KIPON, the renowned adapter maker, has just announced a new lens, and it’s a special one: a Medium Format Cine lens. The new KIPON CINESPEED65 (65mm) f/1.4 lens is a fast, normal lens. In Full Frame terms, the lens is roughly equivalent to a 52mm f/1.1. Taking cinematic crops into account will put it in the relatively narrow normal focal lengths, one of the most common and versatile view angles in filmmaking. The announcement is quite preliminary, and details are sparse, but we’ll try to make the most out of it.
Cine lenses have only recently made the leap toward full-frame sensor sizes (a standard coming from still photography, relating to the 135mm film used in still cameras), but cameras with larger sensors are pushing the market’s envelope, and KIPON has risen to the task. While large format cine cameras are theoretically available, their price point makes them hard to get. But this gap has been recently filled by FUJIFILM, which joined the hybrid market late but pioneered the hybrid medium-format segment.
A rare breed
While some selected lenses may be fitted onto a GFX body via a dedicated mount or a PL adapter, few, if any, are made to cover the entire sensor. One option is the NiSi ATHENA PRIME line, but they offer an official image circle of 46mm, a tad shorter than the GFX 44x33mm sensor diagonal. This is where the KIPON CINESPEED65 should step in. “Should” because we haven’t seen footage or image circle figures. While it is fair to assume the lens will cover the entire sensor, hopefully with some buffer for IBIS movements, we still need more details.
Build and ergonomics
The KIPON CINESPEED65 follows the classic dual-ring control scheme used by countless cine prime lenses. A wide, geared focus ring is at the front, and a smaller iris/aperture ring is at the back. The one image we have hints at a non-linear iris mechanism, with a longer throw in the wide aperture range and a shorter throw towards the narrow settings. The lens seems to feature a tripod leg on the front third, quite a common trait of cine lenses this size and above.
Not a newbie
KIPON may not be a well-known lens maker, but the company is no stranger to optic design and manufacturing. As one of the leading adapter manufacturers, the company offers a wide array of optical adapters, be it focal reducers (aka speed boosters) or x1.26 extenders, that will spread a full-frame lens across a GFX sensor.
Price and availability
As mentioned above, few details have been disclosed regarding the KIPON CINESPEED65. Aside from being a fairly large f/1.4 65mm lens with mechanical controls, we don’t know much, and that also goes for price and availability.
Do you see FUJIFILM’s GFX cameras as a viable cinema option? Will you opt for such a lens to accompany your GFX 100 II or future GFX ETERNA? Let us know in the comments.
