Schneider’s new 14mm f/2.2 lens for Canon EF, Arri PL mounts fits like a glove, shoots 5K cinema movies
posted Monday, September 16, 2013 at 9:24 AM EDT
Fancy putting a 5K cinema-friendly lens on your digital SLR? Optics manufacturer Schneider-Kreuznach is inviting you to do just that with its latest product, announced at the 2013 International Broadcast Conference in Amsterdam. The Schneider-Kreuznach T2.2/14mm is one of seven lenses in the CINE-XENAR III line, all of which are intended for use with high-end broadcast and cinema cameras like the ARRI Alexa, Canon C series, RED ONE, and Sony F series -- but they can also be mounted on Canon's EF-mount digital SLRs.
Designed with pros in mind, the CINE-XENAR III lenses forego niceties like automatic -- well, anything! -- in favor of a fits-like-a-glove user experience. Learn to shoot with one of these, and you've learned to shoot with them all. The seven prime lenses in the series have interchangeable PL-mount / EF-mount bayonets, and the whole line -- covering everything from 14mm to 95mm -- shares not just a similar design, but the exact same dimensions and control layout. That, paired with extremely clear and legible markings and interchangeable metric / imperial focusing scales, means you can go from shooting the new 14mm f/2.2 optic to, say, the existing 75mm f/2.0 lens without having to adjust to a different lens design.
In all, the CINE-XENAR III series now encompasses three f/2.2 lenses (14mm, 18mm, and 25mm), one f/2.1 optic (35mm), and three f/2.0 models (50mm, 75mm, and 95mm), all designed for cinematography at up to 5K resolution, as well as still imaging. Each also shares with its siblings a telecentric design with 31.5mm image circle, an impressive 18-bladed aperture diaphragm, Schneider-Kreuznach's High Performance lens coating, 100mm filter threads, close focusing to 11 inches from the sensor plane, and a design intended to yield minimal breathing.
Pricing for the new Schneider-Kreuznach CINE-XENAR III 14mm f/2.2 lens hasn't been disclosed, but availability is expected in the fourth quarter of 2013. More details on the Schneider-Kreuznach website!