red 18-50 opinion?

cckid

cckid

Well-known member
Hi,

what do you think about this red lense for use on af-100 http://www.red.com/store/lenses/product/red-zoom-18-50mm-t3-i
every now and then this lens can be purchased as a second hand....
so if my calculation is right in s35 terms this lense should play as a 21.6 - 60mmm lense which is not that bad...
how would this lense compare to the zuico 14-35 f2 lense...which would you suggest in terms of price performance....apparently each one has its own advantages...disadvantages...
I am receiving my af-100 in 2 weeks and since I have mostly canon ef lenses...I have to find something that helps me get through the april until birger release the canon mount...and btw are there any useable adapters available for canon ef to af-100 cameras out there?

thanks for the input...
 
I own the red 18-50mm lens and am a fan of it.
I don't have my af100 yet so can't tell you how it will work with it but I assume it will be great.
My main problem with the zuico lenses is that they don't achieve a repeatable focus other wise they are very nice.
Same problem I have with the lumix lenses.
 
I've used one on some RED shoot and while optically it was good, I wasn't a fan of the mechanics.

That being said, I picked up the RED 17-50mm Zoom lately for a steal and am looking forward to seeing what it looks like once I get my Hot Rod PL mount.

From what I have seen, it is far superior to the 18-50.
 
mcgeedigital said:
I've used one on some RED shoot and while optically it was good, I wasn't a fan of the mechanics.

That being said, I picked up the RED 17-50mm Zoom lately for a steal and am looking forward to seeing what it looks like once I get my Hot Rod PL mount.

From what I have seen, it is far superior to the 18-50.
Click to expand...

I haven't used it yet, but I heard the newer 17-50 is far superior than the older 18-50 too.
 
I have the red 18-50 on the af100 and so far, I really like it. I've used it a number of times on the RED, and its optically great. I don't think it's soft at all on the af100.

The mechanics definitely aren't up to par to more expensive pl lenses, but compared to, say a sigma 18-50....definitely better.
 
George hi,

that sounds really interesting...can you post some pictures of your 18-15 and af100 setup....which follow focus do you use...what kind of baseplate do you use...matte box...would like to know more about your kit since I am trying to find the best price performance kit for my cine style af100...thanks in advance
 
cckid,
gonna be doing a thorough test next week, with footage and pictures....
i've got a mish-mash setup: arri mmb-1 mattebox, zacuto universal baseplate, redrock follow focus V2, redrock lens support. its all gear i've piece-mealed together prior to owning the af100. if i was looking to buy new, i'd just get the hotrod pl-mount kit.
 
Hi,

great to hear about the testing and the pictures...can't wait to see those....what would you say is the biggest advantage of the hot rod pl mount kit...coz I had thoughts of investing into the zacuto universal baseplate...how would you compare the two?
 
24.9mm/17.3mm=1.4
18x1.4=25.2mm
50x1.4=70mm
...AF100 sensor equivalent AOV on S35
a bit narrow at the wide end.
24.9mm is the camera aperture in S35 as well as Alexa etc. sensor width.

cckid said:
Hi,

what do you think about this red lense for use on af-100 http://www.red.com/store/lenses/product/red-zoom-18-50mm-t3-i
every now and then this lens can be purchased as a second hand....
so if my calculation is right in s35 terms this lense should play as a 21.6 - 60mmm lense which is not that bad...
how would this lense compare to the zuico 14-35 f2 lense...which would you suggest in terms of price performance....apparently each one has its own advantages...disadvantages...
I am receiving my af-100 in 2 weeks and since I have mostly canon ef lenses...I have to find something that helps me get through the april until birger release the canon mount...and btw are there any useable adapters available for canon ef to af-100 cameras out there?

thanks for the input...
Click to expand...
 
thanks for the explanation...i tought the factor was 1.2...since the micro 4/3 chip is 20 percent smaller than the s35 sensor....
 
Technically there are legacy "spherical lens" frame widths such as Academy .866" (22mm) and Panavision 4-perf .825" (20.95mm) reserving some space for soundtrack. For such the multiplier would be 21-22mm/17.3=ca 1.2.
Today almost all films go through DI (digital intermediate) or are acquired digitally. Professional frame used is 35mm Full Aperture (spherical lens) .980"x.735" (24.89mm x 18.67mm) with various safe markings for chosen subformats, but minimum width is always 24mm.
Therefore to compare Af100 view with today's cinema camera is best to use the 24.9/17.3=1.4 horizontal ratio-- when converting f-lengths of glass.




cckid said:
thanks for the explanation...i tought the factor was 1.2...since the micro 4/3 chip is 20 percent smaller than the s35 sensor....
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
I have the 18-50 and 50-150 Red lenses and so far on the AF100 I think they are great - They aren't as great mechanically as an Angenieux or a Zeiss, but I bought the set for under $7K and I think the Zeiss LWZ starts at over twice that?
Some may find them 'soft' but I'm not a huge fan of super sharp cut my eyes out HD anyway… Plus they react like the cine lenses I'm used to without all the still lens BS.

Took the AF to a pre-production setup this week (less that 12 hours after the camera arrived) where the ad agency and client wanted to assess cameras for a 10 week shoot that starts on the 14th - after 4 cameras and a bunch of lens options were tested the AF with the two red zooms was chosen.

Client's happy, ad agency's happy; I'm happy. My wife gets new shoes, and she lets me buy more gear.
 
My thoughts... The Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 is a little soft wide open. It was replaced by the Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 which is a much better design. The optical quality of the Red / DigiOptical 18-50mm is exactly the same as the Sigma. The Red / DigiOptical 18-50mm mechanics are better in a cine application with the addition of focus/iris gears, but most users report the need for the lens to be disassembled and re-lubed for smooth operation. Also take note that most PL adapters will cost more than comparable Nikon lens adapters. Something to factor into your budget considerations.

All the Best!

Dave
 
cckid said:
David hi,

yes I know...PL adapters do really cost more...that is why I was thinking of taking this one http://www.mtfservices.com/home.htm...=flypage.tpl&product_id=99&category_id=2...it seems like a good price performer...hot rod pl mount seems to be great but it is quite pricey
Click to expand...

Right now I'm using the Ciecio7 from ebay (the one with the foot) it's shimable (using zeiss lens shims), solid, and right out of the box it hit the witness marks - for $300 ish dollars. He's also developing another model that is more adjustable.

Thought I would use it short term while I waited to see how the market shook out and waht comes available as more cameras ship.
 
HeavyG hi,

this is a great find....is this the adapter that you are using with your red zoom set?....

http://cgi.ebay.com/Zeiss-Arri-PL-m...ccessories&hash=item3a6237070b#ht_3247wt_1141


because I see he makes also one different adaptor for a slightly different pl mounts such as cooke arri pl mount for af-100 and that one is 250usd...

so if I understood correctly you had no backfocus problems with this adaptor...bacause you see it is always the little details that make one shooting work great or fail...and I hate to place an order for something that turns out to not be that good...thanks for the input....
 
cckid said:
HeavyG hi,

this is a great find....is this the adapter that you are using with your red zoom set?....

http://cgi.ebay.com/Zeiss-Arri-PL-m...ccessories&hash=item3a6237070b#ht_3247wt_1141


because I see he makes also one different adaptor for a slightly different pl mounts such as cooke arri pl mount for af-100 and that one is 250usd...

so if I understood correctly you had no backfocus problems with this adaptor...bacause you see it is always the little details that make one shooting work great or fail...and I hate to place an order for something that turns out to not be that good...thanks for the input....
Click to expand...

I have no issues with the two adapters that I purchased both hit all the focus marks - there is another thread on the board where we discuss shimming the adapter, which another user did and he has no trouble. As I mentioned Ciecio7 will be making another adapter that is somehow more adjustable, just email him and ask him questions directly.

cckid said:
Heavy G hi,

how are you solving the heavy lens support issue when using the Ciecio7 adapter from ebay...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Zeiss-Arri-PL-mi...ht_3247wt_1141
I cant see any option for additional rods and support system...did you find any workarounds?
best regards
Click to expand...

The adapter has a threaded foot that I've attached to my baseplate - solid. You could also use a Zacuto lens support threaded to the underside.
 
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