ARRI/Zeiss MA 135mm T1.9 lens officially unveiled

Zeiss and ARRI have unveiled the latest addition to the Master Anamorphic series of cinema lenses in the body of the MA 135mm T1.9 which will be exhibited at NAB Show 2014.

At the end of March 2014, Zeiss has introduced the CZ.2 15-30mm T2.9 lens while announcing that the MA 135mm T1.9 cine lens will be revealed at the National Association of Broadcasters Show 2014.

The German company has decided to take the wraps off of the optic sooner than expected and the ARRI/Zeiss MA 135mm T1.9 lens is now official.

ARRI and Zeiss announce the seventh member of the Master Anamorphic series: MA 135mm T1.9 lens

The ARRI/Zeiss MA 135mm T1.9 lens is now official. It will be released this July for ARRI camcorders.

The NAB Show 2014 visitors will be able to experience the newest member of the Master Anamorphic series of high-performance lenses aimed at filmmakers.

The MA 135mm T1.9 optic has been jointly developed by Zeiss and ARRI for the latter’s professional camcorders.

It carries the legacy of its six forerunners by achieving unparalleled optical quality, exceeding the demands of movie makers.

Zeiss claims optical excellence of its anamorphic design which reduces aberrations, reflections, and distortion

Lenses based on an anamorphic design are usually displaying lots of optical flaws. However, Zeiss and ARRI are claiming that the MA family has overcome the issues and there will be little to no distortion in your videos.

It is said that faces appear to be bigger in close-ups when shooting videos with an anamorphic lens, but the internal design of the ARRI/Zeiss MA 135mm T1.9 lens sorts out the problems.

Furthermore, the press release says that chromatic aberrations and reflections are kept to a minimum, with a high light sensitivity and a shallow depth of field.

ARRI/Zeiss MA 135mm T1.9 lens release date set for July 2014

The ARRI/Zeiss MA 135mm T1.9 lens is the seventh addition to the Master Anamorphic range after the 35mm, 40mm, 50mm, 60mm, 75mm, and 100mm versions. All of these versions feature a maximum aperture of T1.9 and a minimum of T22.

The aperture is made out of 15 blades which create rounded bokeh balls, which also look good in close-up shots. Meanwhile, the minimum focusing distance of the new model stands at 1.5 meters / 5 feet, so make sure that you do not stand too close to your subject when filming.

This lens is resistant to water and dust and will become available for sale in July 2014. It is manufactured by Zeiss and will be sold by ARRI. For the time being, the price remains hidden from our view, though we can expect the lens to be pretty expensive.