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Primo Prime Lenses
Panavision’s Academy Award ® winning series of Primo Prime lenses take advantage of the latest techniques in lens design and optical technology. All Primo lenses combine high contrast and resolution, even field illumination, and negligible veiling glare, ghosting and distortion. Primo lenses intercut seamlessly with other lenses in the Primo line, and are optimized for film and Genesis digital sensor.
The standard (SL) series of Primo prime lenses are available in focal lengths ranging from 10mm to 150mm. All lenses are a T1.9 with close focusing distances ranging from 2 feet to 5 feet 9 inches depending on the lens you are using.
Available for use on the Primo lenses is a 1.4x Primo Extender which reduces your exposure by a full stop, and can be used on most Primo lenses including zooms with the exception of the Primo Macro Zoom.
Primo Close Focus Lenses
Panavision offers the option of close focus prime lenses ranging from 14.5mm to 35mm. All lenses are T1.9 with close focusing distances ranging from 7 ½ inches to 11 inches depending on the focal length of the lens you are using. This typically translates to close focus of 2 inches or less from the front of the lens. A Wide Angle Adapter is available for use on the Primo Close Focus 14.5mm creating an 11.5mm wide-angle lens.
Check the specs table for specific information about each lens.
Primo “Classic Series” Prime Lenses
The Primo Classic Series lenses are designed to put more creative choice into the filmmaker’s hands, giving them the ability to variably select, via an internal optical system, between high contrast performance and the more classic soft focus. Color and performance are matched to other Primo Prime lenses, and they also provide close to macro focusing (with expanded focus scales) and accept one screw-on rear gel filter.
These lenses are available in focal lengths ranging from 21mm to 125mm. Five of these lenses (21mm, 27mm, 35mm, 50mm & 100mm) utilize existing glass designs with new mechanics all with a speed of T1.9 and close focusing distances ranging from 9 ½ inches to 16 inches depending on which lens you are using. Another five of these lenses (24mm, 30mm, 65mm, 85mm & 125mm) utilize new glass and mechanics with speeds of either T1.7 or T1.8 and close focusing distances ranging from 10 inches to 25 ½ inches depending on which lens you are using.
All the lenses have cam drive mechanisms with expanded focus scales from 3 feet to infinity and provide continuous close to macro focusing. Two of the longer lenses (100mm & 125mm) employ linear bearing technology. All of the lenses accept one screw-on rear gel filter holder. All are color matched to Primo Primes.
The new focal lengths (24mm, 30mm, 65mm, 85mm & 125mm) are available in versions which offer a special feature called soft effect. This effect can be variably selected (using an internal optical system) manually or with a motor and allows for high contrast performance or the more classic soft focus, deep field effect of lenses from the past.
It is important to note that the soft effect is only present at or near full aperture and will be difficult to see through the viewfinder. The lenses can be used both normally, without the soft effect, or with the soft effect, which can be varied in shot.
The soft effect has a calibrated scale, which for constant object magnification gives the same result for different focal length lenses. Unlike normal filters, which depend on scattering of light, the soft effect is achieved by disturbing the wavefront so there is no apparent milky diffusion look. Objects at or near the best focus are affected, leaving shadow detail and blacks unaffected as well as highlights with little or no blooming.
All Primo Classics have dual expanded scales for focus, aperture and soft effect where applicable.
