Thanks to my guide on DSLR cinematography I have the opportunity to get my hands on some filmmaking equipment for review purposes. This is also possible because I'm moving into an apartment July 1, which will be the first time in nine months that I'll have steady access to my 5D (not to mention a physical address to receive things in the mail). In light of this, I started wondering, "what gear would people like to see reviewed?" And then I realized I should just ask you! So please leave a comment with any gear you're wondering about. This could be a category of tools (e.g., tripods, viewfinders, steadicams) or a specific item (e.g., Zacuto Z-Finder, Genus Matte Box, Shoot35 Follow Focus). Let me know and I'll do my best to get ahold of it and let you know if it's worth your hard-earned dollars!
Give Your Videos a Vintage Look with The Newly Rehoused Pentax Lenses
ZERØ OPTIK’s latest rehoused lens project gets some cinematic Pentax Super-Takumar lenses ready for your films and videos.
Who doesn’t love a good vintage lens? Better question: Who doesn’t love a good cinematic, vintage lens? You’d be hard-pressed to find any film or video pro not at least interested in checking out some cool vintage lenses to see how they might elevate their shots and projects overall.
This is why it’s always cool when awesome brands like ZERØ OPTIK make an effort to rehouse, and effectively bring back to life, vintage lenses like these Pentax Super-Takumar lenses in their latest project.
Let’s look at these vintage and cinematic lenses and see how they might be worth checking out for your film and video shoots.
Rehoused Pentax Super-Takumar Lenses
Despite being an LA-based company, ZERØ OPTIK takes its name from the famous Japanese/American artist Takuma Kajiwara, who is the brother of Asahi Optical’s founder Kumao Kajaware. And it's in honor of such great artists and lens brands that ZERØ OPTIK has taken on the project of rehousing some Super-Takumars lenses from the 1960s.
For this project, ZERØ OPTIK is offering three Super-Takumar focal lengths to start, but more should be available later in the future. The three available now are:
- 35mm f/2
- 50mm f/1.4
- 85mm f/1.8
These lenses are iconic to expert DPs and cinematography fans and known for their warm tones and beautiful bokeh as they were originally designed for 35mm still photography and tailored for the looks and styles of their era.
Price and Availability
These lenses, and this project itself, were just announced by ZERØ OPTIK so we don’t have many details about the price or the availability of these lenses that they’re looking to launch. However, you can expect the prices to be in line with other rehoused vintage lenses which can be quite high due to their rarity and desirability to so many pro cinematographers.
Still, if you are interested and would like to find out more, you can stay tuned to ZERØ OPTIK’s website here.