Oprema Jena today announced that it will add the Biotar 75-C to its line-up, promising to bring "the look and feel of the historic Biotar Cine lenses to 21st Century filmmaking." According to the company, the Biotar 75-C will offer film and video makers beautiful and natural focus transitions, authentic colour rendition, swirly bokeh and remarkable centre sharpness that is typical for the Biotar lenses, which were originally produced by Carl Zeiss Jena. While the new Biotar 75-C pays homage to the historic Biotar lenses, it has been redesigned and reengineered with modern sensors in mind. The Biotar 75-C will join the Biotar 75/f1.5 and the Biotar 58/f2.0 in the current campaign on Indiegogo. Backers will get the chance to pre-order the Biotar 75-C for $2,799 USD, about 44% off its expected retail price.

Oprema Press Release

New Biotar 75-Cine Lens Will Hit the Sweet Spot for Film and Video Makers

(Koblenz, Germany) Oprema Jena is moving boldly into the world of cinematic lenses, announcing today that it will add the Biotar 75-C to its lineup, bringing the look and feel of the historic Biotar Cine lenses to 21^st Century filmmaking.

This is the third classic Biotar lens that startup Oprema Jena is modernizing and bringing back to the market. The Biotar 75-C will join the Biotar 75/f1.5 and the Biotar 58/f2.0 in the  current campaign on the crowd-funding site Indiegogo.

Indieogogo supporters will get the chance to pre-order the Biotar 75-C for $2,799 USD, about 44% off its expected retail price.

[ The Indiegogo campaign can be found here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/world-record-17-aperture-blades-lens-biotar-58-f2-camera-photography#/ ]

The Biotar 75-C will offer film and video makers beautiful and natural focus transitions, authentic color rendition, swirly, creamy backgrounds with center sharpness that is typical for the Biotar lenses, which were originally produced in Jena, Germany by the Carl Zeiss company. In fact, the first Biotar lenses were cinema lenses and were designed in 1927 by the famous designer Willy Merté of Zeiss.

While the new Biotar 75-C pays homage to the historic Biotar lenses, it has been redesigned and reengineered with modern sensors in mind.

Offering a cine lens was a natural move for the Oprema team, which includes former award-winning Leica designer André de Winter, who was one of the lead designers of the Leica Summilux-C cine lenses. The Oprema team also includes, Dr. Stefan Immes, who runs the German lens company Meyer Optik, and Dr. Wolf Dieter Prenzel, a leading expert in the design and modernization of classic lenses. The Biotar 75 C will be made in Germany.

“One major plus point discovered during the mechanical design was that it has a long back- focal distance (from the last lens vertex to the image plane) making it ideal for a Cine version,” de Winter said. “With the interest in classic, iconic lenses nowadays to resurrect good, vintage lenses, the Biotar-C was born. The mechanical design uses the well proven 3 cams and 3 cam followers focus system for a smooth, backlash free operation.”

With DSLRs and mirrorless cameras being relied upon more and more for filmmaking, the distinction between cine lenses and photographic lenses is blurring. But for professionals filmmakers and serious amateurs, the cine lenses still have essential differences.

The focusing scale of the Biotar C lenses works in a Cam focusing mode and is loved by camera assistants around the world. It focuses gently, which allows smooth pulls without the unwanted sudden snaps of sharpness. The Biotar 75 C will be equipped with a P/L mount.

The Biotar 75-C will be relatively compact and weigh about 3.1 pounds. It will be ideal to work with stabilized rigs, aerial cinematography, underwater cinematography, and stereoscopic 3D. It will be available with the PL mount. To download sample images, go to http://bit.ly/2xLfT6A

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