Otto Nemenz, Leica and Band Pro got together and said “let’s make some cinema lenses baby”. And boy did they ever. And boy are they good. And boy they ain’t cheap at $25,000/lens WTF are you getting? Some serious glass and steel, that’s what. Using the famous “Summilux” name (which means F1.4 in still leica speak), this lens set comprising some 8-odd (and more coming) lenses are some of the best glass around.
They’re pretty much all the same size, making it easier on a first, and they have a depth of field wide open of about a quarter of a nano-metre, thus making it much, much, much, harder on a first. Seriously if most 1st AC’s don’t end up having a heart attack or anurism from trying to pull focus with these things it’ll be a miracle. But that being said, if you want creaminess, beauty, and tack sharp imagery with incredible resolution and colour rendition, fughedaboudit, honeys. These lenses are SICK. They compete with anything…..anything…anything. Zeiss Master Primes? Yup. Hawks? Sure. Cooke S5i’s? Yes Ma’am.
These ain’t budget products. These are hardcore. So if you’re shooting high-budget or you want a great set for yourself and you have the cake to shell out, then shell out. If you don’t, don’t worry; there’s plenty of other products that’ll get the job done. They just ain’t Leica. Only Leica is Leica.