Zero Optik Rehouses Baltars
Zero Optik has entered the motion-picture lens-rehousing market with new housings for Bausch & Lomb’s original Baltar lenses.
Designed in the 1930s, Baltar lenses were sold as standalone optical cells that could be built into any focusing unit. Among the first cinema lenses to be offered with single-coated optics, they resist veiling glare, even with point sources in the frame. As a set, Baltars produce a unique aesthetic that is sharp and contrast-rich with gentle corner falloff on wider focal lengths.
The first seven focal lengths (25mm, 30mm, 35mm, 40mm, 50mm, 75mm and 100mm) have uniform T2.5 apertures, while the 152mm opens to T3.2. With the Zero Optik rehousing, this consistency is extended with common 95mm front diameters, expanded focus and iris scales, and identical gear placement across focal lengths.
Zero Optik rehouses the vintage glass in 7075 aerospace aluminum with 316 stainless steel PL mounts and reliable cam-driven focus mechanisms. Each lens has smart- and dumb-side focus and iris marks, as well as scales that can be delivered in metric or imperial units.
Customers must provide their own Baltar optics, as Zero Optik does not currently maintain an inventory of completed lenses. Pricing covers parts and labor; refurbishing, recoating, or any further service or repair is available for an additional fee.
For additional information, visit zerooptik.com.
