GEAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Prime lens Schneider- Kreuznach Isco4all lenses
THE WINNERS
LENSES I t might seem that new lenses often make incremental improvements, offering marginally more contrast, slightly faster apertures, smoother bokeh and sometimes more advanced autofocus or even lighter weight. But, occasionally, something comes along that shakes up the market and fires the imagination of professional filmmakers. That’s the case with the winner in the prime lens class, which is actually a set of lenses do so much more than most rivals. The winner is the Schneider-Kreuznach Isco4all lens set, which combines three stand-alone spherical cine primes and an Iscorama anamorphic front adapter. So with one set of primes and the adapter, you actually have a set of spherical optics and a set of anamorphic lenses which can be changed over in an instant. That makes them more portable and far cheaper than buying two different sets. Our winner has three conventional lenses and an Iscorama 54 anamorphic front adapter with a 1.5x squeeze factor. The matched set of Iscospherical A+ cine primes are compact and come in focal lengths of 43, 58 and 85mm, all featuring a fast 2.4 T stop. Made by Dulens – maker of the renowned Mini Primes – they are modified for Schneider-Kreuznach. The set-up produces a classic, almost retro-style look that’s very reminiscent of the vintage Iscorama lenses. But these modern Schneider-Kreuznach primes are much higher spec with an improvement in clarity, with a special A+ amber coating that creates warm-looking flares. And the anamorphic adapter is engineered for a much-reduced closed focus distance of 140cm/55in. The Iscorama adapter and lenses come with a standard-size 0.8M gear ring to make them compatible with modern focusing devices. In use, the prime lens focus is set to infinity and focusing itself is done on the
Lens accessory Magic Video Box
Zoom lens Zeiss LWZ.3 21-100mm T2.9-3.9
Iscorama adapter, so you don’t need two follow focus mechanisms. That’s a big improvement over some anamorphic set- ups where both lenses need to be focused. It brings top-quality spherical primes and anamorphics to creative, indie filmmakers who love to push the boundaries and make even better films. In the zoom lens class, there has also been some real innovation, especially for fast AF optics. Tamron’s 35-150mm – f/2 at the wide end, closing down to f/2.8 at the telephoto end – polled lots of votes, as did Canon’s newest AF zoom, the RF 100- 300mm f/2.8, despite its sky-high price. But when it came down to the choice of creatives, the Zeiss Lightweight Zoom LWZ.3 21-100mm T2.9-3.9 was voted the winner – and not for the first time. It won the class last year, too, proving serious cinematographers value the brand, which offers top quality from its Supreme, Master and Ultra Primes to the incredible Master Anamorphics and award-winning CP.3 Compact primes. With the convenience of fast focal length changes for quick-moving shoots or dolly zoom shots you can only achieve with a zoom, the Zeiss performs incredibly without compromises. Called the LWZ for Lightweight Zoom, it was built for smaller cinema cameras and handles superbly. It has legendary Zeiss image quality, handling and ergonomics of a true cinema- style zoom lens but one that can be used as an all-round lens for many shots. It’s available to fit Sony E, Canon EF, Nikon F, PL and Micro Four Thirds cameras, and is often the only truly
parfocal cine zoom you can buy to fit. And it comes with shims to perfectly set up the lens to your camera, as many very high- end cinema lenses do. Combined with its low 2kg/4.4lb weight that’s ideal for compact Super 35 cinema cameras, it’s fast gaining a reputation as a true hero lens. That’s why readers of Pro Moviemaker magazine voted it zoom lens of the year once again. In the lens accessory class, there was a battle for the top slot between the latest range of Schneider-Kreuznach ND filters, IB/E’s range of natural material filters and matte boxes from Vocas and SmallRig. But on top came a must-have accessory that’s a boon for interviews: the Magic Video Box. It’s essential for the down- the-lens interview method: a more intimate and direct style. Many people – even experienced presenters – struggle when faced with a camera rather than an interviewer to talk to, so the Magic Video Box is an effective solution. It uses a beam-splitter mirror glass at 45° inside a box, which you shoot through with no degradation in quality. So interviewees can see the person they’re talking to, making it easier to build up trust and improve the production values of your work. It’s a simple and affordable solution that will see your interviews move to an even more professional level.
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PRO MOVIEMAKER
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