lenses

Watch the introductory video below in which Carl Zeiss introduce their two new Zoom CZ.2 lenses, which are ready for 4K and offer full-frame coverage.

Zeiss' high-end Distagon T* 1.4/55 SLR lens will be released at the end of this year, and, this time, the company specifically focused on form and function.

Says head of marketing Martin Dominicus, "Zeiss lenses are known for their technical precision, excellent image performance and ergonomics. That will always be the case because we know photographers’ needs and user circumstances. But our new lenses should also fulfill the highest aesthetic expectations of our customers to become design objects in their own right."

Read more here on the Zeiss blog.

Watch below as AbleCine takes a first look at Zeiss' first Compact Zoom, the CZ.2 70-200 T2.9. They write, "This lightweight lens is a sister to the Compact Prime lens family, which means that it shares versatile traits such as Full Frame 35mm coverage (it’ll cover the Canon 5DM3 and 1D C) and professional cine style gearing and marking. Additionally, it features interchangeable lens mounts (PL, Canon EF, Nikon, Sony E and Micro 4/3), and is quite affordable. It is also a Zeiss, which means that it is sharp with excellent contrast."

Read more here.

AbelCine's Ian McCausland povides a video walkthrough of Zeiss' new CP.2 Super Speed lenses. He writes, "These new T1.5 lenses come in 35mm, 50mm and 85mm focal lengths and share many of the same features as the other CP.2s, including a 114mm front diameter and interchangeable mounts. Additionally, the focus barrel has an angled finish, so focus marks can be easily read by the operator. These lenses also cover full sensor, meaning that one set of lenses works for everything from an HDSLR to a high-end digital cinema camera."

Watch below and read more here.

Matthew Duclos evaluates the future of Zeiss' DSLR lenses by looking at the available info on the upcoming 55mm Distagon. He writes, "From what I’ve seen in write-ups and a video released by Zeiss, the optical performance is massively improved in the new 55mm f/1,4. Contrast and resolution appear to be the goal that Zeiss met with very high resolution cameras on their plate. The Nikon D800 sports a 36MP sensor and new Sony DSLRs, which Zeiss is closely collaborating with, are soon to offer sensors upwards of 20MP which will benefit greatly from high-performance lenses such as this."

Read his full post here.

Carl Zeiss will present a new cine lens from the Compact Prime CP.2 lens family during the IBC 2012 in Amsterdam from September 7 to 11, 2012. With an even larger aperture, the new Compact Prime CP.2 25/T2.1 lens from Carl Zeiss achieves outstanding images in challenging lighting conditions.

AbelCine has put together a lens and accessory guide for the soon-to-be-released Blackmagic Cinema Camera that includes everything from glass to on-board recorders and more. Check it out here.

This quick lens sharpness comparison video from Ron Risman pits the Canon 70-200mm F/2.8 IS (Version I), Canon 24-150mm F/4.0 IS, Canon 50mm F/1.8 (Version I), Rokinon 14mm F/2.8, Rokinon 85mm F/1.8 and Sigma 20mm F/1.8 against one another. It was shot on a Canon 5D Mark III. Watch below.

The Lynny Lens is a new lens system positioned as an affordable alternative to Lensbaby for tilt-shift photography. It's currently the center of a Kickstarter campaign by inventor/photographer Cameron Texter. A minimum pledge of $50 will get you one Lynny for your SLR/DSLR as long as Texter makes his $5000 goal by this Thursday. Currently, he is a little over $1000 away.

Light Stalking provides a nice primer on selecting the right filmmaking lenses for your DSLR. They write, "While there are many lenses out there, a lot of them are still designed for still photography, especially lower end kit lenses. There are a couple of things that you should take into account when selecting lenses for DSLR videography that can really help enhance your filmmaking, and things you should avoid as to not hinder your work."

Read the full article here.

There are more camera choices than ever and that, of course, means more lens choices than ever. Where to start when deciding which ones to buy? Matthew Duclos has a helpful blog post on just that, breaking down some of the more important features to look for.

Vincent Laforet recaps some of the standout new cameras and lenses he saw at NAB this year, including the Blackmagic Cinema Camera and Zeiss and Schneider lenses. Read his post here.

Lensmaker Matthew Duclos gives his take on Agenieux's updated Optimo zoom lenses that were on display at NAB this week. He says, "Albeit slightly less than exciting, the new zooms from Angenieux feature updated (not upgraded) optics that exhibit a larger image circle than their predecessors. This is pretty cool for the 24-290mm, now the 28-340mm, that covers beyond the RED Epic sensor but even more impressive is the 17-80mm’s update that also covers the RED Epic sensor.

Lensmaker Matthew Duclos presents his photo tour of NAB 2012, which, unsurprisingly, especially focuses on the lenses on display there. See the photos here.

Matthew Duclos of Duclos Lenses compares the constant barrage of bigger and better cameras to the relatively steady business of lenses. He says, "There have been a lot of new lens announcements over the past year, but none of the lenses from last year or the year before are any less competent than the new crop. In fact, lenses produced a decade ago are still working on feature films and haven’t been made obsolete.

During the NAB Trade Show in Las Vegas from April 16-19, 2012, Carl Zeiss will show its first Compact Zoom CZ.2 lens to complement the Compact Prime CP.2 line of lenses.

During the NAB Trade Show in Las Vegas from April 16-19, 2012, Carl Zeiss will present two new cine prime lenses. Carl Zeiss is expanding its product range of the Compact Prime CP.2 series with two compact and uncommonly lightweight lenses with new focal lengths of 15mm and 135mm.

Building upon the historic November 2011 introduction of the Cinema EOS System of professional digital cinematography products, Canon U.S.A., Inc., has announced the development of four EF Cinema zoom lenses.

Digital Trends profiles the unique small business that is Lensbaby, the U.S.-based lens manufacturing company looking to shake up the industry in its own quiet way.

Vincent Laforet addresses the differences in shooting on HDSLRs with two wide-angle Zeiss ZE SLR lenses vs. their Canon EF counterparts.

Today, with the prevalence of large single-sensor cameras, the number of lens options for the HD shooter has increased exponentially. Not every lens will work with every camera, however. In a previous DV101 column I discussed crop factors, utilizing lenses designed for larger target (sensor) areas on smaller targets, and the changes in apparent focal length/field of view.

Duclos Lenses' Matthew Duclos reviews the Zeiss Distagon T*2.8/15 saying, "It’s reasonably fast at f/2.8 and produces a staggering 110º diagonal field of view on a 35mm full frame camera or about 75º on an APS-C/Super-35mm camera. That’s pretty much the sweet spot when it comes to ultra-wide angle lenses if you ask me."

Read the full review here.