Is the camera viable for weddings/run and gun?

Yes, Matt, thanks for putting things in good perspective. I've been struggling, too, about what roles these camera's will play. I hope the relief I feel now will still be around tomorrow!

Alaskacameradude, keep posting, I read everything you say on this and the other forum.

Human eyes have a hard time reading continous single line text. Hey, you didn't type in all caps, so that is good!

Harking back to my high school English days, my teacher's good advice was to hit the return key to start a new "paragraph" every time the thought/subject changes!
 
Ahhh...I see what you mean about my post. Sorry, my computer does not do anything when I hit return. Sometimes, if I go in and edit my post,
it will let me put in a new paragraph when I hit return, but NEVER on the first post. Not sure if it is my browser Firefox (3.6.19) or not.
I can't figure out how to get it to let me use return to separate things into new lines. I guess I will just have to 'edit' every post
as that usually (but not always) works.


(For example, it just let me do it now that I went into 'edit' mode. But it wouldn't let me do it in the initial post. Weird! Anyways, I went
back and edited the offending post, hopefully it makes more sense now....and is easier to read!)
 
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morgan_moore said:
It does hve constant ap - 6.3 or less

again I find using this helps - looks very EX1 like but enables quick reframes without needing to fiddle with exposure

S
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Morgan, my understanding is that the kit lens does not hold aperture as you zoom in, making it a variable aperture lens. Am I wrong ?
 
I know you're making a point Mr MM, but strictly speaking, it is NOT a constant aperture! :-)

jdv said:
That said Matt, would you still buy it knowing what you know now? I've some wildly varying reviews - some swear by it, others pretty well trash it. It's a pretty expensive lens, esp you have to by it by itself.
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We-ell, in the UK it's available with-camera for £200 less. For once the UK gets a better deal than the US (jk).

I'll put it this way: I would hate it if this were the only lens I'd use with the camera.

In the couple of months I've had the camera, I've needed an IS lens twice so far. Even then, I'm not sure if I like it's look - I tried the 'hard' setting and it was as if I'd switched off the shutter on the EX1.

However, the main reason it's in my bag and not on eBay is that it's the longest focal length I own. Let's say I'd prefer an 80-200 f2.8 with IS over the Sony lens, but that would be three times the price. I did try cheapo Tamron 80-210, but talk about 'through a glass darkly' - picture about as crisp as week old salad. And as appetising.

I did consider selling it, but it's not that bad. Just makes my FS100 feel like a Z1. Maybe sell it for a Birger mount... but it's a very compact lens...
 
Im just talking about using it

If you have it on 3.5 indoors and zoom in the images goes dark - this is very annoying

If you stop down to 6.3 and zoom it stays at 6.3

Its practical to use - at the compromise of the look

While it is not constant aperture it is also not 'non constant'

Ie you could get a lens design that always gets darker as you zoom even if the wider ap was avaialble at the longer end

for example a 4-5.6 zoom might potentiall go from 5.6-8 when zoomed rather than going from 5.6 to 5.6

Im not trying to get all linguistic or prove anything .. im just reporting back my use of the camera

Would we agree that for 6.3 or lower that it is a constant aperture lens?

S
 
Well, even the EX1's built in lens - which, lurkers, is a corker btw - isn't 'constant aperture' as it goes from f1.9 to 2.8 if you zoom in. The wise money, if it's going to zoom to the full reach of the lens, DOES set the iris to 2.8 so you won't be hit by the NON... CONSTANT... aperture by using a slightly restricted aperture. Stopping down. OTOH, my Nikkor 17-55 2.8 is most definitely a constant aperture as there is no change to the maximum aperture as you go through the zoom range.

The slight restriction on the EX1 lens is a little bit of a grind (OMG, a whole STOP), but not like the 'who put a black hole in here?' drop of the Sony lens. Two? Two and a half stops?

But of course we don't always use our lenses wide open, do we? Cough, cough.
 
MattDavis said:
Well, even the EX1's built in lens - which, lurkers, is a corker btw - isn't 'constant aperture' as it goes from f1.9 to 2.8 if you zoom in.
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I've generally found it goes at least as low as f3.4 at the end, so it ramps about a 1.5stop. But yes, I usually use ~f2.8 to avoid significant the constant ramp.

Then again, if you really want to compare the EX1/3 lens to a 35mm superzoom like the kit 18-200, a 5.8-81.2mm f1.9-3.4 for 1/2" will essentially have the same DOF, light gathering ability, and FOV as a 21-292mm f6.8-f12 on the FS100. This makes a common 18-250 f3.5-6.3 lens seem pretty reasonable. I still wouldn't recommend the sony 18-200 kit lens since the servo focus makes it impossible to focus accurately. Servo focus might work for a 1/3" camera with 4-5 stops more depth of field, but focus is so critical in most situations with a 35mm sensor that servo focusing is a dealbreaker.
 
the servo focus my not be a deal breaker at 6.3!

Im fascanated by this lens (mixed with the sensitivity of the FS100)

It just seems to turn the camera into an EX1

Which is great beacuse on every job Ive done previously I always wanted both my 7d and Ex1

now I just need my primes for the 7d/film look and that kit lens puts an EX1 in my pocket too!

S
 
morgan_moore said:
the servo focus my not be a deal breaker at 6.3!
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Seems to me something like a tamron/sigma 18-250 os in sony mount with the la-ea1 adapter might be a better option since it has more range, is slightly faster for most of the range, has real manual focus (though focus throw is super short), and may even be cheaper.
 
..but does the AF work

.. and the 'VR' (IS?)

That kit lens the AF would work if you were doing a walking shot or something

For any use but a specialised one or super fast RnG Id use some proper lenses

Current fav on sticks is nikkor 35-70 manual F3.5 zoom followed by nikkor 35 2.5 E

Still seeking a wide that is not as wide as my 14

S
 
nyvz said:
Seems to me something like a tamron/sigma 18-250 os in sony mount with the la-ea1 adapter might be a better option since it has more range, is slightly faster for most of the range, has real manual focus (though focus throw is super short), and may even be cheaper.
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Without an iris ring on the lens, you'll be forced to use the iris wheel on the camera, resulting in flashing aperture and a loud clicking sound, making it a "run-stop recording-change iris-gun-and repeat". I have the Tamron 28-75 with the Sony adapter, and that's the problem I encountered. I'm now looking for a lens with an aperture ring that I'll have "de-clicked" in order to be able to change aperture live. There are a few places that will modify still lenses that way. AbelCine does it, I believe, Duclos, and maybe even your local camera repair shop. KEH will do it for about $125. Good thing is, they sell used lenses too.
 
The Lens Doctor (UK)

The Lens Doctor (UK)

Please can I add a shout-out for 'De-clicking' in the UK for my good friend The Lens Doctor!

My 90mm 2.5 Macro is super slick on both aperture and focus. Currently looking for a gap in proceedings to send him my Samyangs.
 
AndyInBuffalo said:
Without an iris ring on the lens, you'll be forced to use the iris wheel on the camera, resulting in flashing aperture and a loud clicking sound, making it a "run-stop recording-change iris-gun-and repeat". I have the Tamron 28-75 with the Sony adapter, and that's the problem I encountered. I'm now looking for a lens with an aperture ring that I'll have "de-clicked" in order to be able to change aperture live. There are a few places that will modify still lenses that way. AbelCine does it, I believe, Duclos, and maybe even your local camera repair shop. KEH will do it for about $125. Good thing is, they sell used lenses too.
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Don't E-mount lenses change aperture in hard stops with clicks as well? In my experience all electronic-aperture lenses and non-declicked manual lenses have an issue similiar to this.
 
nyvz said:
Don't E-mount lenses change aperture in hard stops with clicks as well? In my experience all electronic-aperture lenses and non-declicked manual lenses have an issue similiar to this.
Click to expand...

I can't speak for all E-mount lenses but I know the 18-200 E mount kit lens does NOT have hard stops or clicks. It's one of the reasons I wanted it, nice smooth
iris change with no 'steppyness' at all.
 
alaskacameradude said:
I can't speak for all E-mount lenses but I know the 18-200 E mount kit lens does NOT have hard stops or clicks. It's one of the reasons I wanted it, nice smooth
iris change with no 'steppyness' at all.
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Interesting, that is surprising but good to hear, but you still have the laggy servo control for the iris, right?
 
nyvz said:
Interesting, that is surprising but good to hear, but you still have the laggy servo control for the iris, right?
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Well.....not 100% sure what you mean by that. The iris is on a wheel on the camera so it's not as responsive as having an iris ring on the
lens, by any means. So it's not ideal, but it seems to work pretty good, at least for my needs. It doesn't seem 'laggy' to me, maybe a little
'sluggish' but not too bad. Now it APPEARS like it may be moving slow because it doesn't show half or quarter stops in the viewfinder, so it
will say F4.5 and you will turn it a little, and the exposure will 'ramp' and change very smoothly, but it will still say F4.5, because you haven't
made it to the next F stop yet. So you may feel like you are turning it a lot to get it to switch F stop, but that's because it does it smoothly.
Not sure what you would be looking for, it's not as nice as a 'declicked' manual lens or the iris lens on a proper motion camera, but it's a pretty
decent substitute in my eyes. Seems very similar to the iris wheel on the Panny HMC-150 as a matter of fact.
 
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