300mm lens

caseyhayward

Active member
Can anyone explain to me why Red's 1st and only lens so far would be a 300mm? That seems awfully long, even for S35. Maybe my cinematography chops aren't what I think they are. Enlighten me.
 
I too am trying to understand this option.

Tell me there will be an adapter for other 3rd party lenses like the coming JVC's ?
 
I'm stumped. Most directors shoot between 17mm and 35mm. 200mm is like an ultra-telephoto lens.

This way you can shoot like the 1970s, though...except that those were telephoto zooms.

The fact that it's measured in f-stops and not t-stops is weird, too, but I guess makes sense since it's video after all.
 
It is an akward 1st lens. But it is the one that is finished 1st. An all-purpose zoom is on our roadmap... just not done, so we can't announce it. We have another lens scheduled after the zoom. The 300mm will be a great long lens when delivered for those that have the need.

Jim
 
its not like the camera came out yesturday and the only lens available was the 300...we are still a few seasons away from even seeing footage that this thing can produce...so who cares what lens has been finished/announced...its not like you could use it anyway.

now if the camera DID come out yesturday and only had a 300 available...id be like, huh?
 
Maybe this is a stupid question and english is not my first language, but here I go:

What is the effective focal length in 35mm of this 300mm lens when used with the full sensor or when used cropped??
 
maybe to make sure military has first scoops as it probably would be practical to film in war zones with something like that. who knows.

by the way, how far away is the subject from the object with something like this?

peace

dalen
 
dalen7 said:
maybe to make sure military has first scoops as it probably would be practical to film in war zones with something like that. who knows.
Mmm... With someone like Jim at the helm, I'd be very surprised if this was averred...
 
I would imagine that a lot of purchases of RED ONE will depend on the availability and pricing of the all-purpose zoom lens - I doubt that most people will have an alternative. It would be a shame if it won't be available for the launch of RED ONE.

Jim, if possible, can you give us a very rough idea of what the price of the all-purpose zoom lens will be? It would be a great help because I'm trying to get an idea of what the total cost of RED will be, but I completely understand if you can't.
 
Glad to see that people from RED (the owner no less!)are cruising these boards and listening to our questions, concerns,and praise. These are exciting times. Thanks Jim for infusing some life into a fairly stagnant and stratified industry.

P.S. I worked on a feature shoot at Oakley HQ about the time that RED was founded. It's fun to think that all that was going on in your head at the time we were shooting with that old technology.
 
What do you mean, when you say that the RED lens is the only alternative? There are plenty of alternatives! You can use ANY PL mount lens (35mm and Super16!), besides the B4 alternate mount.

You can buy used PL prime kits, or a Good Super16 Zoom for around 5K. Jeez, if you can't get a 1K Super16 angieneux, and you're set. You can buy OCT-19 mount LOMO lenses and convert them for PL. Just check ebay for those.

Options are plenty. And surely, you can also rent a Digiprime kit and use it whenever. I'm kind of skeptical about this "all-purpose" zoom lens. Will it be light, small, and bright enough to actually be "all-purpose"? Last time I checked, a good 35mm Zoom lens was still pretty big and heavy...

Still, they can come up with this camera so... Who knows!
 
Options are indeed plenty but Digiprimes and B4 lenses will not work on a single imager camera as they are callibrated to shoot through a split prism.
I believe you would get massive color convergence errors if you tried.
 
Plus, I'm still holding out hope that Nikon F mounts are in this camera's future -for those of us shooting in 720/1080, they'd really be ideal, especially since I really like working with primes - the mindflow is more cinematic, IMHO.
 
Anders Holck said:
Options are indeed plenty but Digiprimes and B4 lenses will not work on a single imager camera as they are callibrated to shoot through a split prism.
I believe you would get massive color convergence errors if you tried.

I had no idea. You're saying that using a digiprime with film is not a good idea? I never used digiprimes - in fact, I seem to more and more be using the same lenses for every shoot. An old kit of T*2 Zeiss primes. The good news is that I can use the xerox of the DOF table, wich is much cheaper than a kelly. But I digress (considerably!).

Now back on subject,

Are you sure? Because if they're offering a mount for 2/3" lenses, I'd take that they would work!! :huh:

Still, I didn't know that...
 
Rich Lee said:
its not like the camera came out yesturday and the only lens available was the 300...we are still a few seasons away from even seeing footage that this thing can produce...so who cares what lens has been finished/announced...its not like you could use it anyway.

now if the camera DID come out yesturday and only had a 300 available...id be like, huh?

That's a good point Rich. Well put biotch.

But Damn it Jim ! Give us the Wideangle !
 
Did anyone notice that the Red site now has a dropdown under Products-Lenses for a "17-100"? It's greyed out, but I think someone's telling us something without "telling us something"...

17mm in 35 - Mmmm. Up to 100mm - Mmmm. At similar attractive pricing like the 300mm - Extra Yummy.
 
Why a 300mm lens?

Though there are a lot of indie film types on DVX User, keep in mind that features or indie "films" are only a few of the genres of production enabled by the announced RED One specs. Among the many other categories are: sports, nature, stock footage, commercials, music videos, business media, episodics, reality, news (yes some b-roll!), and on and on and on and on....

I've produced, directed and shot many national projects in each of those genres. Now...for which of those is the 300mm f2.8 lens useful for, including even using a 2x extender with the 300mm lens? Sports, nature, many categories of stock footage, some commercial sequences, some news coverage, etc. I'll use the 300mm lens a ton. Will I look forward to the RED super-wide zoom? Is a ducks butt watertight?! Yeah, I also use a wide zoom daily, and in each of the genres listed above.

If you're buying a RED One camera, and you are interested in not only having the camera paying for itself, but also turning a fat ROI, try thinking about the familiar phrase "media convergence". Why would you limit your professional growth, and bank account, by not taking advantage of each of the production genres that the RED One camera enables? If you think outside the narrow niche of being an indie filmmaker, and broaden your skill sets to match the RED camera, you'll have a good chance of generating the funds to finance your indie films.

Unfortunately, too often a specialist is someone who learns more and more about less and less - until they know everything about nothing.

Think possibilities, increase skill sets to match the RED camera, and finances will take care of themselves. I look forward to the 300mm lens, and the super-wide zoom also - a whole quiver of arrows to hunt with.

Gibby
www.cut4.tv
 
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