RED Lenses

penfever

penfever

Well-known member
Hey, everybody. I was just looking over the meager information on Red again, desperately waiting for April, and I noticed they're making their own lenses for the system. This could be an important cost-cutting feature that nobody has really gelled to yet.
I mean, think about it. 35mm photo lenses are really quite reasonably priced. While I'm sure there are differences in quality or manufacturing or chromatic aberration or something like that, the main differences that I know of are;
1. No easy rack-focus
2. Image can jump around while shifting focus

These both seem like really easy things to avoid, which makes me wonder if RED couldn't make a killing undercutting the preposterously expensive Film Lens market. Set of Zeiss Primes for $80,000 or REDs for $5.000? Let me think...
 
I would think some high end 35mm lense would do nicely!!! Of course, they cost. Cook anyone!
 
Jim mentioned in the interview with Mike Curtis (at HD for Indies) that the lenses will be made by Oakley.

When asked why he would get into the lens market, considering that there are companies out there that have been making lenses for decades, he said:

"It is true that Cooke, Zeiss and others make great lenses for 35mm film cameras. Our camera will accommodate them. But there needs to be a less expensive alternative. If we hope to attract customers other than the highest budget professional, our camera needs to be priced right and there needs to be lenses available that won't break the bank."
 
This is probably the most exciting part of the RED camera. If this thing come out for $35K WITH HD lens, it'll revolutionize indie filmmaking.

I can't wait for NAB!
 
Oakley making the lenses seems just weird to me. I mean a sunglass lens and a multielement highly corrected lens for hi-def are worlds apart. I've got to believe that they'll be OEMing them from one of the big lens manufacturers, but with their input on the specs. How would the economics justify a sophisticated optics manufacturing line with the highly skilled lens designers and sophisticated equipment for manufacturing, assembling and testing? How could they be profitable building up that production capacity with such a limited sales volume?
 
Barry, that was my reaction at first as well - if you read the interview Jannard has a bit at the beginning where he talks about the sort of work that Oakley does. It definitely made me realize they are doing a little more than just 'making sunglasses.'

I don't think i got the impression that they will be OEMing the lenses.
But then again, who knows. You may be right.

I'd ask Jim on here - but I have a feeling I know what he'd reply:
"wait till Nab"
:)
 
If they make a PL cine mounted lens for around 5k then damn, HVX/G355/plus a RED lens and I'm ready to kill. =)
 
Mr. Blonde, I hadn't even thought of that - what a great idea. Also, I checked out Nikon's website today, reading up on their photo lenses - did you know they also make consumer products like sunglasses? I wonder if people say the same thing to them. "Nikon, you're a photo company!" LOL.
 
I think it'd be nice if the lens were electronic and passed all the "lens" information on to the meta data. Talk about the end of camera logs!
 
Gopher_Greene said:
I think it'd be nice if the lens were electronic and passed all the "lens" information on to the meta data. Talk about the end of camera logs!
Click to expand...

Yeah that would be nice.. how about adding a Virtual Slate once and for all already as well.
 
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