Jon Fauer ASC www.fdtimes.

com Aug 2019 Issue 96

Art, Technique and Technology in Motion Picture Production Worldwide

Cover photo by Pauline Maillet

Aug 2019 • Issue 96 1

Contents: Aug 2019 Issue 96
Angénieux Optimo Primes.................................................................4
Angénieux Optimo Primes unveiled at Cannes................................ 5-6
Angénieux Launch at Cannes......................................................... 7-9
Cannes Red Carpet – Enroute to the ExcelLens Award ......................10
Cannes Red Carpet – May 24, 2019................................................11
Angénieux Reception on the Mouton Cadet Terrace...........................12
The Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens Award – May 24, 2019............. 13-15
Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens Award to Bruno Delbonnel, ASC, AFC......16
The Angénieux Emerging Cinematographer Award .........................17
Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens Award............................................. 18-19
Angénieux Optimo Prime Frames at 36,000'....................................20
Angénieux Optimo Prime Interview with Severine Serrano............ 21-22
What Does Angénieux know about Primes?......................................23
Panasonic DC-S1H.........................................................................25
Yosuke Yamane on Panasonic DC-S1H.............................................26
Panasonic DC-S1H.........................................................................27
SIGMA Full Frame Camera and Lens Launch....................................28
SIGMA Full Frame L-Mount and E-mount Lenses........................ 29-30
SIGMA Full Frame Classic Art Cine Primes.................................. 31-32
SIGMA fp Full Frame Camera...........................................................33
Fortissimo–Pianissimo....................................................................34
SIGMA fp........................................................................................35
fp 12-Bit RAW, Director’s Finder ......................................................36
fp Director’s Finder..........................................................................37
SIGMA fp Details....................................................................... 38-39
SIGMA fp Scalable, Modular System.................................................39
Scenes from the SIGMA launch........................................................40
SIGMA, Leica and Panasonic L-Mount Alliance..................................41
Fujifilm GFX100..............................................................................42
Hasselblad X1D II 50C.....................................................................43
Hasselblad CFVII 50C & 907X..........................................................43
Sony a7R IV....................................................................................44
All Roads Lead to CVP - Episode 2............................................. 45-49
Lighting with Paint: Turner......................................................... 50-51
The Innocents of Florence......................................................... 52-54
Paris Cine and Literary Landmarks...................................................55
EMIT..............................................................................................56
EMIT Upstairs.................................................................................57
KO Film Rentals – Peacock Filters.............................................. 58-59
KO Peacock Filters..........................................................................59
Franz Wieser Feb 28, 1959 - June 6, 2019................................ 60-61

Cover: Bruno Delbonnel, ASC, AFC at Cannes with Angénieux Optimo Prime on a
Sony VENICE. Above: Bruno on the red carpet. Photos by Pauline Maillet.
 Angénieux Optimo Primes

Bruno Delbonnel, AFC, ASC and Angénieux Optimo Prime 40mm at Cannes. Photo: Pauline Maillet.

Angénieux unveiled Optimo Prime Lenses at the Cannes Film • Both Cooke/i and Arri LDS is supported.
Festival on May 23. Leading rental houses and cinematographers • The lens gears are industry-standard 0.8M and all in the same
from around the world gathered in a conference room of the positions across the entire 12-lens set.
Radisson Blu to learn about the concept, specifications and de-
The Optimo Primes not only match the look and feel of Angé-
tails. The meeting then moved to the rooftop terrace overlooking
nieux’s celebrated Optimo Zooms, but also nicely complement
the bright blue Bay of Cannes and the Old Port grid-locked with
the new Optimo Ultra 12x (which comes in Full Frame, Ultra35
the latest models of mega yachts. Prototype Optimo Primes were
and Super35). This is unique in the Full Frame lens arena: having
set up on cameras for all to see. What did these lenses look like?
both Full Frame primes and a long-range 12x Full Frame zoom.
Breathtaking. Classic Angénieux.
Three additional features captivated cinematographers and cam-
The next day, Bruno Delbonnel, AFC, ASC was presented with
era crews at Cine Gear. The Optimo Primes can be customized
the Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens Award for Cinematographer.
at the factory or by certified lens technicians to achieve unique
And then, the Angénieux team was enroute from Paris to Los An-
looks. There are three essential variables and possibilities limited
geles on Air France flight 72 to officially present the first Optimo
only by permutations, imagination, resources, desire and (yes)
Prime prototypes to the worldwide cinema community.
budget. And you’ll want a clean room. No, you will not do this
But first some details. (As with most cine things, some of these on location.
may change.) Twelve Full Frame lenses are planned in the Opti-
• The iris assembly is removable. Imagine: various numbers
mo Prime series. The initial 6-lens production run will be 21mm,
of iris blades finished matte black or shiny for flares and in
28mm, 40mm, 50mm, 75mm and 135mm—scheduled for deliv-
round, oval or other shapes.
ery by Summer 2020.
• There’s an internal element that can be swapped. The front
The complete 12-lens set will include the above focal lengths as optical group is removed. The element removed, replaced by
well as 18mm, 32mm and 100mm lenses. These should be ready another and the lens put back together. Imagine the effects
by Winter 2020. The 24mm, 60mm and 200mm will complete the of various air gaps, internal element coatings or lack thereof,
set in Spring 2021. perhaps a degree of diffusion or frost.
So: 18, 21, 24, 28, 32, 40, 50, 60, 75, 100, 135, 200mm. All T1.8 • A special filter/net holder attaches to the rear of the Optimo
except 18mm and 200mm. Prime with magnets. This is where classic silk stockings are
• Coverage is Full Frame, 46.5mm image circle. attached for gauzy glamor shots or fishing line is stretched for
streaks.
• The fully interchangeable mounts include PL and LPL, so far.

4 Aug 2019 • Issue 96

Angénieux Optimo Primes unveiled at Cannes

Amnon Band (Band Pro), Emmanuel Sprauel (Angénieux) and Severine Serrano (Angénieux) unveiling Optimo Prime at Cannes. Photo: Pauline Maillet.

Optimo Primes are like a multi-national motion picture co-pro- Angénieux; and in Asia by Jebsen. These are the same partners
duction.. They are the result of an Angénieux partnership with who successfully delivered the Angénieux Type-EZ Full Frame/
Band Pro Film & Digital, Inc and Jebsen Industrial Technology S35 Zooms. No doubt basking in the success of that project and
Co Ltd. The optical design, optical elements manufacturing, fi- appreciating the benefits of cooperation, the same partners decid-
nal quality check and project management is done by Angénieux ed to embark on an even more ambitious journey—the Optimo
in Saint-Héand, France. The mechanical parts and assembly are Prime Lens Series.
done by IB/E Optics in Germany on behalf of Angénieux. “But Angénieux is famous for zoom lenses,” you might ask. “What
Sales and distribution of the new Optimo Prime lenses will be do they know about primes lenses?” Actually, a great deal. His-
handled in the Americas by Band Pro; in EMEA and India by tory repeats itself. We’ll get to that in a few more pages.

Aug 2019 • Issue 96 5

SIGMA Full Frame L-Mount and E-mount Lenses

Upon entering the SPIRAL, you wonder why the entire SIGMA
staff is clad in cool black T-shirts with mysterious patches obvi-
ously concealing something important underneath.
And so, all these previous preambles about coolness, style and
fashion would gain meaning soon enough as the mysteries of
SIGMA’s launch in Tokyo unfolded.
Mr. Yamaki took the stage, dressed in black T-shirt (with mystery designates a design for short flange back—mirrorless—cameras.)
patch in front), preppy chinos and Hamptons-style loafers (no SIGMA is introducing three new models today, with more to
socks from June to September). His presentation was in Japanese, come. They come in L-Mount and E-mount.”
with United Nations quality simultaneous translation via wireless (The L-Mount is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG. SIG-
headphones. The following excerpts are edited from the event, MA and Panasonic have joined Leica in an L-Mount Alliance. The
earlier comments and follow-up explanations. L-Mount has a 20mm Flange Focal Depth and 51.6mm Mount In-
Mr. Yamaki began, “Thank you for coming to SIGMA’s new prod- side Diameter. Sony developed the E-mount. It has an 18mm FFD
uct announcement event. I represent the entire company in ex- and 46.1mm Mount Inside Diameter.)
pressing our appreciation of your joining us here today. Let’s dive Mr. Yamaki continued, “Up to now, we have produced lenses that
right in with a presentation of our new products. are compatible with full-frame mirrorless cameras. However, they
“As demand continues to grow for full-frame mirrorless cameras, were designed for both DSLR and mirrorless cameras. These new
expectations of lenses for those cameras is also increasing. SIGMA lenses are the first ones we specifically designed for full-frame mir-
observed that many photographers may feel that the choices for rorless systems and we will continue to design and develop addi-
DSLM (Digital Single Lens Mirrorless) systems are limited in tional lenses that benefit from the unique specifications and perfor-
terms of performance, size, lineup and system. Therefore, SIGMA mance offered by the short flange focal depth of mirrorless cameras.
has developed a new full-frame mirrorless lens series, designated These lenses will continue SIGMA’s core concepts of designating
DG DN. (DG refers to lenses designed for full-frame cameras. DN three unique series: ‘Contemporary,’ ‘Art,’ and ‘Sports’ models.”

Aug 2019 • Issue 96 29

SIGMA Full Frame Classic Art Cine Primes

But wait, there’s more. Remember in the introduction, mention So, the Classic Art Primes will come in 20, 24, 28, 35, 40, 50, 85
was made of vintage shops on Omotesando foreshadowing things and 105 mm at T2.5. And 14mm and 135 mm at T3.2.
to come? By the way, the mathematical value, the F number, remains the
Mr. Yamaki had a mischievous smile. “Since you’ve gone to all same at f/1.4 and f/1.8, so the bokeh effect does not change.
the trouble of traveling here today between your busy schedules, An additional difference is that the Classic Primes all stop down
let us give you a sneak peek at some of the products that are cur- to T22. The original High Speed primes stop down to T16.
rently under development. Today we’d like to introduce SIGMA’s
first cine lenses with a vintage look.” Audience applause. SIGMA’s Classic and High Speed cine lenses all cover full-frame.
Of course, they can be used on Super35 cameras as well. As men-
“Recently, cinematographers worldwide have requested lenses tioned, they are all built with modern mechanical components,
that recall the look and atmosphere of classic films produced in with consistent 95mm front diameters and uniform gear rings.
the 50s, 60s and 70s. Many were searching the second-hand mar- They are matched to produce the same color, look, amount of
kets for vintage lenses that were manufactured around that time. flare, veiling glare and bokeh qualities.
Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to find a complete set from
wide-angle to telephoto. Using vintage lenses from various manu- A demo film and prototype samples at the SPIRAL event showed
facturers and ages also means they may not match and may add beautifully smooth, warm skin tones, nice flares, controlled ghost-
significantly more time in the color grading suite. ing, and resolution that was nevertheless sharp and not murky.
Eyelashes remained sharp. Contrast kept shadows rich until you
“Therefore, SIGMA is preparing to release a new series of full- pointed in the direction of an unflagged light. Large location in-
frame cine lenses with modern mechanics with specifications that terior windows bloomed around the edges and would be perfect if
produce a vintage look. We call them Classic Art Prime Lenses. you have the rights to a sequel of Kubrick’s “Barry Lyndon.”
The ‘Classic’ logo is engraved on the side of the lens.
This is the kind of vintage lens set you can use, most likely, with-
“For this series of lenses, in order to replicate the look and char- out fear of being fired for uncontrollable distress. (Imagine your
acteristics of historic lenses, we have used many non-coated ele- tycoon producer sputtering, “I fired Itsy Bitzer for flaring the mil-
ments. In other words, they have absolutely no coating on their lion dollar face of Gretel Gobo beyond recognition, and I don’t
surfaces. Some glass elements in the lenses have a simple, sin- want you to experiment with the face of our latest star.”)
gle-layer coating. This enables a warm color tone reproduction,
which is one of the characteristics of vintage lenses. The SIGMA Classic Art Primes are classy, classic, controllable
lenses with character and they are elegant, painterly, and most
“We are planning to introduce a set of 10 Classic Art Prime Lens- likely quite affordable.
es from 14mm to 135mm. The focal lengths match our existing
series of 10 full-frame high speed cine lenses.” Specifications and additional details will be forthcoming when
the SIGMA Classic Art Prime Lenses will be officially shown at
Note, because most of the elements are not coated, the result is a IBC in Amsterdam this September.
reduction of light transmission. Therefore, the T value becomes
T2.5 for lenses with a T1.5 maximum aperture in the high speed
series and T3.2 for those with T2 in the high speed version.

Aug 2019 • Issue 96 31

SIGMA fp Full Frame Camera

“One more thing.” sidered very powerful because of its portability, but it has reached
Things became ever more interesting. The mysterious T-shirt patch- limits in some situations that are out of its league. For example,
es came off, revealing lowercase letters “fp.” you might encounter a stunning scene but the only device to re-
cord it is your smartphone. Almost everyone has experienced that
“Fortissimo Pianissimo,” Kazuto Yamaki declared holding up a feeling of regret, I believe.
palm-sized camera in his right hand. Audible gasps in audience.
“On the other hand, making a full-frame mirrorless camera to a
“Please note, this is a development announcement of our new size suitable for daily use has been extremely difficult up to now.
product, SIGMA’s first Bayer sensor camera. As announced at As for cine cameras, no matter how great we know they are, the
CP+ earlier this year, we are working on a new full-frame Foveon pricing is prohibitive and the size is too massive for general users.
sensor camera. We are doing our best to try to launch it next year.
“To sum up, our aim was to deconstruct the parameters of a digi-
“At SIGMA, Foveon is still our first choice as a superior image tal camera and reconstruct it. And so, I am pleased to introduce
sensor for beautiful photography. Therefore, the new Foveon to you the ‘deconstruction of the digital camera.’ This is the SIG-
camera under development will still concentrate on still photog- MA fp. There are three key features. First, it is Pocketable Full
raphy. On the other hand, the Bayer sensor camera I am introduc- Frame camera. Second, it is Scalable. Third, it is Seamless.” (FDT
ing today is an entirely new concept. As we know, the market for has added 2 more key features: 12-bit RAW and Director’s Finder.)
digital cameras has been shrinking rapidly year by year. It is hard
to deny that this has cast a pall of gloom over the camera industry. 1. Pocketable
“However, after looking around and watching users with their “As a Pocketable Full Frame camera, the SIGMA fp is the world’s
cameras, I can still be amazed at the fabulous world created by smallest and lightest mirrorless camera with a full-frame image
photos and movies. Therefore, I decided to rethink the situation. sensor (as of July 2019, according to SIGMA). Looking at our new
45mm F2.8 lens attached to this camera, you can see how com-
“For example, the camera on a smartphone has evolved because pact it is for daily life use.
of innovative image processing technology and AI that have en-
tered into our lives for recording daily events. It is obvious that “The fp camera has a dust-and splash-proof body that is excellent
images taken with smartphones are playing a significant role in for long hours in all types of environments.
recording or communicating in the modern world.
“Let’s look at the interchangeable-lens camera. As we know, mir-
rorless systems have become more popular and are improving dai-
ly with the innovative technologies. They are supported by a wide
range of photography enthusiasts, from general users to profes-
sionals. For various reasons, we change lenses in order to take the
“one” ideal shot. However, when it comes to ‘the best interchange-
able-lens camera,’ I wonder if we have other options.
“We have expanded our business as a lens manufacturer into the
cine industry. Here, new creative forms of expressions are sup-
ported by digitalization and the development of large-format
cameras. Cinematographers have more choices than ever before
of cameras, lenses and accessories that allow them to customize
their own system. This very user-centric approach has taken root
in the cine industry.
“However, there are still pros and cons no matter what category
we are in. There is no ‘one size fits all’ in helping users make their
decisions without hesitation. A smartphone camera can be con-
Aug 2019 • Issue 96 33
 All Roads Lead to CVP - Episode 2

CVP & ARRI Creative Space

From Newman Street, our CVP Fitzrovia tour ducks into New-
man Passage and continues past The Fitzroy Tavern, a famous Another two blocks and we arrive at another historic townhouse:
pub at 16 Charlotte Street, popular with London’s artists, intel- 81 Charlotte Street. This is The CVP & ARRI Creative Space, set
lectuals and writers, including Dylan Thomas and George Orwell. up in April 2018 and run by CVP.

Look up, above the CVP entrance: from 1781 to 1867, Sir Robert
Smirke, Architect, lived here. Nothing to smirk at here. Sir Robert
designed The British Museum, Covent Garden Theatre, the Royal
College of Physicians, more than 20 churches, 50 public buildings
and 60 houses. “Go to work, rival Smirke,” began a popular song.
Inside CVP & ARRI Creative Space, you will probably be greet-
ed by Aaron George and Lia Ryan. Like Newman Street, it feels
like a very clean, very organized bespoke showroom. But instead
of jackets and trousers, the display cases are festooned with all
things ARRI—from bridgeplates and rods to the latest ALEXA
Mini LF, ARRI Signature Primes, lenses and accessories. Support
equipment is supplied by Codex, OConnor and Ronford-Baker.

48 Aug 2019 • Issue 96

 The Innocents of Florence

by Davide Battistella hand-picked Leica R lenses and I knew that this would have to be
When art restorers in Florence begin work on a 600 year old paint- the set that recorded this film. Even with the varying speeds (T2.8
ing they lead the journey to uncover the story of the city’s forgotten and some T1.4 lenses), I was really pleased with the soft/sharp in
children, and the women who saved them. the right places and look of the glass.

“The Innocents of Florence” is a feature length Documentary. It’s They are neither “sterile” nor too “vintage” and they render an
1410. There is a huge social problem in Florence. Babies are aban- image with nice dimensionality and good contrast even in avail-
doned and dying at an alarming rate. Florence’s humanists organize able light. So the 19, 28, 35, 50, 80, 100, 135, and sometimes the
and build a hospice for babies to assist young mothers. To celebrate 180 and 250 mm would be the lenses of choice. I also had a light-
the completion of the new building in 1446, they commission a weight vintage Angenieux 70-210 zoom made for Leica. These
painting to act as their poster, logo and symbol for the new Institute. lenses were the best choices I made in terms of the approach for
this project. When you are getting into a project that is going to
Flash forward 600 years to 2013. The very same painting sits in a span years, the continuity of the glass is important.
museum within the original building. Two women, an American
and an Italian, are tasked with the restoration of the work—to be I also knew I had to be light, flexible and able to grab scenes at the
displayed after a renovation and reopening of the museum. last minute as the schedule was at times on very short notice (as
in, “this is happening today, tomorrow, or in a few days,” so it was
In April 2013, I began a film that would take me into the world of really necessary to have things packed in a way that I could move
art conservation. My friend, art conservator Elizabeth Wicks, was quickly, and also be on my own much of the time.
taking on a new work in Florence Italy, created in 1436, and soon
to be in her care and her conservation partner Nicoletta Fontani. The Conservators’ Studio

As I thought about the approach to the cinematography, I contem- I knew that the situation in the studio was going to be somewhat
plated the work of many of the great artists I have seen on display complicated. Liz and Nicoletta are accustomed to working with
in the private rooms, galleries, and museums scattered throughout very green overhead fluorescent lights turned on, but I convinced
this city, and what influence that was having on me. Many practi- them to work more with their daylight balanced work lights and
cal reasons were moving me toward coming up with a clean and a Southeast facing window. This gave me much more opportunity
classic approach; and with imagery that reflects the city, natural to shape the limited lighting and work with the window (mostly
light, muted colors, light falloff, and classic composition. as fill) when possible. It also avoided some problems of mixed
lighting and the unfriendly cast of the overheads. The studio is a
I still had my trusty RED EPIC MX in my hands when I began small, shared and cluttered workspace, and I wanted backgrounds
filming and decided, as always, to record the full 5K image resolu- to fall off as much as possible and focus on the detailed work they
tion that camera was capable of. Eventually, I upgraded to the 6K were performing on the painting.
DRAGON which I used to complete the film. There were plenty of
opportunities for other upgrades over the course of filming, but I The 100mm macro was a godsend. That particular lens got me
stuck with the Dragon 6K sensor with no regrets. in tight enough to be able to tell the story of the painting and
the millimeter by millimeter work that was being performed. The
In terms of lenses, I had just finished putting together a set of
52 Aug 2019 • Issue 96
 EMIT
EMIT is located at 6 Boulevard de la Libération in Saint-Denis. SIGMA, Easyrig, cmotion, Panther, Tiffen, Transvideo, Betz
This is in the heart of Paris’ cine rental and studio area, near the Tools, Chrosziel, Flowcine, IBE Optics, Ronford Baker and Pag.
shores of the Seine, 5 miles north of the Hemingway Bar or Hotel EMIT’s airy, loft-like space fills 2 floors and a basement occupying
Scribe. EMIT was founded in 1982 from the wreckage of Éclair more than 40,000 square feet. You enter a large showroom where
by Trevor Steele. Today, his sons Andrew and Benjamin run the the latest products are ready for hands-on try-outs. Service, lens
company in beautiful, brand new offices. It is a very personal, projection and rentals are adjacent. The offices are upstairs.
very service-centric boutique style company.
France is the third or fourth largest film producing nation on
EMIT is known by the companies it keeps—a select selection of earth, and EMIT supplies much of that equipment. emit.fr
products that they know intimately: ARRI, Cooke, Angenieux,

Welcome to EMIT. Andrew Steele at the entrance. Andrew and Ben Steele in the service area.

Reception desk straight ahead. Showroom to the right. Rentals at left. Rental department.

Showroom and sales areas. Lens testing and service department.

56 Aug 2019 • Issue 96