DZOFilm Pavo 75mm 2x Anamorphic T2.1 PL & EF Mount (S35) Neutral

Lighting a scene for T2.1 and keeping that stop into the close-ups works on every Pavo prime up to the DZOFilm Pavo 75mm 2x Anamorphic T2.1 PL & EF Mount Neutral, the 65 mm macro aside; beyond it, the 100 mm opens at T2.4, the 135 mm at T2.5 and the 180 mm at T2.8. Long end of the A set (28, 40, 75 mm), it covers Super 35 with a 31.5 mm image circle and shares the 40 mm's 15-element, 14-group formula and 16-blade iris.

Cinematographer Wade Muller, HKSC, ACS, who had the full Pavo line on the feature Primitive War and pairs the lenses with an ALEXA 35, told DZOFilm the 75 mm was his favourite: close and personal on a face, yet keeping context in wider frames. The 2x anamorphic geometry explains why. Horizontally the lens sees about what a 37.5 mm spherical lens would, while depth of field stays that of a true 75 mm, so the actor holds sharp as the set behind dissolves.

The neutral coating hands the colour of each horizontal streak over to the light that set it off; the glass adds none. Red tail-lights in a night motorway chase leave a red line; an HMI pushed through a factory window, a cold white one. Streaks stay occasional: with the cylinders set mid-lens, it usually takes the sun or an unflagged lamp shining straight in to draw one. The close-focus limit, 0.84 m from the sensor plane, falls about 66 cm in front of the glass: a calligrapher's brush lifting off the paper makes a tight brand-film insert while the lens stays clear of the artist's arm.

Two mounts, one lens: PL is installed and the EF bayonet rides in the box with screws, shims and driver. Per the manual, the swap involves no shimming, and any ±0.2 mm back-focus trim is done on the camera. Focus rotates through 270° on metric scales. Gear positions (0.8 MOD) match across the A set, but iris throws differ (67° here against 58° and 79° on the 40 and 28), so calibrate the iris motor per lens. Its 95 mm front and M86 thread match the series; the mount has no contacts. A separately bought Marlin 1.6x Expander makes it a roughly 120 mm lens near T3.4 on full frame and VistaVision. For a production house with PL and EF cameras, it is the tightest Pavo that keeps a T2.1 lighting plan intact.