Zeiss launches lightweight 21-100mm pro movie lens

German optics legend Zeiss is known for its quality lenses, but its latest product announcement is an impressive-looking piece of kit even by the company's own high standards. The Zeiss Lightweight Zoom LWZ.3 21-100mm/T2.9-3.9 T* is a professional Super 35-format movie lens that, as its name would suggest, is intended to provide exemplary portability.

With a weight of around 4.4 pounds (2kg), the Zeiss Lightweight Zoom LWZ.3 21-100mm/T2.9-3.9 T* is still a hefty chunk of glass by consumer standards, especially for one with a relatively short 4.8x zoom range and an image circle similar to that of an APS-C sensor. But with a pricetag expected to be around US$9,900 when it ships next January, this is not a consumer lens or anything even remotely approaching one. It's a professional optic, and by the standards of professional gear of a similar caliber, actually rather light.

Doubly so when you consider that, since it's a zoom, the Zeiss 21-100mm is probably not replacing just one lens. In its press materials, Zeiss suggests that the Lightweight Zoom will be able to assume the duties of as many as six separate primes, saving on a considerable amount of expenditure and bulk, not to mention the time spent switching lenses back and forth.

If you're a pro videographer and want to get your hands on the Zeiss 21-100mm lens, the good news is that it will be available for a wide range of camera systems. That's because it features Zeiss' Interchangeable Mount System, which allows it to be adapted to one of five different lens mounts -- either Arri PL, Canon EF, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F or Sony E-mounts are available. The movie clip above was shot with the 21-100mm lens on a Sony FS7 movie camera.

Much more information can be found on Zeiss' website.

(via Photoxels)