Senaste nytt om objektiv

Jag fick ett e-brev dagen före julafton från Denny Clairmont i Hollywood med hans erfarenheter och synpunkter på flera nya filmkameraobjektiv som de nu börjat använda i Hollywood.

The new Arri/Zeiss Master Primes is very good lenses. There is nothing better. We have so far one each 18, 25, 35, 50 75, and 100MM. We have four sets on order and course there will be many more focal lengths available. We are charging $300 US per day per lens.

We have the lenses on a movie staring Sylvester Stallone titled “Rocky Balboa” and I spoke to the DP Clark Mathis yesterday and he says the lenses are so good that when you see the footage it is like you are looking at the scene with your bare eyes. He said he shot right into some bright lights and the lenses did not flare a bit. He was planning on renting these lenses only for low light levels but now he wants them for everyday.

We have a lot of DoPs asking for them when they have not even seen them yet. Arri has been doing a lot of advance marketing.

The lenses have no breathing at all when focusing. They are heavy, 2.04 kilos for most of them and some are 2.95 kilos. As lenses get faster and better they always get bigger and heavier. Law of Physics.

They have eliminated the breathing completely by having two sets of floating elements. On the lens projector they are sharper than any other lens, and have less distortion.

Many months ago I saw some footage shot by Bill Bennett with both the Ultra Primes and the Cooke S4 lenses and the Master Primes had more detail. Of course DPs often look at the picture as whole and time will tell how they like these lenses. No matter what, the Cooke lenses will always be popular.

Now we are waiting for the new Angeniuex zoom 15 to 40MM T 2.6 lens, which we have seven on order. I have already tested one and it is very good. I have also tested the Cooke 15 to 40MM T 2 and found it to be a true T 2 and a very good lens. The Cooke weighs 3.63 kilos and the Angeniuex weighs 1.81 kilos, which is half as much. The Cooke is a true T 2 and the Angeniuex is a T 2.6. Back to the laws of physics.

There will be also a Zeiss zoom 15 to 45MM T 2.6 lens. I think the Zeiss lens will weight about the same as the Angeniuex lens. I do not know what the Zeiss will sell for but I guess it will be around the same price as the Cooke which is 45,000 USD. The Angeniuex cost much less and once again the Angeniuex is a very good lens. At wide angle, 15MM, it is better than the Cooke S4 14MM lens. Both lenses have very little breathing and virtually no exposure ramping when zooming.

We will have to have all three lenses but expect the Angenieux to be the popular one.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,
Denny Clairmont