Recently, AbelCine organized a focus group with select cinematographers and specialists from Canon to review the new Dual Pixel Auto Focus (DAF) upgrade for the C300 camera. The consensus was that for $500, this is a feature worth many times its cost, as it expands the universe of the types of shots that can be achieved.

Zeiss has carried on the tradition of the Super Speed family with its latest additions to the CP.2 line. These new T1.5 lenses come in 35mm, 50mm and 85mm focal lengths and share many of the same features as the other CP.2s, including a 114mm front diameter and interchangeable mounts.

Last year at Cine Gear, Mitch got a peek at Hedén's new HLC System - an inexpensive, single-channel, Bluetooth wireless lens controller.

Sony's new PMW-F5 and PMW-F55 cameras build upon the popular PMW-F3, and feature a Super-35mm size sensor with 2K and 4K recording options. Both the F5 and F55 are suitable for many different styles of production and can be customized with lenses and accessories to make them even more versatile solutions. Some of the existing accessories for the F3 are interchangeable with the F5 and F55, but the new form factor means some support accessories will be unique. In this article, we present the many different lenses and accessories that can be used with the cameras.

At least once or twice a week I'm asked by clients if Super-16 lenses can be used with the Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera. It's understandable that they ask; the camera is an interesting and affordable new option but the sensor size is unique. Plus, many people have excellent S-16 glass gathering dust on the shelf. Marrying the two would be convenient and cost-effective.

In this blog, I look at the latest lens support offerings from Bright Tangerine, which include a 19mm studio support, called Marr, and a 15mm studio companion, called Joyce. There's also a brand new 15mm lightweight lens support addition, known as the Morrissey.

Canon optics have a large following in the HDSLR world and are known for producing wonderful skin tones and a beautiful gradation into the blacks. In recent years, the popularity of Canon lenses has extended into the cinema world with many filmmakers seeking special adapters and rigs to use these photo lens in a production environment.

Bokeh is one of the more misunderstood concepts in optics. The term was coined for photographic use in 1997, from the Japanese word boke, meaning blur or haze. In recent years, "bokeh" has been simplified to refer to how the shape of a lens' iris is rendered in out-of-focus points of light in an image, such as streetlamps at night. Much is made of how many iris blades are used in a lens and how round the iris aperture is as it is stopped down, but these are only minor aspects of bokeh.

ZEISS has just announced a new chapter in cinema optics: the Supreme Primes. These full format, large image circle primes build on ZEISS's deep experience in cinema lenses and provide a modern, yet classic, platform that looks to combine the best aspects of classic Super Speeds as well as modern Ultra and Master Primes. Initial availability is scheduled for this fall. Let's dive in and take a closer look at this exciting new option for top-tier full format cameras like the ARRI ALEXA LF, Canon C700 FF, RED MONSTRO, and Sony VENICE.