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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 :)

First Optimo 30-80mm in the UK!

Michael Lindsay

Michael Lindsay

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Hi

We have taken delivery of the first Uk Optimo 30-80mm DP lens. Over this holiday period I will post a comparison between the Optimo and Ultra primes (if there is any interest?)

This post is also to see if there is any UK hire interest in this lens?? (And the 16-42 which we should get very early on in its release)

We also have Ultra Primes (12,16,24,32,50,85,136). 2 well equipped Red cameras, 8.4 Asto monitors, Panny 17", Oconner 2060, P+S SKater, full set pf Master Diopters, FF4, MB20II, LMB 15....... etc

Our kit was originally bought for our exclusively use. The 2 consequences of this are the gear is very lightly used and the kit is put together to answer creative concerns rather than simplifying hire work.

I would like to find 15-25 extra days a year hire. Especially the Optimos which I will use only rarely.

We are based in W1 London and would be delighted to look at a couple of hire 'relationships' either with DOPs or Producers.

Any thoughts on this?

regards

Michael Lindsay

hire(a-t)16oz.co.uk
 
Michael Lindsay said:
Hi

We have taken delivery of the first Uk Optimo 30-80mm DP lens. Over this holiday period I will post a comparison between the Optimo and Ultra primes (if there is any interest?)
Click to expand...


Congratulations !

We wanna see the comparison between Ultra primes and Optimo 30-80mm.
 
Hi Freddy

Any time!

Did some testing yesterday comparing the Optimo rouge 30-80 against 3 ultra primes (32-50-85).

I will post frame grabs later and more details but basically I found:

30-80 breathes less than UP
30-80 Is flatter (better at holding straight lines straight) than the UP (including the 85mm)
30-80 has a 'interesting' Bokeh (it looks allot like the consequence of the above geometry correction) towards the edges it almost looks like mini skewed anamorphic
30-80 is very sharp (I was very impressed with the wide open performance)

I'll add pictures and more latter.

Basically I'm very impressed (coming from a only use primes guy)

regards

Michael Lindsay

PS I don't really like the red bits....
 
Michael,

Interesting comparisons. Please also try contrast, corner to corner sharpness, corner to corner brightness, color and flare characteristics.
 
Mitch Gross said:
Michael,

Interesting comparisons. Please also try contrast, corner to corner sharpness, corner to corner brightness, colour and flare characteristics.
Click to expand...

Hi Mitch

You should have no trouble selling these lenses.. I suspect they may (the 16-42 and 30-80) become the 'standard' non-red red zooms.

We had included all your suggested tests (because they are important to us) ... it will be more difficult for me to put up some of our conclusions as the supporting visuals were not all recorded and sometimes difficult to explain (without way too much effort on my part)...

Contrast was very good.. not quite in MP's micro contrast league (but I was confused/blown away with MPs)

Corner to corner sharpness was good and only bettered a tiny bit by the UP at certain stops.

Corner to corner brightness is a different matter if you shoot 80mm T2.8 with flat lighting THEN grade for massive contrast you will produce noticeable corner darkening (what zoom doesn't???). Open up (or zoom out) and you pull away from this challenge. Is it a challenge? green screen work wide open? maybe?

DP's colour was warmer (no surprise there) but also it has less magenta (or more green).This is difficult to quantify for obvious reasons (maybe it is neutral and the UP are green??). I compared directly only with UP and do not have access (or the interest) to equipment that can quantify colour input and output. The difference is nothing within the digital world of film making.

Flare... they are different... but the DP is good I just need to look again (it was late and I stopped taking notes). We only tested at 50mm and 30mm (32)... and at T5.6 and T2.8 (not wide open on the UP). I tried 3 tests: light straight down lens both in shot and 'just' out of shot (both frosted and bare Fresnel).. The one predictable (it is a zoom) area of weakness (compared to the superb Ultra primes) is the hard light just out of shot. All tests where without mattbox..

hope to get time soon to prep images and put stuff up...

Michael L

PS As a side note: I tested a while ago a Canon 28-70mm f/2.8L and Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L with thoughts that I could make use of them on a 2nd body... the differences (beyond ergonomics) between a Canon 28-70mm f/2.8L and a Optimo 30-80 T2.8 are not to be sneezed at.
 
Michael,

Thanks for the report. I think the lens is great as well and just wanted to hear someone else's opinions.

BTW, did you change the spelling of "color" in my quote or did it go through some sort of special UK filter? Funny.
 
Mitch Gross said:
BTW, did you change the spelling of "color" in my quote or did it go through some sort of special UK filter? Funny.
Click to expand...

As an impatient dyslexic I must apologise for both my web based spellcheck's over zealous imposing and my failure to notice when clicking 'yes' to its suggestions. :biggrin:

regards

Michael L
 
Michael,
I'm looking forward to seeing a comparison of the Optimo to the other lenses you mentioned.
 
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