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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Canon FD mount NO LONGER being made by RED

Thanks to everyone who has sent me PMs, emails and posted here. We are moving forward very quickly as I have a big project coming up where I was going to be using a number of FD lenses.

We will have our CAD files done by mid next week and will have our first prototype ready by the end of this month. Once I have a count on the number of mounts needed I can get the production quotes and set the price. At this point in time, I think we will have enough to hit or beat the original target price established by RED ($500 USD).

I will post a link next week to a CAD rendering and just a bit later to images of the prototype mount.

Thanks again for everyones interest.

Kevin
 
Hmmm, its not listed in the store at red.com, but if they are now considering bring it back, I certainly don't mind. I will continue with my work and will offer our solution up until the point in time when RED releases theirs. I wasn't my intention to compete with RED, rather I just wanted to be certain that those interested in an FD mount wouldn't be left hanging.

So, let me know if this announcement changes your interest. I do still need to get an approximate count so I can get the quotations locked down.
 
Bassam,

If you recently ordered your RED then perhaps you can wait and hope that they do indeed produce the RED FD mount. You will probably not see your camera until May or June - therefore you can take your chances if you so choose.

I cannot wait nor will I take the chance that they will change their plans (again) and NOT make it. I need a RED that works with my Canon FD lenses when it arrives.

I ordered my RED in mid April so I do not think I will get it until around Jan or Feb. according to the current shipping schedule. Since I do not have a camera number I do not really know.

If I were you I would go with khmuse and be certain that you will have the FD mount for your camera. His mount should be very well made and RED may even choose to use his mount as that will save them the time and trouble to do it since they are so busy.
 
Kevin,

Please count me in.

I have a nice set of Canon EF lenses and hope Birger mount will be soon available with all features supported, but having FD mount even as an option would be a great idea.

Thanks!
Bogdan
 
Thanks Bogdan and all,

Glad that this is working out well for everyone. I should have the renderings ready very soon and will post a link here for anyone that is interested to check out.

Kevin
 
khmuse
I also have a selection of FD mount lenses. If you go ahead and meet or beat price I will be interested. Jims announcement will also be good for me as I don't get the camera until after Jan 2008
Love to see the drawings.... is it an improvement over the FD RED Mount?

Have you considered making Panavision BNCR Hassleblad etc????
 
Thanks for the interest TJ,

Can't say if ours is a better solution than RED's as I haven't seen what they are doing, but as I mentioned, I don't really want to become their competitor in this. I will post a link to the renderings in a few days. Pricing will be at or below the target based upon the number of contacts received thus far.

I did give a bit of thought to a PV mount, but none of the others yet. One thing at a time, well see how this first one is received.
 
Just a quick update. We have the design finished, just waiting for some data from RED before we send this out to manufacturing. Hoping to have the prototype finished by the end of the month.

Here is a couple of views of the design:

red_fd_mount.jpg
 
Would be nice to have a PV mount available to use the Primos etc. also adapter to PV style follow focus and matt boxes.
In a long form project mixing digital acq. with 35film That would fit it into the Pana - package. Panavision G2 and X packages have a rep. for getting down to indy. budgets.
 
Hi TJ,

If there is enough interest, a PV mount wouldn't be any more difficult to produce that the FD. Just need to make enough units to amortize the development and tooling costs over so that the cost remains reasonable.
 
Adjustable adapter

Adjustable adapter

An adapter that incorporates user adjustable FD to set bf would be handy.


Mike Brennan
 
Hello Mike,

Thanks for the post. It is interesting to consider all the possible sources of error for FFD.

They are:

1) Position of sensor in relationship to the camera's front mounting surface
2) Distance from the lens mount to the flange of the lens attachment
3) Distance from the rear element of the lens to its attachment ring

In B4 mounts, setting back focus to account for all the errors combined is common practice as most 2/3" cameras use zooms with high large ranges of focal lengths so frequent changing of lens isn't a common practice.

In cine cameras, this isn't the case and most will use either primes or variable primes, so an "overall" adjustment (like a back focus adjustment) isn't going to work as you would have to readjust with every lens change.

Our assumption for users of FD mount lenses is that they will be adopting a cine shooting style and will mainly be using primes and variable primes. Compensation is incorporated into the FD mount that we have developed for errors that result from numbers one and two from the list above. This allows for lens to be changed without further consideration, and assuming that the lens is properly adjusted focus markings will be accurate and repeatable from lens to lens.

One could adjust for a single wide range zoom and treat it like a B4 camera, but this isn't the usage we anticipate for most FD lens shooters.
 
I agree with your thoughts Kevin. I do not plan on using FD zooms (most FD zooms are not that good). I think part of the point of using FD lenses is that they are fast, cheap and available. I have a 35-105mm zoom that I may try, but it is F/3.5 and not really sharp enough for 4K until F/5.6. The 85mm F.1.8 I have is sharp at F2.8 and the F/1.2 is sharp at F/2. That is much better for me that shooting a F5.6.

If I need to use zooms I think I will use the Birger EF EOS mount or hit a bank and get the RED zooms.
 
Kevin,

Will the mount have whatever linkage is necessary so that turning the FD aperture ring opens and closes the diaphragm? Or do the FD lenses themselves need to be modified?

Many thanks for proceeding with the FD mount.
The render looks good.

Michael
 
Hello Michael,

The mount has a stop down lever so that there will be no need to modify the lenses themselves.

Glad you liked the rendering.

Kevin
 
So count me as one more for the list. I'm real curious to see how my tilt & swivel FD works on a Red.

I too am glad you are doing this.
 
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