Between our affection for the Hasselblad H6D and our excitement for the Sony VENICE and Alexa LF, we're obviously big fans of larger sensor sizes. Why? Because bigger sensors offer a lot of benefits!
If we were to mention a drawback, it would be the increasing variation of larger sensors and the great variety of options for lens coverage. Back in the days of celluloid, you could be confident that if you rented modern film lenses, it would cover your Super35mm sensor. However, as sensor sizes range all over the place, it's extremely hard keeping track of which lenses cover what.
Coverage of the Celere 35mm T1.5 on the LF
We're in luck: Brooklyn rental house AbelCine (where we saw the seam in the Alexa LF sensor a few weeks back) has updated their FOV tool to help show users precisely what sort of coverage to expect from a wide variety of lenses on a wide variety of sensors.
If you're considering the Alexa LF—or any other larger format sensor—and wish to shoot on some non-ARRI glass, the AbelCine FOV calculator has you covered.
Manufacturers also offer these kinds of tools, sure, but you'll be "shocked" to discover, for example, that the ARRI Lens Illumination Guide only lists a single manufacturer of lenses: ARRI! It's interesting that they offer a pulldown at all (with only one option after you click), but perhaps they intend to offer other glass in the future.
Credit: Arri
If you're considering the Alexa LF—or any other larger format sensor—and wish to shoot on some non-ARRI glass, the AbelCine FOV calculator has you covered. It provides a preview of the image circle of a given lens on a given sensor.
While the website plans to continue the expansion of its library, Abel Cine already offer support for 22 cameras (including Alexa LF and SXT, Panasonic Varicam and GH5, RED Monstro and Helium, Sony Venice, and more), and lenses from Angenieux, ARRI, Canon, Zeiss, Fujfilm, Sigma, Cooke, Celere, Leica, and Rokinon. Here's hoping that the Tokina Full Frame primes show up there soon as well.
For more information, be sure to check out Abel Cine's site.
