Documentary filmmaking

[Liam Hall]

So you cannot make a serious documentary with the fixed lense?

Spare me.

Please read the thread properly. I never stated you 'cannot' make a serious documentary with the fixed lens option just that to me, the fixed lens option is aimed at the wedding/student end of the market and not at the serious documentary end where there are better options in the line up which offer more versatility and better performance.

I don't really understand why you are getting so melodramatic about it.

 

[kevinfluet]

I seem to recall Jim mentioning wide and tele attachments for the fixed lens. I would imagine that they are still in the works.

 

[enrico parenti]

The real discussion is if red cameras (especially Scarlet) are born for every small production house or not.
Up to now working with Cinealta cameras is the best option around in documentary filmmaking, but one of the main differences between one of those sony´s and RED apart from 2k, 3k... and Depth of field is that finally now you can afford to buy a proper camera for your self and stop renting expensive cinealta equipment.

But if it all comes down to fixed lens and Nd filters on matte box it will be a controversial marketing strategy.

I have worked in the past with mini35 and letus adapters with fixed lens, but when you have a 45 minutes session interview and 25 minutes for preparing the set is difficult then to stop in the middle of an interview and change the lens, the matte and everything else to change focal lenght of the shot.

Documentary needs that versatility because real life is not in your hands, is in somebody else´s hands and you have to cope with it as fast as possible, two cameras are not always possible and I am not talking of quick reportage's I am talking about documentary.

For sure somebody is going to produce some eng lens for us to...

enrico

 

[César Díez]

lens for doc

lens for doc

hi enrico
i´m interested in documentary too...

For sure somebody is going to produce some eng lens for us to...
enrico

what about HD 2/3" lenses o s16mm zoom lenses?
i think they are good for this kind of work: focal range, focus, ergonomy, funcionality... what do you thinK? (i´m talking for scarlet 2/3" or s35... scarlet fixed lens is in another range... sometimes you need/like shoudermount.. sometimes you need/like handheld...)

regards

 

[Fergus Meiklejohn]

I'm a bit confused why we don't all think the S35 or FF Scarlet with one of the new RED 25-100 zooms isn't a great potential documentary camera.

It's about the size of an EX1, (could be smaller if you go with the hand-grip power option..), probably a bit heavier especially because the lens will be much heavier, but it's doesn't sound VERY heavy.. not the kind of challenge that the RED 1 poses.

It'll take great pictures (super amazing pictures..).

There is some challenge in managing the media both in post and in recording times (capturing hours of interviews/fly on the wall filming in one day etc), but loads of great documentaries have been filmed on 16mm and 35mm, and surely Scarlet will be MUCH easier to use on location than film ever has been.

You wouldn't want to be constantly changing lenses, and 100mm is not long, but if you're filming 6k and outputting 1080p then there is a lot of scope to crop into the image.

I often work alone or in two person teams and I am going be very happy to own a FF Scarlet (inshallah). I reckon it'll be the last 2D camera I buy

Of course there are issues: ways to mount a shotgun mic which are clever, light and unobtrusive; ways to add filters without needing rails and a mattbox.. especially ND; available light performance (which from looking at the stats should be great, but it needs to be demonstrated, when RED have a working prototype, because low light performance is obviously a challenge for documentary people).

I wouldn't use anything other than RED lenses unless I was going for very expensive and better quality (so Cookes or something), because the RED lenses will be great optically, electronic (which could mean autofocus and remote control, but should at the very least mean lens data recorded), and crucially for documentary people out in the middle of nowhere they should work really well with the camera.

 

[kevinfluet]

I'm a bit confused why we don't all think the S35 or FF Scarlet with one of the new RED 25-100 zooms isn't a great potential documentary camera.

I don't think anybody is saying that wouldn't be great. People are arguing about whether the fixed-lens zoom model will be good enough for "serious" documentary work.

-- Kevin

 

[enrico parenti]

Probably the the new RED 25-100 lens is a perfect match for the camera and probably the cheapest one to even if it does not seam to have a motorized zoom on it... Somebody knows what will be the magnification when using it on the s35 instead of the FF35, the sensor is smaller probably will be turn to be a 1,5 magnification 37-150 mm, which is quite a bit less wide unfortunally.

Any idea, any method for calculatin focal lenght?

 

[Jacek Szwarc-Bronikowski]

Sorry for naive question, but... why the lens in the cheapest Scarlet is fixed ?
And why not to buy 2500$ Scarlet and similar (the same ?) lens separatly,
making it ultimate in versality ?! :w00t:

 

[Jacek Szwarc-Bronikowski]

I'd like to use Canon 100 mm 2.8 MACRO lens with 2/3 Scarlet.
So, any method for calculatin focal lenght would be nice.
Will I have 1:1 macro in such configuration ?

 

[Emiel Labree]

Sorry for naive question, but... why the lens in the cheapest Scarlet is fixed ?

So you can get a cheap package with a lens? Ready to shoot.

And why not to buy 2500$ Scarlet and similar (the same ?) lens separatly, making it ultimate in versality ?! :w00t:

The fixed lens goes deeper into the Scarlet, which means it will also be bigger. Atleast, that's what i've understood. And who knows, they might make a zoom in the future.

 

[Jason Murphy]

Sorry for naive question, but... why the lens in the cheapest Scarlet is fixed ?
And why not to buy 2500$ Scarlet and similar (the same ?) lens separatly,
making it ultimate in versality ?! :w00t:

To add to the above comment, my understanding is also that lens control will be better/more fully integrated into the camera than with the interchangeable systems, which for some people doing doc work (or similar) may be a significant advantage.

The lens is also recessed into the camera body, making for a smaller overall package for those who have no need for interchangeables.

Of course, who knows how these things will change as things progress?