Lens Info ? ?

[Ace Thor]

I hope my questions are in the proper section of the forums. I know it's a bit rookie, but I recently purchased a Red One and have some lens questions.

First off, what qualifies a lens to be compatible with the Red One and it's PL mount?

Second, what is the cheapest small lens I can purchase for my Red One PL mount?

Thanks,
Ace Thor

[Steve Marshall]

That's got to be one of the coolest names on REDUser?!

[Ace Thor]

Haha Thanks.

[ericyoung]

In theory any lens with a properly manufactured Arri Positive Lock (PL) mount:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arri_PL

will work with the Red One, as long as the rear element doesn't protrude so far into the body that it might contact the OLPF/Sensor glass (don't remember any examples of that).

The PL mount Null Lens collimator has a rear housing that does physically clash with the Epic/Scarlet body port, but it works fine with the Red One, and can be modified to fit the Epic/Scarlet.

I'll leave the lens question for the lens experts!

[Ace Thor]

Thanks for the info!

[Uli Plank]

Well, cheap is quite relative with PL-mount if you are used to photographic lenses. The second hand market was emptied of cheap, older PL-mount lenses pretty fast after the RED One came to market – we were just lucky to buy a nice set of three older Arri/Zeiss primes a few months before that. We are very happy with those, a 28, 40 and 85, all with T 2.1. Small and compact, really good glass and excellent build. We paid 8,000 Euros for them, but I don't believe you'd find those any more for such a price.

Today your best bet if you are really tight on budget might be a second-hand RED Zomm 18-50mm. Not very fast and the mechanical quality is not as great as the newer RPZ, but optics are fine.