DZOFilm has announced their new 18-35mm T2.9 Catta Ace FF Cine Zoom Lens. This is the third lens in the Catta Ace FF Cine Zoom series and it joins the existing Catta Ace 35-80mm T2.9 and the Catta Ace 70-135mm T2.9.
The 18-35mm T2.9 Catta Ace shares a lot of the same similarities as the Pictor 14-30mm T2.8 Super35 Parfocal Zoom Lens.
Key features
- Maintains Focus Throughout Zoom Range
- Natural Color Rendering
- Consistent T2.9 to T22 Aperture
- Covers Full-Frame Sensors
- 16-Blade Iris for Soft Bokeh
- 20.1″ Minimum Focus Distance
- Comes with PL-Mount, Interchangeable
- 270° Focus Rotation
- 77mm Filter Diameter, 1.9x Magnification
- 80mm Front Diameter
The 18-35mm T2.9 Catta Ace maintains focus throughout its zoom range. It covers an image circle of 43.5 mm and it comes in PL mount or Sony E-mount, however, there is an EF mount option available.
The lens features a 16 blade iris and it is claimed to produce soft bokeh. The optical design of the lens consists of 21 elements in 17 groups.
You can buy the lens in either black or white and it is also available as part of 2-Lens and 3-Lens Kits that come with a case and an EF mount option.
If you already own the Catta Ace 35-80mm T2.9 and the Catta Ace 70-135mm T2.9 then this lens will offer you a wider option to complete your set.
I still find it a little puzzling why almost none of the ‘affordable’ budget cine lens manufacturers are making longer focal length zooms. DZOFilm tops out at 135mm which is not very long on a full frame sensor camera. Considering they tout the Catta Ace series as a good option for documentary, broadcast, or online productions you would expect there to be a longer focal length.
If you need an affordable full frame zoom with a long focal reach then I would recommend you take a look at the CHIOPT XTREME 75-250mm T3.2 Compact Zoom Lens Kit with PL & EF Mounts (there is also a version with PL and Sony E-mounts). You can see a full review of that lens here. You can also get a 1.7x extender to use with that lens, and they also make a complimentary 28-85mm T3.2 zoom.
Thoughts
DZOFilm jumped into making ‘affordable’ cine zooms at the right time and their lenses have proven to be very popular, but that is also probably because there isn’t much competition in that space and shooters don’t have many other options. With primes, there are tons of options, but with zooms, there aren’t. Fujinon could make full-frame or PL versions of its MK series as they are optically a lot better than the DZOFilm offerings, however, they need to protect their higher-end lenses so that is probably why that hasn’t happened.
Tokina Cinema also makes a few cine zooms that are optically and mechanically very good, but they don’t have a lens that goes above 75mm, which I think has turned some potential users off. They have the 11-20mm T2.9 and 16-28mm II T3 which both cover full frame sensors, but the 25-75mm T2.9 covers image circles up to 36.0 mm, and although it will cover certain modes on full frame sensors, it won’t cover them all. The other problem is that the lenses are all different sizes and they haven’t been designed as a set.
Price & Availability
The DZOFilm 18-35mm T2.9 Catta Ace FF Cine Zoom Lens retails for $3,899 USD. It is now available to pre-order.
The DZOFilm Catta Ace FF 18-35/35-80mm T2.9 Cine 2-Lens Bundle (PL/EF, Black) is $6,599 USD.
The DZOFilm Catta Ace FF 18-35/35-80/70-135mm T2.9 Cine 3-Lens Bundle (PL/EF, Black) is $9,599 USD.
