By technical editor Matt Allard:
Kowa may not be a household name but they have been making high quality lenses since 1954. Last year at Inter BEE in Tokyo we spoke to the company about the Prominar line of Micro 4/3 lenses they were developing for stills and cine shooters. This year they released their MFT 8.5mm f2.8 and were back at the show with a series of updates to other prototypes we previously saw.
Joining the 8.5mm are near final versions of two new lenses in the range – a 12mm F1.8 and 25mm F1.8. The Prominar lenses feature extra-low dispersion glass that greatly reduces chromatic aberration. They feature a 9 blade aperture that provides circular bokeh at all f-stops. Another nice thing for video use is they have a dual link iris system that allows you to choose either silent or click aperture adjustments. The lenses seem very well built and feature a very solid aluminium housing. If you are an owner of a GH4 or BMPCC then they are definitely worth checking out. The 12mm and 25mm will be available in February next year and should retail for under $1000US each. The 8.5mm F2.8 is available now for around $1000US.
