Two Handheld, One Full-Size Zoom Aimed at Live TV and 'Mid-Budget' Cinema

Thales Angénieux announced  the Optimo Style series of zoom lenses in time for NAB. The big gun is the Optimo Style 25–250mm [pictured, top], a full-size zoom that weighs 16 pounds. (If it looks familiar, that's because it first showed up at IBC last year as the Optimo DP.)

Being introduced at NAB next week are the Optimo Style 30–76mm and the Optimo Style 16–40mm, two lightweight (4.2 lbs.) handheld zooms designed for use on the shoulder. Both of the smaller zooms will be compatible with the optional Angenieux Servo Unit (ASU) for controlling zoom, focus and iris. The ASU generates lens metadata based on Cooke's /i protocol, and adds 1.5 lbs. of weight.

The ASU is also an option for the existing Optimo 15–40mm, 28–76mm, and 45–120mm lightweight lenses. The company said the servo units will be matched to lenses and calibrated at the factory.

Angenieux is also showing its first anamorphic, the Optimo Anamorphic 56–152mm 2S zoom, with a squeeze factor of 2x and a T4 aperture on a PL mount. It weighs 4.8 lbs. The first one landed in the U.S. late last month at Clairmont Camera in Hollywood. A prototype 30–72mm 2S anamorphic will be shown as a prototype at IBC, and a third anamorphic lens is slated to come later.