GDU Armored RF 50mm and 16mm lenses are Canon’s affordable Pancake primes rehoused in an aluminum body with a built-in lens hood without the focus ring. The lenses are available for $499 and $599 from Global Dynamics United, respectively. The US-based company Global Dynamics United (GDU) is in some ways connected to RED Digital Cinema as it is owned by Jarred Land. The company produces all kinds of camera accessories that are mostly designed to go with various RED cameras. Part of GDU’s product line are rehoused lenses. Already back in 2016, GDU released two rehoused EF lenses – the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 and the EF-S 40mm f/2.8 “Pancake”. When I hear the term “lens rehousing” I usually think of vintage manual lenses being rehoused in a cine lens enclosure with geared rings, etc. In the case of GDU, this is a bit different, but more on that later. Older rehoused Canon EF-S lenses Source: GDU The company recently released two newly rehoused lenses. These are Canon’s entry-level, affordable “Pancake” full-frame RF primes – the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM and Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM lenses. The style of rehousing is quite different and a bit strange in my opinion. Let’s take a look at both of these GDU primes. GDU armored RF 50mm and 16mm prime lenses Armored RF 50mm f/1.8 lens. Source: GDU Both lenses now sport a new enclosure machined from billet 6061 aluminum with an anodized red lens hood and metal internal mask. Just...
Published By: CineD - Thursday, 13 October, 2022