NAB Show Product Review: Lenses

Lenses, as the co-equals to cameras in the capture of high-quality, high-resolution images, were in abundance at this year’s NAB Show.

Angenieux Optimo Style 48-130

ANGÉNIEUX debuted the Optimo Style 48-130, the third lightweight compact zoom lens in the Angénieux Optimo Style line. The company also exhibited its full anamorphic zoom lens line, including two lightweight compact zoom lenses, the Optimo 56-152 A2S T4 and Optimo 30-72 A2S T4, and a 10x, the Optimo 44-440 A2S T4.5.

Canon DIGISUPER 90

CANON answered the challenge for a 4K lens with enough zoom range for OB sports and entertainment events with its 90x UHD DIGISUPER 90 (UJ90x9B) broadcast lens. It features the world’s highest zoom ratio and wide 9mm setting, topping out at 810mm, the world’s longest 4K lens focal length for three-sensor 2/3-inch lenses. Also new was the 4K COMPACT-SERVO 70-200mm Telephoto Zoom.

COOKE OPTICS launched its S7/i Full Frame Plus prime lens range, designed to cover full frame cinema camera sensors. The company also announced it would once again manufacture its ’60s-era Pancro lenses; the new Pancro Classic Series will provide the Pancro look, with modern lens mechanics.

CW SONDEROPTIC debuted the Leica Thalia series of prime lenses, a set of nine spherical lenses that provides an image circle of 60mm diagonal. The range spans 24mm through 180mm, is available in PL mount, and offer /i Technology metadata contacts in the mount. These lenses provide a circular iris shape through the entire aperture range.

Fujinon UA27x6.5 wide angle 4K lens

FUJIFILM made a statement by bringing only 4K lenses to NAB, though the company will continue to sell HD lenses through the foreseeable future. The company showed 3-sensor 2/3-inch portable zooms, and added a 4K box lens, the wide-angle UA27x6.5. For full frame cine users, two overlapping Sony E-mount zooms, one 18-55mm and the other 50-135mm, were rolled out.

SCHNEIDER OPTICS premiered its Xenon FF-Prime Cine-Tilt lenses, which allow tilting of the camera’s plane of focus with respect to the lens. They have an identical form-factor to Schneider’s regular full-frame cine primes, but add the ability to tilt by plus or minus 4 degrees. The lens’ focus and iris also provide the standard 0.8 mod gears so that the lenses can also be used like a regular cine lens if the tilt is not engaged.

Zeiss CP3 prime lense

SIGMA CORP. OF AMERICA unveiled its Cine FF High-Speed 14mm T2 and 135mm T2 prime lenses, to expand its prime range to six lenses. They are compatible with the latest full-frame camera sensor technology. The company has extended the option to order Cine lenses in metric or imperial measurements as well as standard, or full luminous paint on markings. Existing customers can swap from one measurement system to the other for a fee.

ZEISS introduced a new range of prime lenses, the CP.3 and CP.3 XD. As with the company’s CP.2 range, the primes span 15mm to 135mm. They are smaller than the CP.2s with T-stops have been made more consistent, and all focal lengths cover full frame sensors.