Luma Tech, Inc

Professional Film Equipment Since 1995
    
Celebrating our 13th anniversary serving the film industry, we take great pride in offering the finest in new and reconditioned film equipment - all backed by our money back guarantee and warranty.  We are the developer and world wide exclusive distributor of the Optar Illumina lenses, Titanium tripods and other unique accessories that are distributed through our website and a network of authorized dealers.

Our clients include companies of all sizes and varieties, from independent producers, production and rental houses through education to government. We are committed to developing products for an industry where high performance and reliability are the norm. We have been serving the film industry for over a decade and have developed a strong understanding of our customers' applications. We are also committed to serving this market and our customers know they can rely on us now and for the long term. Below is a list of some of our clients and Honorary Mention from FSU for our contribution to the university's film school:

EXTERNAL LINK
http://www.lumatechinc.com/

Schneider Optics is the U.S. subsidiary of the world-renowned German optical manufacturer, Schneider-Kreuznach. Schneider has been producing the highest quality optics on the market for over 90 years, offering solutions for large-format photography, photo enlarging, motion picture projection, optical filtration, and industrial applications. In 2000, Schneider Optics acquired Century Precision Optics, adding its over 50 years experience manufacturing superior attachments for film and video.

Schneider Optics has offices in Hauppauge, NY and Van Nuys, CA and a network of hundreds of dealers around the globe, ready to assist you with any of your imaging needs.

Joseph Schneider founded the company in 1913 in Bad Kreuznach, Germany. Since that time the Schneider factory has been constantly modernized, always remaining state-of-the-art. The factory is fully compliant with ISO 9001 standards. Its U.S. subsidiary, Schneider Optics, was founded in 1972.

Century Optics first opened its doors in North Hollywood, CA in 1948, and quickly gained a reputation for expert lens repair, custom modification and intelligent innovation. In the early 80's Century began creating what has become the most extensive array of ultra-high quality video lens accessories available anywhere.

Seperately the two companies were leaders in their respective spheres of the optical world—both having been awarded Technical Achievement Awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Schneider in 2005, 2001 and 1978, Century in 1992). Together they are the ultimate solution to all your optical needs.

EXTERNAL LINK
http://www.schneideroptics.com/about/about.htm

Vantage Film, designers and manufacturers of Hawk Lenses. Hawk Lenses have their anamorphic element in the middle of the lens (not up front like Panavision), which makes them more flare-resistant. This design choice also means that if they do flare, one does not get the typical horizontal flares. The C-Series, which were developed in the mid-1990s, are relatively small and lightweight. The V-Series (2001) and V-Plus Series (2006) are an improvement over the C-Series as far as sharpness, contrast, barrel-distortion and close-focus are concerned. This increased optical performance means a higher weight, however (each lens is around 4-5 kilograms). There are 14 lenses in this series which goes from 25 mm to 250 mm. The V-Series also have the best minimum focus of any anamorphic lens series available and as such can rival spherical lenses. Vantage also offers a series of lightweight lenses called V-Lite. They are 5 very small anamorphic lenses (about the size of a Cooke S4 spherical lenses), which are ideal for handheld and steadicam while also giving an optical performance comparable to the V and V-Plus lenses. In 2008 Vantage introduced the Hawk V-Lite 16, a set of new lenses for 16 mm anamorphic production, as well as the Hawk V-Lite 1.3x lenses, which make it possible to use the entire sensor area of a 16:9 digital camera and at the same time provide the popular 1:2.40 release format.

EXTERNAL LINKS
http://www.vantagefilm.com/en/equipment/lenses.shtml

The Red Digital Cinema Camera Company manufactures digital cinematography cameras, lenses and accessories for professional and cinematic use.

Red Digital Cinema Camera Company was founded in 2005 by Jim Jannard, founder of the Oakley company. The company's main product is the Red One, capable of recording at resolutions up to 4096 horizontal by 2304 vertical pixels, directly to flash or hard disk based digital storage. It features a single Super 35-sized CMOS sensor and a cinematography industry standard PL mount.

EXTERNAL LINKS
http://www.red.com/about_red/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Digital_Cinema_Camera_Company

Optica Elite, located in Russia, makes optics for cinema cameras. Very little information is provided at their website. We are looking for more history information regarding this company so please contact us if you have any more info.

EXTERNAL LINKS
http://optica-elite.com/

IB/E OPTICS Ing.-Büro Klaus Eckerl is since 1992 service provider, the GmbH since 2001 producer for customized optics in the area of imaging and illumination. 

1992 - Founding IB/E OPTICS as a „one man company“
1997 - We launched the new office in Hutthurm; and the first three employees came - and they are still with us.
1999 - Another five employees have been hired. IB/E OPTICS did development for companies like BOSCH, Siemens and DLR.
2001 - To do more than prototyping we founded production facilities. IB/E OPTICS Eckerl GmbH with four more employees
The main issue was, to manage the series production.
2003 - IB/E OPTICS developed the OptiBench measurment system for ultrafast MTF, distortion and telecentricity measurement.
2004 - IB/E OPTICS invested in an own CNC-milling and turning technique to realize prototyping more fast.
2005 - Development of machine vision systems as fully automated testing machine for Plansee AG/Reutte, stereo zoom lenses for Aesculap Meditec AG.
2006 - IB/E OPTICS designed the broadcast lens HD Scope. A fully felxible tool for the professional video industrie with 2 axis rotation with image derotation feature.With focus, iris , rotation, tilt and pan you have 5 axes to be driven. Another fantastic lens was created - an ultra low and low budget wide angle lens up to 130° horizontal field with distortion less than 10 % for a well known automotive supplier. The only system that is allowed to be used instead of front mirrors.
2007 - IB/E OPTICS invested in new high precision assembly and alignment station and in clean room facilities with now 60qm. IB/E OPTICS now has the possibility to do high precision assemblies on opto-mechanical systems.
IB/E OPTICS did the development on a very complex surface inspection system in the sub micron region ( all the image and illumination development)
2008 - Currently IB/E OPTICS is creating a new family of cine and broadcast lenses for the 2K 2/3" HD and the 4K RED, ARRI and SONY cameras with fantastic performance and never seen low vignetting while telecentric construction technique are used.

EXTERNAL LINKS
http://www.ibe-optics.com/optomechanic_engineering

ARRI-Zeiss Lenses

Lenses are among the most important elements of a camera system because they form and focus the image that is recorded by the emulsion or sensor. An ongoing and hugely successful collaboration between ARRI and Zeiss has resulted in the ARRI Master Primes, Ultra Primes, Ultra 16s and the Lightweight Zoom. These lenses stand at the very forefront of modern optical technology and performance, offering unparalleled speed, resolution and contrast.

Combining ARRI reliability with the legendary quality of Zeiss optics, ARRI’s 35 mm format lenses have become the standard against which others are measured. Precisely designed and engineered, yet highly durable, these lenses offer exceptional performance across a wide range of focal lengths.

Zeiss Company Information

The Carl Zeiss company is a German manufacturer of optical systems, industrial measurements and medical devices originally founded in Jena in 1846 by Carl Zeiss, Ernst Abbe, and Otto Schott. Due to the results of World War II there are currently two parts, the Carl Zeiss AG located in Oberkochen with important subsidiaries in Aalen, Göttingen and Munich and Carl Zeiss GmbH located in the foundation city Jena. The organisation is named after one of its founders, the German optician Carl Zeiss (1816–1888). Carl Zeiss is the premier company of the Zeiss Gruppe, one of the two large divisions of the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung. The Zeiss Gruppe is located in Heidenheim and Jena. The other division of the Carl Zeiss Foundation, the glass manufacturer Schott AG and Jenaer Glaswerk, is located in Mainz and Jena. Carl Zeiss is one of the oldest existing optics manufacturers in the world.

The Zeiss company was responsible for many innovations in optical design and engineering. Early on, Carl Zeiss realised that he needed a competent designer so as to bring the firm beyond just being another optical workshop, so in 1866, the service of Dr Ernst Abbe was enlisted. From then on, novel products appeared in rapid succession, which brought the Zeiss company to the forefront of optical technology.

After the partitioning of Germany, a new Carl Zeiss optical company was established in Oberkochen, while the original Zeiss firm in Jena continued to operate. At first both firms produced very similar lines of products, and extensively cooperated in product-sharing, but they drifted apart as time progressed. Jena's new direction was to concentrate on developing lenses for the 35 mm single-lens reflex camera, and many achievements were made, especially in ultra-wide angle designs. In addition to that, Oberkochen also worked on designing lenses for large format cameras, interchangeable front element lenses such as for the 35 mm single-lens reflex Contaflex, and other types of cameras.

Now over 100 years old, Zeiss continues to be associated with expensive and high-quality optical lenses. Zeiss lenses are generally thought to be elegant and well-constructed, yielding high-quality images. Even old lens designs such as the Tessar demonstrate engineering elegance and in the modern age of plastic parts, many Zeiss lenses are still made with predominantly metal components.

Zeiss licenses its technology to be manufactured by third-party companies and indeed, many have done so. Notable names include Hasselblad, a famous name in medium format professional cameras. Rollei, Yashica, Sony, Logitech and Alpa amongst others, have used or manufactured lenses under Zeiss license. The Contax line of 35 mm cameras, first produced by Yashica and subsequently Kyocera until 2005 are perhaps the most well-known to fit Zeiss lenses. Notably absent from this list are the Japanese companies Canon and Nikon, who by and large produce their own lenses.

EXTERNAL LINKS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Zeiss_AG
http://www.arri.de/camera/lenses.html

Notable products include:
- a soft-focus 'portrait' lens favoured by Clarence White and Alfred Stieglitz
- the Aviar aerial survey lens, designed in World War I when German lenses and optical glass became unavailable to the RAF, and judged to be superior to the German designs
- the triple-convertible lens for 10×8 inch cameras, favoured by Ansel Adams and others (also see below)
- the Opic and Speed Panchro large-aperture lenses, widely used by Hollywood and making possible deep focus photography,
- the inverse telephoto (retrofocus) lens, created for use with the early Technicolor process, and now the standard design for wide-angle lenses in 35 mm and other small-format cameras,
- high-quality zoom lenses for cinematography and television.

Bell & Howell took control of the company in 1930, but it was sold to Rank in 1946. In its later years, Taylor Hobson's main interest was metrology.

In 1998, Cooke Optics was a new company formed following a buy-out of the Optical division of Taylor Hobson. Chairman Les Zellan led the buy-out and Dave Stevens is Managing Director of the Leicester-based facility.

The company now designs and manufactures 35 mm lenses for the film industry. In a reversion to its previous markets, it has also made limited quantities of a redesigned Pinkham and Smith portrait lens and a redesigned triple-convertible lens for 10×8 inch. The company distributes to over 60 countries worldwide and exports 90% of its production.

EXTERNAL LINKS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooke_Optics
http://www.cookeoptics.com/cooke.nsf/product/1890

Creation of the Pierre ANGENIEUX Establishments in Saint-Héand (his native village), focusing on the professional cinema market. THALES ANGENIEUX owes its name to its founder: Pierre ANGENIEUX (graduate engineer from the Arts et Métiers and the Ecole Supérieure d'Optique, first prize for civil engineering in 1973).

1935 - Over the years, this enthusiastic engineer has encouraged the company to focus continuously on innovation.
1938 - Creation of the first photographic lenses.
1939/1945- Development of new methods for calculating optical combinations and definition of a strategy: photographic and projection lenses.
1950 - Design and manufacturing of a revolutionary lens: the Retrofocus.
1956 - Invention and creation of the 1st mechanical compensation ZOOM LENS.
1958 - 1st zoom lens with a ratio of X 10.
1964 - The ANGENIEUX lens equipping the NASA Ranger VII space probe sends back the 1st images of the moon.
1969 - The 1st steps of man on the moon (NASA Apollo XI mission) are photographed by an ANGENIEUX lens.
1976 - Development of the 42 X zoom lens: the most powerful in the world.
1978 - Introduction of the laser guiding infra-red zoom lens
1986 - ANGENIEUX launches research on the TVHD.
1988 - First pure silicon samples produced using the sol-gel process.
1990 - ISO 9001 certification.
1996 - Launch of the first light intensifying Lucie binoculars in a smaller format. THALES ANGENIEUX becomes involved in the creation of the Pôle optique et Vision.
1998 - Development of the ACONIT Helmet Mounted Display for helicopter.
1998 - Complete modernisation of the site with the integration of a new area dedicated to manufacturing.
2002 - New OPTIMO zoom for Cinema. Cinec Award for OPTIMO CINEMA LENS.

EXTERNAL LINKS
http://www.angenieux.com/index.php?rub=22