Angenieux has released details about its new EZ-3, the latest addition to the EZ series and it now joins the EZ-1 30-90mm T2.0 and the EZ-2 15-40mm T2.0 which were announced way back in 2016.
The lens is a 45-165mm T2.3-3 when used as a S35 lens. If you change over the rear optics to full frame it becomes a 68-250mm T3.5-4.5. This can be done by using Angénieux’s IRO (Interchangeable Rear Optics) Technology. All of the EZ series features dedicated rear optical groups customized for both S35 and Full Frame sensors.
The new EZ3 lens includes improvements such as a new quick IRO mechanism (user configurable) and a dual focus scale ring (feet/meters). On the EZ3 lens, the change from S35 to FF is much faster than on EZ1 and 2 and can be done in only 5 minutes, thanks to a new design. The focus scale, is also extremely quick to swap from meters to feet and vice versa. The lens is also compatible with the accessories of the EZ series
It is good to finally see a longer focal length in the EZ series as it has taken 7 years to get one! The new EZ-3 looks to be a very versatile lens with a good focal range that will suit a lot of shooting applications.
Key features
- Covers Both S35 & Full Frame/VistaVision
- EZ-3 45-165mm 3.7x Zoom in S35
- EZ-3 68-250mm 3.7x Zoom in FF/VV
- Super35/FF/VistaVision Rear Lens Groups
- PL Mount with Optional Mounts Available
- 0.8 MOD Focus/Iris/Zoom Gears
- Focus Marks in Feet
This is the only lens in the series that features a variable aperture, but I think it is a small price to pay in exchange for keeping the physical size and weight to a minimum.
The new EZ-3 weighs in at 5.7 lb / 2.6 kg and it is 10.4″ / 26.4 cm long. While all three lenses in the series are different lengths, they have unified focus, zoom, and iris pitch gears.
The minimum focusing distance is 4′ / 121.9 cm (although Angenieux doesn’t specify at what focal length that is).
I have previously reviewed the EZ-1 and EZ-2 on the site before. You can see that review here.
If you are not familiar with the Angenieux EZ series they can be bought with both the Super35 and FF/VistaVision rear lens-groups. The lenses are fast, T2.0 in Super35 and T3.0 in full-frame/VistaVision. Swapping between the rear lens groups doesn’t affect the physical length of the lens, minimum focus distance, or zoom ratio. However, the full-frame rear lens group does change the 30-90mm zoom that covers Super35 to a 45-135mm zoom that covers the full-frame/VistaVision aperture, and the 15-40mm zoom that covers Super35 changes to a 22-60mm zoom that covers the full-frame/VistaVision aperture.
The lenses have 3 manual lens control rings: focus, iris, and zoom. Each ring features cine-style 0.8 MOD gear teeth, for compatibility with follow focus units and lens control motors. The 114mm front common to the Angenieux OPTIMO lens series, allows you to easily share matte boxes between the EZ series and the OPTIMO lenses.
The EZ zoom lenses ship with an ARRI PL mount, which can be swapped with separately available Sony E, Canon EF, or Canon RF lens mounts for compatibility with a truly wide variety of cameras.
Price & Availability
The new EZ-3 is now available to pre-order for $19,300 USD. Currently, I have only seen it listed as the EZ-3 45-165mm T2.3 S35 & 68-250mm T3.5 Cinema Zoom Kit (ARRI PL, Super35 & Full-Frame). It will be interesting to see if you can also buy it without the rear optics that converts it to full frame.
The price of $19,300 does make it quite a bit more expensive than the existing Angenieux EZ-1 30 to 90mm Cinema Lens Pack (Super35 and Full-Frame) $13,665 USD and the Angenieux EZ-2 15 to 40mm Cinema Lens Pack (Super35 and Full-Frame) $13,665 USD.
Specifications
