B4 Lens mount

[DDahlquist]

If you look at the SCARLET page B4 mounts are not mentioned.RED, PL, Cannon and Nikon yes but no direct B4 plate.
The B4 style mount is the Sony mount that all the other video camera manufactures have adapted for 2/3 3 CCD cameras. B4 is not really a film mount.
If you go the the ARRI/ZEISS DIGI PRIMES site or Fuji or Cannon etc. and look at the specks they are all made for 3 CCD Cameras.
I would think that if RED is going to be offering a B4 mount plate then they would have figured all his out already. That might be why B4 mounts are not mentioned?

 

[Tim Sutherland]

You can use B4 mount lenses with the PL to B4 mount adapter that RED already offers for 2K on the R1. It does have a glass element in it to slightly resize the picture, so you probably lose around one stop of light using it.

 

[jamesbridges]

You are correct Tim, it looks like the Abakus B4 to Super 16 mount.
I used a Century Optics version for a few years (with great success) on my SR2 and Aaton XTR, you do lose about 2/3 of a stop.
I am hoping for a direct B4 mount so I do not have to purchase a $3500 adapter...I think this may not happen for the Scarlet. I to did not see the "B4" mount in the product specs...I guess we will have to see.
It seems to me the the issue is 3 chips as opposed to a single CMOS. Someone with more knowledge than me stated that the single CMOS chip would not be the same specs as a 3 chip, thus causing some issues with the B4 mount.
I think it also might be a bit expensive to produce...Sony patent on the mount???? I do not know. Once again, we will have to wait to see, I have been using 2/3 inch camera for so many years I have quite a bit invested in my lenes.
Any thoughts?
www.typeamedia.com

 

[DDahlquist]

I'm not fond of the idea of putting down $3500 for a adapter I would rather put it toward new glass. I do have a lot invested in glass but it is all SD glass. .
I know if we use SD glass it might be softer among other optical problems already mentioned in these posts. Most of us that are considering this have top of the line glass and would only like to use it until we can budget for HD glass. A Sony patent would be a big problem.

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Guys, the reason the B4 mount adapter is $3500 is because it contains optical correction. This is not for resizing the image. The optical correction is to correct the color convergence of broadcast lenses to work with the single-chip design of the CMOS sensor.

There will be options for mounting B4 lenses on Scarlet and Epic. They will all require optical correction and will be expensive. It's not clear yet if RED will offer a direct B4 mount for the DSMC line or if they will stick with their existing PL to B4 adapter. Either way, it will contain glass and will be expensive.

 

[Jacek Zakowicz]

correction

correction

Guys, the reason the B4 mount adapter is $3500 is because it contains optical correction. This is not for resizing the image. The optical correction is to correct the color convergence of broadcast lenses to work with the single-chip design of the CMOS sensor.

There will be options for mounting B4 lenses on Scarlet and Epic. They will all require optical correction and will be expensive. It's not clear yet if RED will offer a direct B4 mount for the DSMC line or if they will stick with their existing PL to B4 adapter. Either way, it will contain glass and will be expensive.

Actually the B4 mount adapter is an 1.3x or so extender so it does resize the image as well as losing about 2/3 of a stop. That is what extenders do.
The reason it resizes is to allow S16 coverage (16mm diagonal) for 2/3" lenses(11mm diagonal). It also corrects the lateral dispersion "built in" 3chip lenses to offset color separation caused by dichroic prisms used in 3 chip ccd cameras.
Jacek Zakowicz, optitek.org:thumbsup:

 

[DDahlquist]

What I was getting at is It would be better to put the money towards the lens that was made for the camera.
Sure I would love to save money and be able to use a lens that I spent $$$$. But I bought that lens because it was made for my SD 2/3s camera.
RED is changing a lot of things in the industry. But this is the one thing I don't think they can change and that is if you want the best image and no mechanical problems then buy the lens that was built from the ground up to work on your RED or Scarlet camera without converters. So to the people at Red how about a nice zoom lense to add to the Scarlet 2/3 primes.

 

[César Díez]

So to the people at Red how about a nice zoom lense to add to the Scarlet 2/3 primes.

yes, i think there is a market waiting for a nice zoom for the scarlet 2/3", including myself... and, what about fujinon? are they thinking in something similar? :thumbsup:

 

[lonny dill]

Guys, the reason the B4 mount adapter is $3500 is because it contains optical correction. This is not for resizing the image. The optical correction is to correct the color convergence of broadcast lenses to work with the single-chip design of the CMOS sensor.

There will be options for mounting B4 lenses on Scarlet and Epic. They will all require optical correction and will be expensive. It's not clear yet if RED will offer a direct B4 mount for the DSMC line or if they will stick with their existing PL to B4 adapter. Either way, it will contain glass and will be expensive.

Hey Jeff,
We have the B4 adaptor and would like to try it out on our Epic so that we can use our 5.5mm-100mm Fujinon Supergrip Lens. My biggest concern is that the back of the Fujinon lens has 14 contacts and the front of the Epic camera has 4 contacts. When the b4 mount is placed onto the Epic, it looks as if it will short all of the pins to the B4 adaptor. I am concern that shorting all the pins will have some negative effects. Why doesn't the B4 mount have something to accomodate the 4 pins? I also checked on my Red1 and verified that the b4 adaptor shorts those 4 pins too. This concerns me greatly and I don't want to cause damage to my Red1 or my Epic camera by placing the Red B4 mount onto either camera.

Please help,
Thanks!