New Sony PL Primes - Pricing

I think you mean 3 lens set for 15, and I believe it will be cheaper than that in the USA.

Also I'm not sure if their price will be worth the name. I mean heck I can pick up Zeiss standard speeds for that price or less. I would have loved to see them put out something a bit cheaper, say 3K per lens or less. I would much rather put my money into some world known glass than something that I'm going to have to "educate" my producers for again...

I think people forget that lenses, just like cameras, are asked for by name and reputation. Heck even RED pro primes are a hard sell eventhough most people know they are very close to master primes in sharpness and quality. Producers, DPs, and the lot, they all want to know their production is using "standard" gear. So having "Sony" PL lenses is well... I dont think thats going to catch on as a "good lens brand"

Heck for 28K I could get my hands on a full set of Cooke Speed Panchros fully rehoused in great condition all with T2.2 across the board. I think they really should have priced these a bit lower considering their name.

Know your worth. I think sony over shot their worth with these lenses. I know my clients wont be asking for sony primes anytime soon. Good well known used glass over good unknown new glass will always win i believe.
 
FilmDude said:
I think you mean 3 lens set for 15, and I believe it will be cheaper than that in the USA.

Also I'm not sure if their price will be worth the name. I mean heck I can pick up Zeiss standard speeds for that price or less. I would have loved to see them put out something a bit cheaper, say 3K per lens or less. I would much rather put my money into some world known glass than something that I'm going to have to "educate" my producers for again...

I think people forget that lenses, just like cameras, are asked for by name and reputation. Heck even RED pro primes are a hard sell eventhough most people know they are very close to master primes in sharpness and quality. Producers, DPs, and the lot, they all want to know their production is using "standard" gear. So having "Sony" PL lenses is well... I dont think thats going to catch on as a "good lens brand"

Heck for 28K I could get my hands on a full set of Cooke Speed Panchros fully rehoused in great condition all with T2.2 across the board. I think they really should have priced these a bit lower considering their name.

Know your worth. I think sony over shot their worth with these lenses. I know my clients wont be asking for sony primes anytime soon. Good well known used glass over good unknown new glass will always win i believe.
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People have been asking for cinema lenses that cheap ($3k) for a long time now, but no one sells them - the closest you can get is used CP.2s, RPPs, or OLD Zeiss/Cooke/Lomo/etc. So I wouldn't hold out hope for new lenses costing that little anytime soon.

Only time will tell whether people will embrace the glass or not, this is new ground for Sony so building up a reputation for PL-mount prime lenses will take some time (the primes bundled with the F3 were never available for purchase separately so they don't really count.

RPPs seem to frustrate people mainly because they're quite irritating operationally (imprecise focal marking, wild variation in size/weight), CP.2s are hugely popular, but frustrate people with their inconsistent apertures. If Sony can deliver glass that delivers, we may well start to these new lenses pop up around the place. Only time will tell.

But there's always room for options.
 
It's absolutely true that lenses are asked for by name and reputation. It's why I spent the money on Ultra Primes - it's a superior brand position, and will command better rates for a long time to come. There are certainly far cheaper primes that deliver great images, but optics are all about trade offs, and the number of $20k-$46k prime sets out there have a variety of tradeoffs, and generally they're less about image quality than about mechanical performance.

The CP.2 lenses have wildly inconsistent apertures.
The Illumina S35 lenses by LOMO have a short track record, and telescope, pinching matte boxes on rails.
The Cooke Panchros only open to T2.8
"Super Speeds" are only available used, and the parts stock for repairs dwindles by the year.
RPPs are considered to be heavy. Imprecise focal markings. Weight/size varies.

If the Sony's deliver in the price range, they'll find a market share.
 
I don't like having nothing nice to say all the time but even if these were 75% of the price I can't see where in the market these will fit in? As others have said, its one thing to go head to head with producers on cameras and tech specs, but something about lenses are just sacred. I guess someone will buy them and be happy but just saying....
 
For the price, I think the older/existing Sony primes stand tall against the competition for the price. The mechanics are a bit funky, they are largish and plasticky, but for someone who wants to step up from stills lenses and franken-options, they are quite nice.
I shot them side-by-side with RPP's and they looked nearly identical (or even a bit sharper). So much so that I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they came from the same manufacturer.
 
yoclay said:
Only for fanboys.
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Haha... we need a test! Show me a RED prime aimed at an interior back-lit scene wide open with the sun streaming in and the subject has metal or metallic details (prefferably chrome), and we'll compare CA, fringing, veiling, flare, etc.
Now who actually has access to or even owns MP's here?
 
Kolor-Pikker said:
Haha... we need a test! Show me a RED prime aimed at an interior back-lit scene wide open with the sun streaming in and the subject has metal or metallic details (prefferably chrome), and we'll compare CA, fringing, veiling, flare, etc.
Now who actually has access to or even owns MP's here?
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I kind of use them often....
 
nkerezov said:
RED Primes close to MasterPrimes?!?!?!?!?!
:shocked::shocked::shocked:
:shocked::shocked::shocked::shocked:
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I can send you a TON of links to REDUser.com with the guys on there swearing and even doing visual comparisons between RRP, CP.2s and MP's Saying that the closest things theyve found to MP's are RRPs

I just go by what I read/see I dont shoot with MP's I use big zooms mostly for renting.
 
Either way I still think Sony is priced WAYYYY too high for new glass without a reputation. If anything their reputation SUCKS with lenses. I wouldn't buy them over used glass. They might be wonderful, but how am I to get them on a gig if no one wants them?

What are you going to pay for when renting for the SAME PRICE, Sony primes, or Zeiss? I think we all know the answer to that.


2-3K per lens is a market that could be HUGELY flooded if someone just had the nerve to make a PL lens set fit that price. Could be stills glass re-housed but mechanically updated for less breathing and just a decent metal housing. Heck look how well Rokinon's are doing, sold out all over the place, just because they have decent glass and a gear. There's a market for this stuff, companies just need to have the balls to make'em. Big lens makers cant because it will hurt their upper-end. I think Rokinon/Samyong would be the right people to do it. Something the Average DP can buy without paying for a car for each lens. If you're going to nave no name in the biz for glass (like Sony) then theres no reason to shoot high in price. You can make entery level PL lenses and people will eat them up. Then you can always make a "higher end" package later on thats more expensive.

28K for Sony primes is a no go in my book. I'd be hard pressed to see someone buy that whole kit thats not either rich and just buying because they can, or a rental house. Buying glass is MUCH more important than camera. It's what you're going to use for many years to come. Buy Cooke, Zeiss, whatever else, but let it be something everyone knows and willing to put on a job.
 
You know what... NIKON SHOULD MAKE PL PRIMES!!! (I think they had at one point a long time ago, no?) they have the perfect ability to get into this, they are proven to be beautiful glass. They have the glass already from really great lens selections, all they need is to invest a little money into manufacturing the housings.

They'd make a KILLING and at 2-3K per lens they'd be on top quick. PLUS everyone knows the Nikon name and saying I have New Nikon PL primes sounds a lot nicer than "sony primes"

Just saying... Nikon you better give me a set for free for the idea ;)
 
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nkerezov said:
RED Primes close to MasterPrimes?!?!?!?!?!
:shocked::shocked::shocked:
:shocked::shocked::shocked::shocked:
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Actually, RPP's are insanely sharp. As sharp as masters. They just lose everywhere else. Ugly look, sharp but boring. Terrible flares, uninspiring bokeh, crap ergonomics... But damn are they sharp.
 
FilmDude said:
You know what... NIKON SHOULD MAKE PL PRIMES!!! (I think they had at one point a long time ago, no?) they have the perfect ability to get into this, they are proven to be beautiful glass. They have the glass already from really great lens selections, all they need is to invest a little money into manufacturing the housings.

They'd make a KILLING and at 2-3K per lens they'd be on top quick. PLUS everyone knows the Nikon name and saying I have New Nikon PL primes sounds a lot nicer than "sony primes"

Just saying... Nikon you better give me a set for free for the idea ;)
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I'm not aware of any. I know that cinema rental houses would often PL or Panavise long Canon/Nikon lenses for cinema use. When I used to work at Panavision, we had some very telephoto Canon and Nikon lenses converted for cinema mounts. They went out on some bigger shows. Seems it was a common practice for a very long time.
 
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TimurCivan said:
Actually, RPP's are insanely sharp. As sharp as masters. They just lose everywhere else. Ugly look, sharp but boring. Terrible flares, uninspiring bokeh, crap ergonomics... But damn are they sharp.
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Yup... but let's be honest. It's 2012 and it's not 'that' hard to make a sharp lens. It is much more than sharpness that makes a good cine lens. I wrote an article about this before...
 
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