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Announcing the S.A.L.T. (Southland Alternative Lens Test)

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Found One

Found One

Matthew Duclos said:
I wonder where we could find someone who spends every day examining and servicing motion picture lenses... I'm sure if we look hard enough... ;)
Click to expand...

Oh Looky, found one !

Hello Matthew, I was trying to make a general point about how difficult it is to make objective judgments and convey the information to non-specialists on optical performance, especially when it comes to new products.

You and your dad are probably four of the most experienced eyes in the country, if not the world on this subject. The task at hand is to form as objective a test protocol as possible and convey comparative information in a useful and accurate way. If you've ever witnessed an argument between highly qualified people, you know this can be tricky. Especially if they've been drinking.

-CP
 
Charlie,

I know exactly what you mean. For example, different technicians have different words for different characteristics and processes. But we should be able to give people a good idea of what kind of quality they can expect from different manufacturers.
 
lens test definition

lens test definition

The task at hand is to form as objective a test protocol as possible and convey comparative information in a useful and accurate way. If you've ever witnessed an argument between highly qualified people, you know this can be tricky. Especially if they've been drinking.

I agree,
Shooting bunch of test charts in uncontrolled enviroment, checking collimation and turning lens barrels to see how smooth they are does not constitute a lens test. Putting on my armored jacket now....:matrix:
Jacek Zakowicz, OptiTek
 
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Personally, I understand the value of test charts and lens projectors in the evaluation process but nothing beats a well lit, well focused human face for determining how an optic will render aesthetically. Expediency will require some of the more extreme/involved technical tests be forgone but there will certainly be a methodology and both objective and subjective evaluation of stills and footage. The whole purpose behind bringing a diverse, talented and sophisticated group of industry professionals together is to attempt to form a consensus as to the character and individuality of each of these optics. Frankly I highly doubt any will be dogs.

Each of us will have our own opinions but specifically I'm looking to generate data about these specific areas:

Imaging: (*=@ multiple T stop settings)
Sharpness and Contrast*
Focus falloff and Bokeh*
Skin tone and Color rendering
Tonal scale rendering
CA and flare character*

Mechanical:
Barrel markings
º of Rotation
Fit and finish
Interface with existing cinema AKS

These are the qualities I believe are of most interest to the Redusers that will be shooting these lenses.
 
Yes Evin,
charts are great when i want to pretend like im a lens genious and im evaluating the lines...

but in real life, that bores me.

well lit face, body, clothing-colors...
thats what I really judge by:)
 
Lens test or marketing in disquise?

Lens test or marketing in disquise?

Evin Grant said:
Imaging: (*=@ multiple T stop settings)
Sharpness and Contrast*
Focus falloff and Bokeh*
Skin tone and Color rendering
Tonal scale rendering
CA and flare character*

Mechanical:
Barrel markings
º of Rotation
Fit and finish
Interface with existing cinema AKS

These are the qualities I believe are of most interest to the Redusers that will be shooting these lenses.
Click to expand...

There are tools available that will generate numbers describing most of the above mentioned properties.
Without them it's just another marketing push for the highest bidder disguised as a lens test- nothing more..
Jacek zakowicz. Optitek.org:devil:
 
Might I add that the timing of this event e pushed back to sometime AFTER the NAB convention? Some of these manufacturers are racing to get sample units assembled for Las Vegas. And some are also participating in large promotional events or connected to the booths of other companies with lots of other needs and events scheduled months ago. I for one can tell you that everything involved in the Abel Cine Tech booth has to be crated up and shipping by April 7th. So the optics on display in our booth would not be available for the S.A.L.T. event until at least a week or so after NAB. The beginning of May is a far more sensible timing of this event in my mind.
 
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Around NAB is a very loose time frame, I'm expecting a week or so after or longer if necessary, but I do want to do it within a reasonable time frame so Redusers can use this info to make informed purchasing decisions.
 
I will most certainly be at NAB, manning the Abel booth when I'm not in meetings or roaming the floor. Or just coddling the lenses and optical devices of interest to REDusers in our booth.

I'm not the one to speak for our entire company as to participating in the SALT event, so I think we'll have to take this up offline. We're certainly interested but will have to work out some details in private. Nothing nefarious, just administrative minutae.
 
I'll be curious to find out which of the wide lenses from the other sets will match up best to the Red primes. With no 18mm available out of the gate from Red, I suspect that whichever lens maker matches the optical aesthetics of the Red primes most closely will sell several times as many 18mm lenses as any other focal length- just to round out all those Red Prime Sets that get to market.

They might want to keep that in mind while scheduling how much assembly line time to apportion to particular lenses.
 
Mmmmmmmmmm BEER and Lenses. Good combination.
 
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