FS7: noisy handgrip dial

L

Lenilenapi

Carbonite Member
I've just noticed how noisy my handgrip Iris dial is. This could hurt a lot of documentary work and ruin intimate shots . Are they all like this and is no one else bothered by it? You can use the side dial which is silent , but that defeats the whole purpose of the handgrip.

lenny
 
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I know this doesn't solve your problem but would you really use a stepped electronic iris change in the middle of a shot?
 
Well Ben, I gotta admit that's a very good point that i didn't think of. i'm still testing all this out with different lenses. The Sony mount lens have many more steps per stops and so far they appear pretty stepless to me.
So I do I want
- EF lenses which offer speed booster and IS but very steppy iris
- Sony lenses which offer smoother iris and iris controlled by handgrip but that's noisy and no speed booster
or
- Nikon lenses which offer manual smooth iris (with the adapters) but no IS

I want to have my cake and eat it too, but so far I haven't even had breakfast this morning - too busy looking at lenses!

BTW - Just got a Canon 24-105 to try but first thing I noticed in my Living room test facility - its very subject to flaring from windows that are even out of the shot.

lenny
 
Cine-Modded EF mount Contax Zeiss with declicked iris is the way forward. All those electronics are just more things to go wrong for me:)

I should add, they're full frame but the metabones SB ultra doesn't work with them due to it activating the aperture pin. other focal reducers are fine though.
 
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I wouldn't change exposure whilst rolling with anything other than a manual iris ring on a video lens (completely stepless). And even then I don't like it so much due to the change in DOF. I wish companies implemented a way to change ISO/exposure perfectly smoothly with a silent dial or wheel.
 
@Ben: I have declicked Zeiss Contax lenses also - is there no mod for the SB Ultra to make them work? Glad I saw this post as it was on my list of purchases.
 
Nope. I had confirmation from Metabones themselves that it doesn't work after I thought i was going mad. It engages the aperture pin and stops you adjusting the iris at all.

Lens Turbo 2 works perfectly but only on A7S because it has a rear element that bangs on the glass plate on the FS7.

Expecting the Comdiox focal reducer tomorrow which looks like it will fit the fs7 and being German-made is meant to be decent quality.

I'll let you know how I get on.
 
Ben Scott said:
Nope. I had confirmation from Metabones themselves that it doesn't work after I thought i was going mad. It engages the aperture pin and stops you adjusting the iris at all.

Lens Turbo 2 works perfectly but only on A7S because it has a rear element that bangs on the glass plate on the FS7.

Expecting the Comdiox focal reducer tomorrow which looks like it will fit the fs7 and being German-made is meant to be decent quality.

I'll let you know how I get on.
Click to expand...

Yeah - please do. Currently using my set of lenses with EF mount adapters still attached and on a Commlite adapter.... Seems to work ok - but haven't done extensive tests. Started out with a Fotodiox C/Y to E Mount adapter, but the lenses were flaring... (not in a nice way either)
 
the commlite is fine - I wish they made a focal reducer too!

My CY glass all have Leitax EF Mounts or similar so EF to E mount is the only for me.
 
UPDATE ON CAMDIOX FOCAL REDUCER

It works and it fits.

Initially I thought it was hitting the glass plate because it was such a tight fight but tried it on my A7s where there is nothing to get in the way and the fits is exactly just as tight so on it went. My 28mm f2 Zeiss 'Hollywood' is now a 21mm f1.2 and my 28-85mm f3.3 zoom is a 21-70ish f2.5, which is a pretty perfect zoom range to be honest.

No time to extensively test sharpess but all looked great in the viewfinder. Will do more stuff over Christmas.

The exact one (and seller) I bought - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261325163981

Ordered on the 18th and it arrived today.
 
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Ben Scott said:
UPDATE ON CAMDIOX FOCAL REDUCER

It works and it fits.

Initially I thought it was hitting the glass plate because it was such a tight fight but tried it on my A7s where there is nothing to get in the way and the fits is exactly just as tight so on it went. My 28mm f2 Zeiss 'Hollywood' is now a 21mm f1.2 and my 28-85mm f3.3 zoom is a 21-70ish f2.5, which is a pretty perfect zoom range to be honest.

No time to extensively test sharpess but all looked great in the viewfinder. Will do more stuff over Christmas.

The exact one (and seller) I bought - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261325163981

Ordered on the 18th and it arrived today.
Click to expand...

Good to hear thanks. Will investigate after Xmas.

Have a good one.
 
Ben, Can you tell me a bit about the Zeiss CY 28-85 which I hadn't heard of till now. Sounds like an interesting lens. Is it par focal? Looks like a manual iris.
How good are the optics on that adapter? Does it allow you to do a smooth iris change like on the Nikon adapters?
What about image stabilization?
 
The lens is stunning is always on one of my cameras, even though I prefer primes. Sharp enough (in Zeiss terms) to be used as a variable prime. Sharper than most Canon glass I've used.

It's a push-pull zoom so is as parfocal as you can focus while zooming. Technically it's not constant aperture (f3.3 to f4) but in reality it's nowhere near that and you really don't notice any loss of light.

A couple of grabs from Red Scarlet shoots.

Beast of Rainham Marsh - Still from Red R3d by Soma Pics, on Flickr

Beast of Rainham Marsh - Still from Red R3d by Soma Pics, on Flickr

The Beast of Rainham Marsh - Still from R3D by Soma Pics, on Flickr


Stills from Red Scarlet R3D - Brands Hatch by Soma Pics, on Flickr


Re the adapter it doesn't have a false iris or any electronics so any iris adjustments are down to the quality of your manual iris on your lens. Most of my zeiss lenses have been declicked.
 
That sounds like a winner and very cheap as well. Where do you send for declicking - Duclos?
Please let us know about the optical quality of the focal reducer. I've figured I needed to stick with metabones Ultra for that. Can you get a straight adapter for this as well?
 
I usually use all my Zeiss on a £15 dumb mount off ebay and never had a problem on Super 35mm (FS700 or FS7) or on the full frame Sony A7s.

Won't really be able to test the Camdiox for a week or so I imagine but initial findings are completely usable.

I'm in the UK so use some people local to here but Duclos would be great in the US.
 
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Are these available new or just used. Sorry to be so ill informed, but i've never looked into the Yashica lenses at all and no time to do a lot of web research this week.
For the price it sounds awfully attractive. The whole lens business has been a drag so far for me since i wanted to get away from my Nikon's but haven't been thrilled by any other choices yet. i just tried a Canon 24-105 and it has the worst flare I've ever seen. Walk under my dining room chandelier at night and I get huge flare . Its way out of the shot. i don't see how people use it at all unless mine is defective.
 
They have been out of production for about 20 years I imagine but very cheap on the used market considering their optical performance.

Here's the single best resource on Contax Zeiss lenses and using them for video - on DVX's sister site, Reduser - http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?92044-Contax-Zeiss-Survival-Guide

I'm in there but Nick is a legend. Warning - that thread makes you spend money!

I hear you about not being impressed with what's out there for stills glass. I don't have any AF lenses and aside from a Samyang 14mm, no modern glass at all. These are the same glass and coatings that were used in old Zeiss Superspeeds but full frame and for a fraction of the price.
 
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