Fujinon 85-300mm Vs Canon 30-300mm

[Manoj R C]

Dear all,

Want to get expert advice..Which one do you recommend between Fujinon 85-300mm & Canon 30-300mm. I've an opportunity to buy either of these (used). Price is comparable, but Canon offers 10x zoom. Fujinon has better brand value ( think). This is for Epic-W and for rental.

Thanks..

Regards,
Manoj

 

[Satsuki Murashige]

This really depends on who your clients are. The Canon 30-300 is great for studio-style productions, live concerts, and is a much lighter alternative to the comparable Angenieux Optimo 24-290. More similar to the newer Angenieux Optimo 25-250. It's not quite wide enough to be the only lens on most productions, but for a B camera it works well. It does require Studio 15/19mm rods support and a 6.6x6.6 matte box. Very sharp, nice contrast.

The Fujinon 85-300 is a lightweight compact lens which can be handheld and has a removable ENG-style handgrip. It's more designed for the run-and-gun style shooter, as the focus marks are not as widely spaced as most cinema lenses so you can rack focus faster by hand. But it also works great as a B Camera lens for interviews (as long as you are not in a small room), and great for doc work. Very pretty, lovely bokeh and color.

*I should add, the Canon 30-300 ramps at the long end of the lens (which is marked on the iris ring), and if I remember correctly the Fujinon 85-300 does as well (not marked).

 

[Manoj R C]

Thanks Satsuki, for these details. Now this is a totally different but related question.
The price new Fujinon 85-300mm is $42K, but can be bought used for as low as $21K ! But the price of used Alura 45-250mm is almost same as a new one ( $31K ) , though the new one is much cheaper than new Fujinon 85-300mm.
Any reason why do we see this strange pricing in the used lens market?!! Does the 2.6 makes all these differences?

 

[Satsuki Murashige]

Don't know the reason for the price difference between used and new. As far as I know, the original Fujinon Cabrio 85-300mm is still a current model, unlike it's sister lens the Cabrio 19-90mm Mk1. Perhaps that particular lens for sale needs service or is in poor condition?

 

[Manoj R C]

Well I have seen the 85-300mm sold on this forum for as low as $17k !! The other copy, I was talking about is in like new condition. Before I commit to buy, I want to ensure that whether it's a DP favorite lens. For some reasons, Alura 46-250 is everyone's favorite though it's big and heavier than 85-300mm.

 

[Satsuki Murashige]

I can't speak for anyone else, but the 85-300 is one of my favorite lenses. While I enjoy the look, mostly I love the focal range in such a small package. Last year, I did a day of scenic pickups for a title sequence around the city with just the director. We took an Amira, 85-300, 100mm sticks, and drove around ourselves. Hopped out of the car, quickly set up and popped off shots, jumped back in, and were then off to the next location. It's much harder to do that sort of thing with Mitchell sticks and Studio 15/19 support that comes with big lenses.

Never really liked the Aluras (mostly down to size and weight), but then they are (or at least were) much more popular in LA than in SF. Not sure how popular they remain today. I think they look fine. Again, I think this choice mostly comes down to your potential clientele and their type of work. When you regularly work with large camera crews, lens preference can be much more about aesthetics. But there are a lot more smaller productions these days, and it may not be practical for many of them to work with such large lenses. You'd really have to ask them to know for sure.

 

[Bill Totolo]

I'm a big fan of the Canon, smaller, lighter and sharper than the Angie in similar range, if that's what you're looking for.
Just to note, they don't seem to rent as well as the Fuji's or Angie's, so if you're renting that's a good thing because great deals can be had. Bad news if you're an owner looking to rent your gear. And as you mentioned, second hand purchases are a steal.
I feel the whole Canon cine zoom line up is under valued at the moment.

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Like most Arri / Zeiss lenses, you can always rent the Aluras. That said, the Fujinon Cabrios are great and probably the best all around for size and performance. Fujinon glass also rents very well and they are a great match up to the current digital cameras on the market. I have not tried the Cabrio zooms on the Helium 8K sensor, but will perhaps get a chance to do so in the next week or two. For S35 coverage zooms, my first pick would be the Cabrio 19-90 and the 85-300 as a set. There's also the 16-35 Cabrio, but it's quite expensive for the small added benefit on the wide end. For wide focal lengths, which tend to fall more into specialty use in most cases, I tend to opt for the Tokina 11-16 or Nikon 14-24 or similar. They're more compact and reasonably priced while still performing great. Although don't tend to be as desirable for rental. For 35FF coverage or as my second choice, I would go with the Compact Zooms. I personally like the CPZ.2's more than the Aluras and they cut in well with both the CP.2's and Ultra Primes, as well as other lenses on the market like the Xenons. They're quite a bit more expensive than the Cabrio set, unfortunately.

 

[Scot Yount]

....the Fujinon Cabrios are great and probably the best all around for size and performance. Fujinon glass also rents very well and they are a great match up to the current digital cameras on the market. I have not tried the Cabrio zooms on the Helium 8K sensor, but will perhaps get a chance to do so in the next week or two.

I have not tried the 85-300, but I own the 19-90 Version II. It works well on the Helium sensor (though it does vignette slightly on the wide end) I still found it usable. Adam Bricker, (who shot some of the Chef's Table stuff) recently shot a Master Class for Gordon Ramsay. I hope it is not out of school to post that he told me he used 2 85-300s on an Alexa Mini, and one Amira, as well 2 19-90s, on two other Amiras. The trailer also includes some overhead shots from a Sony A7S whatever with a Summicron C. I think the images speak for themselves, even on Youtube. Additional note I believe they used a 1/4 low con filter.

I think it rocks

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