Laowa Unveils New Ranger S35 Lenses
The Laowa Ranger S35 zoom series consists of three lenses, all with T2.9 maximum aperture. The trio consists of 11-18mm, 17-50mm, and 50-130mm lenses.
They are not Laowa’s first effort into cinema zoom lenses; last year, the company developed two T2.9 lenses for full-frame cameras, the 28-75mm and the 75-280mm. In comparison to full-frame zooms, the new S35 cine lenses are extremely lightweight. If the user selects the “Lite” variant, each S35 lens weighs less than 775 grams.
All three lenses have uniform gear locations, allowing users to switch between them without adjusting their setup. The lenses have 100 degrees of zoom throw apiece, while the 11–18mm has just 110 degrees of focus throw, compared to the two longer lenses’ 270 degrees. The lenses have comparable diameters and are of similar sizes.
Each lens has a 31.5-millimeter image circle to cover APS-C and Super35 cameras.
The 11-18mm and 17-50mm lenses can focus as near as 36 and 35 cm (14.2 and 13.8 inches), respectively. The 50-130mm lens can focus as near as 75 centimeters (29.5 inches). The maximum magnifications obtained are 0.08x, 0.22x, and 0.18x.
One of the main benefits of the new Ranger S35 lenses is their portability in terms of size and weight. They are available in both normal and “Lite” variants, which change mainly in materials, weight, and price but are otherwise equal in performance. The 11-18mm T2.9 weights 745 grams in the ordinary form and 660 grams in the “Lite” variation. The 17-50mm weights 865 and 775 kilos, respectively, while the 50-130mm spans from 760 to 665 grams.
The Laowa S35 Cine Zooms come in Arri PL, with optional interchangeable mounts in Canon EF, Canon RF, Fujifilm X, L mount, Nikon Z, and Sony E for an extra $50. The lenses cost $2,000 each, or $5,700 for a set of three. The “Lite” versions cost $2,500 each lens or $7,200 as a set.
