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OUR MISSION
When decades of cine lens expertise combine with a century of image making excellence the result is sure to be remarkable. CW Sonderopic has spent most of the last ten years designing, manufacturing and distributing the most recent revolution in cine optics. In collaboration with sister company Leica Camera, CW (Cine Wetzlar) has introduced two lines of premium spherical cine lenses that infuse the natural beauty, faithful rendering and creamy sharpness of Leica’s 100 years of still photo lens heritage into modern, purpose-built cine optics that are crafted to tell your stories well into the next century.
OUR PROCESS
Filmmaking has increasingly become a digital pipeline, from capture to processing to post to projection. And while digital tools have found their place in the work of lens design, the construction and assembly of Leica cine lenses remains an analogue art form, a craftsman’s endeavor, to create an object who’s physical beauty is only matched by its optical performance.
OUR FUTURE
CW Sonderoptic continues to listen to professionals, image aficionados and dreamers eager to see the future expanded. Your wishes and desires nurture our spirit of invention and innovation. Your creativity and filmmaking craft inspire us to try new things. You keep telling stories. We’ll help you paint them.
Modern lenses, timeless images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMILUX-C
Overview ............................................
Features .............................................
Technical ............................................
SUMMICRON-C
Overview ............................................
Features .............................................
Technical ............................................
CINE MACROLUX
Overview ............................................
Features .............................................
Technical ............................................
CINE MOUNTS
Overview ............................................
SL PL Mount .......................................
M PL Mount ........................................
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The goal of the Leica Summilux-C cine lenses was lofty from the start. Take everything known about modern lens design, then perfect it and beautify it until it reaches the border of impossible. The trick, the magic of these lenses, was to do so without losing the Leica character, the natural color rendition and the kindness of the human face and form. The Summilux-C lenses achieve this goal with their absence of breathing, color fringing and distortion, but where they excel is the alchemy of smooth, soft skin tones and backgrounds bounded by a clarity and resolution that distinguished the subject matter in a powerful but natural way without sacrifice or compromise.
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AWARD WINNING The Leica Summilux-C lenses were honored with the 2014 Scientific and Engineering Award® from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (©A.M.P.A.S.®) for their innovative and ground-breaking optical and mechanical design.
CREAMY SHARPNESS
NATURAL, CONSISTENT COLOR RENDITION
EDGE-TO-EDGE FOCUS AND ILLUMINATION
The most defining characteristic of Leica cine lenses, and the Summilux-C lenses in particular, is their ability to capture a creamy sharpness in the image. Often lenses are either all sharp or all soft. These lenses have the unique ability to represent edges and fine details with clarity yet treat more humane subjects like skin tones and out off focus elements with a softness that just feels right.
One of the most difficult things to capture is what we see with our own eyes. The Summilux-C lenses are designed to reproduce the colors, the feel and the shape of the world as we see it, much as Leica’s classic rangefinder cameras and M lenses have done for street photographers for decades.
Despite their small size and large aperture, the Summilux-C lenses provide consistent and even illumination into the far corners of the image. They also maintain consistent focus across the entire field.
Leica Summilux-C lensLeica M camera
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Uniform 95mm front diameter*
Uniform 5.6” / 142 mm length*
Patented expanded focus scale
Consistent lightweight between3.5-4.0 lb / 1.6-1.8kg*
Matched focus / iris locations
Designed for film & digital
Titanium PL Mount
*135mm is longer, wider and heavier
Focal Length (mm) 16 18 21 25 29 35 40 50 65 75 100 135
Aperture T 1.4 - T22 - full close T 1.4 - T16 - full close
Image Circle 33 mm (diameter)
Length 5.6" / 142 mm 7.6”/193 mm
Close Focus (ft) 1’6 1’6 1’3 1’3 1’6 1’6 1’6 2’ 1’6 2’6 3’3 4’1
Close Focus (m) 0.45 0.45 0.38 0.38 0.45 0.45 0.45 0.6 0.45 0.76 0.99 1.25
Weight (lb) 3.8 3.6 3.6 4.0 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.9 3.7 3.5 3.5 7.4
Weight (kg) 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.6 3.4
Lens Mount PL - Titanium
Image Circle 33mm (diameter)
Focus Rotation 300°
Iris Rotation 110°
Front Diameter 95 mm / 3.7” (except 135 mm: 116 mm / 4.5”)
Telecentricity Telecentric
Color Natural color balance
Color Balance Between Lenses Matched color
Image Quality (Field) Even image quality
Breathing No breathing
Reflective Coatings Extremely low reflective coatings
Optical Design Multiple aspherical optical design
Resolution Extremely high resolution
Contrast Very high contrast
Relative Illumination High corner to corner illumination
Chromatic Aberration Very low chromatic aberration
Front Filter Yes, 92mm screw-in
Rear Filter Yes, via net holder
Rear Net Holder Yes
Matched Focus/Iris Ring Locations Yes (all focal lengths)
Matched Dimensions in Set Yes (except 135mm)
Expanded Focus in Critical Range Yes
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
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The Leica Summicron-C lenses bring much of the look and feel of the Summilux-C lenses but with one less stop and a much lower cost. They retain the natural focus transitions, authentic color rendition and creamy sharpness that is distinctive of the Leica look and feel but in a smaller, more accessible package. The Summicron-C lenses are as well suited for big budget feature films and TV shows as they are production companies and growing businesses looking for a beautiful set of lenses to invest in that will provide a timeless and workable image for all kinds of productions. They are designed to color match and intercut with the Leica Summilux-C lenses.
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CREAMY SHARPNESS
NATURAL, CONSISTENT COLOR RENDITION
EDGE-TO-EDGE FOCUS AND ILLUMINATION
Like the Summilux-C lenses, the Leica Summicron-C lenses have a unique yet familiar way of rendering skin tones that feels natural and has depth. The focus falls off gently to give a dimensionality to faces and other organic subjects. Yet their ability to cleanly resolve edges and other fine details makes them one of the most versatile sets of cine lenses available.
The Summicron-C lenses feature custom coatings that strive to transmit the color of the subject without painting the image with their own hue. Capturing what you see as you see it can save considerable time in post production. Also, starting from a natural image allows a world of flexibility when you do want to manipulate the image afterward.
The Summicron-C lenses are one of the newest lines of purpose-built cine lenses available and were designed with larger digital sensors in mind. As such they have a significantly larger image circle to maximize the increased sensor size and resolution available to modern cinematographers while maintaining illumination and holding focus all the way into the corners of the frame.
Leica Summicron-C lensRED Epic camera
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Uniform 95mm front diameter
Uniform 4” / 101 mm length*
Traditional helical focus scale
Consistent lightweight between2.7-3.4 lb / 1.2-1.5kg*
Matched focus / iris locations
Designed for film & digital
Large 36 mm image circle
*15mm and 135mm are slightly longer and heavier
Focal Length (mm) 15 18 21 25 29 35 40 50 75 100 135
Aperture T 2.0 - T22 - full close
Image Circle 36 mm (diameter)
Length 4.6”/118 mm 4.0”/101 mm 4.6”/
118 mm
Close Focus (ft) 1’ 1’ 1’ 1’ 1’ 1’2 1’6 2’ 2’7 3’3 5’
Close Focus (m) 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.36 0.45 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.5
Weight (lb) 4.1 2.9 2.9 3.4 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.2 2.7 2.7 4.1
Weight (kg) 1.8 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.8
Lens Mount PL - Stainless Steel
Image Circle 36 mm (diameter)
Focus Rotation 300°
Iris Rotation 180°
Front Diameter 95 mm / 3.7”
Telecentricity Telecentric
Color Natural color balance
Color Balance Between Lenses Matched color
Image Quality (Field) Even image quality
Breathing Very little breathing
Reflective Coatings Extremely low reflective coatings
Optical Design Classic high performance spherical design
Resolution Extremely high resolution
Contrast Very high contrast
Relative Illumination High corner to corner illumination
Chromatic Aberration Very low chromatic aberration
Front Filter No
Rear Filter No
Rear Net Holder No
Matched Focus/Iris Ring Locations Yes (all focal lengths)
Matched Dimensions in Set Yes (except 15mm and 135mm)
Expanded Focus in Critical Range No
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
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The Leica Cine MacroLux +1 diopter offers cinematographers and lens owners a creative way to get different looks and extend the performance of prime, zoom and anamorphic lenses with 95mm front diameters. The diopter, a secret weapon of classic cinematography, has been reinvented for the modern age. Often diopters are thought of as just a tool for tabletop work on longer lenses, but the creative possibilities are extend well beyond that into the world of the wide and the beautiful.
The modern lens design of the Leica Cine MacroLux creates a high performance optic with no perceptible light loss, spherical aberrations, color fringing or centering issues. The custom coatings offer it a high resolution and contrast along with a color temperature matched to the natural, neutral look of the Leica Summilux-C and Summicron-C lenses, although it also pairs well with other lenses, including anamorphics.
The mechanical design allows for two or more Cine MacroLux diopters to be stacked to increase the effects. An innovative double-screw tightening system allows it to be safely and securely attached or removed from either side of the camera.
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Capture incredible detail with no loss of resolution
Increase out of focus features when using wider lenses and higher T-stops
Organic focus fall off and smooth out of focus elements
MACRO WORK Decrease the minimum focal distance on longer lenses for a greater range of close up and macro work by magnifying the image relative to the sensor. The longer the focal length, the greater the MacroLux effect.
OUT OF FOCUS ELEMENTS Accentuate the natural bokeh of the lens and further soften and blend out of focus elements creating more of a cinematic look and feel.
STACKABLE Increase the effect by stacking multiple Leica Cine MacroLux diopters together and still use standard matteboxes.
BACKGROUND SEPARATION Create more separation between the subject and the background on wider lenses by throwing the background further out of focus in a smooth and natural way. This is great for when you have to shoot at a slower stop or in a space where the background may seem too close to the subject such as interviews or other field work.
NARROW FIELD OF VIEW Narrow the field of view and push the camera nearer to the subject in naturally tight spaces or when lights and support gear have to be close to the subject as well.
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COMPATIBLE LENSES Leica Summilux-CLeica Summicron-CZEISS Compact Zoom (28-80mm & 70-200mm only)ARRI Master AnamorphicARRI Ultra Prime (most focal lengths, except wide and long)ARRI Ultra 16
CLOSE FOCUS DISTANCE feet meters
LENS without with without with
75mm Summicron-C 2’7” 2’ .8 .6
100mm Summicron-C 3’3” 2’ 1.0 .62
135mm Summicron-C 5’ 2’6” 1.5 .75
IMAGE FIELD AT CLOSE FOCUS inches centimeters
LENS without with without with
75mm Summicron-C 4.3x2.2 2.6x1.4 11x5.5 6.5x3.5
100mm Summicron-C 3.3x1.8 1.8x1 8.5x4.5 4.5x2.5
135mm Summicron-C 4.9x2.4 1.8x1 12.5x6 4.5x2.5
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Imaging professionals are constantly looking for new ways to create compelling images. More and more people are experimenting with using cinematography lenses on photography cameras to capture unique still photos and the increasing video capabilities of small cameras make them an interesting choice for shooting video content as well.
CW Sonderoptic have created professional PL mounts to be used with two of Leica Camera’s most popular camera systems, the new Leica SL and the iconic Leica M.
Both cameras feature full frame sensors (24mm x 36mm) and can be used to create wonderfully creative and color-accurate high resolution images either on set or on location scout. Furthermore, the Leica SL’s ability to crop the sensor to Super35 size makes it a powerful option as a director’s viewfinder for both on-set visualization or capturing accurate location plates and reference images.
The Leica SL also features robust video capabilities including pixel-for-pixel 4K capture and a variety of frame rates, external recording for 10-bit uncompressed images and L Log Gamma for additional range in highlights and shadows.
Leica M PL Mount
Leica SL PL Mount
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The Leica SL PL Mount allows users to get the most out of Leica’s first professional mirrorless camera that can shoot both HD and 4K video, as well as full frame stills. The SL PL Mount fits directly into the cameras existing L mount as if it were a lens. The bottom of the mount features a 3/8”-16 hole with 1/4-20” reducer for maximum mounting flexibility, either to a professional baseplate for using a follow focus or directly to a tripod.
The Leica SL camera has a number of features that make it a strong choice for shooting cinematic video, including high frame rates and the L Log Gamma Curve. The ability to scale the sensor to APS-C/Super35 size combined with the ultra high resolution 4.4MP viewfinder make it a powerful director’s viewfinder as well.
VIDEO
PHOTO
4K video frame rates ...........................
4K video sensor size ...........................
HD video frame rates ..........................
HD video sensor size ...........................
Internal recording ...............................
External recording ..............................
Video Log Gamma................................
Sensor size ........................................
Megapixels..........................................
Photo formats.....................................
Native lens mount ..............................
Electronic Viewfinder ..........................
24, 25, 30fps
Super35 / APS-C
24, 25, 30, 50, 60, 100, 120fps
Full Frame
8-bit, MOV / MP4
10-bit, uncompressed
L-Log Gamma
Full Frame 36x24 (or crop to APS-C)
24MP
DNG (Raw), JPG
Leica L mount
Yes, 4.4MP
Leica Summicron-C lensLeica SL camera
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The Leica M PL Mount is a two-part system that allows for the use of PL mount lenses on the newest Leica M cameras. The lens mount adapter clicks directly into the camera’s lens mount. The baseplate attaches to the bottom of the camera just like the original base cover and provides a handgrip for stability and ease of use. The two parts are then connected with three small screws to complete the system.
The Leica M PL Mount is compatible with the Leica M (Typ 240), Leica M-P (Typ 240) and Leica M Monochrome (Type 246).
VIDEO
PHOTO
HD video frame rates ..........................
HD video sensor size ...........................
Internal recording ...............................
Sensor size ........................................
Megapixels..........................................
Photo formats.....................................
Native lens mount ..............................
Electronic viewfinder ..........................
24, 25fps
Full Frame
8-bit, MOV
Full Frame 36x24
24MP
DNG (Raw), JPG
Leica M mount
Available accessory (EVF-2)
Leica Summicron-C lensLeica M camera
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CW Sonderoptic GmbHAm Leitz-Park 1 | 35578 Wetzlar | Germanywww.cw-sonderoptic.com | [email protected]