21st Century 3D depends on Angenieux lenses for acquisition

21st Century 3D, a provider of stereoscopic content creation equipment, often features Thales Angenieux’s Optimo DP 16-42mm lenses in its BX3 beam-splitter rigs.

Jason Goodman, CEO of 21st Century 3D, said stereoscopic production requires an optical precision that is significantly more demanding than that required in a 2-D production, and the Optimo DP lenses are the perfect choice for this application. The available focal lengths also compliment the company’s production style and speed.

Over the past 17 years, 21st Century 3D has designed and built numerous 3-D camera systems and developed exclusive technologies. In designing the latest iteration of the BX3 optical beam splitter, 21st Century was looking to make the package smaller and more portable, and the Optimo DP lenses met the criteria perfectly. Weighing only 4.2lbs, the Optimo DP 16-42mm lens matches the performance and features of larger-format digital cameras.

The Optimo DP lenses have been used by 21st Century 3D in a number of 3-D productions including the feature film “JuliaX,” a Heineken Beer commercial and in the Teton Gravity Research extreme skiing film, “Lighting the Wick.”

The high-performance lenses featuring Angenieux’s optics and mechanical design are also cost-effective. Designed for the new generation of large-format digital cameras, the DP series includes the lightweight 16-42mm and 30-80mm Optimo DP to provide cinematographers with a broad focal range.

Thales Angenieux has also recently introduced a new 3-D-ready package for its line of Optimo DP lenses. The Optimo 3-D-ready package can consist of either two 16-42mm Optimo DP or 30-80mm Optimo DP lenses. In addition to superior optical quality and a reliable, precise mechanism, the Optimo 3-D-ready package includes specific features for 3-D applications such as factory-matched zoom and focus scale, comparable optical quality and easily adjustable tracking.