Welcome to the latest episode of our weekly roundup of news from the TV and film industry.
This week we are featuring the announcement from Cooke about their new 30-95mm and 85-215mm zoom lenses as well as their new range of full frame Panchro/i Classic lenses, DJI's new drone, the Mavic 3 and Samyang's 2nd generation 50mm f1.4 prime lens.
New Cooke Lenses
Legendary British cine lens maker Cooke has announced two new cine zooms as well as their new range of Panchro/i Classic Primes designed for full frame cameras. The new Cooke Varotal 30-95mm T2.9 and 85-215mm zooms have a maximum T stop of 2.9 and will be available in both PL and LPL mounts at launch. The perfect compliment to the Cooke S7 line-up, the new Varotal zooms are said to offer gentle and soft skin tones, stellar image quality and have been designed to cover the latest full-frame digital sensors on cameras such as the ALEXA Mini LF and Sony VENICE. The relatively compact and lightweight footprint for their class make them perfect for a variety of filming scenarios including Steadicams, car mounts, and any fast-paced action where lens changes are cost prohibitive. In addition to carrying the classic Varotal imaging DNA, the new zooms are also equipped with the latest modern Cooke/i technology lens data and robust build quality.
The Panchro/i Classic FF range offers full frame film makers the ability to capture the classic Panchro Look, as well as the Cooke Look, in their full frame productions. The focal lengths 18mm, 21mm, 25mm, 27mm, 32mm, 40mm, and 50mm have been specially redesigned to fill full frame image circles. The 65mm MACRO, 75mm, 100mm, 135mm and 152mm in the standard Panchro/i Classic range were already capable of filling a full frame image circle, so no optical or mechanical alterations have been made for these focal lengths. Additional FF scale covers are available for 65mm MACRO upwards if required to harmonise rental fleets.
DJI Mavic 3
DJI has finally announced their next generation cinematic drones for video creators. The new DJI Mavic 3 offers a significant leap in aerial image making with impressive image quality improvements and longer flight times making the wait worthwhile. Available in two versions, the Mavic 3 features a 3-axis stabilized, dual camera setup with a 4/3 CMOS sensor Hasselblad wide-angle camera and a 28x zoom hybrid camera housing a 1/2" sensor. The Mavic 3 Cine version takes things even further, giving image creators the ability to record ProRes HQ on-board to a built-in 1TB SSD further expanding the creative possibilities in post-production. Both drones can record video up to 5K at 50p as well as 4K/120fps. And last, but not least, the new Mavic 3 drones feature an improved obstacle avoidance system, better autofocus and a larger battery enabling a substantial 47 minutes maximum flight time.
Samyang 50mm f1.4 Mk II
Samyang has been making some fantastic affordable lenses for the Sony ecosystem, and now they announced the 2nd generation Samyang 50mm f1.4 for Sony FE. Compatible with the latest Sony full-frame sensors, the 50mm f1.4 Mark II, is the smallest and lightest among its competitors and offers fast, accurate and smooth focus especially in video thanks to the Samyang Linear Stepping Motor. The 9 blade aperture design ensures organic bokeh, while the advanced optical formula minimizes focus breathing. In addition, the new Samyang 50mm f1.4 Mark II has a very short minimum focus distance of just 40cm making it ideal for a huge variety of setups including food and beverage photography, nature and portraits.
The Panchro/i Classic FF range offers full frame film makers the ability to capture the classic Panchro Look, as well as the Cooke Look, in their full frame productions. The focal lengths 18mm, 21mm, 25mm, 27mm, 32mm, 40mm, and 50mm have been specially redesigned to fill full frame image circles. The 65mm MACRO, 75mm, 100mm, 135mm and 152mm in the standard Panchro/i Classic range were already capable of filling a full frame image circle, so no optical or mechanical alterations have been made for these focal lengths. Additional FF scale covers are available for 65mm MACRO upwards if required to harmonise rental fleets.
