Zooms with zing

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Discover how Leitz’s ZOOM lenses can help cinematographers elevate the images they craft to the next level.

Have you tried the Leitz ZOOM lenses yet? For years we’ve been asked for recommendations on which existing zoom lenses pair best with Leitz cine lenses. Although some zooms were sharp like the Summilux-C lenses, or had a more classic feel like the Summicron-C lenses, none of them could really capture the Leitz character and warmth that makes faces pop, skin tones sing, and images leap off the screen. So, we made our own.

For those seeking to elevate their images, the Leitz ZOOMs are the most exciting set of full frame cine zoom lenses in years. Have you noticed how many of the full frame zooms on the market feel so similar to each other? By designing our zooms in-house from the ground up and building them alongside our other lenses in Germany, we are able to not only create a unique pair of zoom lenses, but also make sure they are as compatible with our primes as possible.

Leitz’s much-loved ELSIE (Credit: Courtesy of Ariane Damain Vergallo)

Design-wise they are born from the same DNA as the Leitz PRIMEs, meaning that they create an image that can be the starting point for almost any look you want to create. They are clear, consistent, colourful, well-balanced, and above all capture people and settings the way your eye sees them. In this way they are the best match for our prime lenses as seen together on the Hulu series Only Murders in the Building. Out of the box they can go toe-to-toe with the Leitz PRIMEs in performance and edge-to-edge consistency.

They can also easily be modified with lighting, filters, rear nets via our integrated net holder, and other tools and tricks of the craft to match our more eclectic optics like THALIA and the newer ELSIE and HUGO primes, as well as many other lenses on the market. Seamus McGarvey ASC BSC created three different looks with the ZOOMs using nets and lighting on Joe Wright’s film Cyrano.

The full frame Leitz ZOOMs come in two focal lengths covering the most common use range, 25-75mm and 55-125mm. Both lenses are parfocal with a consistent T2.8 aperture throughout the range and no distortion, breathing, or chromatic aberration. They allow cinematographers to shoot quickly and confidently, adapt to changing situations and settings, and be sure that the image won’t look like it was shot with a zoom. The user-swappable mounts between PL and LPL have integrated /i metadata to ensure maximum flexibility for users and maximum ROI potential for rental houses. They can go out with any other lenses, no camera mount swapping or adapters required.

Leitz ZOOMs are a cinematographer’s perfect companion (Credit: Courtesy of Ariane Damain Vergallo)

When pairing them with our new Leitz ELSIE prime lenses, you’ll notice immediately how closely they match in the centre. Their large image circles illuminate the full frame, and while the ELSIE lenses have a bit of focus and resolution fall off toward the edges this can be matched easily by experienced cinematographers on set or via post-production processes. In the hands of a creative cinematographer this combination can be used to create nearly any look or style.

The ZOOMs pair well with the Leitz HUGO lenses unlike any other zooms on the market through their complementary colour temperature, skin tone reproduction, and image structure. Although the HUGO lenses feature more field curvature and image falloff, the ZOOMs can easily be modified to match. Matching primes and zooms with different design principles and quality standards can be a challenge. The Leitz ZOOMs make it easy to shoot beautiful images in any situation.