P1024310

ARRI EF Mount (LBUS)

Expand your lens horizon

Animation Header_EF Mount
Use any EF Mount lens on ALEXA Mini LF or ALEXA Mini

Compatible with cine-style and still photo EF Mount lenses.

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The ARRI EF Mount (LBUS) allows the ALEXA Mini LF or ALEXA Mini to accept lenses with an EF mount and it also provides an LBUS connector.

In order to extend the benefits of using EF mount lenses to large-format motion picture productions, ARRI has redesigned its EF mount with a wider light baffle, allowing it to cover the large-format sensor of the ALEXA Mini LF, as well as the Super 35 sensor of the ALEXA Mini.

The use of cine-style EF mount lenses on motion picture cameras has been a popular way to make more affordable optics available to budget-conscious productions. Their mechanical focus rings with physical end stops and industry-standard gears allow the use of external lens motors and precise remote control through ARRI ECS hand units like the wireless WCU‑4 and SXU-1 and the wired Operator Control Unit OCU‑1 and Master Grips. Setup of external lens motors is fast and clean with the LBUS connector on the lens mount, which frees up the EXT connector on the Mini LF and Mini. With the use of the ARRI Lens Data Archive, metadata from the external lens motors will be displayed as well as recorded. 

Additionally, the ARRI EF Mount (LBUS) allows filmmakers to utilize the wide variety of still photo EF mount lenses for insert shots, including vintage lenses, extreme wide-angle lenses, fisheye lenses, tilt-shift lenses, extreme telephoto lenses, macro lenses and other specialist EF mount lenses. For specialty shots, the ARRI EF Mount (LBUS) even powers the image stabilization built into some telephoto EF mount lenses. Since most still photo EF mount lenses have internal iris motors, those can be set by the camera and ARRI ECS hand units.  

Built to ARRI’s exceptionally high standards of durability and reliability, the ARRI EF Mount (LBUS) is suitable for hard-wearing use on professional film sets. 

Features

Use EF mount lenses on ALEXA Mini LF or ALEXA Mini

- Wide light baffle for with large-format and Super 35 sensors

- Use affordable cine-style EF mount lenses 

- Use the wide variety of still photo EF mount lenses 

- Use image stabilization in EF mount telephoto lenses

- Locking ring for secure mounting and stable flange focal distance

 EF mount still photo and cine-style lenses on ALEXA Mini LF & ALEXA Mini

Control cine-style EF mount lenses with ARRI ECS hand units

- LBUS connector allows fast and clean setup of external ARRI cforce lens motors

- LBUS connector frees up EXT connector on Mini LF and Mini

- Wireless lens control with WCU‑4 or SXU-1

- Wired lens control with OCU‑1 or Master Grips

- Display and record lens metadata with Lens Data Archive (LDA)

LBUS connector on lens mount

Set iris of still photo EF mount lenses

- On most lenses with 1/4 steps

- Set from camera

- Set from ARRI ECS hand units

Control internal motors of lens trough Electronic Control System

Camera Compatibility

The ARRI EF Mount (LBUS) is compatible with the ALEXA Mini LF and ALEXA Mini. The ARRI EF Mount (LBUS) does not physically fit the AMIRA, nor does the AMIRA support the mounts’ LBUS connector. This is why the old, slightly less expensive EF Lens Mount remains available.

Note: LBUS accessories can still be used with AMIRA by using an EXT to LBUS adapter cable to connect the AMIRA to the LBUS accessory. 

The ARRI EF Mount (LBUS) does not require a specific camera Software Update Package (SUP).

ARRI EF Mount LBUS Tables New

FAQ

  • The new ARRI EF Mount (LBUS) (K2.0019965) was designed for Super 35 and large format. It is mechanically compatible with the ALEXA Mini and ALEXA Mini LF. Due to the wide light baffle, large format EF Mount lenses will not vignette. The LBUS connector allows connecting any LBUS device and frees up the EXT connector on the camera.

    The old EF Lens Mount (K2.0001103) was designed for Super 35 recording resolutions. It is mechanically compatible with the ALEXA Mini, AMIRA and ALEXA Mini LF, but vignetting may be visible on the ALEXA Mini LF when using large format EF Mount lenses. Please note, that the amount of vignetting is based on the optical lens design, the focal length and the aperture, and therefore, we cannot provide information as to which lens will vignette how much. If you want to find out how much a given lens vignettes, we recommend shooting a test.

    The image below shows the new ARRI EF Mount (LBUS) on the left and the old EF Lens Mount on the right side.

    camera_faq_EF_Mount_(LBUS)_EF_Mount

  • No, the new ARRI EF Mount (LBUS) is mechanically not compatible with the AMIRA and the AMIRA does not support the mounts’ LBUS connector. If you want to use EF Mount lenses on an AMIRA, use the EF Lens Mount (K2.0001103).

  • The position of the LBUS connector on the ARRI EF Mount (LBUS) was chosen to allow compatibility not only with current, but also with future cameras. 

    LBUS connector on lens mount

  • Since cine cameras are exposed to greater stresses than stills cameras, it is important to safely lock the lens to the camera. This also ensures a stable flange focal depth by pushing the lens securely against the lens mount flange surface. 

  • Still photo EF mount lenses with internal lens motors will automatically calibrate their focus and iris motors to their memorized virtual end stops when you connect them to the ARRI EF Mount (LBUS), as long as the camera is powered on, and on the lens  the Auto-Focus (AF) switch is set to ON or the MF/AF switch is set to AF. There is no manual calibration possible, or necessary.  

  • Since the iris of most still photo EF mount lenses can only be set in steps of 1/4 stops, we recommend against a live iris pull during the shot with still photo EF mount lenses.  

  • It is not possible to calibrate external lens motors on the focus ring of an EF mount still photo lens, as these lenses have a freely rotating focus ring without end stops, and the lens motor expects an end stop for calibration.  

  • Yes. To use the cforce mini RF motor, which is our fastest and most responsive motor, in the most effective way, switch the motor to “client” mode and connect it with an LBUS cable to the ARRI EF Mount (LBUS). The motor will use the camera's radio and will communicate lens ring position metadata to the camera. 

    K2.0016802

  • Yes and no. 

    If you use cine-style EF mount lenses, that have a mechanical focus ring with end stops, and if you use an external lens motor to drive the focus ring, yes, you can. And you can use the ARRI ECS hand units, like WCU‑4 or SXU-1 as wireless focus controllers or the OCU‑1 or Master Grips as wired focus controllers. 

    We recommend against professional focus pulling with still photo EF mount lenses with internal focus motors. While rudimentary control of the focus motor of most still photo EF mount lenses is possible with ARRI ECS hand units to set a focus distance, actual focus pulling does not work so well. The accuracy and repeatability of focus marks as well as the smoothness of the focus lens ring motion do not match what is possible with external lens motors and vary greatly from lens to lens. 

    So: focus pulling with cine-style EF mount lenses and external lens motors is definitely possible, but focus pulling with still photo EF mount lenses using the internal focus motors is not recommended.

    Control internal motors of lens trough Electronic Control System

  • The ALEXA  Mini LF has the same interface between the camera and the lens mount as the ALEXA 35, ALEXA  Mini and AMIRA. Therefore, physically, all lens mounts that fit on ALEXA 35, ALEXA  Mini or AMIRA will also fit on ALEXA  Mini LF. However, some of these lens mounts make little sense on the ALEXA Mini LF because they will show strong vignetting. We currently recommend using the following lens mounts with ALEXA  Mini LF: 

    • The ARRI LPL Mount (LBUS) (that is attached to the ALEXA  Mini LF in the image below) is the ideal mount for all LPL lenses, and with the PL-to-LPL Adapter (floating in front of the camera in the image below) it can also accept all PL mount lenses, be they Super  35 or large format. The ARRI LPL Mount (LBUS) supports LDS-2 and /i lens metadata, and the PL-to-LPL Adapter supports LDS-1 and /i.
    • The ARRI PL Mount (LBUS) (K2.0042651) accepts PL lenses and features an LBUS connector. Reduced internal reflection properties ensure that the full contrast of the image from the lens reaches the sensor. 
    • The ARRI PL Mount (Hirose) (K2.0042652) accepts PL lenses and features a Hirose connector. Reduced internal reflection properties ensure that the full contrast of the image from the lens reaches the sensor. 
    • The ARRI EF Mount (LBUS) (K2.0019965) accepts EF mount cine-style or still photo lenses and the wider light baffle works with Super 35 and large format sensors. This mount is compatible with the ALEXA  Mini LF and the ALEXA  Mini and supports electronic communication and control of many lenses.
    • The LEITZ M-MOUNT for Leica M 0.8 lenses works with the ALEXA  Mini LF and is available directly from Leitz.
    • Panavision has created PV and PV70 lens mounts for the ALEXA  Mini LF. 
    • Vantage has created an XPL52 lens mount for the ALEXA  Mini LF. 

    Here some notes on other lens mounts: 

    • The Titanium PL LDS mount with LBUS (K2.0003216) from the ALEXA  Mini was designed for Super  35 only. Since the combination of LPL lens mount and PL-to-LPL Adapter shows less vignetting than using the Mini PL lens mount, we recommend against using the Mini PL lens mount on the ALEXA  Mini LF. 
    • The EF Lens Mount (K2.0001103) was designed for Super  35 only. While it could be attached to the ALEXA  Mini LF, large format lenses may vignette. We recommend using the new ARRI EF Mount (LBUS) (K2.0019965) on the ALEXA Mini LF, which also supports the use of lens motors and LBUS devices.
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