Finally fast Micro 4/3 cine prime lenses: 8.5mm T/3.0, 12mm T/1.9, 16mm T/1.6, 25mm T/1.9, 50mm T/2.1
43Rumors.com : New Kowa Micro Four Thirds Cine Lenses Announced
43Rumors.com : New Kowa Micro Four Thirds Cine Lenses Announced
GH3 New Kowa Micro Four Thirds Cine Prime Lenses Announced
- Thread starter TheDingo
- Start date
David W. Jones
Veteran
Repackaged industrial lenses in different sizes and T stops, throw in a focus gear and they call them cine lenses?
I'd be interested in the 12mm, even though it's not super fast. We already have SLR Magic 12mm @ f/1.6, and the Olympus 12mm @ f/2.0. The quality of the Olympus is decent, the SLR Magic is so-so. This Kowa thing is about as fast, so the question becomes: how good is it, and how much will it cost? If it's really good, then maybe it's worth paying for, but how much? If it's more than the SLR Magic ($600), then it better be brilliant, because if it's not, why buy it instead of the SLR Magic? Price & quality - let's see. Of course, it's always good to have choices.
As much as repackaged DSLR lenses are called cine lenses. Just because they are industrial lenses it doesn't make them inherently bad.
I would hope that the quality is better than the SLR Magic lens. ( I've never been that impressed with their line-up )
I doubt they will be as good as the Olympus, but at least they will have manual apertures and long focus throw.
Ryan Patrick O'Hara
Veteran
The term has been abused so much in the pursuit of sales, I'm almost not even phased anymore.
Cinelens was a term that never had specific standards yet portrayed a level of quality we all understood. Now a days, when something is called a cine-lens, you can get some cheapo lens with a gear ring, or you can get a master prime.
I've almost given up fighting the good fight.
Bruce Foreman
Veteran
In the 1960's Kowa was known for theatre projection lenses in Japan and they seemed to have an excellent reputation for quality. In 1963 I bought a Kowa 35mm SLR, can't remember if the 50mm lens was fixed or M42 Pentax thread mount (I couldn't afford other lenses anyway). That lens seemed quite sharp and the camera gave me good service for several years until I could afford a Pentax h3v.
Kowa made a 6x6cm medium format SLR that was often referred to as the "poor man's" Hasselblad. I knew a few pro wedding photographers who used those and the lenses seemed to be pretty much as clean and sharp as the Planar's on the 'blad.
So I would look for their m4/3 lenses to be decent.
Kowa made a 6x6cm medium format SLR that was often referred to as the "poor man's" Hasselblad. I knew a few pro wedding photographers who used those and the lenses seemed to be pretty much as clean and sharp as the Planar's on the 'blad.
So I would look for their m4/3 lenses to be decent.
From the video it sounds like they are still a work in progress, as they talk about a Fall 2014 ship date.
Ryan Patrick O'Hara
Veteran
But it is obviously clear they don't know what makes a cinema lens and are just going to regrettably go through the motions of doing whatever they think will be enough to get them out the door as 'cinema lenses' and nothing more.