GEAR
BUYERS’ GUIDE
CANON RF canon.co.uk
CANON CN-E canon.co.uk
When Canon released the RF mount for full-frame mirrorless, it had a small range of native primes and zooms. Its collection is now high-tech and unique. The £1449/$1299 RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM is Canon’s first macro RF, but also the first medium telephoto macro with a maximum magnification of 1.4x. Its spherical aberration (SA) control ring means bokeh can be altered. Two super-telephoto lenses – the RF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM and RF 600mm f/4L IS USM – are designed to be optically identical to current EF versions. The 400mm costs £12,449/$11,999 and weighs 2.89kg/6.37lb; the 600mm is £13,409/$12,999 and 3.09kg/6.8lb.
focus ring displays numbers on both the left and right side of the lens. Information is in the viewfinder, and an 11-bladed iris gives smooth bokeh. The lens communicates data relating to ambient light, chromatic aberration and other image information for faster workflow. A full kit is $28,460, but isn’t on sale in the UK, where a 50mm costs £3700.
Canon’s full-frame CN-E cine prime range includes 14mm T3.1, 20mm T1.5, 24mm T1.5, 35mm T1.5, 50mm T1.3, 85mm T1.3 and 135mm T2.2 – in EF mount only. So you need an adapter for mirrorless. Lenses are consistent across the range in terms of gear position, front diameter, total length and rotation angle. Phosphorescent front barrel indicators provide visibility in low light, while the
Pros: Made for Canon only
Cons: Needs an adapter
Pros: Singular lenses for Canon users Cons: EF technology for RF cameras
COOKE
cookeoptics.com
British-made Cooke lenses offer top quality and a look all of their own. They are very expensive, with waiting lists to buy a set from DOPs who just want the ‘Cooke look’. These have been used on some of the biggest films and TV franchises for years. One popular set are Panchro/i Classic full-frames, including 18, 21, 25, 27, 32, 40, 50, 65 Macro, 75, 100, 135 and 152mm focal lengths. These are a redesign of Cooke’s classic lenses, now remade with modern housings and glass technology. Prices for a full set are on application only, but a 27mm T2.2 Panchro/i Classic costs £11,640/$14,000.
IRIX CINE PRIMES irixlens.com
None of the Irix range look or feel like budget options, with stunning build quality and seriously cool features, like magnetically attached lens hoods. On particular lenses, Irix includes a second focusing ring called the adaptive ring. This makes the optic much more suitable for handheld use. Focus breathing is virtually impossible to detect across the range, and images are very sharp with neutral colours.
The Swiss-designed Irix lens brand has offered a range of DSLR-style MF optics for several years, but now has a set of six stunning cine primes that give something a bit different. Find an 11mm T4.3 super-super-wide, a 15mm T2.6 wide-angle, and three fast T1.5 lenses – 21, 30 and 45mm versions. At the long end is a 150mm T3 macro, which can give 1:1 reproduction for super close-ups. This costs a very reasonable £1195/$1195.
Pros: Simply the best Cons: Not a cheap option!
Pros: Unique features
Cons: Still a limited range – but growing
76
PRO MOVIEMAKER
Powered by FlippingBook