Leica is making cine lenses

[Sanjin Jukic]

Tonight I was at Leica (Leica Camera AG) presentation in WestLicht.Schauplatz für Fotografie, Westbahnstraße 40, a famous Viennese photo gallery and auction room.

In a talk with Leica representative I heard that Leica is in a process of designing and making high quality cine PL lenses.

Amazing news.

Also brought there my RED1 and of course had a "little sniff" of the brand new Leica-M Noctilux 50 mm f/0.95 aspherical (demo lens).

An extraordinary lens.

A short and dirty test footage is coming soon.

Stay tuned.

Leica Noctilux 50 mm f/0.95 aspherical (demo lens) on RED1 with IMS for RED.

 

[Dave Blackham]

Tonight I was at Leica presentation in WestLicht.Schauplatz für Fotografie, Westbahnstraße 40, a famous Viennese photo gallery and auction room.

In a talk with Leica representative I heard that Leica is in a process of designing and making high quality cine PL lenses.

Amazing news.

Also brought there my RED1 and of course had a "little sniff" of the brand new Leica Noctilux 50 mm f/0.95 aspherical (demo lens).

An extraordinary lens.

A short and dirty test footage is coming soon.

Stay tuned.

This is extremly interesting, when can we know more. Any idea of the target pricing ?

Dave
UK

 

[David Battistella]

Great News sanjin. Sorry to hear that the mount that great glass is sitting on has voided your RED warranty.

David

 

[Peter Majtan]

Sanjin, any idea if the Noctilux is going to be available as PL-mount cine lens?

I miss Vienna, we used to go the at least once a week from Bratislava...

Peter

 

[Ketch Rossi]

I had a conversation with an exec. at Leica as well as I have been in the process of Upgrading the 1Ds III to the Hasselblad H3D II 50, when I stable across the Leica Exec, which in turn introduce me to the new MF Leica S2 and told me that if I already tough that Leica Still glass was amazing I should wait till they send in the S series lenses, totally redesigned for MF.

So I can imagine that the PL glass might be in line with this new design.

Sanjin, do you know if is going to be aimed to Digital Cinema cameras or Film based cameras?

ciao

 

[Benjamin Rowland]

How soon will they bring these PL mount lenses to market and at what price point?

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Jens Jakob Thorsen]

Interesting news! Good luck on pulling focus at 0,95. Im shooting a feature at 1,3(Elites) and my focus puller is about to hang himself. Im now changing to 2-2.8;-)

Best JJ

 

[Evin Grant]

Isn't Leica glass (Elcan) used in Panavision lenses?
http://optics.org/cws/product/P000002510

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

RED1 and the newest Leica-S body fits together very nice.

For sure I wiil order Leica-S variant adapter on my RED1 with IMS on RED mount as soon as available.

BTW, I was playing with Leica-S body+S-lens and it all feels like a super professional stuff as you would expect from Leica.

Simultaneously I had my Canon 40D to shoot my documentary photos about all event:

And you know what(?): Canon feels like a touristic or a student camera comparable with Leica-S just for example when you pull a focus...

Also the body+lens is almost light like my Canon 40D!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, you could say Leica-S compete with Hasselbald, Linhof, etc,... medim staff and similar.

Right.

Go back to Noctilux.

Verry good.

Stay tuned.

Leica-S body with Leica Summarit-S 70mm f/2.5 and RED1 with IMS for RED holds Leica-M 50 mm f/0.95 NoctiluX.
Also seen RED handheld and light configuration additionally with Allstar dovetail.

Shot with Canon 40D + Canon 100 mm f/2.8 Macro USM.

 

[Dave Blackham]

What is the view of using Leica Stills lenses for motion picture use ?

I am told but have no definite info on some models it may be possible to use modify lenses to PL. I read here that Panavision use Leica glass so assume opticaly they would be very good.

Are there any drawbacks or positive points to consider in assembling a set of Leica lenses.

Thanks,

Dave
UK

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

What is the view of using Leica Stills lenses for motion picture use ?

I am told but have no definite info on some models it may be possible to use modify lenses to PL. I read here that Panavision use Leica glass so assume opticaly they would be very good.

Are there any drawbacks or positive points to consider in assembling a set of Leica lenses.

Thanks,

Dave
UK

Positive points:

- Optically excellent (very sharp in all apertures and also with a maximum sharpness at the corners).
- Mechanically excellent, all metal enclosures.
- Measures in feet and meter, very accurate, hand made measures for each lens.
- They all rotate like a cine lenses (Nikon lenses use reversed focus direction).
- Each lens hand made and controlled.
- Gives you a very special Leica color rendition and 3-D feeling.

Drawbacks:

- As a brand new lens set are very expensive .

You get what you pay for.

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Sanjin,

now you made me very jelous as I will not be able to play with the Leica S for awhile

BUt looking forward to some serious reviews on the new MF Leica S lenses.

ciao

 

[Noah Kadner]

um Leica glass is very, very nice.

Noah

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

Ketch,

Capisco.

Hopefully economy is going to recover "fast", maybe next year.

NAB 2009, as you said once in while.

Ciao

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Ketch,

Capisco.

Hopefully economy is going to recover "fast", maybe next year.

NAB 2009, as you said once in while.

Ciao

Not as much for the economy, at list I hope Just for luck of local access to one!

But very much leaning towards the Leica S2 vs. the Hassie H3D II 50, just that I haven't been given a specific date availability on the Leica yet, do you have any info on that?

ciao

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

Ketch,

As soon as possible.

Exactly when (?) I do not know.

But I could ask next week.

Give you reply about it.

Ciao

 

[Dave Blackham]

I have found several examples o used Leica R series lenses, they seem not to be very large aperture particularly at the wide end, however they look outstanding from the images that I've found so far.

I am assuming that a Leica R to EF or Nikon adaptor would be the way to go with Red and no PL conversion is possible ?

Dave
UK

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Ketch,

As soon as possible.

Exactly when (?) I do not know.

But I could ask next week.

Give you reply about it.

Ciao

Thanks Sanjin!

ciao

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Isn't Leica glass (Elcan) used in Panavision lenses?

Yes, but they also use glass from other sources, like Nikon. Dalsa also uses Leica glass.

If Leica makes S-series lenses with geared rings and a PL mount, I'll be all over them.

 

[Tonaci Tran]

oh man.. leica .95 pl mount prime lens set. that would be so sweet. It will cost $$$ dough, but hey, the more lenses on the market the better. I'm glad that they see a potential market.