ZEISS CP.3 XD 18mm T2.9 Compact Prime Lens (PL Mount, Feet)

Building on the success of the well-regarded CP.2 lenses, ZEISS s CP.3 Compact Prime Lenses offer the same full-frame sensor coverage and classic ZEISS look in an updated form-factor and with improved mechanics and lens coatings. This lens also includes the new eXtended Data connections which transmit essential lens metadata through both a Cooke /i interface on the mount itself and a 4-pin LEMO connection on the lens body.

This 18mm Compact Prime lens features an improved optical design over the CP.2 variant and shares the same physical length as the 15, 21, 25, 28, 35, 50, and 85mm CP.3 lenses while maintaining identical focus and iris gear positioning with the entire set of CP.3 lenses, relative to the mount. All CP.3 lenses also share the same 95mm front diameter. Similar physical attributes across the lens line makes fitting lens accessories such as matte boxes, follow focuses, lens supports, and lens control motors easier and less time consuming.

Another feature handed down from the preceding CP.2 lenses is the interchangeable mounts. This lens comes with a PL mount installed. Though, if you wish to fit your CP.3 lens to a different camera, the lens mount can be swapped by the user for a separately available mount of a different kind. If you like the bokeh in your images to be round, even after stopping down, you will be pleased to know that the 14-bladed iris from the CP.2 has not been left out of the optical design.

Note: While the CP.3 lenses are designed for a degree of user-serviceability regarding the mount, for ideal performance and calibration, recommends that mount swaps and other lens adjustments be done by a trained lens technician at a service center.

Zeiss eXtended Data (XD) Technology

Combining Cooke s /i lens metadata protocol with Zeiss-specific datasets for each lens enables focal length, focus position, iris setting, and depth-of-field calculation metadata transmission to a wide range of cameras and production equipment. All information is transmitted in real-time through the 12-o clock positioned pins on the PL mount and 4-pin LEMO port on the barrel of the lens and is captured for every individual frame. The lens data can be leveraged for accurate focus pulling when combined with a rangefinder or recorded alongside the video footage and applied in post-production. In particular, the recording of Zeiss-specific datasets enable DITs using Pomfort or DaVinci Resolve software to analyze recorded footage to remove distortion and shading in post-production.

One advantage to this system lies in the fact that a production team can save the time in pre-production normally spent mapping out each lens s distortion manually with focus charts. The eXtended Data workflow is both more precise and quicker saving both time and money on productions, especially ones that plan on using VFX.

Signature Zeiss Look

Zeiss lenses are known for their clean and crisp image rendering. The CP.3 series of lenses is no different. This CP.3 lens will accurately color-match to other Zeiss cinema lenses inside and out of the CP.3 range. The CP.3 lenses feature improved lens coatings and anti-reflection masking over the CP.2 range for increased contrast and reduced flare, important for capturing content with the intent of an HDR-format release.

New Ergonomic Design

For enhanced ergonomics over the previous-generation CP.2 lenses, the CP.3 lens barrel has been reshaped to be more similar to the renowned Zeiss Ultra Prime lenses. This new shape is easier to handle, and takes up less physical space than the original Compact Prime design. An even weight distribution ensures that these lenses will be at home handheld, locked down on a tripod, or flown on a steadicam or motorized gimbal.