By technical editor Matt Allard:
G.L CINEMOD OPTICAL SERVICES 11-16mm T3 PL REVIEW from Matthew Allard on Vimeo.
G.L Cinemod Optical Services is a relatively new company based in China. They have made a cinemod version of the popular Tokina 11-16mm f 2.8 stills lens. The Canon and Nikon versions of the unmodified lens are incredibly popular with Super 35mm and cropped sensor shooters because the 11-16mm is very sharp for a wide angle zoom.
G.L have gone one step further and converted the 11-16 into a fully professional PL mount lens. They take the optics of the Tokina and rehouse them in a very well constructed cine housing. (They are not the only company to do this – Duclos lenses in the US also offer a similar conversion which came out a while ago and has been improved over time.)
The G.L. version of the Tokina 11-16mm F2.8 Cinemod PL Version Lens features the following: -
– 95mm Front ring size
– Canon Focus direction
– Stainless steel PL Mount
– 0.8 gears module
- Manual aperture control
– Price：$3,000 US
The company has also sent me images of a new conversion for the Canon 70-200mm f2.8L II zoom, again from EOS to PL mount. They say it will retail for around $6000 US.
For more information on G.L.Cinemod Optical Services go to their website.
About Matthew Allard, Aljazeera Team Leader Cameras, Kuala Lumpur:
Matt has been a Camera/Editor in TV news for more 22 years, previously working for both Channel 9 and Channel 10 in Australia. Twice Network Ten Australia’s cameraman of the year as well as being a Walkley Finalist for outstanding camerawork in 2006 (for coverage of the Cronulla Race Riots) and a Logie Finalist for outstanding news coverage 2006 (Bali 9). He has won 14 ACS (Australian Cinematographers Society) awards. His Sword Maker story that was shot on a 7D won the prestigious Neil Davis International News Golden Tripod at the 2011 ACS Awards. He has covered news events in more than 35 countries, from major sporting events to terrorist bombings. Based out of the Kuala Lumpur broadcast centre in Malaysia he is an avid user and follower of new technology, shooting stories on HD broadcast cameras, the Sony FS700 and F3 as well as Canon DSLRs.
