Mount options

[Martin Weiss]

October will see up to 900 new RED one cameras on the market. PL mount lenses will be out of reach for many of those. Birger will not have caught up on its backorders by then, only a handful have been shipped so far.

So am I right that the only non-warranty voiding alternative mount option that is in full production and available today is the "dumb" RED Nikon mount, the Underdahl modified "semi-smart" Nikon mount or a pinhole?

 

[Clint Johnson]

The option I chose back in January was the Red 18-50mm CF lens. I figured that the Birger option might not be ready until March or even April so I had better have something for the first couple months... ahh foolish youthful optimist was I.

At $6500 is isn't cheap but it is a good value. If you are planning to use the camera exclusively on your own projects, the still lens option has workarounds that you may be willing to accept- but if you hope to work with professionals there will be a world of problems with them. There is a lot of turning up of noses at the Red 18-50mm but at least it interfaces with the standard equipment and techniques of a professional set.

Who knows how many of these lenses are coming off the assembly line- maybe not 900 a month but there should be enough to supply the demand for at least something PL to mount on the Red.

 

[jimhare]

I agree, and have the 18-50 as well. I love it, but I'm starting to hit the limitations. I desperately need longer lenses as well as low-light lenses.

Enter my Canon FD kit. Six gorgeous lenses that go as low as 1.2.

But to use them I either need to use my MUSE mount (voids warranty) in which going back to PL is a pain, or get the IMS (also voids warranty) but at least I can easily switch back and forth, as well as have a proper technician install it for me.

Some kind of actual information would be greatly appreciated here. There's been enough speculation but none if it seems enough to cause the current situation.

Jim

 

[Ryan Patch]

It just sounds so mean to call a mount "dumb". It's a slanted word, especially considering that a PL mount, the "industry standard", is "dumb".

The idea is more that you put your "intelligence" into an AC that can meter well, rather than a lens mount that tries to meter for you. You have to have an AC on set anyway, why not let her do her job and just set the f-stop, instead of wanting the camera or a mount to do it for you?

Yes, I did just use the feminine third person.

I do admit that this limits the use of newer AF Nikon lenses, that lock in their lowest aperture when not connected to a "smart" mount, but those lenses are expensive because they have all of that newfangled automatic stuff in them, anyway. Get yourself a good set of Nikon AI-S prime lenses, send them to Duclose lens for gears and possibly adapter rings, and voila- 90% of the quality for $2500 (including the mount).

 

[Evin Grant]

It just sounds so mean to call a mount "dumb". It's a slanted word, especially considering that a PL mount, the "industry standard", is "dumb".

Well, you can have "Smart" PL mounts with /i or LDS, the Red One has it built in, if not activated yet.

 

[Hans von Sonntag]

Martin,

seeing your work tells me that fast turnarounds, smooth and ergomic handling are top on your list when talking about camera equipment.

PL is the only reasonable way to go in this regard. A HD-ENG lens is 20k+ not cheap at all either. The Red 18-85 is by its specs a grown up cine zoom, too heavy for hand held. Angenieuxs new crop for Red are a good offer, IMO. The Red 18-50 is a bargain in Euroland and a fair offer for what it is.

For docs you can go the 3K RAW (cropped to 2.5K in post) and S16 route. Pristine PL S16 zooms are still availabe from 6K onwards and deliver results better or at least equal to what you get with a F900R and B4 cine-style zooms.

Until the birgermount is successfully used in real world applications and proved to be reliable and working it's not an alternative to PL, IMO.

Shooting on a pro-level was always expensive. Red made it a lot cheaper now, but lenses can hardly be revolutionised.

Hans

 

[Rocco Schult]

RED should get in touch with P&S, done.

With the IMS one can mount everything. And it is available NOW.
Btw: wasn't there a there a thread about the IMS ?
Don't find it anmyore.

 

[Martin Weiss]

Hans,

thanks for your reply and taking the trouble to look at some of my footage.

On some projects there is indeed quite a fast turn-around, i.e. ENG/EFP style production. For those I am not planning on using the RED at all, those will be DigiBeta, DVcam and HD for the foreseeable future.

The RED is thought to be used on projects with a bit more time to plan, set up shots, light and so on.

Also, I do like to use non-standard focal lengths for b-roll/cutaways -- wide, fisheye, Macros. There just aren't any easily accesible PL options for that where I live. Owning is really the only option for the kind of documentary projects we work on.

I would love to be able to buy a proper cine lens in the nearer future, but for now I simply cannot afford them.

The IMS mount would for example leave both options open for me. I can use still lenses when required, and if there is time/budget for it, I could rent PL lenses, and still put them onto the IMS.