GEAR
BUYERS’ GUIDE
TAMRON transcontinenta.co.uk
Tamron has a growing range of AFs, including two zooms at different ends of the market, with super-wide and super- long lenses. The 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD fits Sony E-mount full-frame cameras, while the 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD is an ultra-tele zoom for X Mount. Perhaps most interesting is the 35- 150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD lens, which is priced at £1800/$1899 and offers a wide zoom range with a rapid f/2 maximum aperture. Nobody else has managed to make a wide-ranging zoom with an f/2 aperture for Sony E-mount. At 1165g/2.57lb and 89x158mm/ 3.5x6.2in in size, plus an 82mm filter
thread, it’s no featherlight optic. But it’s solidly built and weather sealed, though. And it can replace a few lenses in the kitbag, so isn’t a bad choice at all. At the wide end, the lens is a 35mm f/2, which closes down to around f/2.5 at 60mm and then f/2.8 from 85mm all the way to 150mm. The fast aperture means it’s good for low light, even if there is no optical image stabilisation.
ZEISS CP.3 zeiss.com
Zeiss offers AF and MF lenses to suit everything from DSLRs to the largest cinema cameras. Of interest is the compact CP.3 Compact Prime range, and the CP.3 XD series which adds lens data technology to speed up post-production. The CP.3 range offers high contrast, rich blacks and saturated colours without any glares or flares thanks to advanced coatings and light traps in the barrel. The CP.3 range is available in 15, 18, 21, 25, 28, 35, 50, 85, 100 and 135mm. All lenses offer a max aperture of T2.1, apart from the widest three which are T2.9. They have a 95mm diameter and are all the same size, except the 100 and 135mm telephotos which are slightly longer. These have interchangeable mounts in PL, Canon EF, Nikon F, Micro Four Thirds and Sony E. A 50mm in EF is £3594/$4390.
Pros: Wide range of fitments to suit all cameras
Cons: Not the speediest AF on some
TOKINA tokinacinemausa.com
small and versatile AF prime for Sony E-mount full-frame cameras that performs incredibly. It weighs 464g/1.02lb and is very portable, yet has a sophisticated optical design necessary for high-resolving cameras. The images are sharp, with only some degradation of detail at the edges of the frame – as you’d expect on a wide lens. The only letdown is that there is no weather sealing.
Tokina’s Cinema line includes Vista prime lenses like the new 180mm T1.9 telephoto, and 21 and 29mm T1.5 wides. The lenses perfectly complement the latest cine cameras such as Arri Alexa Mini LF, Red V-Raptor and Sony Venice 2. They were even used on the hit series Ted Lasso . The brand also offers lenses for mirrorless cameras like the £599/$949 Firin 20mm f/2 FE AF optic. It’s a
Pros: Stunning image quality Cons: Not the cheapest
Pros: High-end cinema lenses
Cons: Not common in rental
LAOWA
venuslens.net
A real macro shot can add something special to a production. If you’re shooting something very small, then a specialist lens can be the only way to get what you’re after. It’s sensible to go for something like the Laowa 24mm f/14 2x probe lens. This unique option is compatible with full-frame cameras,
24mm, so focuses as close as 2cm and gives wide-angle views with more background detail. The front is waterproof and there’s an LED ring light at the tip. Laowa also makes a wide range of zoom, prime and cine lenses.
and can offer up to 2:1 macro reproduction, so subjects appears twice as big on the sensor. It has fully manual focus and aperture control. While many macros are longer focal length telephotos, the £2499/£1599 probe is
Pros: Super-close for funky shots
Cons: A special use lens only
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