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Best zoom to use with Zeiss Ultra Primes


Joseph White

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Hey everyone, prepping my second ALEXA feature "11-11-11" in Barcelona - can't wait to get there this weekend - but concerned since it looks like I'll be using Ultra Primes (for the first time!) and am wondering which is the best zoom lens out there in terms of matching (color/contrast). The director and I have done two other films together and he's done 3 other films beyond that, ALL on Panavision lenses (usually Primo primes and zooms) so have never had to think about this.

 

On HD projects in the past that were non-Panavision I always used Cooke S4's and Angenieux Optimos and thought they blended fairly well - should I just use Optimos as well with the Ultras? My director is ZOOM CRAZY and always wants one at least on b-camera.

 

Thoughts??

 

Cheers,

Joseph White

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Hey everyone, prepping my second ALEXA feature "11-11-11" in Barcelona - can't wait to get there this weekend - but concerned since it looks like I'll be using Ultra Primes (for the first time!) and am wondering which is the best zoom lens out there in terms of matching (color/contrast). The director and I have done two other films together and he's done 3 other films beyond that, ALL on Panavision lenses (usually Primo primes and zooms) so have never had to think about this.

 

On HD projects in the past that were non-Panavision I always used Cooke S4's and Angenieux Optimos and thought they blended fairly well - should I just use Optimos as well with the Ultras? My director is ZOOM CRAZY and always wants one at least on b-camera.

 

Thoughts??

 

Cheers,

Joseph White

 

Any Ang. Optimo would be a common zoom to use with Zeiss Ultra Primes. They are slightly warmer in tone, not quite as snappy, but close enough. I think the Optimo 17-80mm is a great lens, very crisp, and probably a better match to the Ultra Primes if you don't need the range of the 24-290mm.

 

The best zoom I've used for sharpness, contrast, and speed was the Zeiss Master Zoom but it's a gigantic lens and hard to find; it's probably not very practical because of its size.

 

I'd also add that the new Fujinon 18-85mm is an amazing lens -- I've only just played around with it, including looking at it on a lens projector. Probably the sharpest and contrastiest zoom I've ever seen, and would also match Ultra Primes very well. And it's fast! But expensive...

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