Any experience with A-mount on Epic?

[Petri Teittinen]

But.... you do have to buy an adapter for each "stills" lens or you'd need to be doing a different small allen wrench procedure every time you changed to a lens you didn't have an adapter for.

I'm fairly certain not all A-mount adapter models need the allen wrench procedure. Some do, certainly.

[Jay Kim]

I am not a fan of adding a lens mount on the field. I have all my Nikon and Leica lenses fitted with a-mount adapters and tested for back-focus before going out. If I need to change the mount (either from Red Pl to A-mount or vice versa), I test the flange depth using Red Focus. It is not a cheap system but I like the way it holds the lenses.

[Erfort Kuke]

I have the A mount on my red and my Epic, it is very fast and practical to use. Depending on how many lenses you have, you may have 2 ore more adapters, or one per each lens. But the good thing is in shooting you are mixing all you have.

Jay how do you find the Red Focus? Do you like it, is it reliable?

[Jay Kim]

Jay how do you find the Red Focus? Do you like it, is it reliable?

I found the RED Focus very easy to use, reliable, and a must have. Since I change the lens mount from PL/ Canon mount to A-mount quite often and sometimes found the mount flange depth isn't really perfect, it is really hard to imagine myself without it. I know you can also perform a flange depth check using a wide lens but the question is how I can trust the lens is correctly collimated. And I believe the camera focal plane (sensor) must be set properly first.
Therefore, when I change the original Pl mount to A-mount, I put an Allstar Pl adapter and check the flange depth. My only concern now is I can only check the flange depth on a Pl and an A-mount not a Red canon mount so hopefully Red will release a similar product for a Canon mount or an upgrade solution for a existing Red Focus. There are other products out there including Optimator but I haven't tried them yet.

[Jacek Zakowicz]

Changing the Red lens mount is a forward thinking and "game changer" capability Red designed into this camera system. But this (lens mount change) procedure is not something you want to be doing in the field all day bouncing from one lens to another for each shot set-up.

The A-mount is perfect for the customer who as a mix of lenses they want to use. The All-star lens mount system supports PL, BNCR, Nikon, Leica, Zeiss/Contax, and Nikon G is still in prototype (I think). If you have 2 or more of these lenses then changing from one brand/type to another is as easy (and as solid) as changing a PL mount lens. The system works beautifully, is very well made and even low priced (3 for 3!). Last I checked there was no Canon lens option. But.... you do have to buy an adapter for each "stills" lens or you'd need to be doing a different small allen wrench procedure every time you changed to a lens you didn't have an adapter for.

If you have a bag full of Nikon's then get the pro-lock which works great for Nikon mounts.

I think Erich nailed it- if you have 1-2 of various brand lenses (PL, Nikon, Contax, Leica)you want to use on the same job A mount is the only choice.
If you Nikon only guy ProLock is the ticket.
Choices are good.
And BTW the Optimator is the only Flange Depth test instrument that offers PL, Canon, Nikon PV lens mount adapters.
You only need to purchase it once and add adapters as you need them. Much like DSMC system...

[Jay Kim]

What's the price for the Optimator?

[Jacek Zakowicz]

We have couple of different models, adapters etc.
Email me and I'll get you the info you need...