Zeiss has been on a roll over the past few years. Their ZF.2 lenses became an overdue success and with those came the Compact Primes CP.2 and the Light Weight Zoom LWZ. They’ve recently announced their short line of high speed CP.2 lenses deemed Super Speeds as well as their new 70-200mm Cine-Zoom and even a range of professional anamorphic primes at NAB this year. Their product line-up just gets better and better with no hint of stopping anytime soon.
IBC 2012 is right around the corner and in typical Zeiss fashion, they have some goodies to announce that they’ve teased well ahead of time.
“We are using the IBC to exclusively present two new cine lenses that perfectly complement our existing portfolio. We will publicize more information and news during the IBC.”
Zeiss doesn’t give any more details other than a product line-up including two silhouettes for the mystery lenses yet to be announced. Their press release goes into more about their new 15mm T2.9 and 135mm T2.1 CP.2 lenses as well as their 70-200mm T2.9 tele-zoom. Based on the photo hint, the two new additions will be a new CP.2 focal length, either a faster CP.2 to add to the Super Speed set or a new focal length not yet seen, as well as a mid-range Cine-Zoom. This would make perfect sense as the market for lightweight mid-range zoom lenses for cinema application has been extremely high-end in the form of an Angenieux, or extremely poor in the form of a Red zoom. If anyone can conjure up a mid-range, high quality zoom at a reasonable price, Zeiss can. I would imagine this lens is something in the 24-70mm range.
Doesn’t much matter what the lenses are right now. IBC should be a load of fun for any motion picture industry attendee, including myself, and Zeiss never fails to deliver. Be sure to check back and subscribe often as I will be updating on the spot from IBC with photos and more product specs. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think Zeiss new mystery lenses will be.
Enrique Pacheco said:
I think it should be at least 24-70, as is the most used zoom right now. 28-70 will be a mistake.
Also would be nice if they choose an aperture and stick to it, cant understand why each lens has a different aperture, unlike the cinema series, not very pro in my opinion.
Matthew Duclos said:
Exactly my thoughts, a mid-range somewhere around 20mm all the way to 70mm. I don’t think they will overlap the focal length at the long end with the 70-200mm which limits the range there. But the wide end of the zoom can be anything. 24mm seems to be the sweet spot. They’ve kept the T-stops the same for the most part with their newer lenses. The original Compact Primes were a bit wanky with the T-stops because they were derived form the Zeiss ZF.2 lenses which had random f stops. With the CP.2 line, they’re all T2.1 or a tad slower like the 18mm and the 15mm. A new zoom lens would almost certainly be matched to the existing 70-200mm at T2.9.
Ruben Fernandez said:
I actually would prefer something closer to a 17-55mm, for work either on full frame or S35mm. I always jump from 50 to 85mm anyway, 70mm is something I usually don’t use.
Mike Ross said:
A full range of Superspeeds…!
Brian Leisring said:
My guess for the zoom is the short. 16.5-45 ish. as for the new cp.2 my hope would be a 65. a 25 t1.5 would be a nice addition to the speeds though.
Anonymous said:
I like the logic behind thinking it would be between an 85 and 100 from the placement on the poster, but I would be VERY surprised if it were. The difference between 85 and 100 isn’t that great, and something between would be completely useless in my opinion. I think the prime will be a new super clocking in at 1.5, maybe a 28 or something.
The zoom, that is difficult. My first instinct was one on the wider side, but it would be silly to match it with the 70-200 and leave a gap in the middle… thus I agree with most here it will be something that goes up to a 70 or 85, and starts in the 20′s somewhere. Maybe 24, maybe 28.
-ryan
Anonymous said:
Actually, the placement in the photo has the new prime between the 15mm t/2.9 and the 135mm t/2.1. So I’m not sure there is any logic to the guess it’s between an 85 and 100.
-ryan
Matthew Duclos said:
Completely agree with you guys. The field of view difference between 85mm and 100mm is very, very little. I would imagine it’s either a faster prime to be added to the Super Speed set or a new focal length altogether.
Anonymous said:
i vote for a wider super speed, a 25mm T1.5 would be a killer