Lens enthusiasts are constantly on the quest for a cinematic, vintage look. And while there are many options to choose from out there – like the popular Canon FD, Nikon AI-S, or Olympus M series, for example – none of these still vintage lenses were designed for use on a professional film set. Hence, cinematic rehousing is often necessary. By the way, if you’d like to learn more about this operation, I highly recommend watching this recent, insightful video by Media Division.

When it comes to lens rehousing, ZERØ OPTIK is definitely a major player. The American firm already has a number of projects under their belt, and their latest effort aims at giving a new life to Pentax Super-Takumar glass. Let’s take a look!

ZERØ OPTIK Pentax Super-Takumar rehousing project

Named after Japanese-American painter Takuma Kajiwara, brother of Asahi Optical’s founder Kumao Kajaware, the Super-Takumars are a set of M42 screw mount lenses originally built in the early 1960s for 35mm stills photography. These lenses are known for producing rich, warm tones, and creamy bokeh.

Currently, ZERØ OPTIK offers 3 Super-Takumar focal lengths – 35mm f/2, 50mm f/1.4, and 85mm f/1.8 – but more lenses should join the set in the future.

In particular, the 50mm is the legendary 8-element version – also known as the “Planar killer” – and features an expensive-to-manufacture cemented triplet with curved surfaces. Legend has it that this lens was so hard to produce that Asahi Optical lost money on every copy sold. As a result, the 8-element design was later abandoned in favor of a simpler 7-element structure.

After rehousing, the lenses feature a 95mm front diameter that is consistent across the set to facilitate the use of matte boxes and filters. Moreover, as you can tell from the picture below, the number of iris blades is increased to produce a perfectly circular bokeh. Additionally, the company managed to improve close-focus capabilities.

I couldn’t find the exact figures of the minimum focus distances on the rehoused lenses. For reference, the original Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 (Version 1) can focus as close as 45cm/17.7”.

Price and availability

At the moment of writing, there’s no official information regarding the cost of the rehousing, but we will update the article as soon as we find out. Generally speaking, rehousing a set of vintage lenses is an expensive operation due to the high expertise involved.

For more information, please visit ZERØ OPTIK’s website.

Do you own any of these Super-Takumar lenses? How do you like their look? Would you ever think of rehousing your set? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

The SIGMA Art series continues expanding their catalog by adding the SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN. Remember that DG denotes a lens designed for a full-frame camera and DN indicates ‘mirrorless’. The Japanese company claims this lens to be the “best standard lens in SIGMA’s history”. Among its characteristics, there is little flare, spherical aberration, and a reduction in color fringing.

Image quality in a compact size

SIGMA designed this 50mm lens not only by keeping image quality in mind but also by keeping it in a compact size and a lightweight body for today’s shooters (745g). By reducing chromatic aberration and fringing across the range, the company wants to offer a lens that can be used at its maximum aperture with high image quality. That is usually the selling point when we look for such fast lenses; we might want to use them wide open when needed without dealing with image degradation and softness. 

Main features

SIGMA recognizes that, while some focus breathing is present, it is almost suppressed and unnoticeable. According to the company, the secret of the high performance of this 50mm F1.2 DG DN is the use of a 17-element lens. That usually means an increase in the overall length of the lens, but SIGMA has overcome this problem by using thinner layers of glass and reducing the space between the elements. 

The SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN’s focusing lenses are positioned at two different locations, making it a “floating focus” lens that improves optical performance from infinity to close-up, as well as helps reduce the focus breathing. The lens features a linear motor with high driving accuracy and quietness, designed to reduce its volume while maintaining its thrust. 

Regarding bokeh, the lens features a 13-blade circular aperture, so the bokeh is less polygonal and closer to a circle even when stopping down the lens. 

Finally, regarding build quality, the SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN is designed to be dust-proof and drip-proof, and the front element features a water and stain-repellent coating. Made from polycarbonate, the lens has an AFL button that can be assigned to different functions depending on the camera. Also, in addition to the aperture ring, the lens features an aperture ring lock switch and a click switch to turn the aperture ring on and off.

Technical specs

• Lens construction: 17 elements in 12 groups (4 aspherical lenses)
• Number of aperture blades: 13 (circular aperture)
• Minimum focusing distance: 40cm
• Filter size: φ72mm
• Maximum diameter x length: φ81.0mm x 108.8mm
• Weight: 745g

Price and availability

The SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art will be released on April 18 and is available for pre-ordering at B&H now.

What do you think about this new lens from SIGMA? Would you like to add it to your set? Let us know in the comments below!

Chinese lens manufacturer BLAZAR started their journey in the world of budget-friendly anamorphic lenses back in 2021 when they announced the Great Joy 60mm T2.9 1.33x full-frame anamorphic prime. This was followed by a T2.9 1.8x full-frame anamorphic trio (35mm / 50mm / 85mm).

However, it was their recently launched Remus 1.5x series that sparked the interest of independent filmmakers. Indeed, these lenses offer a vintage-inspired look that is quite appealing, especially considering their size (under 110mm in length), weight (under 790g), and cost ($2,799 for a 3-lens set).

 BLAZAR Remus 35mm T1.6 1.5x – coming soon

The BLAZAR Remus 1.5x anamorphic series currently consists of 3 focal lengths: 45mm T2, 65mm T2, and 100mm T2.8. All of these lenses are designed to cover full-frame sensors, even when shooting in 3:2 Open Gate mode.

On the contrary, in BLAZAR’s own words, the upcoming 35mm is offered “as a wide-angle option exclusively for S35 users”. This means it can be a good match for popular camera models like the RED KOMODO/KOMODO-X or Sony FX30, but it’s a no-go for full-frame users who have already purchased the 3-lens set.

While this difference in coverage may sound a little weird for a lens that is supposed to fit in a set, the company also announced that they have something else up their sleeve that they will be showing at the forthcoming NAB Show in Las Vegas (April 13-17th, 2024). As usual, we will be on the show floor reporting back on the latest and greatest announcements.

With a maximum aperture of T1.6, this new 35mm is faster than its full-frame siblings. Now, while the company hasn’t released the full specs of the 35mm yet, I would expect it to have similar features to the FF lenses. These include a front filter thread of 77mm, a front diameter of 80mm, a user-interchangeable PL/EF mount, and blue/amber flare options.

Price and availability

There’s currently no official information regarding the price and availability of the BLAZAR Remus 35mm T1.6 1.5x anamorphic prime. For reference, the existing focal lengths retail for $999 each, or $2,799  for a 3-lens kit.

For more information on BLAZAR Remus, please visit the company’s website here.

Have you tried out the BLAZAR Remus series yet? How do you like their character? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

Japanese lens manufacturer Cosina was one of the first companies to start releasing “official” third-party Canon RF lenses that can communicate with the camera. Indeed, at the end of last year, Cosina launched the Voigtlander NOKTON 50mm F/1.0 Aspherical, which was quickly followed by the NOKTON 40mm F/1.2 Aspherical.

While these lenses – and all other third-party Canon RF lenses in general – don’t have autofocus capabilities, having a few more options as a Canon shooter is nice. Cosina is already back with its third Canon RF NOKTON prime lens: the Voigtlander NOKTON 75mm F/1.5 Aspherical.

Voigtlander NOKTON 75mm F/1.5 Aspherical – features

The Voigtlander NOKTON 75mm F/1.5 Aspherical is a compact prime lens that is only 7.1cm/2.79in long. It is made entirely of metal and weighs 525g/18.51oz.

On the lens barrel, you’ll find a manual focus ring and a manual aperture ring at the front. The aperture ring can be de-clicked by pulling and turning it, which is handy for filmmakers. Also, the NOKTON 75mm F/1.5 Aspherical, similar to the 50mm and 40mm, covers full-frame image sensors.

While the NOKTON 75mm F/1.5 Aspherical is not weather-sealed, it has electronic contacts on the Canon RF lens mount. The lens and your Canon RF camera will be able to communicate, but the day of third-party autofocus lenses has not yet come. Indeed, these electronic contacts transmit Exif information, in-body image stabilization (IBIS) if your camera has it, and manual focus support, including magnification, peaking, and focus guide.

Lens design

The lens design of the NOKTON 75mm F/1.5 Aspherical consists of seven elements in six groups. The aperture diaphragm features no less than twelve blades. The minimum focusing distance is 50cm/19.7in. Lastly, the front filter thread is 62mm, and the lens comes with a screw-in lens hood with a filter thread.

Price and availability

The Voigtlander NOKTON 75mm F/1.5 Aspherical should be available in April 2024 for around $900.

For more information, please visit Cosina’s website here.

What do you think about this Cosina prime lens for Canon RF cameras? Are you patiently waiting for third-party Canon RF lenses with autofocus capabilities? What prime lens are you currently waiting for in the Canon lineup? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!

After testing the waters of the cinema lens market with a series of T1.5 prime lenses designed for Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-mount cameras, last year VILTROX took a major leap with the release of their EPIC T2.0 1.33x full-frame anamorphic lenses (our review here).

Now, the Chinese manufacturer seems ready to take another interesting step. Indeed, they’ve recently posted a few pictures on their social media showcasing a new concept for a 30-300mm lens. Let’s take a look at what we know so far!

VILTROX LUNA 30-300mm T4.0 – sneak peek

Although the company hasn’t released any official spec sheet yet, we can already get a sense of what their LUNA 30-300mm T4.0 cinema zoom lens is all about. To start, the lens has a constant T4.0 aperture with no ramping throughout the impressive 10x zoom range. To the best of my knowledge, only Canon produces a cinema zoom with this exact range – the expensive CN-E 30-300mm T2.95-3.7 L SP – albeit it only covers the S35 format.

On the contrary, VILTROX LUNA 30-300mm zoom is claimed to have a generous image circle of 46.5mm, enough to cover full-frame and even large-format sensors like that of the RED V-RAPTOR/V-RAPTOR [X] 8K VV (46.31mm) or ARRI ALEXA Mini LF (44.71mm).

The design looks similar to that of the EPIC anamorphic series, with a PL mount, 0.8MOD gun-gray gold iris, focus, and now zoom gears, and an all-white finish. Although I’m not a big fan of white lenses and camera accessories, this can make sense to reduce thermal expansion on an optic of this size. Indeed, when placed next to the existing EPIC T2.0 1.33x lenses (size: 102x133mm/weight: 1.98kg), this 30-300mm looks rather massive.

The barrel is equipped with a threaded hole at the bottom to provide the lens with the support it needs and a top-carrying grip that can be useful when handling the lens.

Price and availability

There’s currently no official information regarding the price and availability of the VILTROX LUNA 30-300mm T4.0 full-frame cine zoom. We will let you know as soon as we find out.

For more information on VILTROX cine lenses, please visit their website here.

Have you ever worked with VILTROX cinema lenses? What do you think of this 30-300mm zoom? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below!

Meike is starting to gain a good reputation among filmmakers and content creators for creating affordable, fully manual photography and cinema lenses, as well as lens mount adapters, with a great price/quality ratio. The company now has a solid lineup of lenses for both APS-C and full-frame sensors in a superfluity variety of lens mounts.

However, autofocus lenses are relatively new for the company, with only an 85mm F/1.8 plus F/1.4 and a 50mm F/1.8 in its catalog. Meike continues to develop new autofocus lenses, and they just announced a 55mm F/1.4 prime lens.

Meike 55mm F/1.4 for APS-C mirrorless cameras – features

The Meike 55mm F/1.4 is a compact and lightweight autofocus portrait lens that weighs only 286g/10.08oz. As mentioned, this lens covers APS-C image sensors and is available in three different lens mounts: Nikon Z, FUJIFILM X, and Sony E-mount.

This prime lens has one large focus ring, one autofocus/manual switch, and a dedicated aperture ring. Unfortunately for filmmakers, this is not a de-clicked aperture ring.

You’ll find a USB type-C port on the lens mount for future firmware updates.

Lens design

The lens design consists of eleven elements in eight groups. The aperture diaphragm features nine blades, and the minimum focusing distance is 61cm/24 inches. The lens comes with a lens hood that can be removed to attach a 52mm front filter.

Price and availability

The Meike 55mm F/1.4 in Nikon Z and FUJIFILM X-mount is available now for $199.99. The Sony E-mount version should be available at the end of March for the same price.

For more information, please visit Meike’s website here.

What do you think about this Meike autofocus lens? Have you already shot with Meike lenses? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!

In an Instagram post on March 5th, IronGlass (@ironglassadapters) announced that they provided rehoused vintage lenses used in the production of the highly anticipated “Dune: Part Two”. This comes days after an ARRI Rental article interview with Cinematographer Greig Fraser ACS, ASC, mentioned the use of “re-housed Soviet-era glass supplied by IronGlass…”.

IronGlass felt obliged to share the exciting news once Fraser first broke the seal. Their Instagram post was accompanied by a few photos of what the lenses themselves looked like, complete with the DUNE production logos.

We have written about IronGlass and their rehoused vintage lenses before. In fact, these vintage lenses have been popular for quite some time for the unique look, vignetting, and bokeh that accompany their use. While newer lenses can look cleaner, even somewhat “clinical”- vintage lenses are sought after precisely for their lack of clarity and imperfections. Some even give off swirly bokeh and dreamlike images that could never be produced with modern lenses.

A niche market has emerged for rehousing lenses, allowing photographers to enjoy the benefits of vintage glass in the convenience of a modern body. Rehousing also updates previously obsolete lens mounts that are no longer used. Fraser mentions the fact that the full-frame lenses on the ARRI 65mm sensor created interesting images, using parts of the lens glass that were never meant to be seen. Afterward, you can crop out the black edges of the image and keep the texture that the vintage lens creates.

Fraser’s go-to glass

This isn’t the first time that IronGlass rehoused lenses have been used in a big-budget blockbuster. In fact, it was Greig Fraser ACS, ASC who previously used them to photograph “The Batman”. The reason this is exciting to independent filmmakers is that vintage and rehoused lenses are accessible to almost every budget. You can find (possibly the most popular Soviet vintage lens) the Helios 44-2 on eBay for maybe $50 on the right day. But if you have a little more to spend, you can get a rehoused lens in a beautifully crafted body from a reseller such as IronGlass.

If you’d like to read the whole article from ARRI Rental (which I’d highly recommend), you can find it here. You can also find the original Instagram post from IronGlass here.

What do you think about using vintage lenses in Hollywood films? Put it in the comments, and let’s share our knowledge with each other!

Chinese lens manufacturer 7Artisans is now well-known for producing affordable, manual still and cine lenses. The company already has 2 lines of cinema primes in their arsenal – the APS-C Vision and the full-frame Spectrum series. Now, the Chinese brand is about to debut in the cinema zoom market with the upcoming Sprite 24-96mm T2.9 lens. Let’s take a closer look!

7Artisans Sprite 24-96mm T2.9 cine zoom – features

The upcoming Sprite 24-96mm is a Super35 lens offering a 4x optical zoom range (35mm equivalent FOV: 18-66°) and a constant aperture of T2.9. According to 7Artisans, the lens has a parfocal design, which means you won’t lose focus when zooming in/out on your subject while maintaining the same distance from it.

The lens has a native ARRI PL/Canon EF interchangeable mount, but four other mirrorless lens mount options are available, including Sony E, Leica L, Canon RF, and Nikon Z. The zoom safely ships inside a hard carrying case.

The lens barrel is entirely made of metal, weighs around 2.4kg/5.3lbs., and is equipped with industry-standard 0.8MOD focus, iris, and zoom gears to attach lens accessories. The minimum focus distance is 1m/3.3ft. and the lens is claimed to have well-controlled distortion and focus breathing.

Price and availability

Although there’s currently no official information regarding price and release date, 7Artisans is making it clear that the Sprite 24-96mm will be a sub-$2,000 lens. This is already a pretty aggressive price point, but you can also benefit from a 20% discount if you sign up here and order on launch day.

7Artisans must be ready to fight back fierce competition from other brands that offer cine zooms with a similar focal length range. These include the Laowa Ranger 28-75mm T2.9 (our review here), the SIRUI Jupiter 28-85mm T3.2, and the Chiopt Xtreme 28-85mm T3.2 (our review here), just to name a few. All of these lenses are a bit pricier and have a slightly narrower range, but offer full-frame coverage, have better close-focus capabilities, and weigh about the same or even less, as in the case of the Laowa Ranger.

For more information, please visit 7Artisans’s website here.

What do you think of 7Artisans taking their first steps in the cinema zoom market? Would you pick up this zoom over other options from the competition? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

The FUJIFILM FUJINON Duvo HZK24-300mm was announced in September 2023. This PL-mount lens is the first Duvo “portable” zoom lens, following the launch of the massive HZK 25-1000mm F/2.8-5.0 PL-mount cinema box lens in October 2022.

During IBC 2023, we had the chance to talk with Makoto Oishi-san from FUJINON about the Duvo HZK24-300mm, but also the smaller and yet-to-be-released HZK14-100mm.

FUJIFILM FUJINON Duvo HZK24-300mm – key features

We already covered the specifications of the Duvo HZK24-300mm in our previous articles, but here are all the key specifications:

• Covers both Super35 and Full-Frame image sensors via a built-in 1.5x expander. If you use a camera with a Super35 image sensor, it turns the lens into a 36-450mm zoom lens.
• The Duvo HZK24-300mm has a constant maximum aperture of T2.9.
• It features a PL mount, which is compatible with the ZEISS eXtended Data system. This system allows you to record lens metadata (FIZ positions) for post-production use.
• It weighs 2.9kg/6.5 lbs and is 26.9cm/10.6 inches long.

• The Duvo HZK24-300mm’s front diameter is 114mm, which is an industry-standard for matte boxes. Also, the focus, iris, and zoom rings feature 0.8-pitch gears for use with FIZ systems.
• The minimum focusing distance is 88cm/34.6in.

You got it, this won’t be your next everyday lens, but this lens can get you out of most situations and will be very valuable for wildlife, documentary, and event shooters.

Pricing and availability

The FUJIFILM FUJINON Duvo HZK24-300mm is available for pre-order now for $31,999 and will start shipping by the end of this month. Obviously, this lens is targeted more toward rental houses than owner-operators.

For more information, please visit FUJIFILM’s website here.

What do you think about this lens? Do you believe renting it for the kind of projects you shoot could be helpful? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments down below!

Laowa, which not long ago launched their Ranger series, is back now with an exciting set of anamorphic zoom lenses. We were able to take a look at them at the BSC Expo 2024, as you can read in this article. Now, the crowdfunding campaign is live on Indiegogo, which you can see by following this link.

Compact, lightweight, and affordable anamorphic zoom lenses

The Laowa Nanomorph ZOOM Anamorphic lenses are lightweight (~3.31 lbs/~1.5kg) and feature a zoom range of up to 3.6x, a 1.5X squeeze ratio, and a short closest focusing distance of up to 1’5″ (45cm), perfect for tight spaces or product shootings, for example. They are available in three flare options (amber, blue, and silver). 

The Nanomorph ZOOM Anamorphics fit S35 sensors and are a versatile option that covers a wide range of focal lengths with only two lenses. With focal lengths ranging from 28mm to 100mm and a maximum aperture of T2.9, these two lenses provide a compact solution for time-sensitive shoots, eliminating the need for activities like follow focus or gimbal recalibrations.

Featuring a parfocal design, the lenses have a Ø31.9mm image circle. Starting from 65mm, we can use them on full-frame cameras, although some vignetting may occur. Finally, both lenses feature a 77mm filter thread, lens support for added stability, a 270° focus throw, and a 100º zoom throw.

Pricing and availability

The Laowa Nanomorph ZOOM Indiegogo campaign is now live from March 1st to April 11th with exclusive deals and perks in the different categories, with discounts from 5% to 30% on both the single Nanomorph ZOOM and the 2-lens set. There is a special crowdfunding perk where one of the backers will acquire a Nanomorph ZOOM lens in PL mount for $1. 

At the end of every crowdfunding-related article, we remind you to be aware of the risks when backing a project on a crowdfunding platform. Also, please read the platform’s use, and remember there can be significant delays when delivering the product. Some projects don’t get delivered at all. That said, Laowa is an established and trustworthy company in our industry.

What do you think about the Laowa Nanomorph ZOOM lenses? Would you like to include them in your lens set? Let us know in the comments below!