2010 Retrospective – Articles You Should Have Read Pt 2
If we gave out a product of the year award here at PCN, it would have probably gone to Zeiss for their CP.2 lenses so this next list is a round up of Zeiss articles and videos that you might have missed and one you probably didn’t.
Zeiss Unveils New DSLR Cine Lens
Way back in February while I was consulting for HDExpo/Creatasphere, Richard Schleuning leaked out some pre-announcement info about their new CP.2 lenses and then talked about them at the DSLR meetup breakfast I was hosting the next day here in LA.
In response to the high level of interest in using DSLR’s for filmmaking, Carl Zeiss has modified its Compact Prime lenses for use with EF-mount cameras. These new lenses feature a bayonet mount for a direct fit to the EF-mount and do not require any modification of the camera or use of intermediate optics. Since the optics are based on the awarding winning ZEISS SLR lenses, they cover a full 24×36 image format without vignetting. In addition, the lenses feature an interchangeable mount system that can be changed to a PL mount. at any point in the future
Zeiss Compact Prime CP.2 at NAB 2010
At NAB Richard was showing off the new CP.2 lenses and it was my second stop for iPhone pseudo-live video blogging.
Zeiss CP.2 HDSLR Cinema Lens in the Wild
A little later PCN friend Snehal Patel got his hands on a set of CP.2 lenses and we mentioned his write up.
The lenses worked beautifully. They covered the full frame of the 5D sensor and I could easily swap out from a 21mm wide to an 85mm for close-ups without having to adjust my rig at all.
More info on Zeiss CP.2
Next up Jared Abrams posted a video about the CP.2 lenses over at Cinema5D
Richard Schleuning Talks About Zeiss CP.2 Lenses
Check out this video of my friend Rich Schleuning being interviewed at the ProFusion Video Expo in the frozen wastelands up north Canada. Zeiss makes some great lenses and the CP.2′s are groundbreaking with interchangeable mounts.
Zeiss Announces Two New CP.2 Lenses and Mounts for Nikon, Sony Alpha and Micro Four Thirds
In September Zeiss announced three new mount options for their interchangeable mount CP.2′s:
Today at IBC, Carl Zeiss announced two new lenses in the CP.2 lineup as well as the anticipated but still appreciated news that the interchangeable mounts will soon work with Nikon, Sony and Micro Four Thirds HDSLR’s.
B&H DSLR Filmmaker’s Guide to Zeiss Optics
B&H released a guide to Zeiss lenses that’s a good read if you’re trying to figure out if you want to spend the money to have the best manual lenses out there:
From the moment you un-box a Zeiss lens, you know that you’re working with something special. Construction is all metal-no rubber dials or plastic-y components. A sleek black finish dominates the barrel, save the silver rim at the front of the objective. The silver rim makes it easy to attach the included metal hood or an optional screw-type filter. A protective lens cap operates with a simple pinch from the center or sides, and a well-made rear cap covers the lens mount. Nothing rattles, flexes, or bends-these lenses are built solid for years of heavy-duty use.
Duclos Lenses – Still vs Cine Lenses
If you confused about the difference between still and cinema lenses, Matthew Duclos wrote a good article on his Circles of Confusion blog.
. . . but alas, there are a few remaining still lenses that are fairly well suited for motion. The first that comes to mind is the Zeiss ZF series lenses. They are completely manual lenses that feature a nice, solid metal construction that eliminates the common image shift and focus loss. And then there are older manual lenses from back when auto-focus was just a myth. But those are hard to find in good condition. That’s about as close you can get to a chine lens with a still lens.
F-Stops and T-Stops Explained by Rich Schleuning from Zeiss
If your confused about the difference between an F-Stop and a T-stop, watch this interview with Rich:
Nat Geo shooter Ben Horton compares Canon glass to Zeiss glass
We’ll wrap up our Zeiss coverage with a great comparison article between Zeiss EF lenses and Canon Glass. This article is our most read article of the year so most of you have probably already seen it but if you missed it be sure to check it out this time around. I think one of the things that made this such a popular article isn’t just the side by side image comparison but it also has something to do with the fact that Ben compared shooting manual focus vs autofocus at a couple of fast paced sporting events.
My initial impression after using the lenses for a few hours came as a surprise. When presented with an opportunity to take a good photo, I chose the Zeiss lens over my Canon lens every time. I didn’t even have to think about it. The contrast, the clarity, and the feel of the lenses was so much better from the very beginning that I had ceased to use them just for the review, I was using them so I would get the best image that I possibly could. The lens I used most of the day for the wide expanse of the desert and the narrow canyons the racers were riding through was the 3,5/18. This lens has a beautiful and smooth vignette when compared to the Canon counterpart which just has dark corners. The contrast is far more natural, and the colors are richer even in the raw files.
