DZOFILM Vespid Retro Primes Spotted – New Coating for a Vintage Look

by Francesco AndreolaSeptember 16^th, 2022

During IBC 2022, Susanne Wu from DZOFILM introduced us to an upcoming variant of their Vespid cinema prime series, this time called Vespid Retro. As the name suggests, these new lenses feature a special coating that should result in images with a warm, vintage look. The family will originally consist of seven focal lengths and will be available starting next month.

DZOFILM’s lens lineup is undergoing a rapid process of expansion. Only this year, the company has launched several new zooms and prime lenses for both full-frame and S35 sensors. These include the Catta Ace Zooms, the Pictor 14-30mm T2.8, and, more recently, the Gnosis T2.8 Macro primes.

Moreover, their popular full-frame Vespid series welcomed two new members, the 21mm and 40mm T2.1, as well as three “Cyber” focal lengths specifically designed to use with the DJI RS 3 Pro. Now, on the show floor at IBC 2022, the company lifted the curtain on a forthcoming vintage version of these lenses. Let’s take a closer look at the Vespid Retro Primes!

DZOFILM Vespid Retro Prime series: new coating

While the standard Vespid series currently consists of 10 lenses, the upcoming Vespid Retro family will initially only include 7 pieces: 16, 25, 35, 50, 75, 100, and 125mm. Compared to the original series, missing items include the 21mm, 40mm, and 90mm Macro. All lenses come with a user-interchangeable PL/EF mount and cover full-frame sensors.

According to DZOFILM, the optical design has remained pretty much unchanged. The major difference resides in the lens coating, which should now deliver retro-looking images with gentle sharpness and warm, golden tones. On the outside, a sleek silver cinematic housing differentiates the new Retro primes from the original black design.

Apparently, the introduction of a vintage variant of the Vespid primes has been requested for some time by cinematographers, so it’s nice to see DZOFILM listening to their customers’ needs.

Price and availability

According to Susanne Wu, the forthcoming DZOFILM Vespid Retro Prime series will be officially released next month. All seven lenses will be launched at the same time and will be exclusively available to purchase as a full kit.

However, the company hasn’t disclosed pricing yet. For reference, the original Vespid Prime 10-lens kit is currently available for purchase from B&H/CVP for $13,199.

Have you ever shot on the original Vespid Prime lenses? What do you think of this upcoming Retro variant? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!