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We are thrilled to introduce a new series of Ancient Optics Multi Format vintage zooms. This is the Angenieux 10X Multi Format Zoom! This lens started out as a 1960s Angenieux 25-250mm T3.9. We love this lens’ character, but no one loved its rotating and telescoping front focus group, which makes matte box and follow focus set-ups difficult. So Ancient Optics worked with GL Optics on a full rehouse of this amazing old lens.

This lens was originally designed for the smaller Academy 35mm Format. Using custom optics from Optica Magnus, we can now offer this lens in 3 formats: the original Academy 35mm (black scales), Super 35mm (red scales), and Full Frame (silver scales). Just like with the modern Angenieux EZ series of zooms, just let us know which format you need and we can set the lens up for you in just a few minutes. This type of modularity and modern mechanics have never been available for vintage zooms until now.

As for the Angenieux lens itself. It is fairly sharp on center for its age even wide open, with softer corners. It’s a bit dreamy at longer focal lengths, and quite sharp at wider focal lengths. It's warm in tone, low contrast with blue and magenta, flares. Bokeh is smooth, but with some texture to it. Like all cinema zooms, it’s parfocal, and there is almost no exposure ramping throughout the zoom range. This lens is one of very few cinema zooms that pairs really well with prime lenses from the 1950s and 1960s, but now with all the benefits of modern mechanical design including internal focus, which the original lens did NOT have! 

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If you want the same optics, but at a lower cost, and lighter weight, we still have the original Angenieux 25-250mm T3.9 in its original housing. We have updated it with an ARMA Orbital so that the lens is still follow focus and matte box friendly.

Angenieux’s oldest zooms are really special. They have excellent image quality, with as much sharpness as most people need, but with so much character. Their old coatings result in lower contrast images, that are very flattering. Those coatings also result in gorgeous magenta and amber lens flares. Bokeh is really striking thanks to some spherical aberration, which gives this zoom a look no modern zoom can match.

This lens can pair well with Bausch & Lomb Baltars, Super Baltars, LOMO Super Speeds, Kowa Prominars and others. The lens was designed for Academy 35mm format which is smaller than Super 35mm, but we have expanders which allow this lens to work with just about any sensor.

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