ARRI Signature Zoom lenses hope to deliver an optical and mechanical performance that exceeds other cine zooms on the market.
ARRI has announced four new Signature Zooms that have been specifically designed to match the Signature Primes. The lenses promise a fast stop of T2.8, unrivalled focal length range, absolute image consistency, HDR compatibility, and 8K resolving power.
ARRI Signature Zoom lenses hope to deliver an optical and mechanical performance that exceeds other cine zooms on the market. The four Signature Zooms, with an extender for the longest of them, cover a focal length range of 16 mm to 510 mm, which is the largest in the industry. Image consistency is also unsurpassed, with a fast stop of T2.8 shared by all four lenses, as well as stable exposure and quality through all focal lengths and iris settings.
The Signature Zooms look to balance the requirements of a very high optical performance, pleasing look, and lightweight mechanical design. Like the Signature Primes, they render a warm image, with smooth, flattering skin tones, natural colours, and out-of-focus highlights.
In addition to the faster on-set workflows that zoom lenses offer, specific features of the Signature Zooms include flares which ARRI claims are shaped through the best available lens coatings, reducing delays; setups are made easier and quicker by the lightweight magnesium design, and the in-built ARRI LDS-2 Lens Data System simplifies complex tasks on set and in post production.
While the high image quality and background separation enhance the almost three-dimensional feel of large-format cinematography, the 8K resolving power and stunning bokeh also promise pristine, immersive images in the smaller Super 35 format.
Equipped with an LPL lens mount, which is an open, universal standard for cross-format shooting, the Signature Zooms can be used with any large-format or Super 35 camera, from any manufacturer.
Recognising that high-end zoom lenses are a significant investment, ARRI has drawn on all of its experience and expertise to future-proof the Signature Zooms.
The fact that the look is not based on aberrations of any sort means easier HDR and UHD workflows, which tend to exaggerate the aberrations of other lenses and create problems in post.
The 8K resolution and deep shadow detail also lend themselves to future display requirements. Signature Zooms cater to productions that want a high-end look but rely on the versatility and time-efficiency of zooms, such as TV 3 series, commercials, music videos, and remote applications.
Feature films now also have a high-quality zoom series to accompany and complement the Signature Primes, and productions that carry both will find that they are covered for every possible shooting situation.
The 45-135 mm T2.8 and 65-300 mm T2.8 Signature Zooms will be released during Q1 2021, along with a dedicated 1.7x extender for the 65-300 mm that makes it a 110-510 mm T4.9. The 16-32 mm T2.8 and 24-75 mm T2.8 will be released later in the same year.
