I've found the perfect stopgap servo zoom lens

djkarn105

djkarn105

Well-known member
One of the difficulties of shooting ENG style with these new large sensor cameras is the lack of a servo zoom lens. ENG style shooting demands that you be able smoothly zoom and track a subject while keeping your focus sharp, a tall order when using still zooms on these cameras. After searching and researching stills zoom lenses, I came across the Nikon 80-200 f4. That's when the idea struck me. With a pull zoom you can zoom AND focus with the same hand. What's more, it's far easier to have a steady zoom on a pull zoom than a twist.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/80200f4ais.htm

I was looking for a long zoom so I scrounged around on Ebay and found the aforementioned lens for a little over 100 bucks and it's as great as I would have hoped it would be. Granted, it's not going to be as smooth as a servo but, it's a far more affordable solution than rigging a servo zoom to work with a camera it's not designed for. And to top it off, the nikon in particular is parafocal and constant aperture. And of course, because it's a nikon it will work on just about anything that is out at the moment.
 
This is called a push pull zoom. I have the EXACT lens. I'm afraid zooming and pulling focus at the same time is darn near impossible. If you master it, you're a better man than I. I find what you see as a benefit, I see as a great weakness. I can't focus on an object and then reframe the zoom without throwing focus off, because while zooming the ring will always move one way or another.

It's frustrating lens to shoot films on. I used to use it back in college when we were shooting exteriors and I needed a long lens.

God speed to you.
 
Having in my youth endured several years working with the Sony DXC-1610 camera that came with a push-pull-twist zoom lens as standard equipment, I would be happy to never have to experience using one on a video camera again. It's almost impossible to do a smooth zoom with a push-pull motion anyway, and add to that the extreme probability you'll change the focus setting at the same time and it's a recipe for disaster (in my book). Maybe you're a lot better at it than I was (I could never draw diagonal lines on my Etch-A-Sletch, either), but I'm skeptical.

I don't have any special problem with push-pull zooms on my still cameras, however, and my Canon 100-400mm is one of my most used lenses on my 7D (which I use for stills only, not video). You can zoom it without changing the focus, though.

- Greg
 
I have one of these two and agree with Ryan, dang near impossible. Here is my solution, and it id not cheap, I use a Bartech wireless follow focus on a two ring version of the same lens. I also use an older Preston Cinema controller with a J4 motor on this lens as well as other lenses like a 28-70 and 17-37 and cinema zooms like Optimos and Cookes.
 
Were you guys using it handheld or on a tripod? I agree it's tough handheld but on a tripod I found it to be doable with some practice.
 
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