Design is a major factor. It's the fate of cheap lenses that they can't shake the feeling that cheap products mean unconvincing design. It seems that they understand that design is also important in the process of shooting images. As I mentioned above, a good lens has a convincing appearance.

The performers and the general public usually don't know whether a lens is good or bad, or what manufacturer it is made by, so they judge the situation based on what they see. In this sense, the appearance of a high quality cinema lens will positively increase the impression the other person receives and improve the scene. In fact, the reaction of the people around you is completely different when you have a still lens attached to your KOMODO and when you have a cinema lens attached. In addition, it is important that the design of the Komodo is similar to that of higher-end models without compromise, and I believe that DZOFILM Pictor Zoom has studied the font and other aspects of the design very carefully.

In addition, the fact that the white color is produced to match the limited edition KOMODO (Stormtrooper version) is something that no other manufacturer would ever do. Considering the number of units produced for the Stormtrooper version, I think the cost would be too high to justify $1,000, so I guess they are a very particular manufacturer. That point is also highly favorable.

In my review of the actual use of the camera, I found it to be more straightforward than I had expected. A cinematic image can be likened to a film-like image. Digital cameras inevitably have a digital feel to them, and I don't like to see magenta blotches on gray. In this sense, I try to judge a camera by its actual image rather than by its specifications. This is the reason why ARRI is chosen in Hollywood and other film industries, where natural skin tones are favored.

Even though other companies may have better specifications in terms of number of pixels and resolution, what is ultimately important is how the image is created, and we make our selection from that perspective. Also, if the lens reacts negatively in addition to the image creation on the camera side, the image will be very disappointing, so I felt that DZO freed me from that worry.

Of course, lenses get better in proportion to their price, and I know that ARRI and Cooke are excellent, but they are not something that I can personally own. I'll have to find a lower priced one that comes close to that and settle for a satisfactory level, but this lens is on the right track. As you can see in the trailer for the documentary film I'm working on (interviews with three people in the latter half of the film), I think the images look great even when shot and graded in RED RAW. There is no outstanding glare, no sinking, and no habitual expressiveness.

The RED itself has a crisp image that is typical of today's cameras, so I try to avoid using lenses that add too much clarity to the image when shooting portraits. The flare of the Cooke has a certain "character" to it, but Pictor Zoom doesn't have that feeling.

The drawback is...

The combination with RED KOMODO is not bad. If you're expecting crisp images, you may find it lacking, but it's good for creating images that are smooth and gentle. As you can see in the actual capture, the bokeh is natural and the color gradation on the light side is not broken, so you can grade the image with a wide range. As you can see in the rotor part of the lift, there is no lack of focus and no glare in the outlines, so it's not bad.

The image quality is acceptable to me, and I think it is a good lens, but there is one drawback.... Although the lens has been downsized, it is still heavy at 1.52 kg for the 20-55mm and 1.7 kg for the 50-125mm. This hefty weight cancels out the sense of poor quality, and is one of the real pleasures of cinema lenses.

Also, I couldn't find a lens support that fit this standard, so I had to remove it and use another company's support. I think it would be better to have a lens support to avoid the anxiety about the strength of having an EF adapter on the main body RF mount.

Also, I suppose I could force it to fit on the DJI RS 2, but it would be unrealistic in terms of balance. With this in mind, the only choice is whether to go for descriptive power or mobility, and the only way is to use it differently. In fact, I use the cinema lens as much as possible in situations where I can set up a monopod, but use the RF lens in a series of dynamic scenes where mobility is required.

How affordable is it?

Finally, from a price standpoint, I think that DZOFILM cinema lens is at good price. It covers the range from 20mm to 125mm and motivates you when you hold the lens and motivates the performer. I think it can play a good role if it can cover from 20mm to 125mm and motivate the performer.

Minor problems occurred

Currently, System Five is the distributor in Japan, and I think it is best to buy from them in Japan when considering the warranty. The focus gear on the 20-55mm lens seems to be slightly tensioned at the proximity side, causing the wireless follow focus to fail. The 50-125mm has no problem, so it seems to be an initial defect. I sent it back to the store, but I'm still dealing with the store about it and it's not going smoothly. I am still dealing with the problem.

To sum up...

If I had to sum up in one word, I would recommend this lens for its cost performance, design, and of course, descriptive power. In fact, there is always a 2-4 week waiting list at B&&H, Adorama, etc., and when I upload photos on Instagram, I get inquiries from overseas creators about how they use it, so it is hotter overseas than in Japan.