InCinematographer - Issue 2 - September 2017 - 20

20

www.incinematographer.com | Issue 2 | September 2017

Leica Thalia
Lens Delivery
CW Sonderoptic have shipped the first sets of serial production
Leica Thalia lenses to half a dozen customers...

T

he first rental companies to take delivery in
Europe include ARRI Rental, RVZ in France, and
Ljud & Bildmedia in Sweden. The first sets in the
United States arrived at TCS in New York and the Los
Angeles offices of Keslow Camera and Otto Nemenz
International.
"Bringing the Leica Thalia lenses to market in
strong numbers begins an exciting new chapter
for CW Sonderoptic and mirrors the evolution of
larger format cinematography," said Managing
Director Gerhard Baier. "With serial production now
underway, we look forward to delivering more sets
into more markets in the coming weeks and months."
ARRI Rental worked with CW to make sure the
Leica Thalia lenses were compatible with their
ALEXA 65 camera system. "We set out to be able
to offer clients the widest choice of 65mm format
lenses in 2017; lenses which covered the full sensor
area of the ALEXA 65," said Neil Fanthom, Group
Director of Technology. "The Leica Thalia 65 lenses
with their XPL mount have proved to be perfectly
complementary to our extensive portfolio of 65mm
format optics, offering a clean image quality with
smooth rolloff across the 65mm frame. To appreciate
the beauty and subtlety of the Thalia 65 optics you
really have to shoot in as large a format as possible
to see how the natural characteristics of the lenses
fall off. ARRI Rental currently has the Thalia 65 lenses
working with ALEXA 65s on a major motion picture in
London, and the feedback from all concerned is that
the images being produced are truly magical"
Samuel Renollet, Founder of RVZ rental house in
Paris, was instrumental in helping create early tests
and demo footage with the Leica Thalia lenses. He
said: "I am really proud and lucky to be one of the
early users of these new lenses. When we received
our RED VistaVision camera a year and a half ago I
was desperate to get some lenses that would cover

RVZ - Photo: Guy Ferrandis

ARRI worked
closely with CW

this big sensor. The Leica Thalias not only cover all
the big sensors, but also have this Leica look that so
many filmmakers love. Yves Angelo, AFC, SBC, one of
our best DoPs, chose them for his newest feature film
shooting now on RED VistaVision because of their
'skin kindness and awesome bokehs.'"

It's also an important step to be prepared for the
next generation of cine cameras."
TCS was the first rental house in New York to
receive a set of Thalia lenses. "TCS is very interested
in larger sensor cameras and lenses, so we were very
excited to hear about Leica's Thalia series of lenses
and their investment in the future of cinema," said
partner Erik Schietinger. "Despite the large image
circle of the Thalia line, these lenses are surprisingly
small in size and weight, similar to Summilux-C and
Summicron-C line," added partner Oliver Schietinger.
"They are consistent with our expectations of Leica:
very good contrast, excellent highlight control, a
uniform bokeh, and unique Leica look. Thalia are a
more character driven lens and we expect the Thalias
to achieve the same success."

Otto Nemenz

When the Leica Thalia lenses were delivered to
Otto Nemenz International in Los Angeles, CEO Otto
Nemenz remarked: "I'm excited to receive one of
the first sets of the Thalia lenses. The coverage that
these lenses provide in such a compact package is
truly amazing."

TCS

Focal Lengths
Each set of Leica Thalia lenses includes the core six
focal lengths: 30mm, 35mm, 45mm, 70mm, 100mm
and 180mm. The following three focal lengths of
24mm, 55mm and 120mm will arrive later.

Keslow Camera

Robert Keslow, CEO of Keslow Camera, commented
on how the lenses will fit into their expanding
market: "In keeping with Keslow Camera's
commitment to providing innovative tools, we are
happy to add the Leica Thalia large format lenses to
our inventory. We are eager to pair them with our
RED 8K VistaVision and 8K Anamorphic cameras
to offer cinematographers unique opportunities to
create compelling images."
"We are very pleased to be one of the first rental
houses in Europe to get the new Leica Thalia lenses,"
said Daniel Thisell of Ljud & Bildmedia AB in Sweden.
"The Thalia's will help us to meet the demand from
our clients who want to shoot in a larger format.

More information about the Leica Thalia lenses and
other products from the CW Sonderoptic website.
www.cw-sonderoptic.com

Ljud & Bildmedia
http://www.incinematographer.com http://cw-sonderoptic.com/leica-thalia/ http://cw-sonderoptic.com/leica-thalia/ http://cw-sonderoptic.com/leica-thalia/ http://cw-sonderoptic.com/leica-thalia/ http://www.cw-sonderoptic.com http://cw-sonderoptic.com/leica-thalia/ http://cw-sonderoptic.com/leica-thalia/
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of InCinematographer - Issue 2 - September 2017
