AF100 + Red + Low Light - Lense Options?

[RJ King]

Hello, my first post =)

Recently got involved with using red cameras on a rental basis. I am addicted to the image thats produced!

While the red one is fairly small, it's still heavy and requires a lot more to make it work. Hopefully, the epic will solve that.

Until then, my plan was to rent a red when available and travel to smaller locations with an AF100 (& PL Adapter)

My working conditions will be traveling a lot. Shooting at night or with available light/indoor light, and working in the cold or rainy weather (this time of year.)

I would like to invest in a lens set that can work like this. Fast, lightweight, and doesn't require a whole crew to manage. Yet, produces beautiful images on both the AF100 + Red and future Epic/Scarlet.

Any Suggestions?

Cooke 5/i? Pancho?
Zeiss SS, CP2? Ultras?
Red Primes?

Maybe even Lecia still lenses adapted for Cine?

My initial strategy was to go for CP.2 + Duclass 11-16mm. Yet, I hear these don't look amazing on a Red One as much as a ultra prime or cooke, but then you run into the fact the ultra prime is x4 more weight.

If anyone has had any experience traveling light and working in available light (especially night street scenes) let me know if you have any suggestions =)

My budget for lenses is $40,000 USD. Thank you!!!

EDIT:

I would love to go for Leica still glass to use on an M9 + Red + AF100 . The Leica Noctilux 0.95 would solve a lot of issues. But 50mm on an AF100 is a x2 crop issue. The only wide option would be a Duclos 11-16mm and now going from Tokina to Leica glass would look weird? Focus throw and breathing issues also... . Not sure, maybe Sanjin can help. Do I have to say his name three times like Beetle Juice?

 

[Olivier Madar]

I would like to try the 17-50 RPZ on the F100, or the RPP.

That should be a great investment.



Olivier

 

[peter roehsler]

You may want to consider that you have two different sensor sizes: a 17 on RED ist just a moderate wide angle on the A100. If you plan to travel light with the A100, you could look at a Leica 14-50mm/2,8-3,5 zoom from Panasonic (full 4/3 mount plus M4/3 adapter).
For RED 17-50 is certainly a great start. RPPs or any good 2nd hand lens set could complete your outfit.

 

[RJ King]

zooms would help traveling light but the red 17-50 is T2.9...

My style is a lot of ambient light, night time and available light in daytime. I know it will be hard to find a nice mix of both travel weight and speed without walking around with a case of primes.

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

RJ King for that $40,000 budget I would buy two Angenieux Optimo Rouge zooms

Angenieux Optimo DP Rouge 16-42mm>>>

Angenieux Optimo DP Rouge 30-80mm>>>

Those zooms you can use with RED, AF100 and any other film/digital PL mount camera.

For AF100 still best budget fast lens is LEICA D SUMMILUX 25mm F1.4 ASPH (about $900)

because at wide open f/1.4 you don't get coma artifacts (blue, green, red, magenta fringing...) like with other even faster lenses.

Duclos 11-16 is also very good option but if you don't have more money you can try with DX version using Novoflex/16:9 Nikon F to EOS than to EOS to Micro 4/3

you can get on AF100 wide fastest lens available (22mm f/2.8) for about $900 included adapters.

Noctilux 0.95 is the best lens ever made but is expensive or you can...

Or if you are PL guy two Optimo Rouge and Duclos will cost you $45,493, on RED you are fine and on AF100 you start with 22mm f/2.8 as a widest also fastest option available.


Also you have an option with OLYMPUS ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-35mm F2.0 SWD $2299.99 as the fastest wide(!!??) zoom on AF100 (28-70 f/2.0 FF35mm).

About Field of View between different cameras/sensors get an idea from AbelCineFOV calculator>>>

Forgot to add GH2/Hot Rod PL as a small crash camera option.

 

[RJ King]

The work I'm planning on doing would be extremely intimate interview pieces. Just me, and maybe one assistant, and the person/place of focus.

Not your typical bright lights, a-z questions, and you're done interview. Much more like James Nachtwey style but in video. Slow pace, mounted & handheld.

I'd love the Angenieux Rouge's but they are huge, and in your face. I'm not dealing with actors. They also would not perform wonderfully in low-light.

I think I want to go Leica still (their cine primes are too expensive). It would also let me do still photography with an M9. Maybe I'm secretly trying to convince myself to spend $$$ on Leica =)

Duclos 11-16mm
Leica Summilux-M 21 or 24mm f/1.4
Leica Noctilux-M 50 mm f/0.95
Leica Apo-Summicron-M 75mm f/2

But questions would be... epic, lens stabilization, focus pulling might be a nightmare, and dealing with x2 crop on an AF100 until the epic/scarlet comes out.

Any other suggestions? Light weight + low light + would work from af100 to epic

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

If there are only a few interviews with several indoor/outdoor/landscape shots then for extreme mobility/efficiency in the case of Leica choice you go with M9 and GH2

both with set fastest/newest Leica lenses plus, two light tripods, two LitePanels and you are fine.

Everything goes together probably in two or three cases.

Also Look at Depth of Field tables for Leica lenses to know where you are in available light at wide open.

But much better is f/5.6 @ high ISO and it should be standard for a good interview shot (of course with LitePanels always on).

 

[James McLellan]

I'm not a lens ninja but why wouldn't you go with a 14-35mm olympus f 2.0 zoom and the 35-100 olympus 2.0 zoom. Both are 4/3 zooms.

Isn't the af100 a native 4/3 olympus mount camera?

I'm thinking out loud here which is dangerous. What would the Olympus zooms be rated at in T stops?

 

[Pierre Alt]

A question :
With Red One and AF100 why not Zeiss CP2 ?
(lightweight, versatile...)

 

[RJ King]

A question :
With Red One and AF100 why not Zeiss CP2 ?
(lightweight, versatile...)

I basically came to that conclusion. Leica still glass is too difficult for follow focus. I thought maybe I'd only have to carry around one lense set for still/video but I guess not.

So, I'll get three CP.2's + Duclos and if I absolutely need to have a low light Barry Lyndon style shot I'll use the Leica noctilux 0.95 using an adapter for the af100.

I was planning on purchasing the M9 for still photography (already sold all the canon stuff). The CP.2 are really small, I didn't realize how small they are. I was looking at a CP.2 Macro which is much larger (like x2) :biggrinjester:

I did take a look at the zooms again. Zeiss makes a lightweight zoom that Vincent Laforet loves.

Zooms are nice. Just not at the t/stop that I want. If I had to pick one, I'd agree with Sanjin and go for the Angenieux Optimo DP Rouge. After speaking to some DPs in Vancouver I haven't heard anything bad.

In a weird way, they seem to like using them, but that the clients would assume a zoom lense was bad or lazy?

 

[RJ King]

... and hopefully when the epic comes out all these lenses can easily transform over and ill be good to go.

I saw the small mobile version and i instantly wanted it!

 

[Matt Uhry]

I'm not a lens ninja but why wouldn't you go with a 14-35mm olympus f 2.0 zoom and the 35-100 olympus 2.0 zoom. Both are 4/3 zooms.

Isn't the af100 a native 4/3 olympus mount camera?

I'm thinking out loud here which is dangerous. What would the Olympus zooms be rated at in T stops?

What James Said... The Oly's should do the trick for you. 4/3 lenses on the AF100 are probably a good idea if you are a "I carry my own shit" one man band. Cine lenses are heavy and expensive - they are a good choice when you've got skilled help ( like an AC )

I was hoping the scarlet would be 4/3. Oh well.

Matt Uhry
www.mattuhry.com

 

[Henk van den Doel]

I'm shooting my private photos with a Panasonic G1 and an old Olympus Zuiko 50mm 1.8 (with an adapter, which turns it into a 1.8 100mm lens). It's not crazy sharp wide open, yet it somehow always delivers magical pictures. The way this combo handles light is really nice. Anyway, this lens probably sucks for focussing on movement, but for the small investment it takes, it might be fun to check it out.
I'll see if I can find a way to put this lens on our Red One with another 12 adapters and see what it does. Should be good.

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

Shot with LEICA D SUMMILUX 25mm F/1.4 ASPH @ f/1.4
Super sharp wide open: Click on the image above to see it @ the full resolution.

"...it puts all its resources on the performance at large aperture settings.
The Leica is indeed fully usable at f/1.4 with a bitingly sharp center,
a very good border/corner performance and very high contrast.
At f/2 its center quality beats everything we've seen to far here in
the local four-thirds tests (and probably beyond).
As such it is highly recommended for low light and large aperture photography."

Photozone review-test>>>

 

[Pierre Alt]

Waow, Sanjin, yes super sharp !

What do you think about the Zeiss CP2 quality ?

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

Waow, Sanjin, yes super sharp !

What do you think about the Zeiss CP2 quality ?

I didn't try Zeiss CP2 but know that some of Zeiss SLR Lenses (F and EF mount lenses) show at wide open and above a bit of CA especially at APS S35mm format size.

Of course that mechanically and optically speaking they are pretty attractive set for its relatively affordable price.

If a bit of CA not border you so much than everything is fine.

 

[RJ King]

Sanjin the LEICA D SUMMILUX 25mm F/1.4 is a nice lens for its price, but thats 4/3s mount not m4/3. Which means I'd have to carry around yet-another-adapter.

Plus, I'm not staying with the AF100. I'm 98% certain Sony will be coming out with a better AF100 competitor at CES (a hint from a Zeiss rep) and sometime in the Summer I'm sure Epic will finally be available to the non-reserve.

So, I'd rather just keep PL mounts + m mount to m4/3 (which is like $200) for the Leica lenses for the M9.

Two adapters, 11-16mm Duclos, 28mm, 50mm, 85mm CP.2 all PL mount which means no adapters for the Epic. Whenever that is. :toetap05:

 

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

I own Cooke Panchros and will most definitely use them on the AF-100 on the occasion it serves my needs better than Red. As for docu work, angenieux is a sexy alternative to quick ability to change focal length.

 

[Jacek Zakowicz]

Nikon options

Nikon options

For the Nikonistis I'm making an af100 version of the Prolock mount with positive locking- possibly on both ends i.e bayonet for the camera mount.
Also as you know the Nikon Gs without iris ring are supported with iris control in the mount. No modifications to the lens necessary.
The last little surprise is an optical wide converter (built in) that will make the lens wider by about 30% and about 1/3- 1/2 stop faster.
So your wonderful 24mm f1.4 Nikon becomes 18mm f1.2(?!!!) on the adapter.
Of course there is no such a thing as free lunch in optics so you do take a (minor) image quality hit, but for video use it has no penalty.
will keep you posted......:wink5:

 

[Pierre Alt]

My initial strategy was to go for CP.2 + Duclass 11-16mm. Yet, I hear these don't look amazing on a Red One as much as a ultra prime or cooke, but then you run into the fact the ultra prime is x4 more weight.

Has a Reduser any experience with R1 + Zeiss CP2 ?
Thank you.