GEAR BUYERS’ GUIDE
CLASSY GLASS
You don’t have to rely on camera manufacturers when it comes to choosing lenses INDIE OPTICS
WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
C hances are, if you’re from a stills background, you splashed out on manufacturers’ own lenses once you got serious. Perhaps Canon AF lenses on Canon AF cameras, for example, as third-party lenses were considered the lower-quality option. Conversely, if your background is film, then the dream has often been big-name,
manual focus primes and zooms from boutique brands in PL mount, such as Cooke, Arri, Angénieux or Zeiss. Because the lines are increasingly blurring between stills, videography and cinematography, the same is happening with lens choice. While many still stick with manufacturers’ own lenses for AF cameras, there’s a huge choice of
independent-brand optics to choose from. Some are AF DSLR-style lenses and others are targeted towards filmmaking on small cameras, while many are full-blown cine primes in mounts to fit mirrorless. So this issue, we’re highlighting a selection of the best AF and MF primes and zooms – from a whole range of independent lens makers.
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