DZOFilm Catta Ace Zoom 70-135mm T2.9 Black PL & EF Mount (VV/FF)

Pulling from an interview medium shot into a tight close-up without touching the focus ring — that is the job of a true parfocal cine zoom, and the DZOFilm Catta Ace Zoom 70-135mm T2.9 Black PL & EF Mount handles it with discipline. Its 46.5 mm image circle covers full-frame and VV sensors, so it mounts straight onto an ALEXA Mini LF, a Sony VENICE or a RED V-RAPTOR with no cropping compromises.

The optical block of 17 elements in 11 groups holds a constant T2.9 from 70 to 135 mm and stops down to T22. Sixteen iris blades keep out-of-focus highlights round deep into the corners — a real asset against concert backdrops or city lights. Colour rendering and skin tones match the 18-35 mm and 35-80 mm siblings, which turns a three-zoom multi-camera shoot into a shorter grading session. Focus breathing and image shift are suppressed far enough that a slow push-in reads like a dolly move, not a lens artefact.

Mechanically, the aluminium alloy housing is laid out for crew work: 270° of focus rotation for repeatable marks, a 100° zoom throw, an 80° iris ring, and industry-standard 0.8 mod gears that accept any follow focus or wireless motor without adapters. Screw-in ND or diffusion glass fits directly via the M77 filter thread. The PL mount comes fitted, an EF bayonet sits in the box, and an LPL option is sold separately — one optic that follows your camera fleet across ARRI, RED and Canon bodies.

Close focus of 0.76 m from the sensor plane lets it move from compressed telephoto portraits to tabletop inserts within a single setup. For documentary crews, stage and sports coverage from the back of the venue, TVC days or multi-camera live production, this 1.9x zoom stands in for a pouch of tele primes: fewer lens swaps, quicker turnarounds, and a predictable line on every rental quote. It also balances on heavier gimbals and remote heads, which keeps a roving second camera useful between fixed positions.