DZOFilm Catta Zoom 18-35mm T2.9 Black Sony E Mount (FF)

Ninety degrees of horizontal view at 18 mm, narrowing to about 54° at 35 mm: on a 36 × 24 mm sensor, that is the working range of the DZOFilm Catta Zoom 18-35mm T2.9 Black Sony E Mount, held at one constant stop from end to end. Its image circle measures 43.5 mm, enough for a full-frame cine zoom, though not for VistaVision. On an APS-C body the same barrel frames like a 27–53 mm, so one lens can serve a mixed fleet of full-frame and crop Sony cameras.

Because the zoom is parfocal, an operator on a TV studio floor can open on the whole set at 18 mm and tighten on the presenter's desk without touching focus, once flange depth is set with the supplied shims. From 4 m away, 18 mm takes in a stage about 8 m wide; 35 mm trims it to roughly 4 m. Breathing stays low, so a pull from a speaker at a conference lectern to the delegates behind keeps the frame steady. Close focus is 0.51 m from the sensor, leaving under 30 cm between front element and a product on a showroom table.

Twenty elements in 14 groups give near-neutral colour and natural skin tones, matched to the 35-80 and 70-135 mm Catta zooms so footage from all three intercuts in a multicam edit. A 16-blade iris keeps defocused practicals round. Focus turns through 270°, zoom 100° and iris 77° from T2.9 to T22, roughly 13° per stop, all on 0.8 MOD gears ready for follow focus or wireless motors. Control is fully manual; with no electronic contacts, no lens data reaches the camera.

The 80 mm front takes a clamp-on matte box, and an M77 filter thread accepts screw-in glass. Near the rear element sits a slot for optional Catta COIN drop-in filters: ND 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2, Black Mist 1/4 and 1/8, plus streak and star effects, handy on a gimbal where a matte box adds weight. A polycarbonate and glass-fibre housing keeps the lens easy to balance on a stabiliser or carry through a handheld documentary day. The Sony E mount swaps for optional RF, L, X or Z bayonets, so the lens stays in service if the camera park changes brand.