Super telephoto w/ Letus?

K

Kats_man

Member
Hi everyone.

We're planning to making a documentary about minor league baseball.
And trying to figure out how we can shoot close up of the players & umpires.

So far we found 400mm lens we can rent, but I don't think that's not enough telephoto
to shoot close up players since we're shooting from bleachers. I found 800mm & 1200mm lens, but I don't know if there are available to rent.

Any info will be much appreciate about renting super telephoto lens.

Thanks in advance.
 
Hhmmhmh..

Why to use the adapter when zooming without one at such a distance creates a super shallow DOF ????
 
Hi leteeci, Thanks for your response.

You're absolutely right. I wasn't thinking that problem. . .

Anyway, one of main subjects of this project is umpires, and the director wants to shoot their faces from front. . . . Then asked me how close we can shoot their faces.

So I thought that if we use adapter, we can use zoom lens to shoot them.
I found Phoenix Zoom Super Telephoto 650-1300mm which is around $300, but it starts from f/8. And now as you pointed DOF is super shallow. . . .

Any suggestions?
 
Hi Hunter, Thanks for your suggestion.

I'm not familiar with a studio camera, but sounds like a big camera.
Most likely we'll use HVX and DVX, and we'll traveling one stadium to another by a car
in a few states. So I'm not sure if a studio camera will be good for us. But I really
appreciate taking your time to response my question.
And also our budget for renting lens is about $2000 for 10 days or 2 weeks.
 
Stick to the stock lens with a 2x extender if you can find them, or look for a camera with long reach like the Canon XL2. A 1200mm lens will result in DOF so short that you won't be able to focus on a thing.
 
Keeping that camera steady at such a zoom might be tricky too? If you don't have a good tripod. Every time you breathe on it there will be some bumps. in the shot.
 
Hi Huy Vu & yeehaanow, Thanks for your comments.

I'll have a meeting w/ the director soon, and it seems like I have to convince him
to have a new plan about how we gonna shoot this documentary.

We'll have a test shoot w/ a few different lens in early June. Hope we'll figure out something.
 
I worked on the Bonds ons Bonds documentary a few years ago and they chose to shoot on Canon XL2's (SD of course) for the longer reach of the lens. It was a good decision. That said a full size camera with a 2x's extender would be a better choice. I wouldn't want to mess with a 35mm adapter at a ball game. Too much moving around .
 
A Canon XL series camera plus EF adapter is a good option too. The EF adapter allows you to place Canon EOS lenses directly on the body of the camera. Since there is no ground glass you don't get 35mm DOF. But most sports and documentaries are filmed on 2/3 inch cameras anyway. The cool thing is that since there is something like a 7 magnification factor with 35mm lenses on 1/3 inch cameras your telephoto lenses all become super telephotos.

A Canon XLH1 + EF Adapter plus 300mm lens equals: over 2100mm focal length equivalent!

davide
 
davide said:
A Canon XL series camera plus EF adapter is a good option too. The EF adapter allows you to place Canon EOS lenses directly on the body of the camera. Since there is no ground glass you don't get 35mm DOF. But most sports and documentaries are filmed on 2/3 inch cameras anyway. The cool thing is that since there is something like a 7 magnification factor with 35mm lenses on 1/3 inch cameras your telephoto lenses all become super telephotos.

A Canon XLH1 + EF Adapter plus 300mm lens equals: over 2100mm focal length equivalent!

davide
Click to expand...
I was just about to suggest something similar. For my shoots I have a DVX100A but when I need serious telephoto, I use my JVC GY-HD100 with an MTF adapter that allows me to adapt nikon lenses instead of the stock lens. You want MAD telephoto? This is the way to go. Also, I have been able to calibrate both cameras to look identically in color look...it is truly awesome and it beats any 2x extender anyday. Depending on the lens, you can be sitting on the bleachers eating a hotdog and chugging some beer and have that puppy focused on the umpire's face.
 
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