So NAB is all over for another year and even with a team of three covering the event it’s impossible to check out everything that you would like to. Here’s a quick rundown of a few lenses and filters we thought were interesting but either had no time to video or felt was sexy but not appropriate to the news shooter:
First up is the new Redrock Micro follow focus v.3 which was shown last year in prototype but is now working and due to ship soon. It’s a big improvement over the popular v.2r and we’ll wait and see how much that has added to the cost.
Birns and Sawyer were showing the new 4×4 ND fader from Lightcraft Workshop. This matched pair of filters is similar in concept to the Schneider vari-ND we filmed earlier int he week – but comprises two 4×4 filters instead of just one and a screw-in. Designed to be used exclusively in a Mattebox I’d be interested to see how it compares to the Schneider.
Budget follow focus makers D-Focus were showing a nice prototype budget mattebox. It is pretty lightweight and has a swing away option. Price is not set yet but I’m told it will be very competitive.
Next up is this lovely looking PL conversion by Century of Canon’s 17mm tilt shift lens. Quite how you attach a follow focus to a tilted lens I don’t know, but it looks sexy none the less.
Fujinon showed a cine lens that simply rocks, sadly it weighs more than my kit bag and costs more than some luxury cars. Again not one for the news shooter but oh so nice.
A Japanese manufacturer was showing the popular Tokina 11-16mm lens professionally converted to NEX mount. This is easily done with an inexpensive convertor but this is a proper conversion with proper aperture markings. It would be ideal on the upcoming Sony Nex FS-100. Sadly it’s not going to be cheap.
Lastly if you can’t afford any of the other new gear at NAB then maybe you can simply dress up your old lens with a tiger striped skin from lensskins.com.
