are the Ablecine.com packages worth saving for...

Melvin Harris

Melvin Harris

Black Flag Member
if I have a full compliment of FD and EF mount lenses? It has been discussed that the glass makes the difference in the case of this cam, and building in some CP.2's is always a welcome side effect, but it will prolong my getting the camera itself...

It just seems easier to buy it in a one shot. Plus, it allows for bug fixes and such.

So, get it and work to the glass?
Buy the ZF package and "settle?"
Or go for the gusto and save (important to note) for the CP.2 package...
Thoughts?
 
I looked at the packages and can't say there is much price incentive to buying the kit. Is there?

I would (will be) using my FD and Voightlander glass and will rent a full set of CP2s ($450/day) to test them all out on a shoot and see which ones I like and don't like.

The Sony PL glass may be worth looking at as well. It certainly is inexpensive.
 
Isn't the ZF and CP.2 'glass' the same? It's just mechanical function that differs(?) So same optical elements in two different mechanical packages.

I don't really see the ZF's as settling...
 
No, no, no- I meant "settling" as in getting still photographic lenses vs. cine style lenses... not quality, not at all!
 
pharpsied said:
No, no, no- I meant "settling" as in getting still photographic lenses vs. cine style lenses... not quality, not at all!
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Gotcha.

I still wouldn't see it as settling though. Some of the kids in the playground may disagree...
 
pharpsied said:
It has been discussed that the glass makes the difference in the case of this cam
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I just want to clarify that point. Glass doesnt make a difference only on this specific camera. Glass makes a difference on ANY camera. I guess because of the AF100 price you are more likely to see a range of lower end lenses used as opposed to the F3 for arguments sake.

The question is do you need to own an expensive lens kit? Are you likely to make a return on them? If youre shooting client projects do the zeiss cp.'s suit the needs of the project?

Ive been turning down my investment in cameras. I have a lot of high end gear such as support gear / audio etc thats can be used across the board, but I know that next week Ill most likely not shoot on what I did this week. Renting is inevitable for me. Which is why the AF100 is great (see price), I only NEED to use it for my personal projects, or try to push it in to the lower budget jobs I do. Those jobs wouldnt garner any real advantage from having CP.2's - nor could they afford them in the budget, so I'll continue to use my duclos cinemodded zf.2's.

I wouldnt hesitate to recommend a higher end lens where the budget exists however.

So I'll come back to the beginning - do you need to OWN CP.2's?

EDIT: But hey, if you WANT to own CP.2's...
 
pharpsied said:
So could I save some money and get the Duclos Cine-Mods?
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Everything I've heard about those is that they do a superb job. Pair them with a FF that reverses the gear box and I'd be very happy. I'm getting the Schneider primes, and just for giggles I ordered the 'DigiOptics' zoom pair from B&H. They're on their way and might be useful - and of course they might be awful…
 
Noel Evans said:
So I'll come back to the beginning - do you need to OWN CP.2's?

EDIT: But hey, if you WANT to own CP.2's...
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Looking at the investment, and thinking from an artist entrepreneur standpoint, there is a need to have high quality lenses available at all times. There is also a prudence in having glass that can be used on a number of cams for when budgets allow. I WANT a Maybach, but I need 4 wheels and a steering column... I think that in this case, a bit of future proofing is smart.

So, yeah.
 
But what do you do when a lens is out... do you schedule or make do? Here in Houston, we have one place that I know of... doesn't bode well for availability.
 
Usually the higher the budget the more notice I usually have. There's far more to arrange, so I can work around these things.
 
pharpsied said:
But what do you do when a lens is out... do you schedule or make do? Here in Houston, we have one place that I know of... doesn't bode well for availability.
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I guess I've been spoiled here in Toronto- we have a half dozen or more places where we can rent Zeiss / Cooke lenses and special optics like snorkels etc. If they aren't here in the city, most of the rental houses have offices in L.A. / New York / Chicago / Vancouver / Montreal / Halifax and they will fly it in for us. Thankfully we've never been caught short for lenses.
 
I've been using Zeiss 35/50/85 in ZE mount and these are some sweet glass to put to use on the AF101. It's the poor mans choice instead of opting for the CP2's.
Owning a full CP2 set is just to expensive right now and I can squeeze in more lenses in my camera bag with the smaller ZE.
 
Pharpseid -- come on out yourself this weekend, and you'll get to see all the glass you want being used, and can make an informed decision then. :thumbsup:
 
Barry_Green said:
Pharpseid -- come on out yourself this weekend, and you'll get to see all the glass you want being used, and can make an informed decision then. :thumbsup:
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Don't know how anyone could refuse that offer! It's great when filmakers get together to help each other out.
 
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