Lenses
16ozstudio carries an impressive range of PL glass... We have 30+ Pl lenses available in-house. There is also a impressive range of interesting stills glass available which is very easy to use on the Red Dragon camera after a quick lens mount swap.
Cinema Glass (PL). As with all of 16oz investments a lot of research was undertaken before investments where made. The conclusion was a mix of lenses that allows us to produce any type of image needed. At one end we have the class defining pristine-ness of the Arri MasterPrime which in many instances matches perfectly with the super versatile UltraPrimes and if ‘interesting’ analogue flaws are wanted we engage the optically interesting Lomo spherical super speeds. Zooms are very important for efficient fast work and the best looking zooms are all from Angenieux from the's Optimo line of Cinema Zooms. When we need longer or wider the two interesting lenses are the TLS Morpheus 80-200mm and the Duclos 11-16mm. We also have had some interesting one off PL Tilt lenses made for us and a couple of secret exotic treats. Optics does not stop with lenses and with modern digital sensors resolving at 4k+ you must also consider the role of diffusion. We have tested every diffusion filter made and understand how each filter we carry affects the optical formulas of the imaging system as a whole. Some of our diffusion filters are one off samples and custom made magic.
What lenses is right for a project?
ARRI/Zeiss master prime are miracles of modern optics. They are lenses that are not only fast, but also surpass all standard speed primes in their image performance. Master prime lenses offer consistent optical quality across the t-stop and focus scales, and display absolutely no breathing. Their incredible speed (T1.3/f1.2) opens up creative opportunities. We use the MasterPrimes when we want to: have the very sharpest cleanest of pictures, shoot in the lowest light levels and also when we need to soften a background to a unrecognisable level. There is simply no better choice than the master prime lenses for digital productions shooting spherical. The one downside to shooting with the Master primes is size. They are heavy and big and due to size (or when you don’t need either the sharpest pic the widest aparture) we often reach for the Ultra Prime.
The ARRI/ZeIss Ultra prime series has the widest focal length range of any prime lens set available on the market. Ultra prime lenses retain their excellent image quality across the whole super 35 frame, even at close focus. the Ultra prime lenses are lightweight, standard speed lenses that are a perfect optical match to the high speed ARRI/ZeIss master prime series, giving you the flexibility to get the coverage you need. They are not slow lenses and have good low light performance with a T1.9 light transmission rating created by a f1.7 aperture.
We use the Ultra primes when size and weight is a issue or when we don’t need the extra speed.
Super 35 Illumina lenses (Jeckle and Hyde glass)
This set of 5 lenses is very interesting and offers special picture opportunities that is difficult to replicate with most high quality modern glass.
The lenses are form Russia. LOMO optical design Bureau, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation. The glass is supplied to LOMO specs by Schott of Germany.
Between T1.3 and T2 these lenses offer interesting aberrations and artefacts. Flares, smearing and a crazy Bokeh. You get a lot of the fun of old anamorphic glass without the hassle. Combine these lenses with some Tiffin Glimmer glass or Pearlesant filters and you can produce some really lovely organic flattering Beuaty work.
However when you stop down to T2.8+ they are actually very very sharp and modern… hence Jeckle and Hyde glass.
ZOOMS
The three Angenieux Optimo zooms we have provide focal length options from 16 to 120 mm. We also have the ability to extend the range of the longest lenses the Optimo 45-120mm with a 2x extender. The 16-42 and 30-76 are from the DP series and have a rears that precludes there use with a motion mount but are otherwise excellent. All 3 lenses are extremely light weight (about 2kg each). This allows perfect camera balance on the shoulder and for a quick easy positional work when using a easy rig.
80-200mm Morpheus Zoom
Back in 2005 TLS were asked by ARRI Media in Uxbridge to re-design the Nikon 80-200mm/T2.8 ‘for the then upcoming 2006 Bond reboot ‘Casino Royale’. TLS redesigned the zoom, focus and iris mechanics, added 0.8 pitched gears, extended the focus rotation to 180 degrees, redesigned the external h.; 12 units were built and delivered to ARRI Media UK for use on the Bond shoot. Unlike all other PL 120mm and greater lenses the 80-200 is designed to be lightweight at 2.3kg and is ideal for hand held, small camera setups and remotely operated rigs. The optical design of the Nikon lens exhibits good optical performance and is a decent LW extension of the zoom range of the LW optima lenses. The 9-leaf iris generates round, out of focus highlights and an organic bokeh.
Duclos PL 11-16mm ultra-wide angle lens
Duclos Lenses has developed a conversion process for the Tokina 11-16mm ultra-wide angle lens. They refined the optics internally by stabilising the image while focusing and zooming as well as calibrated the optics for precise axial alignment to really squeeze the most performance possible. The final product is a small, lightweight lens perfectly capable of holding it’s own against the likes of other motion picture optics.. all with a precision one-piece machined stainless steel PL mount.
Tilt and Shift lenses
The fantastic 28/2.8 Schneider PC lens was modified for us to tilt instead of shift (for up to 12° tilt) and now has a PL mount. This lenses is fantastically sharp and easy and fun to use.
If you need the impossible tilt shot where focus runs almost perpendicular to the film plane we turn to a Special 35degree Tilt Rodegon 80mm projector lens that has been modified for cinema use.
This interesting 80mm can be teamed up with a Makroscope 12 diopter, This two element aspherical lens is possibly the highest quality auxiliary close-up lens available. produces an image size of than 1:1 – without the light loss associated with extension tubes.
Other PL lenses
RED Pro 300mm T2.9 The 1st lens Red ever made and probably the best as well. Zeiss don't make a 300 Pl lenses and we didn't want to buy a super heavy zoom so tested all the available options. In PL terms this is a cheap and cheerful lenses but it really does the job.
Minimum Object Distance is 7.36'
H x V FOV for S35 Format is 5.83° x 2.92°
Pelang 8mm T2.8
Last and probably least in our PL lenses portfolio is a Russian Pelang 8mm lenses mounted in PL. This fish eye lens has only been used twice. And even though it was a huge success both times and a lot of fun it is tricky and flawed.
Master Diopters
Main Features
- 3 Diopters (+0.5, +1, +2) for close ups beyond the lens' close focus
- Superior image quality through achromatic elements and Zeiss T* coating
- Optically matched to Master Primes, but can also be used on other lenses
- Time savings and better match to prime lenses compared to macro lenses
- Clamp-on mechanism ensures quick and easy use and precise fit
- Works with Master Primes, Ultra Primes, Ultra 16 lenses, the the Optima zooms,.
- Achromatic lens elements and careful optical design
- ZEISS T* anti-reflex coating greatly reduces flares and other internal reflections.
Their unique mechanical design allows for safe and fast use, including quick stacking. Close tolerances and a unique clamping mechanism ensure perfect centering and keep the diopter parallel to the taking lens. The Master Diopters allow you to quickly grab a close up without sacrificing image quality.
Ultra Diopter
Nearly identical to the Master Diopter. The difference is that they only work with 95mm fronted lenses and they are available only as 1 and 2 strength.
Extention tubes
Not stricktly optical but definitely part of the lensesing system. We carry some Extension tubes for when a diopter is either not enough or when it is inappropriate to use. For example with the Ilumina lenses. PL 16mm PL 25mm and a PL 50mm
Diffusion filters and other optical tools
As mentioned we have spent a lot of times investigation Diffusion , Our lenses and how to create different looks with digital sensors. The culmination of all this research means you will find us shooting through lots of differnt bits of glass from next years AR coated Tiffen Diffusion samples to fractured pieces of window plane taken from a 19 century chapel window.
Non-PL Glass
Pl mounted cinema glass is on our cameras 95% of the time. however there is some really interesting and useful Nikkor, Canon, Leitz and Zeiss glass that has not been rehoused. When needed we dip into a pool of over 25+ lenses.