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2X Extender for Reds 18-50mm lens?

D

dustin lindgren

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Has anyone ever heard of 2x Extender (doubler) for Reds 18-50mm and 50-150mm?
 
Thanks Mattew,

I know which Century Extender your talking about. Whats your opinion on using extenders? I shoot outdoors action sports 99% of the time.

Also if I were to order a Tonkia 11-16 from you how soon could I get it?

I will be sending you my zoom this week to get cleaned and ready for sale.
 
Thanks Stacy,

What lenses do you use it for and what are you shooting? Does the footy look any different when you use it?
 
Dustin,

I've used my Optex PL to PL 2x with the RED 18-50 with good results. I'm sure the Century 2x would also work well.

I also shoot a lot of sports. For some ideas on other lens options for non-hardlined EFP shooting of sports you might want to check out my Post #16 on this thread:
http://205.234.135.241/forum/showthread.php?t=37462&page=2
 
Dustin,

You aren't going to find much variance in optical quality.
The Century as well as the Optex tele converters are both Nikon glass.
Either one works fine. The best advice I have for using an extender is to have it properly calibrated to the specific lens you are using it on.
They can vary quite a bit in regards to back focus.
I know a lot of folks who have a single 2x that stays with a specific lens for just that reason.

Contact me off reduser for information regarding the 11-16mm.

Also remember that with a 2x you have to compensate for light loss as well as changing focus marks.
You will lose 2 stops and gain 2 inches. There is no adjustment required for this, simply a mental note to compensate.
Lastly, any flaws that the original lens has will be amplified by an extender. Such as centering, tracking, back focus, barrel end play, etc.
 
Steve Gibby said:
Dustin,

I've used my Optex PL to PL 2x with the RED 18-50 with good results. I'm sure the Century 2x would also work well.

I also shoot a lot of sports. For some ideas on other lens options for non-hardlined EFP shooting of sports you might want to check out my Post #16 on this thread:
http://205.234.135.241/forum/showthread.php?t=37462&page=2
Click to expand...

Thanks Steve,

I would like to run something by you if you have a minute.

It is very important for me to stay as light as possible. I shoot action sports using helicopters, cables cams, long barbies, dollies, cranes and on sticks . Sometimes we use truck loads of equipment to set up one shot and other times I am on an expedition, 30 days out in the Himalayas. For the 2 companies I work for I am kinda known as the light weight guy. I used an Aminima for years and now just finished my first RED project, http://www.nwdfilms.com/new/. Check the trailer if you like.

I am looking to buy all new glass and want to see what you think.

-Toknia 11-16 from Duclos
-RED 18-50
-2X Extender.
-maybe a long zoom as well. We rent those most of time but would like to buy one.
-I would really like to find a folding rubber sunshade with 2 filter slots. I have one for my 11-110 s16 zeiss. I cant use huge mattboxes. They take up to much room in my pack.

I am also interested in buying a still lens instead of the RED 18-50. I need something that zooms smoothly though.

What do you think of the line up for what I do? Very reasonable price tag for all that as well.

I remember reading you were from Santa Cruz? I live in Auburn. We film a lot in Santa Cruz. 3 or 4 of our pro athletes are from there.

Anyways Steve thanks for all your post on this site. Every time you post I read it knowing I am going learn from it. This website has really opened up a ton of doors for learning so many little personal secrets about different styles of shooting. People like yourself have so much knowledge and have been willing to come on here to share it. Its priceless to me.

Dustin
 
Matthew Duclos said:
Dustin,

You aren't going to find much variance in optical quality.
The Century as well as the Optex tele converters are both Nikon glass.
Either one works fine. The best advice I have for using an extender is to have it properly calibrated to the specific lens you are using it on.
They can vary quite a bit in regards to back focus.
I know a lot of folks who have a single 2x that stays with a specific lens for just that reason.

Contact me off reduser for information regarding the 11-16mm.

Also remember that with a 2x you have to compensate for light loss as well as changing focus marks.
You will lose 2 stops and gain 2 inches. There is no adjustment required for this, simply a mental note to compensate.
Lastly, any flaws that the original lens has will be amplified by an extender. Such as centering, tracking, back focus, barrel end play, etc.
Click to expand...

Thank you Matthew,

i understand losing the 2 stops but the focus part I am little confused. If im focused im focused. Right?

I wrote Steve a thank you comment in my last post. That also goes out to you as well. You guys are awesome.
 
I carry the RED 18-50 and Duclos/Tokina 11-16 everywhere I go, along with the 2x. They all fit inside of my backpack. I have to plan ahead if I want to use one of the other lenses. I shoot a lot of nature, like Gibby.

I have not used another 18-50, but I have learned to work around the quirks with mine. e.g. the IRIS moves as I move zoom. So I have to set zoom first, then adjust the IRIS.
 
dustin lindgren said:
Thank you Matthew,

i understand losing the 2 stops but the focus part I am little confused. If im focused im focused. Right?

I wrote Steve a thank you comment in my last post. That also goes out to you as well. You guys are awesome.
Click to expand...

Quite simple. an average 2x extender is about 2" long.
Which means you are physically moving the lens 2" forward from the film plane (or 2" closer to the subject).
That distance is directly reflected in your focus scale.
For example, if your subject is at 6', your subject will be in focus when your scale is set to 5'10".
You just have to remember to shave ~2" off of all your distances when taping out for focus.
 
Stacey Spears said:
I carry the RED 18-50 and Duclos/Tokina 11-16 everywhere I go, along with the 2x. They all fit inside of my backpack. I have to plan ahead if I want to use one of the other lenses. I shoot a lot of nature, like Gibby.

I have not used another 18-50, but I have learned to work around the quirks with mine. e.g. the IRIS moves as I move zoom. So I have to set zoom first, then adjust the IRIS.
Click to expand...


That's the exact set up I want. Do you think all the 18-50 lenses have that iris moving issue? Thats not good. What happens when you want to pull out or snap in?
 
dustin lindgren said:
Thanks Steve,

I would like to run something by you if you have a minute.

It is very important for me to stay as light as possible. I shoot action sports using helicopters, cables cams, long barbies, dollies, cranes and on sticks . Sometimes we use truck loads of equipment to set up one shot and other times I am on an expedition, 30 days out in the Himalayas. For the 2 companies I work for I am kinda known as the light weight guy. I used an Aminima for years and now just finished my first RED project, http://www.nwdfilms.com/new/. Check the trailer if you like.

I am looking to buy all new glass and want to see what you think.

-Toknia 11-16 from Duclos
-RED 18-50
-2X Extender.
-maybe a long zoom as well. We rent those most of time but would like to buy one.
-I would really like to find a folding rubber sunshade with 2 filter slots. I have one for my 11-110 s16 zeiss. I cant use huge mattboxes. They take up to much room in my pack.

I am also interested in buying a still lens instead of the RED 18-50. I need something that zooms smoothly though.

What do you think of the line up for what I do? Very reasonable price tag for all that as well.

I remember reading you were from Santa Cruz? I live in Auburn. We film a lot in Santa Cruz. 3 or 4 of our pro athletes are from there.

Anyways Steve thanks for all your post on this site. Every time you post I read it knowing I am going learn from it. This website has really opened up a ton of doors for learning so many little personal secrets about different styles of shooting. People like yourself have so much knowledge and have been willing to come on here to share it. Its priceless to me.

Dustin
Click to expand...

Dustin,

Thanks for the very kind words...glad the info has worked for you :thumbsup:

I'm sure the converted Tokina 11-16 from Duclos is excellent. I've heard many express their happiness with the lens. Over the years Duclos has regularly been my lens service company - and the results have been exceptional. They're perfectionists - and whatever they, do they do right. I love the Tokina 11-16. I've used it extensively for my super-wide shot needs. Mine is a stock lens with a Nikon mount, because I didn't need a converted PL mount version, and me and my crews don't use matte boxes or follow focus units on my RED cameras. But if I did shoot cine style with the 11-16 I'd buy the Duclos version.

I owned a RED 18-50 from August 2007 until July 2009, when I sold it. Optically the lens was very good. I was very happy with the results from it. Some purists aren't happy with the telescoping center element on the lens, but it never bothered me at all. I never used the 18-50 with a matte box. Instead, I used 72mm screw-on filters with it, with excellent results. That kept it more light and mobile.

I also owned a RED 300 from August 2007 to August 2009. Its is an excellent lens - crisp, clean, free from weirdness. I only sold the RED 18-50 and RED 300 because 35mm still lenses, which tend to be lighter per focal length than cine lenses, make great sense for the high degree of mobility me and my crews need in our work.

Though early in my career I did a fair amount of cine style production, I don't shoot cine style with RED One. With RED One I shoot hybrid non-hardlined EFP style, and occasionally traditional non-hardlined EFP style, as I described in the thread post I gave you a link to. Because of this, I don't even own a matte box or follow focus - by choice. To keep rig weights down and increase mobility, all my lenses are 35mm still, are filtered via screw-on filters, all focusing is by eye using 1:1 image magnification, and all focus changes are via racking lens barrels. All my 35mm still lenses are stock, except for the PL mount only modifications on my two long Canon lenses.

As Matte posted, either the Century or Optex 2x extenders are very good. I own the Optex, but frankly of the 30 lenses I own only two are PL mount, a Canon FD 150-600 f/5.6L with a Century PL mount conversion (mount only), and a Canon FD 800 f/5.6L with a Century PL mount conversion (mount only) - and I don't use the 2x extender with those two lenses. Again, all me and my crew's focusing is via eye using 1:1 image magnification, so we're not concerned about lens scales if we were to use a 2x. That would be a consideration of someone who who shoots cine style though. But as you describe your field workflow and what you shoot, I'm sure you'll also focus by eye. We also expose quickly, and accurately I might add, by using zebras and histogram - something I'd suggest you also do in your mobile sports work.

I keep a PL mount on one of my RED cameras, just for using the long Canon lenses, but my other RED cameras have Nikon mounts. With the new Scarlet and Epic cameras, and the new quick change mounts, changing mounts from PL to Nikon (or Canon) will be really quick.

I am known around here as the "light weight setup" guy, the "hybrid production" guy, and the "EFP production" guy. I shoot a lot of mobile genres, but sports is definitely an important genre to me. I would imagine your RED camera setups would benefit from my lightweight RED approach.

I don't actually live in Santa Cruz - but when I'm on the Central Coast I do shoot up there frequently. I live a few hours south of Santa Cruz, in Pismo Beach. We shoot worldwide though.

Finally, for mobile sports shooting with RED One, the lenses I use the most are:

Tokina 11-16 f.2.8 with Nikon mount, Nikon 14-24 f2.8, Nikon 28-70 f2.8, Nikon 80-200 f2.8 AF (push/pull zoom), Nikon 50-300 f4.5 AIS, Nikon 400 f3.5 AIS with 1.4x and 2x extenders, and Canon FD 150-600 f5.6L.

Hope this helps. Good luck to you on your setup. Have fun out there!
 
Question for Steve Gibby.

Question for Steve Gibby.

Steve Gibby said:
Dustin,

As Matte posted, either the Century or Optex 2x extenders are very good. I own the Optex, but frankly of the 30 lenses I own only two are PL mount, a Canon FD 150-600 f/5.6L with a Century PL mount conversion (mount only), and a Canon FD 800 f/5.6L with a Century PL mount conversion (mount only) - and I don't use the 2x extender with those two lenses.
Click to expand...

Steve. Why you do not use the extenders with the Canon FD 150-600 and FD 800? Just curious.
 
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