What is a "cine" lens exactly?

[hoju]

Hi,

I've pre-ordered my GH2 with the 14-42mm lens, and had a few questions regarding "cine" lenses. Would appreciate any help.

1. Is it that "cine" lenses are just better manufactured?

2. Are "cine" zoom lenses parfocal?

3. Maybe it has something to do with the focus ring that allows the use of follow-focus adapters?

Lastly, is there a way to tell if a particular zoom lens is parfocal? I found the list of Canon lenses, but what about others, especially the Olympus and other 4/3 lenses?

Thanks for any help!

[Ben_B]

I don't know that there are any parfocal zoom lenses designed for SLR systems....

[hoju]

Ben,

This list indicates that a number of Canon zooms are parfocal:

http://dougchinnery.blogspot.com/2010/01/canon-parfocal-lenses.html

I still don't know what the difference is between a "cine" lens and a standard lens, whether zoom or prime.

[Barry_Green]

Cine lenses are manufactured specifically for use with cinema cameras, and have several substantial differences, primarily in the focus and iris mechanisms. And they cost a whole lot more.

SLR lenses were never designed for shooting moving images, they were designed for shooting stills, so the things that happen during moving shots don't apply to them. But cinema lenses have to be designed to accomodate moving shots, so the focus throw is much longer and infinitely more precise, and the zoom action actually works to execute smooth seamless slick zooms, and the iris is smoothly transitionable without clicks and stops...

Actually Vincent Laforet's blog on what lenses he has, explains a bit more, so read this (http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/mygear/lenses/)and scroll down to where he starts talking about the Compact Primes, about 60% of the way through the article.

[Barry_Green]

The Lumix 14-140 is a parfocal design.

[hoju]

Awesome. I get it now.

Thanks very much for the thorough reply!

Must... get... rich...