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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

S35 Illuminas at NAB

What camera was used to shot the show reel?
 
Speaking as someone associated with, but not employed by Luma Tech (owners of the Illumina brand), who has watched and participated as a technical consultant on these lenses over the past few years, I'm confident in stating that the lenses have now arrived at a high degree of optical and mechanical quality. The images they produce, measured by means both subjective (your eye) and objective (MTF, test projectors, T-stop machines) often exceed the performance of some famous makes. Specifically, they offer very high exposure value (Their T1.3 effective aperture is conservatively rated, rather than exaggerated), low geometric distortion (virtually rectilinear from 25mm to 85mm), well controlled curvature of field and high contrast.

Have there been problems with uneven quality control in the past ? Yes. Has this issue been vigorously addressed through a policy of increased and better-defined QA efforts both at the LOMO factory and here in the US ? Double yes.

The lenses offer a very attractive and natural look. The subjective, intuitive side of cinematography often gravitates toward tools that offer that extra "little something-something" that's hard to define, but quickly recognized when seen. People love the look. Is it the slight warmth (without going overboard) ? Is it the pleasing bokeh ? Is it flare that is there when you need it, but controllable when you don't want it. You test, you decide.
 
FWIW, I'm loving the look and feel of the T1.3 S16 Illumina primes. Very lightweight, very fast glass, virtually no focus breathing, and the images look very nice to my eyes (I've also owned the new iPanchro glass). The depth of field is equivalent to T2.8 on S35 when shooting at T1.3, so I need less lights. And, for how fast we shoot, ia 2.8-4 DoF is about the best we can reliably pull focus at. I also prefer the 2.8-4 DoF look (background visible but still soft enough to isolate the subject). S35 T2 is nice at night and can be night in the day, but again, costs more to get. I'd only use S25 T1.3 at night, under duress -- it's just too dang blurry for me, especially on the longer focal lengths.

The T1.3 S16 Illumina primes works great on my Epic-X recording at 3K, and cropping either to 2400 (no vignette at all, 16:9/1.85/2.4 aspect rations), or 2560x1080 (has a correctable vignette at the corners, which is what I actually shoot for). At 2560x1080, you have to manually center the crop on the projected circle, which differs slightly from lens to lens.

I'm targeting 720p delivery and lower for iPad/iPhone/iPod & Kindle Fire. 720p is a super sharp 2x reduction from 2560x1080 with full color information in each pixel, but 2560/2048/1920 widths also look great. I'm doing all of my mastering at 2560x1080 for things like visual effects, color grading, stabilization, etc., so those are also possible delivery formats for me in the future once the market supports it.

Anyway, my $.02!
 
Nice work.
 
I've been using a set of the MK2 Illuminas since June last year. Almost exclusively on my Epic-M. Although I have used them on an Alexa as well with very nice results. Ive traveled around the world with them on a feature doc and they have not missed a beat, so I'm quite pleased with the Lomo factory's build quality. Most of what I shoot falls into commercial and narrative project categories. And in that context I've been very happy with the image quality. Breathing is almost non-existent (less than the iPanchros I compared them to. Nice and sharp at reasonable T stops, and when I really feel the need for speed they can allow more light into the camera than anything in their class. T1.2 is very fast. At that speed there is a noticeable loss of sharpness, particularly with edge fall-off. But, that's to be expected at that speed with a lens. The fall off is less than Arri Mk2 superspeeds, and more than the amazing Master Primes.
The lenses have a very unique flare characteristic that for the most part I really like. Getting them to flare is easy. Keeping them from flaring is also easy (mattebox). The only exception is some small flare "spots" in my 25mm that I have to watch for. Luma Tech has since designed better internal light baffling, and has offered to install that improvement in my 25mm. Something I'll likely take advantage of. But for now, my lenses are working a LOT, the bogie is easy to avoid, and I don't want to take the set off-line until I have a clear slot in my shooting and rental schedule.
All in all, I've been quite happy with my Illuminas.
Fred keeps asking me to post some footage from my shoots and I will do that. I've just been so busy using them that I haven't had a chance to update my reel.

Cheers,
Paul
 
Adam I'm sorry to read about your experience but I will say this, I have a set of Illumina's and think they are fantastic and well worth the price tag.
 
Adam, I concur with Rory... I have had great experience with my Illuminas.. I love them. My clients are happy with images made with them.. Would I love to own a set of Master Primes? Yes and no. Yes because they are incredible, no because I do not feel their quality justifies their price. And quite frankly, it's more important how clients see my work, not what industry insiders think about a lens. Clients are looking for beautiful imagery..They dont ask me how my lenses perform on test charts. They do not look at test charts. They dont care about test charts...They hire me and leave the technical details to me. Test charts are scientific but i have not seen any truly scientific tests done by a certified lab. I am sorry your experience with your lenses was not good..It sucks to spend a large sum of money, only to be underwhelmed by the purchase. Besides the test charts, did you shoot any footage? Im curious to see how images, not test charts look. Our lenses are the last analog connection we have as digital filmakers and I want my lenses to have some personality...I feel my Illuminas perform superbly and contribute to the look and texture of what I shoot.
 
There will be an open house and a repair seminar for the Illumina lenses in Hollywood, Florida
May 16-22. The designer from LOMO will be there and because the event will be held at a
rental facility many cameras and lenses will be available for hands-on tests and comparisons.
A projector will also be available.

Luma Tech invites anyone of interest to attend, as well as lens technicians who will receive
first hand training on maintenance of the full range of Illumina lenses.

Hollywood, Florida is 10 minutes from the Ft. Lauderdale airport. Please email me if you
would like to attend.
 
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