High-Performance Optics for a New 70mm Digital Cine Format

Brian Caldwell, Wilfried Bittner, Winston Ip, Dan Sasaki

This paper details technical features of the first series of high-speed prime lenses designed for a new 70mm digital format developed by Panavision. These new lenses offer full aperture (f/2.5) performance at or near the diffraction limit from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared over a 48 × 20.25mm image area. These lenses are also designed to work properly with optical filters inserted between the lens and sensor. Twelve focal lengths are under development, ranging from a 27mm ultrawide to a 300mm telephoto. In addition to traditional externally geared controls, all lenses have internal motors for focus and aperture. High-resolution metadata are transmitted continuously to the camera. Metadata include focus distance, aperture, temperature, and individual lens identification. A replaceable internal filter near the aperture stop permits a variety of creative effects, including soft-focus.

Print ISSN
Electronic ISSN
2160-2492
Published
2013-03
Content type
Original Research
DOI
10.5594/j18269