The ZEISS Milvus Super Speed lenses represent all new lens designs in the Milvus family of lenses. The full frame lenses are all f/1.4 (hence the super speed designation), and are available in 25mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm focal lengths. They can be purchased individually or as a four lens set with either Canon EF or Nikon F mounts.

The LWZ.3 21-100mm Lightweight Zoom from ZEISS is an extremely versatile lens that's designed for Super 35mm and APS-C sensor based camera systems. It is well suited for corporate, documentary and narrative work – especially projects where both budget and high image quality are considerations.

ZEISS has rolled out a new line of high quality lenses: the Compact Prime CP.3 and CP.3 XD. With a compact new design, these lightweight lenses are perfect for any type of shooting, from handheld to drone. They also boast full frame coverage across the entire range, and the esteemed ZEISS look that matches with every other ZEISS cinema lens.

Zeiss has had a line of reasonably priced cinema zooms for a few years now, but the introduction of the Zeiss LWZ.3 21-100mm takes things up a notch. The 21-100 covers a much longer focal length range than any of their other lenses, and is more than a pound lighter than its predecessors.

I had ZEISS’ Snehal Patel over for a lively discussion about the new Compact Prime 3 and Compact Prime 3 XD lenses from ZEISS. This exciting new series of professional cinema lenses feature smaller and lighter housings than their CP.2 predecessors, consistent 95mm front outer diameters, and an updated focusing mechanism for a consistently smooth feel, even in cold weather.

As a documentary cinematographer, I am constantly struggling to decide which lenses I want in my kit for any given project. The options over the years have ranged from minimal to overwhelming. In the beginning, I was mostly restricted to DSLR-style lenses to interface with my EF or Sony E-mount cameras.

Choosing the make of the lenses you use on a project is one of many ways to create a look. The quality and characteristics of a lens add to the flavor of the image, and is one of the many ways to impart your look as a DP. It's one of my favorite choices a DP can make on a project: which make of lenses will I use for this specific project?

Most cinema cameras today can work with lenses designed for cinema use, as well as those designed for still photography, but there are still important differences between these lenses. I teamed up with Snehal Patel from Zeiss to answer the question "what makes a lens a cinema lens"?

On Saturday, October 8, AbelCine held its first Fall Tech Expo. Taking place in our Chicago location on the Cinespace Studios lot, the expo featured a number of manufacturers displaying new gear for attendees to get their hands on.