Lens suggestion

[Aiden K.]

I know this has probably been answered time and time again, but I'll be lazy and ask it again instead of searching.

If I were to buy 1 lens to shoot with, what would be the best (General shot) lens to get.. the 18-50mm?

And what would be the usefulness of the 300mm and 50-150mm lenses? (Examples?)

Thanks!

 

[SF Geek]

18-50mm is your best bet. The 300mm is a pretty specific lens and the 50-150 is still not available and not as useful as the 18-50.

 

[Aiden K.]

The 300mm is a pretty specific lens

But for what kind of shots? Who would use 300mm and why? What kind of look can be accomplished using 300mm as opposed to using 15mm very close up to the subject? Is it more DOF?

 

[Cüneyt Kaya]

go to a rental house which has all the lenses and try.
or go to all the lens stickies and read what the users say.
happy readings

 

[Nick Gardner]

Strongly suggest you go purchase several books on photography, get a subscription to American Cinematographer, purchase all the cinematography books you can find. Then read everything. Then read it again.

 

[SF Geek]

Xaiden, if you have to ask that question, perhaps the Red is not right for you. remember that this is still a big investment and it is not an HVX. Work on some 35mm film shoots, you'll get a better understanding of what is needed to make this system work right.

 

[Paris Remillard]

Perspective. Given the same framing, and aperture setting, a 15mm very close to the subject will look very different from a 300mm far away. Technically, the DOF will be the same, given the same framing, and f-stop ( I'm not about to start that argument again) but the difference in perspective will make the longer lens look like it has shallower depth of field. Wide angle lenses stretch and distort perspective and telephoto lenses compress it. While "normal" focal lengths neither stretch nor compress, which is why they are called normal.

Given the same focus distance, and f-stop, longer lenses have less DOF than shorter lenses. But they also have less Field of View, so if you don't move the camera and just change focal lengths, longer focal lengths will have less DOF, but tighter framing.

Really a lot of it is about aesthetic choices. What do you want something to feel like, or look like, or "say" in terms of the story you are telling. Except of course situations where you can't get close and have to use long lenses, or can't move back and so have to use shorter lenses, close focus, etc, etc...

Good Luck. And like the others said, it might be a good idea to get some photography books, or find some online resources. But don't sweat it, we all had to learn this crap somewhere.

 

[Aiden K.]

perhaps the Red is not right for you. remember that this is still a big investment and it is not an HVX.

Pretend that the investment were not an investment and money were not an issue.

Would you still say this camera should not be used by an amateur "film"-maker?

 

[Cüneyt Kaya]

Pretend that the investment were not an investment and money were not an issue.

Would you still say this camera should not be used by an amateur "film"-maker?

then every amateur should use it, if he is interested he will learn fast...

 

[Aiden K.]

Perspective.

Thanks, that was a good summary of it. I understand it much better now. Thank you for your input!

 

[Aiden K.]

then every amateur should use it, if he is interested he will learn fast...

Good, then I should be having a lot of fun with it come June. :bleh:

 

[Cüneyt Kaya]

for training you can use a DSRL, learn what raw means and start reading @ redhax (redwiki)

 

[SF Geek]

If money is not an issue, then why were you asking if you should buy the LCD or the EVF. Get both!! And buy all of the lenses and accessories. Also, get a steadicam and a 5 ton grip truck. Oooh ooh and a technocrane!!

 

[Cüneyt Kaya]

you could buy a scratch suite for Color Grading, too

 

[Nathan Garofalos]

If you want to stick with RED products, go with the 18-50mm lens.

 

[Cüneyt Kaya]

but if you want to make money with a red just with renting, you better keep that money.

 

[Aiden K.]

If money is not an issue, then why were you asking if you should buy the LCD or the EVF. Get both!! And buy all of the lenses and accessories. Also, get a steadicam and a 5 ton grip truck. Oooh ooh and a technocrane!!

Just because money isn't an issue, doesn't mean I need to waste it on things I won't use or need.

Which is the main reason why money isn't an issue, because I have that kind of common sense. h34r:

 

[Aiden K.]

If you want to stick with RED products, go with the 18-50mm lens.

Hmm? I think you're referring to my "Lens suggestion" post?

(Just kidding, I thought I was in a different thread.)

 

[Aiden K.]

but if you want to make money with a red just with renting, you better keep that money.

I'm not a rental house. The only that that will be touching my RED is my own little grubby fingers!

 

[Cüneyt Kaya]

then look a little through this forum, get some footage from the redrelay site,
download redcine and redalert from red/support and go for it.