Eight Different Primes in First Set, More to Come Later

Leica Camera has started shipping lenses from the Summilux-C series, its first line-up of PL-mount prime lenses for film and digital capture. The T1.4 close-focus multi-aspheric prime lenses come in 18mm, 21mm, 25mm, 35mm, 40mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 100mm, with more slated for future release. Band Pro, worldwide distributor for the new lenses, said Otto Nemenz International had taken delivery of "several" Summilux-C sets.
One of the first field-testers of the Summilux-C lenses was cinematographer Florian Ballhaus, who used them on the feature Gambit, scheduled for theatrical release next year. “They are as sharp as you want them to be, but the focus falls off quite gently,” he said in a statement provided by Band Pro. “I found myself using less filtration with them because they render skin tones so beautifully. I was very impressed with how uniquely they handled highlights and flairs.”

The lens barrel and mounts are made from high-strength titanium, and the lenses weigh between three-and-a-half and four pounds each. All of them measure the same length (142mm, front-to-flange) and have the same diameter (95mm). Focus and iris rings are located in the same place on each lens, supporting the use of multiple lenses from the set (with single-handed lens changes) on a fast-paced shoot.

For more information: www.bandpro.com.