Sony SCL-Z18X140 and Sony PMW-F3 dilemma

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basil_555

Member
Hello,

I was offered Sony SCL-Z18X140 lens for $1000 which I plan to use with my Sony PMW-F3. Do you think it’s a good deal? Another question is… Should I sell my PMW-F3? Is it a good match to modern cameras like FX30 in terms of color science? SCL-Z18X140 was my dream lens, but now I’m beginning to doubt if its worth keeping the camera itself.
 
The cameras are worlds apart these days. We all love the F3 but the FX30 is a modern system with more features and better features, including Sony's updated color science.

F3 wins with ND filters and some random things like SDI for those who use it, but not much else.
 
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NorBro said:
FX30 wins with ND filters and some random things like SDI for those who use it, but not much else.
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I think you mean the F3, right? It was a good camera for its day (maybe even great), but it is long in the tooth by today's standards. I sold mine 9 years ago because it wasn't even good enough anymore in 2014. But no matter how I felt about the F3, I certainly wouldn't buy that white elephant lens now . . . or then.
 
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Doug Jensen said:
I think you mean the F3, right? It was a good camera for it's day (maybe even great), but it is long in the tooth by today's standards. I sold mine 9 years ago becuase it wasn't even good enough anymore in 2014. But no matter hoiw I felt about the F3, I certainly wouldn't buy that white elephant lens.
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yeah, fixed, ty...now fix some of that grammar/typos, lol
 
*its day (no apostrophe)

but I like how you used the ellipsis . . .

might start doing that; looks different and nice
 
Was there another FZ mount lens made? Ever? Every F5 and F55 had an FZ to PL adapter. And then this one and only zoom lens, the only lens ever made for the native FZ mount, AF and stabilization. I wanted one. It just had this one minor flaw, nothing worked on the F55, never did and never would. And there were never any more, and no more cameras with an FZ mount. Not exactly a success story for Sony.
 
IMO, almost the entire history of AV technology has been trial and error. I'm not convinced anyone really knew what they were truly doing for many decades and they were just trying their very best at that moment in time with what was available, possible while other things fell into place (mounts, recording media, lenses, specs, etc).

FZ was just another experiment, maybe eventually trying to be a PL competitor but the order was too tall.
 
The FZ Mount was always intended to be an intermediate mount, It's like saying why isn't there any native lens for the ARRI Alexa mount or the Red Epic? They are simply a way to make lots of lens options available, it never was gonna be a PL mount, remember Sony released the SCL PL Mount lenses with the F3, it wasn't a lens mount. The FZ Mount Zoom lens was more to make the F3 into a Hybrid handicam, into the evolution of Sony the F3 was a far descendant of the VX1000 line that continued to the HDV FX7's- that all in one lens+ camera ethos. It's a cool concept, Super 35mm handicam. Wish it were a little wider.

One could argue the Fujinon MK Zoom with the Duclos FZ adapter is also a FZ Native Mount lens so there are some other options out there. I think there is a way to make the F3 zoom a Fujinon with the really pricey Chrosziel box.
 
I also think many forget just how expensive PL mount lenses were when the F3 was released, being able to offer Nikon and Canon EF was a big deal to make the F3 affordable. Also FZ mount is a much sturdier mount than the wobbly e mount's they put on the FS100, FS700, FS7 and FS5.

I guess I don't understand the argument about staying away from FZ mount?? You would have preferred the F5/F55 was locked to PL only like the F35 F65??? FZ mount offered options but also a solid connection. E mount took a long time to become solid.
 
yachacha said:
I guess I don't understand the argument about staying away from FZ mount??
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Because it was a dead end with virtually no future for the mount or resale value for native FZ lenses. Not to mention that it was a boring f/4 lens that ramped like hell to f/6.8. The biggest selling point for large-sensor cameras is shallow DoF, but that lens didn't deliver. Why jump through all the hassles and headaches of using a camera like the F3 if you aren't going to get shallow DoF? I'll take a 2/3" f/1.9 lens on a 2/3" camera any day for interviews or anything else.


As an adapter to get you to PL, Canon, Nikon or something else, okay, FZ was fine, but as an actual long-term viable mount for lenses worthy of investing $ into, no way. The fact that Sony only released one FZ lens, and that lens isn't compatible with any of today's current cameras, kind of proves the point. On the other hand, all the PL lenses I bought during that period of time are still viable.
 
I never said FZ was a bad mount, wasn't sturdy or advocating to stay away from it. But Sony wasn't going to license from Canon or reverse engineer EF software code, leaving to 3rd parties what they were unwilling to do even with their own proprietary FZ, in the end bailing after one lens and giving up on the mount 10 years ago. I have the SCL-PK6 prime set and Red 300mm PL Pro Prime. I might have gone a different direction if the SCL-Z18X140 had been a viable option for my F55.
 
Tom Roper said:
I have the SCL-PK6 prime set and Red 300mm PL Pro Prime.
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I aslo have a RED 300mm and it is a GREAT lens that has paid for itself over and over again. I also have the RED 50-150, a full set of Cine-Xenars (25,35,50,75,95), and the three Sony PL kit lenses (35,50,85) that came with the F3. All of them still get used and have good re-sale value in 2023.
 
Doug Jensen said:
Because it was a dead end with virtually no future for the mount or resale value for native FZ lenses. Not to mention that it was a boring f/4 lens that ramped like hell to f/6.8. The biggest selling point for large-sensor cameras is shallow DoF, but that lens didn't deliver. Why jump through all the hassles and headaches of using a camera like the F3 if you aren't going to get shallow DoF? I'll take a 2/3" f/1.9 lens on a 2/3" camera any day for interviews or anything else.


As an adapter to get you to PL, Canon, Nikon or something else, okay, FZ was fine, but as an actual long-term viable mount for lenses worthy of investing $ into, no way. The fact that Sony only released one FZ lens, and that lens isn't compatible with any of today's current cameras, kind of proves the point. On the other hand, all the PL lenses I bought during that period of time are still viable.
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You misunderstood my statement. I am saying Sony never intended FZ Mount to be a "lens mount", the FZ Zoom was to please a niche crowd. FZ was a mount to swap out the real lens mount. So not sure wh0 your paragraph arguing about the lack of FZ lenses is directed at...
 
yachacha said:
So not sure wh0 your paragraph arguing about the lack of FZ lenses is directed at...
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Uh, my comments were intended to educate YOU. May I remind you what you asked . . .

yachacha said:
I guess I don't understand the argument about staying away from FZ mount??
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You asked, I answered. You're welcome.
Funny you would say FZ isn't a lens mount when the lens that is the subject of this thread has an FZ mount.
 
yachacha said:
One could argue the Fujinon MK Zoom with the Duclos FZ adapter is also a FZ Native Mount lens so there are some other options out there. I think there is a way to make the F3 zoom a Fujinon with the really pricey Chrosziel box.
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Another option, and cheaper if using Fuji MK zooms is to buy yourself the MTF conversion kit to swap out the mounts for FZ mounts. As the MK lenses come with 0.8 gears built in, it's very easy to motorise the zooms on those lenses with a variety of manual, wireless or powered zoom motors. Way cheaper than Chrosziel's servo zoom kit. The Chrosziel unit uses the Lanc port on Sony cameras, and in the earlier days a few guys had their Lanc ports fried, burnt out using the Chrosziel unit. This problem had been corrected with later manufacturing charges at Chrosziel. Just be wary if buying used ones.

The Tilta Nano, the PD Movie and a number of other follow focus units will do the job on the MK zoom rings. I ended up buying a PD Movie Live Air 2 as I found it had the torque required to smoothly rotate the zoom ring on a number of lenses, even heavier photo zooms. In conjunction with a sensitive and accurate control wheel with a lot of programming options. Like setting zoom start and end points and zoom direction control, the PD Air has proven to be a good solution for a lens servo option. The control wheel can mount on the tripod pan bar, which is something I'm used to, so that felt like second nature. Battery power has easily lasted me all day on shoots. If needed, you can recharge via battery bank or run off one if really required.

Chris Young

MTF FZ mounts


PD Movie Live Air

 
Doug Jensen said:
Uh, my comments were intended to educate YOU. May I remind you what you asked . . .



You asked, I answered. You're welcome.
Funny you would say FZ isn't a lens mount when the lens that is the subject of this thread has an FZ mount.
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Thanks for the education. I think you should spend just a little more time reading and less time just hitting reply to buzz words Doug. I’ve read your replies for a long time, All your posts seem to have a history of you not being able to HEAR what someone else is saying.
 
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