DZOFILM X-tract

The X-tract is DZOFILM's answer to the Laowa Probe — with a crucial difference: it zooms. 18 to 28 millimeters at a constant T8, and that on full frame. Previously, probe lenses were prime lenses; anyone who wanted to change the framing had to move the probe, which is rarely possible in a type case, an aquarium, or an engine bay.

The Numbers

2.1:1 maximum magnification, a minimum focusing distance of six millimeters from the front glass, 41.4 centimeters length with a front diameter under three centimeters. Weight 1,089 grams, PL mount, 0.8 MOD gears on focus, aperture, and zoom, 300-degree focus throw. The probe is water and dustproof and can be mounted as a 0-, 90-, or 360-degree tube.

T8 is the Real Statement

T8 sounds like little, and it is little. But at a magnification ratio of 2:1, the depth of field has already shrunk to fractions of a millimeter — a wider aperture would be practically unusable. So the calculation isn't a compromise, but a design choice. The price for this is in the lighting budget: a probe shot requires more light than the rest of the shooting day combined, and the light must pass through an opening that the probe also fits through.

Zoom in a Probe Lens — Why It Matters

The zoom range of 18 to 28 millimeters sounds narrow, but it's precisely the range where probe shots occur. Instead of pushing the probe one centimeter further in — and thereby touching the subject, disturbing the liquid, or stirring up dust — you zoom. For tabletop, product shots, and anything that cannot be touched, this is the real advancement compared to a fixed probe.

Context

The X-tract stands alongside Laowa's Probe family and the classic Snorkel and Innovision systems. Compared to Laowa, it gains zoom and full-frame coverage; compared to the old Snorkel systems, it gains size and price. What it doesn't solve is the fundamental problem of any probe: the image is only as good as the light that can get in.