Reader Asks About Zeiss CP.2 Cine Lenses
In response to my Feb 9 reference lenses post, Sandeep V asks:
I have been thinking along the same lines for a while and was wondering— how do the Zeiss cine-style CP.2 lenses compare in the mix.
Would you say it would be future-proofing our investment in lenses.
I understand that these lenses are simply the Zeiss ZE re-housed for the cine market.
It would be good to hear your commentary on cine lenses for DSLR/ epic and scarlet and the new upcoming Canon DSLR killer.
DIGLLOYD: Hardly as “simply” as that makes it sound.
The Zeiss CP.2 lenses (see 2010 discussion) come in Nikon F, Canon EF, PL, E, MFT mount. Mounts can be interchanged. They are cherry-picked versions of the regular ZF.2 / ZE lenses housed in much larger and heavier follow-focus friendly housings designed for video use. The CP.2 lenses are calibrated for T-stop, not f-stop. For some lenses, the aperture is artificially reduced; the 85/1.4 is T/2.1, even though it is based on the 85/1.4 Planar.
The CP.2 lenses are huge and heavy and designed for use in a serious video-oriented system with focusing aids on the lens, support from the setup, etc. I consider them impractical for still photography use.
Pricing— taking the 100mm f/2 as an example, we’re talking about $4900 for the Zeiss Compact Prime CP.2 100mm T/2.1, as compared to about $1843 for the Zeiss 100mm f/2 Makro-Planar upon which it is based. Weight is 3.3 pounds for CP.2 vs 1.5 pounds for the ZF.2 lens. The CP.2 lens has a 114mm front end and the ZF.2 takes 67mm filters. So it’s an entirely different lens in construction and purpose.
