Here’re the key points and highlights of the ARRI presentation, as part of the DCS (Digital Cinema Society) discussion, about the “Focus On Cine Lenses From the Buyer’s POV”. Art Adams, which is ARRI’s lens specialist, talks about the Signature glass, including the new zooms.
DCS 2021 presentation: Focus On Cine Lenses From the Buyer’s POV
The DCS (Digital Cinema Society) once again has hosted one of the most fascinating discussions about cinema lenses. As stated by the DCS: “As is our tradition, the main ‘focus’ of the event is to explore the market of available cine lenses from the buyer’s point of view”. We, at Y.M.Cinema Magazine, have meticulously watched the presentations in order to serve you the key points and highlights which you can find them below. However, the entire credit belongs to the DCS. Read our first chapter (ZEISS) here, and the second chapter (Angenieux) here.
About the DCS: The Digital Cinema Society, which has founded by cinematographer Jim Mathers, is a nonprofit educational cooperative dedicated to the industry’s informed integration of new technology. Academy Award winners to aspiring Filmmakers, Educators, and Students are joined by artists from every production and post discipline including dozens of ASC Cinematographers, ACE Editors, leading Technologists, and top management from Manufacturers, Studios, Exhibitors, and Networks. The Society’s purpose is not to advocate for digital technology but to objectively examine all media, solutions, services, and technologies without favoring any one brand, service, or format over another.
ARRI
In this presentation, ARRI’s Art Adams shares their latest lens product news at the Digital Cinema Society’s 2021 Lens event. Art dedicates the deck to the Signature Primes and Zooms. Watch it below, and explore the key points underneath:
Signature Primes
Description: Designed for use with full-frame, large-format sensors, the versatile ARRI Signature Primes also cover Super 35. Stockings, nets, and voile can be used for diffusion when mounted in the Signature Prime’s rear net holder. Eleven iris blades produce smooth, rounded bokeh effects, and a telecentric design minimizes breathing. The LDS-2 lens data system is backward-compatible with ARRI’s LDS-1 and communicates with Cooke’s /i Technology. Constructed with magnesium housings and aluminum gear rings, each Signature Prime is lightweight, water-resistant, and features focus marks in feet. Anti-reflective coatings, light baffles, and light traps help to minimize any internal barrel flare.
‘The Signature Way’ means that the lens was designed for digital, and owns new characters for UHD/HDR/4K and 8K. Also, there’s a special emphasis on the aesthetics of the lens.
Art Adams – Lens specialist at ARRI
ARRI’s special notes: 2018 was the birth of the Signature Primes. 16 focal lengths, large format primes. They look large but actually, they’re very lightweight. The Signature Primes utilize large optical elements, which is an advantage to reduce focus breathing. Art elaborates on designing a lens by “The Old Way” and “The Signature Way”. Previous lenses were designed for film, capturing the best images for the analog format, and the emphasis was focused on lens performance. “The Signature Way” means that the lens was designed for digital, and owns new characters for UHD/HDR/4K and 8K. Also, there’s a special emphasis on the aesthetics of the lens. The Signature Primes are characterized by their sharpness and clean imagery, in order to produce the best overall image quality.
Signature Zooms
Description: Like the Signature Primes, each of the zoom lenses gently softens the large-format look, producing pleasant, natural skin tones and rounded bokeh. The focus falls off smoothly, highlighting your subject against its background frame. This zoom lens is compatible with the ARRI LDS-2 lens data system, speeding your lens setups and offering high lens metadata rates for streamlined post-production.
ARRI’s special notes: 4 lenses. All interact seamlessly with Signature Primes. There’s a bit more distortion on the zoom compared to the Primes. However, the zooms own minimal artifacts like chromatic aberration. Art says that it’s very expansive and challenging to eliminate both chromatic aberration and distortion, and the game is to combine both and still produce optimal overall image quality. However, it’s more important to avoid chromatic aberration due to its noticeability in HDR screening. Moreover, there’s a special glow to the fare, the skin tones look beautiful and natural, and the bokeh reminds the Signature Primes. ARRI always emphasizes that it’s crucial that faces look great even at wide-angle shots. The Signature Zooms are no different in that demand. Art states that the Signature Zoom can capture pure blacks and very detailed blacks as well. Thus, experiments showed that it’s recommended to underexpose them about a stop, and then color-boost the image in post, in order to get stunning high detailed images. Regarding shipping – Art says that the 45-135 and 65-300 have been shipped, the 16-32 and 24-75 will be shipped in January-February 2022.
It’s very expansive and challenging to eliminate both chromatic aberration and distortion, and the game is to combine both and still produce optimal overall image.
Art Adams – Lens specialist at ARRI
For dessert, watch the short clip below which demonstrates an orchestra of two Signature Zooms combined with Signature Prime:
Product List
Here’re the products mentioned in the article, and the links to purchase them from authorized dealers.
- ARRI Signature Prime Lenses
- ARRI Signature Zoom Lenses
