GEAR CINEMA GLASS
SCHNEIDER
German lens maker Schneider-Kreuznach breaks new ground with Isco4all A+ EF lenses: the first that can be used for both anamorphic and conventional footage. The Isco4all set comprises three conventional spherical cine primes and an anamorphic front adapter. The lenses can be used as regular primes, but adding the Iscorama 54 CU-1.5x adapter gives them a classic anamorphic look. Although it retains the vintage look of the originals, this modern version is upgraded with a sharper glass, a reduced close focus distance and a standard 0.8 gear ring to use with follow-focus rigs. The three compact cine primes have focal lengths of 43, 58 and 85mm with a fast 2.4 T stop. They’re Schneider-Kreuznach’s own version of the well-known Dulens APO Mini Primes, specially made to produce the classic Iscorama style. They have an Iscospherical Amber Coating (A+) that creates great flares – what all anamorphic shooters tend to look for. In terms of conventional cinema primes, Schneider also offers the Xenon FF-Prime family which includes focal lengths of 18mm at T2.4 and 25, 35, 50, 75 and 100mm at T2.1. The circular 14-blade aperture delivers a super-smooth bokeh. The precision focusing design ensures breathing is minimised, and with a 300° barrel rotation, the manual focus markings offer a very high level of focusing accuracy. On the tilt version of these lenses, the focal plane can be shifted by angling the lens to the camera body by up to 4° either direction from standard by turning a dial. This allows the plane of focus to be moved by up to 80°. It’s great for shooting products close up so they can be kept sharp – even at wide apertures – or for producing creative effects. The Cine-Tilt range is only in Sony E mount, with 25, 35, 50, 75 and 100mm versions. schneiderkreuznach.com
ZEISS
data, the Nanos have an electronic interface in the lens mount just like most AF lenses do. This records metadata such as focal length, focus distance and aperture, and can be set in some Sony cinema cameras – a really unique feature for manual cinema glass. It also means that focal length info can be passed onto any camera that uses it for in-body image stabilisation. The Nano Primes can also have their mounts changed to fit different cameras, but only in other mirrorless. The lenses can be bought as a complete E-mount set that includes a lens case at £24,000/$25,950 or individually from £4200/$4990. Zeiss’ focus on micro contrast really helps with getting a three- dimensional look that helps your subject stand out from the background. With their neutral colours, and a sharpness that’s not oversharp, this is a set of lenses that works extremely well. Ultimately, the Nano range of lenses look and perform like mini Supreme Primes but at a fraction of the size, weight and price. zeiss.co.uk
Zeiss pioneered premium lenses for full-frame, compact DSLR and mirrorless cameras that were more compact and affordable than its flagship offerings. That plan saw the introduction of the Compact Prime CP.2, which was superseded by the more compact and higher-quality CP.3 range. Now, Zeiss has the even faster Nano Prime range, the first high-speed T1.5 cine lenses made specifically for mirrorless full- frame cameras. Initially available in Sony E-mount, the Nano lenses are compact and light, available in 18, 24, 35, 50, 75 and 100mm. The optical design delivers an extremely shallow depth-of-field, even in the wide-angle range, with smooth bokeh and focus fall-off aided by a 12-blade aperture. There is a consistent positioning of the focus and iris rings across all focal lengths for quick lens changes. The calibrated focus scales are easy to read, and a long 280° focus rotation aids precise focus pulling. The iris ring features 90° rotation and a non-linear scale that enables fine adjustment. Instead of a separate plug-in unit to record
“Now, Zeiss has the even faster Nano Prime range, the first high-speed T1.5 cine lenses made specifically for mirrorless cameras”
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