2024.8.29
- Please simply introduce yourself as a DP.
Hello, my name is Orlando Briones, and I am a DP based out of Houston, Texas. I have most recently been busy with documentary work on projects soon to be released on MAX. I also cut my teeth on narrative and commercial work, always looking for my next visual to design. 
- Please share your impression of the DZOFILM brand.
DZOFILM has won me over with its craftsmanship, design, and community focus. They are dedicated to creating lenses and tools that cinematographers need and desire. Their commitment to community and making high-quality lenses more affordable has helped bring more creators into the visual space without compromising on quality.
- Please share the DZOFILM lenses and products you have used and give a brief comment on each product.
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Arles Primes: I can’t wait to get my hands on these lenses again. I was able to test them before their release. The contrast, sharpness, and fall-off are superior to other lenses in the same market. They feel high-end and could easily sell for double. I’ve had people confuse the images I’ve shared for “higher-end” lenses on the market. These lenses pack a punch.
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Vespid Retros: I love how unique these lenses are. It’s like having old glass with modern ergonomics. The lenses are matched with an impressive wide 16mm. They look awesome as well!
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DZOFILM Gnosis Macro: This lens set is the first product that caught my eye due to the way it renders skin tones and the natural fall-off of the focus. It pairs great with the Alexa Mini LF, allowing you to focus almost all the way down to the front element of the lens.
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DZOFILM CATTA 18-35 ACE ZOOM: This is a beautiful lens on a large format camera. It allows for larger-than-life wides without massive distortion. It has beautiful rainbow flares and is quite compact for the image it offers.
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DZOFILM Marlin Expander: If you have a full-frame camera with PL, this Expander is amazing. I have paired it with Atlas Orion Anamorphics, Canon CNE Zooms, and many other lenses that are S35, allowing me to expand to full-frame. Not every lens works, but when you find a set that does, it feels like you won the lottery!
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DZOFILM Octopus PL to RF: Once this mount was attached to my RED KOMODO, I never took it off. For the price, it’s easily the best PL mount on the market for your RF camera.
- Sharing a Specific Project Experience Using Lenses (“Longing—Short Film—Vespid Retro”)
When I knew that I could field-test the Vespid Retro, I contacted Vincent Powell (Director of Longing) to create a quick short film. Vincent had already created a beautiful series, Black is Eternal, with DZOFILM lenses, and I figured he might want to work together with this specialty lens set.
4.1. Why did you prefer to use Vespid Retro in this short film?
We already knew that DZOFILM lenses in general were great, but we were eager to tell a dramatic love story with a vintage flair.
4.2. How did you feel using the Vespid Retro lenses on the ARRI Alexa LF camera?
We decided to shoot 4:3 Full Frame on the Alexa Mini LF, trusting these lenses would provide a unique and pleasing frame. It was amazing to see how images rendered in the LF format with a complete set to tell the story. We could easily swap lenses and mount them on the gimbal when needed.
4.3. Which is your favorite focal length in the set to use? Why?
I personally love wide lenses, so massive wides like the 16mm and 25mm looked epic on the LF. After these, I find myself using the 35mm and 50mm the most. They feel natural in the Large Format and allow the subject to look pleasing in every way. The warm tones of the glass create unique flaring that fitting for this story.
- Based on your on-set experience, what innovative features would you like to see in DZOFILM's future products?
Everything I have touched from DZOFILM feels amazing. I can’t wait for them to keep creating other zooms, unique focal-length primes, and specialty lenses.
Final work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3n1RYI1URM&t=89s