainer & Technician goes through the step-by-step process of removing the factory front and rear element and replacing them with the new uncoated flare set. The purpose of the flare set is just that, to increase the flares and imperfections, or “character” of the Arri Master Anamorphics. Continue reading “Arri Shows You How To Install Their Flare Set For Master Anamorphics”
Zeiss has had a busy few weeks with the announcement of the new autofocus Batis primes as well as the Milvus line of lenses that replace the outgoing “Classic” ZF.2 and ZE primes with a more modern, ergonomic housing including two brand new optical designs in the Milvus 50mm f/1.4 and Milvus 85mm f/1.4. Then, only a few weeks later Zeiss announced their 21mm f/2.8 Loxia lens designed specifically for Sony FE mount cameras. A wide-angle Otus lens had been rumored for almost a year and we’re finally able to talk about the newest member of the venerable Otus line of primes. Continue reading “Zeiss 28mm Otus Officially Announced”
Eager to show their engineering prowess, Zeiss has released a whole new line of SLR lenses they’re calling the Milvus. The new lenses include a 21mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2.0, 50mm f/1.4, 85mm f/1.4, 50mm f/2.0 Makro, and 100mm f/2.0 Makro. If you’re a Zeiss fan and these focal lengths all sound familiar to you, there’s a good reason for that – some of the previous ZF.2 lenses, which are now considered “classic” were based on relatively old optical designs. Continue reading “Zeiss Announces New Milvus Line of Primes”
Zeiss just posted a really fun blog post featuring their collaboration history with Sony. Everyone knows that Zeiss and Sony make a lovely couple but there’s also a lot of mystery around who does what and in what capacity. Continue reading “Zeiss <3 Sony – FAQ Answers from Zeiss”
Whaaat? I’ve been working with Zeiss for many, many years and I’ve never seen them do such a great deal. They’re offering up to $300 off per lens! On top of that, Duclos is cutting $100 off each Cine-Mod – another unheard of offer. If you ever considered snagging a set of ZF.2 or ZE primes or have some but want to fill out a set, now is the time. Take a look at the price reductions here. Read more from Duclos Lenses: Continue reading “Happy Birthday, Zeiss!”
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”
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.
Read the complete article here.