Engineered to deliver exceptional image quality, according to Laowa, the 14-60mm T2.9 MFT Cine and 20-85mm T4 S35 Cine lenses exhibit excellent color rendition, minimal distortion, and minimal focus breathing. Additionally, they offer an impressive close focus distance of 1’10” (56cm). The company adds that “with an impressive zoom range of over 4.2x, the OOOM Cine Zoom Series provides unmatched flexibility with their parfocal design, covering a wide array of focal lengths and eliminating the need for frequent lens changes.”
Designed with a sleek and compact form, both lenses are, Laowa notes, “perfectly suited for small-scale productions and the rigorous demands of documentary filmmaking” offering an affordable yet versatile cine zoom solution specifically designed for aspiring MFT & Super35 filmmakers. Time to look in more detail to the lenses:
The OOOM Cine Zoom Series offers a versatile zoom range, covering 14-60mm in MFT format and 20-85mm in S35 format. With an average 4x zoom range for each lens, framing can be easily adjusted and DPs can recreate iconic zoom shots. Additionally, these lenses are compact, measuring approximately Ø3.15*6.77” / Ø80mm*172mm, making them convenient to pack in the backpack for next shoot.
The OOOM 20-85 T4 S35 Cine lens features a Ø31.5mm image circle. According to Laowa, “it provides excellent coverage for almost covering the ARRI Alexa 35 4.6K 3:2 Open Gate format, even at its widest focal length of 20mm.”
The OOOM Cine Zoom Series features a parfocal design, ensuring that the focus remains consistent while zooming. This allows for convenient and precise focusing at various focal lengths, enhancing the overall shooting experience. The lenses also provide an exceptionally low focus breathing effect when adjusting focus. This ensures that viewers won’t feel disoriented by sudden changes in the field of view.
The OOOM Cine Zoom Series offers a close focusing distance of 1’10” / 0.56m for both lenses. This allows you to get up close to your subject, resulting, the company claims, “in a beautiful subject-background separation that adds depth to your shots.”
Laowa also says that “the OOOM Cine Zoom Series offers exceptional color rendition and contrast, thanks to its meticulous optical design. With its ability to produce natural-colored images, colorist will save valuable time on color grading during post-production. This is particularly advantageous for interview/documentary projects where a quick turnaround is essential.”
The OOOM Cine Zoom Series delivers “a remarkably low distortion image, resulting in a natural and authentic visual presentation” and, Laowa continues, “similar to our other cine series, boasts sturdy and professional cine barrels. The cine housings offer both protection and convenience for camera operators.”
The Laowa OOOM 14-60mm T2.9 MFT Cine is available in native MFT mount, while the Laowa OOOM 20-85mm T4 S35 Cine is available in ARRI PL mount. Both lenses are available to purchase via Venus Optics official website (https://laowacine.com/) and authorized resellers. The US price for the Laowa OOOM Cine Zoom Series is USD1,999 each. Pricing varies in different countries.