GEAR. LENS ROUND TABLE
THORSTEN MEYWALD: Larger sensors have pushed lens development because there was a limited choice of cinema lenses that covered these new, larger formats, whereas there is a vast global inventory of existing Super 35 lenses. Arri has a rich history manufacturing lenses such as the Arri/Zeiss Master Primes and Ultra Primes, so when we started offering large format cameras, it was natural and necessary to also offer lenses that cover the LF sensor. This is how Arri Signature Primes and Signature Zooms came into being. They encompass a huge and versatile focal length range, fully capturing the image performance of our latest sensors. The zooms intercut seamlessly with the primes to an extent never seen before, and the lenses can also be used for Super 35 cinematography. ANDREW PRIOR: There has been a marked increase in larger format lenses made by most manufacturers. For Arri Rental, the arrival and immediate popularity of our Alexa 65 camera meant that we needed to develop new and interesting lenses that cover the 65mm format. Building on that experience, which was all carried out collaboratively with filmmakers, we were able to manufacture new and exclusive lens series for the full-frame format when Arri released its Alexa LF and Mini LF cameras. The wider industry has been doing the same – bringing out larger format lenses to attempt to offer cinematographers as many optical options as are available for more traditional 35mm motion picture photography. TERRA BLISS: One impact from larger sensors has been the freedom they’ve afforded filmmakers to explore optical attributes that might not have been acceptable with smaller formats because they could have become overwhelming when the image was enlarged. When you’re capturing a larger format, instead of making an image fall apart, aberrations can add personality and character,
In what ways has the push towards larger sensors impacted the development and demand for new lens technologies? SETH EMMONS: The introduction of larger sensors has had a number of significant impacts on the world of optics. Few professional large format lens options existed before the cameras were introduced, so lens manufacturers quickly began designing and producing lenses for that format while development for Super 35 optics slowed dramatically. Many companies have chosen to make new lenses that repurpose or adapt existing designs, with varying levels of transparency about that process, while others have created new cinematography- specific designs from the ground up. As design and production was ramping up, what was once a boutique lens rehousing market exploded in popularity. Most photography lenses designed in the last 50+ years cover large format, so a rehousing boom began to quickly adapt these lenses for filmmaking. The larger sensor size also put a constraint on designing telecentric lenses because the diameter of the existing mount standard, the PL mount, barely allowed this to be possible on larger sensors. Consequently, Arri used this as an opportunity to develop a new mount standard, the LPL mount, which not only had a larger diameter, but was 8mm closer to the sensor. Bringing the optics closer to the sensor helps the physics of lens design by allowing lenses to be smaller, faster and lighter than those further from the sensor. While many companies have added LPL mount as an option, few companies, namely Arri and Leitz, have adopted it from a design perspective to take advantage of these benefits. CHRISTOPHE CASENAVE: Naturally, it is our responsibility as lens manufacturers to develop lenses that will cover these new, larger sensors – eg the move from Super 35 to large format. However, it’s not just a straightforward task of increasing the image circle of the lens in order to cover these larger sensors. When designing lenses for large format, you also need to take into consideration and adapt the design and ‘look’ of the lens itself, to ensure it does not appear to be too sharp, for example. There are similar parallels with photography at a time when medium format has been the format for professionals for many years – the lenses were less sharp and a bit more organic to accommodate the large film surface, and these same considerations must be taken into account when developing cinema lenses for large format.
THE INTERVIEWEES
SETH EMMONS Director of communications Leitz Cine
CHRISTOPHE CASENAVE Head of product and sales Zeiss
THORSTEN MEYWALD Product manager, optical systems Arri Group
ANDREW PRIOR Head of camera technology and development Arri Rental
TERRA BLISS Managing director of camera, UK & Ireland Panavision
CHARLIE TODMAN Technical marketing director, UK Panavision
DAN KANES CEO and product manager Atlas
PERFECT IMPERFECTIONS Zeiss’ Supreme Prime Radiance series enables consistent lens flares
64. DEFINITIONMAGAZINE.COM
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