Birger Lens Mount Reservations

[Vincent S]

Big thanks Aqua for your effort your updates and help is REALLY appreciated.

 

[Michael Hastings]

Tele lens loaner for Shuttle launch next thursday - test Canon lens

Tele lens loaner for Shuttle launch next thursday - test Canon lens

I'm in L.A. (South Bay), if you need some Canon glass to test;
16-35mm f2.8 L, 24-70mm f2.8L, 85mm f1.2 L II, 70-200mm f2.8 L IS, 100-400mm f4.0-5.6 L, and a Sigma 14mm f2.8 fisheye.

I have approval from NASA to shoot the shuttle launch next Thursday and Erik is going to set me up with a mount. At the worst, we will shoot from the Press site but my friend has some pretty good pull and is working to get us even closer than the press can normally get, possibly from the VAB. I have the 70-200 IS and also a Zeiss Contax 300 F4 that I can use but a longer Canon L series would be a great test also if you or anyone is up for a loaner. That 100-400 looks sweet or doesn't Jim have one of those $90000 super teles?

Mike 954 937 6600

AquaVideo

2265 columbia
Weston, FL 33326

 

[vincelucero]

A 90K super tele? That thing must be a tank! Can you get us a peak Jim?

 

[Dominique Grenier]

A 90K super tele? That thing must be a tank! Can you get us a peak Jim?

You want it? Here it is:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/800557508-USE/Canon_2527A001_Super_Telephoto_1200mm_f_5_6L.html

 

[Steven-Marc C.]

Great post, Mike. My feelings exactly.
And I fully agree that a lot of Red sales actually depend on Birger's success. I hope Red will support him accordingly.

I look forward to hearing your feedback on the mount.

 

[Joe Vinson]

I love how Canon's super-tele lenses look like they were ripped off the wall of Space Mountain at Disney World.

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

I have approval from NASA to shoot the shuttle launch next Thursday and Erik is going to set me up with a mount. At the worst, we will shoot from the Press site but my friend has some pretty good pull and is working to get us even closer than the press can normally get, possibly from the VAB. I have the 70-200 IS and also a Zeiss Contax 300 F4 that I can use but a longer Canon L series would be a great test also if you or anyone is up for a loaner. That 100-400 looks sweet or doesn't Jim have one of those $90000 super teles?

Mike 954 937 6600

AquaVideo

2265 columbia
Weston, FL 33326

If Sigma for Canon EF EOS lens works with Birger Canon EF adapter that would be good to try out with Sigma APO 50-500mm F4-6.3 DG and with a 2X teleconverter you get 200-1000mm F10.4-12.6 MF ultra-telephoto zoom lens (manual focus only).

Or Sigma APO 300-800mm F5.6 DG 2x EX Apo Tele Converters (optional), it becomes a 420-1120mmF8 MF lens or a 600-1600mm F11 MF lens respectively (manual focus only).

Or the best option is to try out with Leica APO-TELYT-R unique modular system covers the range from 280 to 800 mm, and, with the LEICA APO-EXTENDER-R 2x even up to 1,600 mm (manual focus only and with Leica-R to Canon EOS adapter).

All lenses can be rented>>> Leica's from ZGC NJ and Sigma's from BH PhotoVideo NY or similar.

 

[Petr Dvorak]

One word: WOW :w00t:

Can't wait for footage. Good luck.

I have approval from NASA to shoot the shuttle launch next Thursday and Erik is going to set me up with a mount. At the worst, we will shoot from the Press site but my friend has some pretty good pull and is working to get us even closer than the press can normally get, possibly from the VAB. I have the 70-200 IS and also a Zeiss Contax 300 F4 that I can use but a longer Canon L series would be a great test also if you or anyone is up for a loaner. That 100-400 looks sweet or doesn't Jim have one of those $90000 super teles?

Mike 954 937 6600

AquaVideo

2265 columbia
Weston, FL 33326

 

[Stephen Pruitt]

Mike's post is dead accurate. I am one of those HVX-200 step-ups he wrote about. I am really counting on the Birger to give me a lens to use with my RED set-up. . . especially for use with the Actioncam! Wireless focus will be very sweeeeeet.

Stephen

 

[David Nardini]

Hi Mike,

... As far as support, I'm not sure if you mean RED or birger. Regarding Birger, like with my company, you are basically dealing with the principals - i.e. the guys who actually design it, make it etc. so quality of support fluctuates - when things go crazy and you are overloaded it isn't very good but when things are more normal then you are talking right to the source and can get better support than you ever would from a Sony, Panasonic etc since you never get a chance to speak to the guys who really know the ins and outs of the product ...

I was referring to Birger ... I am hoping that the mount build & QC is such that Erik will not be swamped with issues :biggrin:

... This quote was regarding data support for Arri lenses but you have to wonder if that thinking is affecting birger support ...

I did think the same, however, RED did announce the manual Nikkor mount (& initially the Canon FD mount), so I do not see Birger being any different.
I'm very new to this world, but I sense a certain amount of 'snobbery' (no offence) in terms of folk who will only ever use PL mount lenses. I cannot comment on PL lens comparisons, but the RED PL lenses are clearly good value for money, so there is certainly a market for them !

At the end of the day, image / film makers will use what they need, if it's not available from RED, a way of getting it manufactured will be found ...

Cheers,

PS : good luck with the NASA shoot ... very nice :matrix:

 

[Michael Hastings]

Hi Mike,
I was referring to Birger ... I am hoping that the mount build & QC is such that Erik will not be swamped with issues :biggrin:

I think we have to anticipate some birthing pains - given the changes dictated by the new RED front end and the consequent rush to get the birger mount changed. My expectation is we will get a mount that works but may have some issues, and then a couple months down the line we will get either software changes or a hardware swap that has some improvements. This is total speculation on my part but I am just saying that I have mentally budgeted a couple hundred dollars so that down the line he may make a hardware change (and it might be something free) or he may say - "look we've finally had a chance to build what we really wanted to make from the start but the RED change and time pressures didn't allow - and we can swap you out for $250."

I have committed to sort of the same thing with the early adopters on the underwater housings that have been ordered - I told them "look it doesn't make a lot of sense to try to get too fancy with the rear LCD buttons/controls since the best way to do that stuff is through the USB interface (and with RAW shooting none of it makes much difference); and also that when some alternative cables become available we may be able to configure the battery and drive better to shorten the housing and if that is the case I will provide a relatively inexpensive upgrade to modify or even exchange the housing - because the material cost isn't the biggest part of the price and I don't need to profit twice on the early adopters."

Again, total speculation but Erik seems to have sort of the same mentality.

I did think the same, however, RED did announce the manual Nikkor mount (& initially the Canon FD mount), so I do not see Birger being any different.
I'm very new to this world, but I sense a certain amount of 'snobbery' (no offence) in terms of folk who will only ever use PL mount lenses. I cannot comment on PL lens comparisons, but the RED PL lenses are clearly good value for money, so there is certainly a market for them !

At the end of the day, image / film makers will use what they need, if it's not available from RED, a way of getting it manufactured will be found ...

Cheers,

PS : good luck with the NASA shoot ... very nice :matrix:

But there still is no Nikkor dumb mount available, and it seems to me it really should have been something that would have taken only a few weeks to get done. The nikkor mount side is both readily available on the open market and/or if they made their own it should already have been done since the RED mount change didn't affect the Nikkor side at all. (You can buy a brand new Nikkor to canon EOS adapter on ebay for $8 and it seems like any good machinist should be able to adapt that to a RED in a matter of hours.

 

[Stephen Pruitt]

The lack of ANY Nikon mount for the RED is a true mystery. We've got folks talking about breakout boxes, matteboxes, Zacuto accessories, etc., but NO ONE HAS YET PRODUCED A DUMB NIKON MOUNT???? That's utterly amazing to this cat.

Stephen

 

[jaadgy akanni]

The lack of ANY Nikon mount for the RED is a true mystery. We've got folks talking about breakout boxes, matteboxes, Zacuto accessories, etc., but NO ONE HAS YET PRODUCED A DUMB NIKON MOUNT???? That's utterly amazing to this cat.

Stephen

It is bizarre indeed. Meanwhile, Kevin got the ok to build a Canon FD mount, and voila! his company has made one.

Look at this shot with a Canon 28-85 f/ 4.0 zoom, lens set to about 70mm focal length and was wide open. The camera was in 4k mode and the shutter was about 1/120th of a second.

It's got a slight photo shop tweak by fellow forum member Bassam.

 

[Michael Hastings]

No Nikon mount Because RED said they were going to make one

No Nikon mount Because RED said they were going to make one

The lack of ANY Nikon mount for the RED is a true mystery. We've got folks talking about breakout boxes, matteboxes, Zacuto accessories, etc., but NO ONE HAS YET PRODUCED A DUMB NIKON MOUNT???? That's utterly amazing to this cat.

Stephen

No Nikon mount because RED said they were going to make one. Kevin made the FD mount because RED backed off and said they had shelved the FD mount for a while. Nobody wants to go to the time and effort of putting together the Nikon mount as a product, only to have RED actually deliver theirs the day after you announce yours for delivery. Yet Kevin proved that it is fairly easy (and FD mount is probably a little harder than Nikon since the parts aren't as readily available).

Maybe I'm clueless, so somebody please set me straight, - but as I see it you take a piece of round stainless or delrin; bore a hole through it; face off the front; mount a nikon mount from a nikon camera (actual Nikon part probably isn't even that expensive - they've been making it for 40 freakin' years!) or one of those mass produced 8 dollar Nikkor to eos adapters; , turn it over and face it off close on the back; figure out the 4 or 8 hole pattern (I forget which it is now) on the front of the RED; and then trim or shim to the proper flange focal distance - which because of the new change you would have to do for the individual camera.

One 18-50 PL (which RED probably has to commit and pay for contractually whether they sell any or not) = same revenue as 13 Nikon mounts...?

 

[Joel Kaye]

It is bizarre indeed. Meanwhile, Kevin got the ok to build a Canon FD mount, and voila! his company has made one.

Look at this shot with a Canon 28-85 f/ 4.0 zoom, lens set to about 70mm focal length and was wide open. The camera was in 4k mode and the shutter was about 1/120th of a second.

That's what I'm saying. If we can pull focus with these lenses then they'll likely be as good (for me) as any $50k lens. Or RED's $6500 one for that matter. I'm a high end lens skeptic to some degree. I mean, they better be better in a controlled test but I don't think the reality on screen will impact the viewer much. Once motion blur of the actors and camera and the slow shutter speed kicks in how much does a $50k lens really matter? I'm prepared to be proven wrong on this one... but "proven" is the operative word.

 

[Ivan Cortazar]

Aquavideo,

I envy you; going to the launch of the Shuttle and being able to record it on a Red with a Birger prototype mount. Can you take me with you? I will prepare sandwiches and bring a big fan/sunshade and become you fan-bearer :biggrin:

Talking about extreme zoom lenses. I have a Celestron C8-SGT telescope with a canon still photo adapter. I've been thinking that it might be possible to connect my future Red through the canon adapter and the Birger mount and get extremely long focal lengths. Of course I would need to design a kind of support that would hold the heavy red and won't rip my telescope apart. ( but since I am not an engineer that's like science fiction to me)

I think the focal length of the telescope is something like 2032mm f/10, but with some adapters you may get up to 10,000 mm !! you could be recording the commander piloting the shuttle!! Of course, framing with the telescope with be quite difficult as it has an equatorial mount and also forget about following the lift off..

Anyway, Aquavideo. Thanks for your help making the Briger mount happen and please post the footage or at least some photos of the lift off.

 

[Joe Carney]

As one who prefers to use newer EOS lenses, I'm glad the Birger is coming, even if I have to wait awhile. Better to get it right. We really don't know what he is going through to get things ready.
But I'm not ruling out the 18-50 if it turns out he can't deliver.
Not being negative, just pragmatic. I'll have the PL mount on the Red available either way.

Mike/AquaVideo, if not interested, pm me and I'll contact someone else.
Thanks in advance.

Joe C.

 

[David Nardini]

Canon FD mount ...

Canon FD mount ...

I guess I've missed the Canon FD thread ! ... is such a thing available now ?
If so where ? Who to contact ?

Cheers,

 

[Michael Hastings]

Canon FD mount by KHmuse - Kevin Halverson

Canon FD mount by KHmuse - Kevin Halverson

I guess I've missed the Canon FD thread ! ... is such a thing available now ?
If so where ? Who to contact ?

Cheers,

Canon FD mount by KHmuse - Kevin Halverson
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5224
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8300

Remember FD mount is the old pre-autofocus mount (which is why they were making a dumb mount - lots of old manual lenses out there.) but it is COMPLETELY incompatible with modern Canon cameras and lenses. The flange focal length is shorter so you can't make an adapter that will let the lens focus properly - it is basically like an extension tube - only superclose focus and even too close to be useful with a dome port underwater (believe me I thought of it).

FFD for Canon FD is 42mm, it is 44 for EOS EF and EF-S and, as an example, Nikon is 46.5mm so it is easy to make a physical adapter for Nikon to EOS since you have 2.5 mm to work with.

Yashica/contax 45.5 so easy to adapt - there are a lot of Zeiss in Contax mount that are excellent - I will probably shoot the shuttle launch with the 300mm Zeiss/contax F4 with the contax to eos adapter unless someone loans me a longer Canon EF lens.

Leica-R is 47mm so easy to adapt to Canon EF

 

[David Nardini]

thanks ...

thanks ...

Canon FD mount by KHmuse - Kevin Halverson
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5224
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8300

Remember FD mount is the old pre-autofocus mount (which is why they were making a dumb mount - lots of old manual lenses out there.) but it is COMPLETELY incompatible with modern Canon cameras and lenses. The flange focal length is shorter so you can't make an adapter that will let the lens focus properly - it is basically like an extension tube - only superclose focus and even too close to be useful with a dome port underwater (believe me I thought of it).

FFD for Canon FD is 42mm, it is 44 for EOS EF and EF-S and, as an example, Nikon is 46.5mm so it is easy to make a physical adapter for Nikon to EOS since you have 2.5 mm to work with.

Sure ... understood, BUT if the mount is available now, I can get going while I await for the Birger ;-) I was NOT thinking it would be usable for the EOS lenses ! FD lenses are 2-to-a-penny ... price point is not even close to getting a PL mount lens.

In the mean time considering getting a friend to machine me up a Nikkor mount ... (I'm no longer kitted out with a lathe, and like you mention in one of your other posts, I just do NOT understand the delay in producing manual mounts !).

Cheers,