The guys at DCS (Digital Cinema Society) have once again held their great lens panel at Cine Gear 2019. This time the group focused on large format cine lenses from the buyer’s point of view. Read this article if you’re interested in investing, renting, or using large format cinema lenses.

Important: Y.M.Cinema Magazine is not associated with the Digital Cinema Society. This article was written as a tribute for the DCS for their tremendous contribution to the filmmaking community. 

A few words about the Digital Cinema Society (DCS)

The Digital Cinema Society (DCS) is a nonprofit educational cooperative dedicated to the industry’s informed integration of new technology. The DCS owns a large formation of an international membership nearing 5,000 that counts some of the top filmmaking, technology, and business leaders in the entertainment Industry including Academy Award winners, educators, ASC cinematographers, ACE editors, leading technologists, and senior management from manufacturers, studios, exhibitors, and networks. 

The Society’s purpose is to examine all media, solutions, services, and technologies without favoring any one brand, service, or format over another.

Large format cinema glass panel: Top cinema lenses manufacturers representatives and experts

In Cine Gear 2019, with a concentration on covering the expanding sensor sizes of many popular cameras, the Digital Cinema Society has decided to focus its panel on the examination of the Cinema Large Format Lens market and to explore what’s new from some of the top lens manufacturers. The panel was assembled with representatives from top cinema lenses companies including Angenieux, ARRI, Canon, Cooke, Fujinon, Leitz, P+S Technik, Schneider Optics, Sigma, Tokina, and Zeiss.

Cameras are relevant for a very few years. Lenses are suitable for decades

Cameras don’t last long, but cinema lenses don’t become obsolete. However, old lenses may become less relevant since they are not covering large sensors anymore. For that reason, there is a need to know the large format glass solutions in the market, to make the best cinematography choice for telling the story. Y.M.Cinema Magazine has made a simplified and educational recapitulation of this great DCS panel.

Scroll down to explore the best cinematography options (for now) to cover large format sensor.

Angenieux Optimo Primes

• The Optimo Primes can cover full frame and even more extensive than that. That is a brand new line that is scheduled for delivery in fall 2020.
• Artistic description: “Light, compact, sharp and owns the classic Angenieux look.”
• Price range: $23,000- $31,000.

Light, compact, sharp and owns the classic Angenieux look

Angenieux Optimo Primes

ARRI Signature Primes

• The ARRI Signature Primes is the first cine lens series to feature machined magnesium lens barrels, making the optics lightweight and robust.
• Artistic description: “The classic film look. Low micro contrast (tone doesn’t pop), Warm look. Zero breathing”
• Price range: $25,000- $30,000

The classic film look. Low micro contrast (tone doesn’t pop), Warm look. Zero breathing

ARRI Signature Primes

Canon Sumire Primes

• The Sumire is a range of seven fast T-stop cinema prime lenses that cover full frame, all with an interchangeable PL mount, which can be modified to an EF mount.
• Artistic description: “Not too sharp. Vintage esthetic pleasing look and unique bokeh.”
• Price range: $7,500.

Not too sharp. Vintage esthetic pleasing look and unique bokeh

Canon Sumire Primes

Cooke S7

• The Cooke S7/i, T2.0 Full Frame Plus Primes are designed to cover the emergent full frame cinema camera sensors up to at least the full sensor area of the RED Weapon 8K (46.31mm image circle).
• Artistic description: “The Cooke Look.”
• Price range: $20,000-$25,000.

The Cooke Look

Cooke S7

Fujinon Premista

• The Premista is a series of cinema zoom lenses, which deliver the full benefits of large format sensor cameras.
• Artistic description: “Pleasant bokeh effect and a wide dynamic range of light.”
• Price range: $38,000-$40,000.

Pleasant bokeh effect and a wide dynamic range of light

Fujinon Premista

Leitz Primes

• The first set of 12 primes is scheduled for delivery in early 2020 and was developed to Full Frame/ VistaVision formats.
• Artistic description: “Smooth bokeh and cinematic look.”
• Price range: $38,000-$40,000.

Smooth bokeh and cinematic look

Leitz Primes

P+S Technik

• An Iconic lens series with a vast history of feature films.
• Artistic description: “Classic film look.”
• Price range: $20,000.

Classic film look

P+S Technik

Schneider Optics

• Schneider-Kreuznach Xenon FF-Primes provides full frame coverage with a 4K optical design.
• Artistic description: “Accurate skin-tones and pleasant look. Not too sharp.”
• Price range: $4,000-$6,000.

Accurate skin-tones and pleasant look. Not too sharp

Schneider Optics

Sigma FF Primes

• FF High-Speed Prime Lenses combine the same high-quality optics and mechanics of the Global Vision still line in a cine-oriented design.
• Artistic description: “Pristine look. Minimal distortion and flaring”
• Price range: $3,500- $5,000.

Pristine look. Minimal distortion and flaring

Sigma FF Primes

Tokina Vista Primes

• The Tokina Vista series provides an image circle that covers more than full-frame sensors. The glass was designed for sharp imagery, even when recording 8K resolution.
• Artistic description: “Very fast (T1.5), Zero breathing. Immaculate look”
• Price range: $5,000-$6,000.

Very fast (T1.5), Zero breathing. Immaculate look

Tokina Vista Primes

Zeiss Supreme Primes

• ZEISS Supreme Primes can cover an image area up to 46.3 mm diagonal.
• Artistic description: “Versatile look, gentle sharpness, aesthetic focus fall-off, and elegant bokeh.”
• Price range: $18,000-$20,000.

Versatile look, gentle sharpness, aesthetic focus fall-off, and elegant bokeh

Zeiss Supreme Primes

Final thought and insights

For those who want to dive deeper into the details, it’s highly recommended to watch the recording of the panel (check out the video below). I’ve attended the panels at Cine Gear 2017 and 2018, and it was pretty fascinating.

Regarding the lenses, as you can see, they are not cheap. There is a noticeable and significant price variation. Some of them are dedicated for rental only (Zeiss, P+S Technik, Premista, Leitz, Cooke, and ARRI), and some of them you can own (Tokina, Sigma, and Schneider). However, all of them will help you to achieve the full frame cinematic look.

“Artistic description”

One more thing regarding the “Artistic description” mentioned near each lens. That is not an empiric mathematical description. It’s just how the experts and manufacturers explain the unique characteristics of their glasses. It depends on numerous production parameters like lighting, camera, and many more. The best way to decide which lens to use is to try it by yourself and verify that this glass will suit your needs for telling the story.

Obsoleteness

It will be interesting to see if sensors size is expanded further causing more lens invention and development of another generation of cinema glass. If that will happen, lenses will become obsolete like cameras.

Once, investing in a lens was made for the long run. Today, the lifespan of a cine lens is significantly lower. Think about that before buying your next FF cine-glass.