Postmodern Optics: Zeiss CP.3 XD Lenses

Zeiss has been making lenses for more than 120 years, and this year they showcased how their old-school optics have been outfitted with cutting-edge technology.

The CP.3 is a powerful line of compact lenses ranging from 15mm to 135mm, all of which are full-frame friendly and can be attached to just about any camera. But the real upgrade, here, is in the rich metadata they collect, providing cinematographers real-time data on lens distortion, light conditions, and shading qualities that allow even small productions on a limited budget to shoot, for example, fill-ins that integrate perfectly with lighting specifics set in original shots. 

These lenses cost upwards of $5,000 each, so they’re not cheap, but they can grant independent moviemakers invaluable access to technology used to render that big-budget sheen.