Zeiss's popular Compact Primes are getting some brothers and sisters. To their current full frame, interchangeable lens mount lineup, Zeiss is planning on adding new Compact Prime CP.2s of wider than 18 mm and longer (or equal to) 100 mm, a compact tele zoom lens (70-200 mm, possibly), and a complete set of Anamorphic prime lenses -- with a 2X squeeze, which at first I found a bit odd.
Hawk V-lite anamorphic lenses are popular because their 1.3X squeeze turns a typical digital 16:9 sensor into a cinescope image (2.35:1). A 2X squeeze, by comparison, is meant for non widescreen imagers (a 4:3 imager, doubly squeezed, results in a cinescope-like 2.6:1 -- but put a 2X squeeze anamorphic lens in front of a 16:9 sensor and you end up with a ridiculously wide 3.55:1 de-squeezed image). So, who's got a digital 4:3 camera that would be a good match for these? The ALEXA Studio has a 4:3 4-perf-size sensor and an optical viewfinder. Here's Zeiss on their anamorphic glass:
“We have the technological benefit that we believe can produce anamorphic lenses the likes of which no one has been able to do before. Our new anamorphic lenses will be on the market very soon. We would like to announce 2:1 anamorphic lenses next year, at NAB 2012, and show real products at IBC 2012.” The lenses will not be 1.3x squeeze—representatives at Carl Zeiss feel the real anamorphic look comes with 2x squeeze. Christian Bannert concluded, “This will be a complete family of anamorphic lenses, with all the focal lengths needed to shoot a movie. As experts in photographic lenses for more than 120 years, we know the specs and hurdles. We can offer something unique to the market. It will be really revolutionary.”
Pictured below: the lightweight zoom prototype.
More details in the December issue of FD Times [PDF link], which also includes a feature on the Canon C300. Full news to come at NAB 2012.
[via NextWaveDV]
