Building on the success of the well-regarded CP.2 lenses, ZEISS CP.3 XD 135mm T2.1 Lens PL Mountoffer 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 135mm Compact Prime lens is derived from the same classic optical formula as the preceding CP.2 variant and shares the same physical length as the 100mm CP.3 lens 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.

ZEISS CP.3 XD 135mm T2.1 Lens PL MountWhile the CP.3 lenses are designed for a degree of user-serviceability regarding the mount, for ideal performance and calibration, B&H recommends that mount swaps and other lens adjustments be done by a trained lens technician at a service center.

Covers Full-Frame Format    PL Mount    T2.1 to T22 Aperture Range    Geared Focus and Iris Control Rings    Clickless Iris Ring    14-Blade Iris    eXtended Data (XD) and /i Connections    Classic ZEISS Image Rendering    Improved Ergonomics over Last-Gen CP.2    Lens Scale Marked in Feet

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.

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.

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.

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. Will this crop in if I use the red Komodo? What is the super 35 equivalent?

A: The RED Komodo's sensor will crop the ZEISS CP.3 25mm T2.1 Compact Prime Lens' image circle. The Super35 equivalent focal length of this lens on the RED Komodo is 38mm.

Q: 2. How many degrees is the focus throw?

A: 300 degrees

Q: 3. where is the specs of this lens? weight...

A: The specs for any ZEISS lens can be found on the ZEISS website. Here is the link for the CP.3 2.9/15 lens: https://www.zeiss.com/consumer-products/int/cinematography/compact-prime-cp-3-lenses.html#data

Q: 4. Is this lens compatible with the 5D Mark IV?

A: The ZEISS Compact Prime lenses have been used for many years with HDSLR cameras, including this model. You would need to order EF mount version of the lens in order to mount to the camera.

Q: 5. Will this work with the FX3?

A: Yes, the ZEISS CP.3 35mm T2.1 Compact Prime Lens (Sony E Mount, Feet) is compatible with the Sony FX3.

Q: 6. Can any of these Zeiss MFT mount lenses work on the Olympus MFT camera bodies?

A: Yes, the CP.3 lenses with MFT mount will fit to any camera using the Micro Four Thirds lens mount standard. The lens will have the proper flange focal distance and will focus accurately to infinity.

Q: 7. Is EF mount an option with extended data support?

A: The EF mount does not support the Cooke /i Technology protocol, so transferring meta data with this mount type is not possible. However, the meta data can be captured through the 4-pin Lemo connector on the lens barrel using Ambient's Master Lock-It Plus. For more information, please visit: https://www.zeiss.com/consumer-products/int/cinematography/content/extended-data.html.

Q: 8. If using a super 35mm sensor with this full frame lens, would one need to use the crop factor of 1.5 to determine the equivalent field of view?

A: Yes you would. To take it a step further all lenses are listed by their physical focal length and from there the crop factor needs to be taken in to account. Even lenses that only cover a Super 35mm sensor will be subject to a crop factor. Any lens, regardless of it is covers Super 35mm or Full Frame, will need to have the 1.5x crop factor added.

Q: 9. Is this lens compatible with Sony 6500 Premium E-mount APS-C Camera?

A: Yes, you can use the ZEISS Compact Prime CP.3 lens with E mount on this camera. There is no communication with the camera however and no EXIF data transferred to the file.

Q: 10. is there a user manual ?

A: No, we do not have a manual available for how to install the ZEISS Interchangeable Lens Mount for CP.3 21mm T2.9, 25/28/35mm T2.1 (ARRI PL), but ZEISS does have tutorials online.