Good zoom Lens with small front element?...

[Medavoym]

Hi!

I'm wondering if a good zoom lens for the 35mm format (and RED/EPIC) exists that has a relatively small front element, accepting 4-1/2 round filters or thereabout...

I know that the old Angenieux 25-250 T3.9 can take 4-1/2 filters, but the optical quality is not that great. The rest of the good zooms (Cooke 18-100, 20-100 etc etc) all need large filters, 138mm and so on.

Again, I am looking for a zoom that has a 5X range or more, and needs smaller round filters (ideally 4.5" round).

Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks!
Mike

[Medavoym]

Any suggestions?...

Thanks!
Mike

[Evin Grant]

Why the 4.5" limit? Any good 5x lens will be considerably more expensive than any 4.5" filters so it makes much more sense to just upgrade to 4x5 and 138mm.

As far as modern 5x zoom lenses there is really just the 17-80 Optimo, new 18-80 Arri/Fuji Aleva, and the 18-85 T2 Fujinon. You could also look into an older 17-102mm HR, but it definitely has a large front element.

Personally I'm thinking about a set of the Rouge Optimos, especially for episodic TV use.

[Mitch Gross]

The smaller Optimo zooms have 114mm (4.5") fronts, so I'm sure a ring clamp could be made to hold a filter on there directly. Don't know if a 4.5" filter would cover the 15-40 or the 16-42, but should be fine on the 28-76 & 30-80. But these are not 5x zooms.

Only other thing I can think of would be that little Russian lens, I believe the focal range is 25-80, so that's just a bit more than a 3x zoom. The pop up here and elsewhere for sale every now and then. A funky little zoom, but the color and contrast are nice and it is pretty sharp. Can't recall the front element size, but I'm fairly certain it is smaller than 4.5".

[Matt Garrett]

Mitch, it's the Elite (or Ecran)
25-80 T3.2
http://www.slowmotioninc.com/sales/zoom_lenses.htm
It is pretty sharp, even wide open, and flares very nicely.

[James McLellan]

I have a cooke 20-60 mm t3.1. It's got a 114mm front. Of course it's only 3x so... just thought I'd pipe in...I still like it.

[Mitch Gross]

Forgot the Zeiss LWZ-1, which goes from 15.5-45 T2.6. It has a 114mm front as well.