American Cinematographer - January 2008 - 112

PRESS RELEASES Arri Lightweight Zoom LWZ-1 Arri and Zeiss have released the 15.5-45mm T2.6 Lightweight Zoom LWZ-1, a compact cine zoom that weighs only 4.4 pounds and boasts high optical performance. Able to close focus to 18" from the film plane, the LWZ-1 forms a highcontrast and high-resolution image with minimal breathing and almost no chromatic aberration or geometric distortion over the entire zoom range and at all focus settings. Likewise, it covers the whole Super 35 frame at all focal lengths. To create the LWZ-1, Arri and Zeiss employed radically shaped spherical glass surfaces for the first time in a cine lens. These lens surfaces feature a very strong curvature — some are almost hemispherical — making them difficult to grind and polish and demanding precise attention during coating. The result is incomparable optical performance at a substantially reduced weight. Additionally, the LWZ-1 incorporates aspherical lens elements and exotic glass materials that further help minimize the weight and reduce spherical aberration and geometric distortions. Using aspherical glass surfaces in a lens design requires ultra-high precision and a complex holographic measuring process, which was developed specifically for the Master Primes and now benefits all new Arri/Zeiss lens designs. Creating a pleasing, gentle color balance, the new T* XP multi-layer antireflection coating reduces flare and 112 January 2008 internal reflections. Compared to conventional coatings, it has a better transmission and a more uniform performance from optical center all the way to the edges, resulting in higher contrast and deeper, richer blacks. The lens’ internal construction in combination with the T* XP coating ensures that it can easily handle tricky lighting situations, from strong backlight to sunsets and car headlamps. Careful optical design ensures that the Lightweight Zoom stays a true T2.6 throughout the complete zoom range, and the round iris opening leads to organic-looking, pleasing out-of-focus highlights. The Lightweight Zoom has been Super Color Matched, ensuring that its optical and color characteristics have been optimized to match the Master Primes, Ultra Primes, Variable Primes, and Ultra 16 lenses. The design of focus, zoom and iris scales has been matched to the other Arri/Zeiss lenses, and the front diameter of 114mm is the same as that of the Master Primes. Precision ball bearings ensure easy focusing and zooming at all temperature and humidity conditions, and chamfered precision gears mesh smoothly with the gears on follow focus units and lens motors. Lastly, the backbone of the lens is a lightweight yet sturdy inner skeleton that boasts special weight-reducing construction. For more information, visit www.arri.com. Film and Video Accessories from Arri Arri recently unveiled new accessories for use with video and film camera systems, including the LMB-15 matte box, Super Wide 16x9 Modules for the MB-20 matte box system, and, as part of the HD Camera Support line, a quick-release base plate and dualsystem lens supports. Building on the success of the LMB-5 matte box, the LMB-15 is similarly designed around horizontal use of standard 4"x5.65" filters, and the new matte box is compatible with LMB-5 filter trays, adapter backs and light shields. The LMB-15 also features a new clamping back that allows the use of clamp-on adapter rings from the Arri MB-20 system (this clamping back is also compatible with the LMB-5). The MB-20 System II adds Super Wide 16x9 Modules, allowing full coverage in 16x9 format for extreme HD wide angles — such as the 3.9mm DigiWide — while retaining sunshade depth for flare protection superior to customary extreme wide-angle matte boxes. These new modules utilize the swing-away bracket and support rod consoles common to all MB-20 matte boxes as well as the light shields from the MB-20 System II. Arri’s HD Camera Support line now offers a new quick-release base plate and dual-system lens supports for HD lenses. The quick-release base plate provides flexibility when switching from tripod to handheld, while retaining a rock-solid and secure attachment mechanism. A dedicated bridge plate allows the use of accessories conforming to Arri studio rod standards with a unique centering adjustment system to compensate for variations in camera base to optical axis measurements.

http://www.arri.com

American Cinematographer - January 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - January 2008