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Venus Optics is showing prototypes of its new Laowa cinema lenses at the NAB show in Las Vegas, and has released more details of their specification, what we should expect and a better idea of when they will be shipping. The lenses were first shown at Photokina in September, but in the meantime the company has confirmed more information regarding both models which were at a very early stage on their last outing.
The Laowa OOOM 25mm-100mm T2.9, it says, was designed with the aim of suppressing focus breathing, as well as distortion, chromatic aberrations, focus shift across the zoom range and variations in exposure – hence the fixed T2.9 aperture. The company also says that the OOOM name stands for ‘Out Of Our Minds’ and reflects the engineers ideology when it comes to lens design – meaning I suppose that the plans for the concept were ambitious. The lens has a 32mm covering circle which Venus Optics says makes it suitable for all Super 35mm aspect ratios. Using 20 elements in 16 groups the lens will have a closest focus position of 12.7in/32mm.
Venus Optics says we should expect delivery late this year at a price ‘well below USD $ 10,000’ – and that it is working on two more lenses to join it. One will be a wide angle zoom, and the other a telephoto model.
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The company’s 12mm T2.9 Zero-D cine lens is also making progress, with details pointing to another late 2019 shipping date. New information on the specification shows the full frame lens will have a covering circle of 46.5mm and a 110mm filter thread. A 114mm step-up ring will be included for filmmakers to fit a rod-supported matte box onto the lens.
For more information see the Venus Optics website.
Press Release:
Laowa OOOM 25-100 t/2.9 and 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D will make their North America debut in NAB Las Vegas (Booth# C11738)
Venus Optics, the camera lenses manufacturer who had previously launched a number of unique Laowa camera lenses, is proud to display the new prototypes of Laowa OOOM 25-100mm t/2.9 and 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D in NAB Las Vegas show (Booth#C11738) and its the first time in America.
Laowa OOOM 25-100 t/2.9 Cine
Laowa OOOM 25-100 t/2.9 Cine is a high quality cinematic zoom lenses dedicated for PL/EF cameras with Super35-sized sensors. The name “OOOM” stands for “Out Of Our Minds” which properly describes our ideology of designing lenses. Unlike some other cine zooms in the market, the OOOM 25-100mm was designed with a goal to suppress focus breathing to the minimal at the beginning. Featuring a 32mm image coverage, the new OOOM lens covers a relatively bigger image than other S35 zoom lenses and should be able to cover most of the aspect ratios of cameras with Super35 sensors. The lens can focus up to 12.7” (32cm) away from the front element, which is comparatively closer than other lenses in the market with similar zoom factor. The 20 elements in 16 groups optics design successfully suppress distortion and chromatic aberration to the minimal and deliver outstanding resolution across the frame.
The 4X zoom factor provides a great deal of flexibility to shoot in most scenarios. This lens also has a par-focal and fixed t/2.9 aperture design that both the focus point & brightness will stay unchanged throughout the whole zoom range. The focus, aperture and zoom ring feature a cine-style 0.8 Mod gear teeth for fitting with focus units or motors. An industry standard 114mm front diameter is equipped for filmmakers to fit with their own matte boxes. A focus mark calibration mechanism is incorporated for filmmakers to micro-adjustment in case of front/back focusing. A user-interchangeable PL/EF mounts are available.
Venus Optics are currently preparing a similar cinematic zoom lens with wider focal length and the other one with a more telephoto perspective. The specifications will be announced in due course.
The retail selling price of the Laowa OOOM 25-100mm t/2.9 lens is not fixed yet but it will be well below USD 10,000. It will be available to ship from late 2019.
The lens will make its US debut in the coming NAB show in Las Vegas between 6-11 Apr in Venus Optics Booth (C11738).
Laowa 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine
Laowa 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine is one of the widest and fastest available lens for shooting with large format sensors. It is designed with a 46.5mm image circle, successfully covers both full frame and Vista Vision-sized sensors. Despite the ultra-wide 122° field of view, the image is perfectly rectilinear and features a close-to-zero distortion rate. The focus flow is extended to 270° for cinematographers to also take advantage of the 0.6 feet (18cm) closest focusing distance. The lens is super lightweight (650g, 1.4lbs) and comes with a 100mm front diameter. A 114mm step up ring is included for filmmakers to fit rod supported matte box onto the lens. Both EF and PL mount will be available.
The retail pricing of the 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine is not ready yet and it will be ready to ship in around late 2019.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)