Still Lenses(or: How much can you beat a dead horse?)

[taubkin]

Jeez, sorry... I was looking for an old post to ressurect...

Anyway, I'm all for the use of photo lenses with RED, and I'm personally looking at a new Zeiss ZF kit. For around 5K (probably less), maybe you can get the whole Shabang: 25mm 1:2.8 ; 35mm 1:2 ; 50mm ; 1:1.4 ; 85mm 1:1.4 ; 100mm 1:2.

Now, I'm using still lenses with my DVX in my M2, and I used some nikons with an old Aaton that we used to rent over here, but when I started using wider still lenses I realized, that when you have to focus using the tape measure, you're in big trouble. I always knew that hitting focus marks is much harder with those lenses and limited turning focus barrels, but it's another thing that is bothering me:

Check out this 50mm zeiss ZF:

Now suppose we measure the talent and it's standing at 14 feet from the image plane. Where do you put the focus ring? It's really hard to fit all the focus scale in such a limited barrel. How do we go around this? Shoot a focus chart and with a knife mark additional distance marks in the barrel? Sounds good to me. Should we just send the lens to a lens engeneer and let him do it on a collimator? Forget about the tape measure and use the incredible focus assist RED's been promising? All I know is that the way those lenses come from the factory, they are still pretty hard to tame. Does anybody have any ideas?
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[Gibby]

Hmmm...RED is saying their new focus assist technology will be very effective, and that both the on-board screen and the EVF will be 720p. My idea Taubkin, is if RED delivers well on those items, to toss the tape measure and join this century's technology. What you see is what you get - WYSIWYG. Add in a small, low cost, reversible direction, gearless follow focus, and then you have the workflow for using your Zeiss ZF lenses in an effective and cost-effective manner.

If we're used to the mechanical workflow of film, we sometimes have a hard time trusting the electronics that have converged from the IT/TV/video industry, but at some point I think we all need to re-evaluate our workflows.

I'm going to be using still photo lenses for some projects with RED, and that is how I will approach my workflow for them.

Gibby
RED #8
www.cut4.tv
www.4umat.com

 

[lordnumberzero]

Try to stay on 5.6/4 split

Try to stay on 5.6/4 split

I've shot the M2 on the HVX a few times now and I would have to say that with the still lenses, you can't shoot them wide open and hope to pull really tight focus marks if your subject is moving all over the place. Better to keep that lens in the sweet spot and have a little DOF to play with.

Even with a good follow focus and those zacuto rings, it's very difficult with the still lenses because of the travel of the focus ring. Holy **** this reminds me of a feature request.

FEATURE REQUEST: Reds, if you decide to incorporate some kind of focus checker like the thing on the HVX, please, please make it a switch or on/off button rather than a normal button so that it stays on for longer than 3 seconds or whatever. Dammit, that is annoying on the HVX. Really what would be bad ass is if it could be split image like in a Leica VF. Of course I realize the mechanism cannot be the same but you know what I mean.

Gibby's right though, you are seeing what you're getting, so check focus on your actor's marks and make some little dry erase ticks on the old follow focus and tell the AD to hold on a damn second.

 

[Poi Boy]

Tape ? we don't need no stinkin tape ! What you see is what you get. My advice as well...I shoot mostly HVXm2 and I try to stay from 4 to 5.6 and use marks on the follow focus. the dof is plenty shallow and you have half a chance of hitting the proper focus. I'm sure this will work well with RED.
Aloha
_a