Technical stuff

Thomas Hardmeier, the universal language
by Ariane Damain-Vergallo for Ernst Leitz Wetzlar

Portraits of cinematographers from the angle of Leica

Born in the mid-1960s in German-speaking Switzerland, Thomas Hardmeier spent his entire youth in a village named Küsnacht, which in German means “night kiss”. The name must have delighted Freud’s disciple Carl Gustav Jung. As almost everyone knows, Jung attached major importance to dreams and, as fewer people know, had lived in Küsnacht and died there a few years before.

Alex Garland’s "Devs" shot on Sony Venice by Rob Hardy, BSC

Digital Cameras

"Devs" is one of 2020’s most critically acclaimed TV shows; a stunningly beautiful 4K HDR production for FX Networks. The eight-part miniseries is a philosophical and intelligent exploration of determinism and individuality or free will—what it is to be alive—and how technology is shaped by humanity’s emotional need and input.

Cartoni France introduces the Dedolight Lightstream system and High-Speed

Lighting and Power Equipment

Shooting at more than 1,000 frames per second (shutter at 180 degres) is a headache for the light, especially when filming flying insects and other butterflies: it is impossible to use powerful HMI sources without burning the insects and no Led source is powerful enough. We have tested with Eli Lévé, at Next Shot rental company, Dedolight Lightstream projectors and this technique has solved the difficulties.

Michel Amathieu, AFC, on the Leitz Prime lenses

Lenses

Since Leitz, in 2011, released the complete range of Summilux-C lenses – which, four years later, was given the Scientific and Engineering Award® by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – cinematographer Michel Amathieu, AFC, has practically always used them whenever possible. Consequently, when he got involved with the Netflix series "Gone for Good", he immediately offered director Juan Carlos Medina to test the new Leitz Prime wide-format lenses which open at T: 1.8. Both men were so enthralled by those first tests that they did not even try other lenses.

Fujifilm to Launch the Fujinon Premista 19-45mm T2.9

Lenses

Fujifilm France, associate member of the AFC, is pleased to announce the development of the wide-angle zoom lens Fujinon Premista 19-45mm T2.9 (Premista 19-45mm). Offering Cinematographers focal lengths between 19mm and 45mm, this will be the third model to join the Premista series of zoom lenses for cinema cameras that support large format sensors and film.

The new Optica Magnus Full Frame Finder is now available to order

Technical stuff

The new Optica Magnus full format viewfinder is an ergonomically designed optical viewfinder system that offers Spherical and Anamorphic capabilities. Currently squeeze factors are 1.5X and 1.9X (1.9X covers 1.8X and 2.0X squeeze factors). The viewfinder is compatible for all sensor formats up to RED Monstro 8K (image diameter 46,31mm), offers interchangeable lens mounts and more.