Author: Bokeh Rentals

Xelmus is taking the anamorphic lens game to the next level with its recent Apollo series. This six lens package was unveiled in two halves: In 2019, the 40mm, 60mm, and 100mm; then, the 50mm, 75mm, and 135mm additions in late 2020. And there’s a lot to get excited about, especially for a package of this price.

Let’s start with the physical factors. The Apollo lenses have a beautiful housing, painted in a delicate black-white-red color scheme that’s reminiscent of the real Apollo spaceflight missions. Xelmus also prides itself on the light weight of the lenses, which, combined with the remarkably similar weights, make these lenses a great size for gimbal, drone, and Steadicam work.

Although they may be sized similar, the internal mechanisms are not identical. Potential renters and buyers should be aware that there is a range in T-Stop between the lenses—and not even at a direct correlation with focal lens. Having said that, a 2.0 T-Stop at 75mm is impressive enough in the first place, and these lenses have incredible low light functionality—which combined with those iconic anamorphic flares, will definitely give your night scenes a lot of character.

Interestingly, the Apollo’s focusing system borrows from an old Panavision patent dating back to the ‘50s. See, when focus shifts on any camera, the frame stretches, or “breathes”. You may not notice it every time, but on some level, the sensation of the breathing frame is familiar to most viewers.

An exaggerated case of breathing in Looper (2012), created by racking focus from close to infinity

What Xelmus has done in its Apollo series is use Panavision’s “anti-mump” patent to limit frame breathing to only the vertical axis. This means that when racking focus, the frame won’t look like it’s widening through its sides. Fun fact: Panavision created this after the common complaint from 1950s leading actors that their faces would bloat when focus shifted, appearing as though they have the mumps. Hence, “anti-mump” technology.
What’s also notable about the Apollo lenses is their incredible close focus capability. For instance, the 75mm lens can achieve sharp focus of an object that’s only 20 inches away—which is practically unheard of with an anamorphic lens, especially one of this value. It’s not quite a macro lens, but it certainly makes these little red, white and black lenses more versatile.

Here’s a test by BP40 VLOGS that goes through the 40mm, 60mm, and 100mm lenses of the Apollo set. He really puts them to the limit, shooting wide open in scenarios of only available light. Some of these shots really test the limit of the lenses’ raw elements, but even under a normal set of domestic floodlights, you’ll still get that much-coveted anamorphic flare.

For some footage shot in professional lighting scenarios, check out this polished Expedia ad:

While there’s nothing mind-blowing in this sixty second spot, it provides a good display of the Apollo’s chromatic aberration (specifically the sun flares in 00:50-00:57), close focus, and distortion minimization on the wide lenses.
The Apollo lenses are among the most affordable full-frame, anamorphic series of cinema lenses. Each lens may be purchased from the manufacturer’s site directly, a single one costing $11,998, or $35,994 for a set of any three. This, compared to, say, the Cooke FF Anamorphic line, which goes for about $32,000 per lens, makes the choice clear for cinematographers on a budget.

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As a marketing tactic. most camera brands try to emphasize their fixture within Hollywood filmmaking—sometimes going far enough to list classic Hollywood titles on their official sites.

LOMO does something a little different. Their company stems from a massive defense manufacturer—its history entangled with Soviet and Russian history. LOMO lenses have been used widely in the Soviet film industry, and the company also has experience building optoelectronics for the Russian military, such as night vision sights for missile systems or optical components for satellites.

Now, the company’s greater reach is worth mentioning, because its civilian optical creations, such as the new Illuminas MK-II super speed lenses, have stunning technical capabilities beyond those of smaller optical designers.
Since 2009, LOMO has been producing the Illumina S35 lenses in collaboration with the United States-based LumaTec Inc. As LOMO’s single-page, scrollable site explains, the new MK-2s come about from a global operation, with designs and equipment bouncing around between Russia, Germany, and the United States.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the Illuminas were designed for a visual style that calls back to classic Russian (more accurately, “Soviet”) optics. In fact, LOMO—the Leningrad Optical-Mechanical Association—doesn’t have to reach far back, considering its creations have been used by Russian legend Andrei Tarkovsky. The Illuminas MK-2 lenses are often compared to the Zeiss Master Primes, which also tout the vintage Russian look: naturalistic, organic imagery—that don’t necessarily amplify flares, but let them run their course, albeit slightly suppressed—with natural features like chromatic aberration. Interestingly, the MK-2s have very limited breathing and distortion, even on its widest lenses.

These Illumina S35 MK-2 lenses, a line of 14mm, 18mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 135mm, can all pull T1.3, with the widest and longest lenses capable of a slower T1.8—still a remarkably fast aperture, especially at 135mm. The fast T-stop of the Illumina MK-2 primes allow shooting at lower light levels, which always gives more latitude to the D.P. and could come in handy on an independent, run-and-gun, or even just hurried production.

Also, the almost-perfect T-stop consistency is a plus in any primes kit, as it allows for minimal tweaking of lighting setups when changing lenses. For example, if you’ve just captured a medium in a dialogue scene with the 50mm lens, and now you need to move in for a closeup on an 85mm—the T-stops are matched, meaning that you won’t need to adjust lighting for the lens switch alone. Of course, this doesn’t mean you won’t adjust lighting at all—but it gives you the creative leeway to easily switch lenses when setting up your shots (Just don’t forget about the 14mm and 135mm’s 1.8 T-stop!).

The optical elements from Germany, engineering prowess from the U.S., and designs from St. Petersburg all come together to form the universally accessible Illuminas lenses, which can be used on the most popular large format camera systems through its PL mounting system. As far as the cine lens’ physical features go, there is a 9-blade iris diaphragm, which lends itself to similar shaped bokeh. All lenses have a front diameter of 95mm (with the exception of the 14mm). The seven pieces of the kit range in weight from 1.4 to 2.3 kg, a somewhat similar, but not altogether groundbreaking difference between sizes.

The LOMO Illuminas MK-2 Super Speed lenses can be ordered personally from LOMO’s contact us page or sought out from their handpicked lens rental companies. The Illuminas MK-2 lenses may require more footwork to track down, but their lower prices—especially in relation to the comparable Zeiss Primes—might make all the hunting worth it.

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RED—always looking to break new ground in digital, large-format cinema—recently announced its newest groundbreaker: the V-RAPTOR.

The V-RAPTOR—which comes after the compact, 6k Super35 KOMODO—is short for “Velociraptor”. Although it’s the second installment in RED’s all-caps reptilian-named series, the V-RAPTOR is the first in RED’s next generation DSMC3 bodies.

Titles and labels aside, this means that the RAPTOR is a little larger than the KOMODO; but it more than makes up for the weight gain with jaw-dropping capabilities. For starters, the V-RAPTOR has a sensor that can shoot 8K large format and 6K Super35. In fact, similar to the KOMODO, the V-RAPTOR can be used with any large format or S35 lenses and always shoot over 4K resolution.

The fps capabilities are something worth writing home about. The RAPTOR’s 8K sensor can shoot 8K in 120fps (150 fps at 2:4:1), 160fps at 6K (200 fps at 2:4:1), and 2K at 600fps. At that point, the crop is so intense, it may not even be worth pulling 600 fps. But, as with some of RED’s other creations, the technical capabilities aren’t centered around what’s practical—it’s about what’s possible.

In other words, these are unique selling points. Cynical, sure—but a dash of skepticism is needed when dealing with RED’s eye-boggling statistics. Otherwise, you might end up a little disappointed by an exaggerated dynamic range.

So, with all things gear, there comes a point when you need to lessen your grip on the numbers and look at the test footage.

At this point, there’s not yet a vast library of V-RAPTOR footage to choose from. So, here’s test footage that RED released, themselves:

The V-RAPTOR weighs 4.03lbs, a remarkable size for its massive capabilities. There’s no internal ND filter, but with the right adapter you can drop in NDs, no matte box necessary. As far as power goes, the V-RAPTOR’s phantom power is demanding, and rightly so—which means it’s best for any shooter to invest in V-Mount or Gold-Mount batteries.

It’s also worth noting that the RAPTOR also has the fastest cinema-quality sensor scan time, cleanest shadows, and highest frame rates of any previous RED body. The state-of-the-art manufacturer touts the dynamic range as 17 stops, but as stated earlier, that number might be undercut by third party lab tests, much like the KOMODO’s (read above).

Just like most products from RED, the V-RAPTOR is a versatile piece of technology with no singular purpose, and multiple capabilities that stretch further than any from the competition. It’s too early to find great test footage, but in the name of fun, here’s a run-and-gun demo shot by Jason Momoa:

The V-RAPTOR brain alone sits at $24,500 retail, the standard kit at $29,580, and according to statements by RED, there may not be at trade-in program any time soon… so maybe it’s worth trying it out at a rental house.

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TECHNOVISION has had its feet firmly planted in the filmmaking landscape for decades. The German optics manufacturer has been responsible for hundreds of motion pictures since the 1970s, when it began producing beautiful anamorphic glass for legendary cinematographers like Vittorio Storaro and Thierry Arbogast. This year, TECHNOVISION released a new line of anamorphic lenses for cinematographers looking to adapt a 70s style look for modern day systems. 

Very often, cinematographers like to lean back to vintage styles, which can be accomplished by rehousing older lenses for new camera mounts. Other times, the manufacturers themselves make the best of both worlds by designing a lens for current-day camera bodies with aesthetics that call back to a different era. 

TECHNOVISION’s new line of anamorphics is a wholesome throwback with modern-day technical considerations—there’s no DIY rehousing necessary for these five primes.   

Dubbed a “new classic” style on the manufacturer’s site, this recent series has the high contrast, speed, and multilayer coatings of modern day stylings—with the anamorphic squeeze factor, stretched bokeh and flares, and chromatic aberrations of vintage, analog photography. 

These 70s-cinema inspired lenses have a squeeze factor of 1.5x, meaning that they capture 150% the amount of horizontal information than a spherical lens. The wide-ranging prime lenses are scalable for sensor sizes, indicating that its squeeze factor allows an anamorphic, wide-screen look for large formats from S35 to Full Format, and from the 50mm to 70mm scope format. 

 Key to the visual language anamorphic brings is the way out-of-focus elements are stretched horizontally. It can be striking when side-by-side with a spherical lens comparison; but otherwise, anamorphic lenses have found their place nowadays in many Hollywood science fiction films. In fact, the cool streak-flares of anamorphic lenses are so warmly embraced that they have sometimes even been added in post to footage shot on spherical, non-anamorphic lenses.

Anamorphic streaks composited into a CG image from Star Wars: The Force Awakens

For anyone interested, here’s an in-depth, technical breakdown from Filmmaker IQ explaining exactly how anamorphic squeeze creates that unique, anamorphic bokeh.

TECHNOVISION’s new anamorphic lenses come in five focal lengths: 40mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, and 135mm. They are all priced on the official TECHNOVISION site at 19,900€, so maybe it’s worth renting them out before making an official production purchase. 

If you’re interested in adapting TECHNOVISION’s coveted anamorphic look, consider renting from Bokeh Rentals.

• Read the full specs

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Angénieux has spent decades cementing its name in film history as one of the world’s top optical manufacturers. It’s been making cinema-centric lenses since the 1950s—and its new collection of large format primes is something to behold.

The French optical brand has spent the last year releasing its new Optimo Collection, an impressive line of full frame, fast-as-could-be cinema primes. After being first announced in May 2019, the Optimo line has been released a few lenses at a time—which makes sense, considering the sheer size of the full package (not to mention the supply chain challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic). The comprehensive package of lenses include:

The T-stop says it all: these primes are great in low light and built for digital, 21^st century filmmaking. From there, Angénieux’s penchant for versatile gear only continues. A key innovation in the Optimo line is its Integrated Optical Palette (I.O.P.) system, touted for its user customizable abilities. 

As Severine Serrano, Managing Director of Angénieux Int’l Sales and Marketing defines the I.O.P: “It’s like the palette of a painter, where each color is similar to what you can change in the lens to paint your own image. The I.O.P. offers users the ability to express their individual creativity, to customize the look.”

What this means in practice, comes down to three areas of customization: “You have three things inside the lens that you can change. You can exchange the rear filter, the iris assembly, and an internal glass element in the middle. These three things can enable cinematographers to explore unique styles, depending on the project.”

1. Rear filter design
   1. 1. Not only is the rear filter placement useful for any attachments enabling sensor compatibility, but it could free up valuable rig space. With rear filter capabilities, it may become unnecessary to put a matte box at the lens’ front. This could save you space on set, which could drastically change the calculus in a close-quarters filming situation. 

    

2. Replaceable iris blade
   1. 1. Because of the ability to replace iris blades, DPs are essentially given customization of their bokeh. For now, there’s a three-blade iris for vintage, triangular bokeh; a six-bladed oval iris for faking anamorphic, and a round iris. Check out a bokeh test on our Instagram feed.

    

3. Internal glass element
   1. 1. There are lots of possibilities to creatively sweeten images with the removable optical element feature. For example, users can insert a clear filter that they’ve drawn over in metallic marker, like the fellas from C.V.P. did in their remarkable test.

    

For anyone looking to make the most of the Integrated Optical Palette system, it’s worth reading a PDF of Angénieux’s official I.O.P. manual before you get your hands on any equipment. Users be warned: take the extra step of identifying any I.O.P. customizations before renting any gear. Angénieux anticipated this potential issue, and to minimize confusion, the manufacturer included three red squares on the lens’ exterior that are used to specify the internal elements currently inside the lens system.   

Beyond the I.O.P. system, Angénieux’s new Optimo series has a clear focus towards consistency. The aforementioned 1.8 T-stop in most its lenses simplifies the process of swapping one focal length our for another, which could happen a lot when dealing with primes. A bonus, it should be mentioned, is that the Optimo primes have similar weights, so switching lenses shouldn’t ever be too cumbersome a task.  And, most importantly, the lenses match remarkably well visually; with a few tiny asterisks, such as the unavoidable, yet minor, barrel distortion when using the widest lens of the set. 

Although Angénieux only recently released the Optimo collection, the new series has already made its big screen debut multiple times over. Indiewire conducted a survey to learn that of the 52 films that premiered at Cannes 2021, Angénieux was the second most popular brand of lenses used. Both Optimo primes and Optimo zooms were used on films like Annette, Bloody Oranges, and Anais in Love (among others). 

The Angénieux Optimo Prime Series is a spectacular new option for large format filmmaking. If you’re interested in their look, click below to see visual demonstrations and full tech specs:

• Our Angénieux Optimo Prime test
• Read the full specs

Contact us to customize a package to suit your production needs at low prices! 

The Nikon 8mm f 2.8 fisheye lens is limited to certain shooting applications—but its effect is remarkable.

This fisheye’s specialty is its insane horizontal angle of view. The Nikon 8mm f 2.8 AI-s fisheye lens can capture 180-degree panoramas, far wider than the grand majority of normal cinema lenses and even most wide angles lenses. Although its style is limited by its wildly unconventional frame, the fisheye can be useful for VFX work, stylized music video shots, photography, or specialty media like QuickTime’s VR file format.

 Panoramas are usually constructed by using software to digitally stitch together multiple photos. The auto-compositing-panoramas software has gone a long way, but it can still yield flawed results at the professional level. Whether the light levels differ, objects cross over into both photos, or the focus varies even slightly, there’s always the chance of imperfections in your composite. This Nikon lens is meant for those types of situations, where panoramas need to be captured quickly—such as in real estate applications. 

The Nikon fisheye may capture 180 degrees of view—which is an incredibly wide image—but the image does not fill a rectangular frame, making this even more of a specialty lens. Instead of a full frame image, the Nikon renders images as a compact sphere over a black background. Unconventional, sure, but no sweat for any photographer with a basic knowledge of Photoshop. Check out the test footage below for the fisheye’s effect when shooting video.

 There are a few variations of the Nikon 8mm f2.8, progressively released with more capabilities. The first version (non-AI) was made from 1970-1977, followed by the AI version from 1977-1982, then culminating in the longest running of the series—the AI-S from 1982-1997. With the introduction of the AI system in 1977, Nikon coupled the lens to the camera’s exposure system (AI is a shortening of “automatic maximum aperture indexing”). Nikon then updated the AI system with the AI-S a few years later, which, among enhancements in compatibility, gave the camera body more precise aperture control.  

This vintage Nikon fisheye is crafted for specialty purposes, and under the right applications, could produce stunning results. Capture everything in front of this bulbous glass—and do it in low light.

Want to learn more? Read a detailed breakdown of Nikon 8mm f2.8 specs here.

Want one for yourself? Check out Bokeh Rentals’ Nikon 8mm f2.8 AI-S for rent.

Contact us to customize a package to suit your production needs at low prices. 

Interestingly, prop designers from 2001: A Space Odyssey used the Nikon 8mm as HAL9000’s “eye”

For decades now, Steven Soderbergh has been subverting the standards of American film production. Whether it was the low-budget craftiness of his Palme d’Or-winning breakout, Sex Lies and Videotape—the extreme embrace of color in Traffic, or the rebellious iPhone-as-cinema-camera streak; Soderbergh has found a way to tell an engaging story while experimenting with camera gear. 

Although Soderbergh has switched back to large format digital cameras—but he hasn’t stopped fiddling with the form. 
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If you happened to watch the HBOMax-released crime thriller No Sudden Move, then you’ve seen it too. Especially during the wide shots.  

The dialogue of No Sudden Move is engrossing, and the plot turns are involved, but you’d be among the minority if you weren’t struck by the over-the-top barrel distortion in the image, paired with extreme depth and heavy vignetting. And that doesn’t even begin to describe its ability to distract the viewer during the action-packed film’s many dollying or panning shots. 

For some viewers, the lens distortion was too much. But for others, it was another personal touch from a beloved auteur. 

On No Sudden Move, Soderbergh acted as his own Director of Photography under the pseudonym Peter Andrews. He shot the film on a RED RANGER MONSTRO using Kowa’s Prominar lenses, , Japanese glass from the 1960s. These period-appropriate, anamorphic lenses bring shallow focus, beautiful swirly bokeh, and even some vignetting to the picture’s visual language. 

However, what came along with this combination of old glass and a new, 8K-capable camera body, was the instantly infamous lens distortion.

 Soderbergh’s creative decision to keep the fisheye distortion is inherent in the visual language of the movie. Like the black-and-white stock in Raging Bull or the 4:3 aspect ratio of 2020’s First Cow, the image distortion of No Sudden Move can’t be explained away with a factual blurb. It’s fused into the DNA of the film. It’s just, kinda there.  

This still from No Sudden Move’s official trailer showcases the remarkable distortion at the side of the frame, which is only exaggerated as the camera moves

Interestingly, the film—shot in 2020 at the height of the pandemic in the United States—wasn’t planned to showcase any extravagant image distortion. At least not in its initial conception.

“We were shooting on the RED Monstro sensor with very intense anamorphics. The lens coverage on the sensor was not entirely designed to cover the widest edges of the frame, there was very intense distortion at the far right and left edges of the frame and the initial framing had that cropped out”, described Nat Jencks , Soderbergh’s longtime colorist.

“But when Steven saw how the optics were interacting with the image, he loved it, and was like, ‘Oh, I want to include that.’ So we actually widened out the image masking, and included those side parts, where there was very intense lens distortion. You got these really wild effects as the camera pans around, bending the picture.” 

This post-production audible from the Director-D.P. created some challenges in editorial, such as more tedious color correction between shots. As Colorist Jencks continued: “There was also very intense vignetting, as well as image distortion on those lenses. That presents a unique challenge for color grading as well. In the sense that if we wanted to it would not be difficult to invert the vignette and correct for it. The same thing goes for the image distortion for that matter, but those were characteristics of the lenses that were by design and Steven loved.”

Despite the post-production hiccups that came with accommodating the wicked lens distortion—the story comes out in one piece, and has been streamed by thousands, as well as seen in-person at a handful of theaters in the country. No Sudden Move has an impressive 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as an above-average 71% on Metacritic.  

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Teradek’s newest flagship in video transmitting-and-receiving is the Bolt 4K series—which includes a few high-tech components that work together to transmit uncompressed 4K video up to 5,000 feet away, wireless control cameras from 750 feet away, and much more for your production. 

 When dealing with wireless video transmission, there’s a lot of equipment involved, each with minor variations in capability. Essentially, any video transmission system requires both a TX and RX device—and the Bolt 4K lineup has two halves of each; the Bolt 4K and the less-expensive, compact Bolt 4K LT. Then, both the LT and non-LT products are subdivided into two tiers: the base tier, and the more expensive, more capable MAX variation.

Because of the cross-compatibility among the Bolt 4K series, any combination of non-LT/LT/MAX transmitters and receivers can operate, each to their respective capabilities. What this gives filmmakers is more latitude with their budget planning, and more opportunities for rental houses to get their inventory in use. The Bolt 4K interplay is made possible by Teradek’s award-winning BB3 chipset installed in all the lineup’s devices.

The newest Bolt 4K product is the Monitor Module TX, which the manufacturer presents as a game changer in 4K video transmission. “The Bolt 4K LT line is the onramp to 4K and HDR on-set monitoring, but it has been missing an ultra-long-range powerhouse,” said Greg Smokler, GM of Cine Production and Creative Solutions, in this ASC piece. “We’ve taken the pocket-sized envelope of the 4K LT and packed in the incredible long-range performance of the full Bolt 4K Max, resulting in the perfect balance of size and performance.”  

The Bolt 4K Monitor Module TX is built to attach to any Smart 7 Monitor via HDMI 2.0, and has zero-delay 4K wireless video, supporting 10-Bit 4:2:2 towards a range of 750 feet. Also, the Bolt Monitor Module allows for something new: built-in, wireless camera control. Cameras that are currently compatible include the ARRI Alexa, Mini LF, and the Amira. Teradek has stated that compatibility will be expanded later this year to include wireless control for KOMODO and DSMC2. 

In addition to camera compatibility with the Bolt 4K Monitor Module, it’s important to consider monitor capability. It’s not enough to have a monitor with an HDMI 2.0 port; you’ll need to ensure that any connected monitors have 4K capabilities. 

 Since the new Bolt 4K is a future-facing product, it also has smartphone-compatible capabilities. The free Teradek Bolt app allows quick, wireless pairing (from an Android or iPhone) to any transmitting or receiving device. While this may seem like a trend-chasing function, there’s actually quite some utility to the Bolt Manager app—you can apply LUTs to footage in real time, designate specific 5GHz channels to get the strongest transmission signal, and, because this is the 2020s, apply enhanced encryption to your footage. In fact, Teradek guarantees that your video transmissions cannot be received by any outside receivers without explicit permission.

However, with all the future-proofing involved in the Bolt 4K lineup, there’s a considerable amount of the past being phased out. As the name indicates, there is a troubling lack of compatibility with resolutions lower than 4K. The Bolt 4K LT can transmit an impressive amount of frame rates in 4K and 1080P, but in the event that you’ll need to transmit video with lower than 1080i resolution—in any frame rates lower than 59.95p or 50i—the Bolt 4K lineup won’t be of any help. Needless to say, this could potentially cause issues for any lower-budgeted, non-cinema projects, such as live performances, vlogging, or productions using vintage digital cameras. 

This isn’t an oversight as much as it’s a business strategy. Teradek is among the upper echelon of wireless video transmission providers. Its products’ capabilities exceed those of its competition, and as a result, so do its prices. There are cheaper, non-4K alternatives to Teradek’s Bolt 4K system, such as the Hollyland COSMO 600 and the WVC-HD-3000, for anyone who doesn’t quite want to pay Teradek prices.

If you’re looking for the best wireless video transmitter/receiver performance with the newest capabilities, the Teradek Bolt 4K series is worth considering for your production. That is, if your budget could handle it.

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Richard Gale Optics UK has gotten a lot of praise for its past builds, such as the Apogee, Optikov, or TRUMP lenses.

The internationally renowned optics designer and manufacturer‘s newest product, the four-lens CLAVIUS set, is a notable upgrade from its past series that still pay homage to its fundamentally similar looks. Pulling from vintage Helios Russian lenses and rehoused into ultra-accessible, modern-use stainless steel, the CLAVIUS set prides itself on its ability to manipulate flares, even labeling itself “ultra responsive to flaring”.

The CLAVIUS lenses also have interchangeable aperture disks that allow you to shape your bokeh in-camera, including 1.3x, 2x, and 3x anamorphic bokeh effects. If you’re not interested in creating an anamorphic duplicate from these spherical lenses, there are other aperture disks you can use, including bokeh-control disks. All aperture disks can fit into the lenses’ shared front filter thread size of 86mm.

Part of the CLAVIUS’ (as was the Helios’) appeal—is its lower contrast rendering to any high contrast setups captured. While many desirable looks in digital cinema tout the impressive latitude of capturing ultra-high contrast images, the CLAVIUS has a subtler, more grounded look that makes it unique among the competition.
Watch test footage below:

The CLAVIUS lenses provide full frame sensor coverage on a PL mount but can be used with speed boosters to raise the speed, change crop factor, and decrease the size of the image. It has remarkable aperture capabilities, as every lens size is capable of fluidly pulling f/2 to f/16, which not only allow for more flexibility while shooting—but also lends the lenses to more creative maneuvering with out-off-focus elements like flares and bokeh.

The CLAVIUS lenses are available in 28mm, 38mm, 58mm, and 88mm; and Richard Gale Optics is currently developing a 138mm lens, as well as a wide-angle attachment for the 28mm.

These lenses have become a cult favorite, and Richard Gale Optics can barely keep up with demand. Backorders have lead the current build time for a new set to 16 weeks, as their official website explains. CLAVIUS lenses from the manufacturer directly currently cost £12,700gbp, with a 50% deposit required before shipping.

Of course, most people don’t want to purchase—they want to rent.

There’s a lot of debate among cine-experts regarding the K35s and FDs—two vintage lens sets from Canon. Well, their roots are vintage, but both lenses have a softer, smoother look that fit perfectly within our modern-day visual language.

Because the Canon FD is significantly more affordable than the K35, it’s the latter that’s made a splash among major productions in recent years.

See, Canon entered the cinema lenses market in the 1970s, stepping up to face competitors like Zeiss, Cooke, and Panavision. They were new to the game and sought to stood out—and from this late-bloomer’s arrival came the Canon K35 lens. The K35 launched in 1976 as a very fast, super-speed lens that also incorporated aspherical elements in all its prime focal lengths. It was in these two respects especially that the Canon K35 was ahead of its time.
Before they were “vintage”, the K35s were used in classics like Barry Lyndon and Aliens. The K35s weren’t the ones used in Barry Lyndon’s candlelit scenes—those were lenses built by NASA. The K35s are fast—but they’re not photograph-the-moon fast. Other than the candlelight scenes and the slow-zoom shots (after all, they’re prime lenses!), the K35s were used for to establish the painterly, royal feel of Barry Lyndon.

Insert still from Barry Lyndon. Slideshow here

And it’s for this softer aesthetic that the K35s are still cherished nowadays, not to mention their ability to cover large formats. Creamier, they render the skin much softer than modern lenses. And so they’ve been used in modestly-budgeted Hollywood productions of recent years, such as Her, Manchester By The Sea, and American Hustle; the latter most likely due to its vintage-throwbacky feel.

The Canon K35s have also found plenty use on modern television shows like Preacher, The Handmaids Tale, and Westworld. All for their own narrative reasons, yet the rationale comes back to the K35’s softer, warmer, and dreamier look when compared to sharper, digital-oriented modern lenses. Maybe it’s worth considering also that the K35’s softer feel helps ease the detail-oriented, perfectionist instinct when shooting in the fast-paced world of television production. That’s just speculation, however; not intended to cheapen the stunning photography possible with the Canon K35.

Insert Her film still. Pick your favorite from this gallery (personally, I’m a sucker for the dreamier beach shots)

The issue with the K35, however, is cost and accessibility. The Canon K35 lenses are very expensive, and a set can run thousands of dollars to rent per day—and that’s if you can find a seller nearby. The Canon K35s are, without a doubt, one of the most expensive prime lenses out there—vintage or modern. So, if you don’t have an expansive budget and resources at your disposal, you might want to recalibrate your strategy.

This is where the FD series lenses come into play. Manufactured in the same decade as the K35 was the Canon FDs, which have a very similar build to the K35s. In fact, their optics are so similar that the images are nearly the same. And that’s why it’s worth considering the FDs as an alternative to the K35 unicorn.

The FD series lenses are sometimes referred to as the “poor man’s K35”—but that’s a comparison made in jest that doesn’t give justice to the remarkable quality of these relatively affordable vintage lenses. The FDs still deliver a fantastic, dreamy “vintage” look and exquisite flares that for sure make it a lens to consider.

Embed Media Division Video. Embed code:

If you’re looking for visual comparisons: Media Division made a fantastic hour-long video comparing the two lenses not only by shooting a model with both—but just for fun, Nikolas shot himself in front of a bluescreen with a Canon FD, then composited himself into scenes from Aliens that were shot with the Canon K35. It’s certainly worth checking out.

It’s important to note, however, that the Canon FD lenses don’t have the EF mount, and according to Media Division, the easy-to-install adapters significantly degrade image quality. Therefore, FD lenses have to be modified by yourself or a professional house to fit standard cinema mounts. You may get lucky and find an FD lens kit that’s already been rehoused with a different lens mount.

As with all rentals, though, do your due diligence, and don’t be afraid to ask the seller specific questions to verify your gear!

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