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Nikon Mount Light Loss

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yhalmarri

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I had a question about using the Nikon mount and loss of light...
I bought my Red with the Nikon mount, and immediately attached a Nikon 18mm prime lens, everything works fine except that the image is pretty dark. It's about 3 stops darker than when using a PL mount lens. Is there a reason for this or have I just put it together wrong?
I wasn't expecting miracles by using a Nikon lens instead of a full-on Angeniuex or something, but the image is very nice, just very dark..
I understand that a photography lens might not need to let in as much light as a motion picture lens...
Has anyone had any experience with this? Or is it something I just have to live with?

Thanks again, I love the Red, we have one of the first in Dubai and we're getting crazy rental requests! :shiftyph34r:
 
It sounds like your Nikon lens is stopped down by 3 stops relative to the PL mount lens. The adaptor itself has no optical elements, so it cannot make the image darker.
 
jbeale said:
It sounds like your Nikon lens is stopped down by 3 stops relative to the PL mount lens. The adaptor itself has no optical elements, so it cannot make the image darker.
Click to expand...

So do you think this a problem with that specific lens? The lens is wide open though... :sad:
 
what's the lenses' f-stop?

i got a dark image too. but i was at 3.5 so its pretty clear why.
 
When you installed the Nikon mount, you made sure to get it completely flush with the collar plate correct? Not saying this has anything to do with your light loss issue, but could contribute to other issues. If the data cable is not set properly in the channel, it could prevent you from getting a perfectly flush connection.
 
stevesherrick said:
What PL lens were you comparing to?
Click to expand...

Well...
We used some Cooke S4s...
I know they aren't the same, but the light loss is quite substantial, it's dark in a lit room with the slowest shutter and widest aperture...
 
Akube said:
what's the lenses' f-stop?

i got a dark image too. but i was at 3.5 so its pretty clear why.
Click to expand...

My lens is open all the way to f/1.8 at the slowest shutter, 320 - 500 ISO...
In a fairly well lit room it is still quite dark...
 
stevesherrick said:
When you installed the Nikon mount, you made sure to get it completely flush with the collar plate correct? Not saying this has anything to do with your light loss issue, but could contribute to other issues. If the data cable is not set properly in the channel, it could prevent you from getting a perfectly flush connection.
Click to expand...

I understand what you mean, but yeah, the whole thing is fitted perfectly, the data cable has a much smaller area to fit in when you take off the PL mount, but we got it to sit properly....
 
i would reccommend doing a black callibration test... go to system.. maintenance .. and do the callibration.

if that does not work.. then please share us pics. take a nikon still with same asa/shutter/aperture and a still grab from red.
 
Akube said:
i would reccommend doing a black callibration test... go to system.. maintenance .. and do the callibration.

if that does not work.. then please share us pics. take a nikon still with same asa/shutter/aperture and a still grab from red.
Click to expand...

I'll try it and let you know, but I think it's probably the lens. Thanks for your help by the way, I will upload some stills when I can. Off topic, seeing as you live an hour and a half away from me, do you rent out your camera? Is it your own camera or do you run a production house? Let me know, because we have some big shoots coming up and the other Red camera in Dubai isn't being let out for rent unless you take one of their technicians and an operator!
Again, thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it.
 
yhalmarri said:
I'll try it and let you know, but I think it's probably the lens. Thanks for your help by the way, I will upload some stills when I can. Off topic, seeing as you live an hour and a half away from me, do you rent out your camera? Is it your own camera or do you run a production house? Let me know, because we have some big shoots coming up and the other Red camera in Dubai isn't being let out for rent unless you take one of their technicians and an operator!
Again, thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it.
Click to expand...

ive rented my camera over 14 times to production companies in dubai only. its my own camera. it is booked this weekend but free next week until sometime aound october, the months nov, dec, jan, feb, march are all reserved.
 
Akube said:
ive rented my camera over 14 times to production companies in dubai only. its my own camera. it is booked this weekend but free next week until sometime aound october, the months nov, dec, jan, feb, march are all reserved.
Click to expand...

Very cool! I'm glad we have some U.A.E nationals actively pursuing these things, I graduated from HCT and everyone wanted to be a film maker, none lasted and I started a production house! When me and my partners have more time and experience we will try to work on a proper feature film...

Anyway, thanks a lot for the offer, would it be possible for you to e-mail me your rates for the camera/lenses? I'm not sure we'll need another camera for our next shoot, but I'm still waiting for the client on that one...
 
yhalmarri said:
My lens is open all the way to f/1.8 at the slowest shutter, 320 - 500 ISO...
In a fairly well lit room it is still quite dark...
Click to expand...

Are you sure it is open to f1.8? The only Nikkor 18mm lenses that I can find are f2.8 and f3.5
 
sander kamp said:
Are you sure it is open to f1.8? The only Nikkor 18mm lenses that I can find are f2.8 and f3.5
Click to expand...

yeah thats what i was thinking.. 18mm is too wide for nikon/canon to be at f1.8. it would have to be an aspherical.. and they dont make many of those.

though there is a sigma 20mm that goes around f1.8 that isnt an aspherical.
 
One of my older nikon primes needed servicing recently:

the aperture blades stuck shut (the 'default' position on nikons), but the aperture ring moved and clicked just fine. That might be your problem.

Also Sander is correct, there is no Nikon 18mm f1.8 lens, so something isnt right. Optically there is no difference betweeb f1.8 on a cine lens and f1.8 on a still lens.

T stops might be at work here, in that you are comparing apple to oranges when you match f1.8 on a still lens to T1.8 on a cine lens, but even so it shouldnt be by more then 1/3 stop, especially on a prime.
 
John,

I think this is what is happening. I had a 50mm 1.4 at one point that had the aperture blades stuck. Yousif, are you able to see a change when you go from stop to stop?
 
stevesherrick said:
John,

I think this is what is happening. I had a 50mm 1.4 at one point that had the aperture blades stuck. Yousif, are you able to see a change when you go from stop to stop?
Click to expand...

This is an older lens, and sorry it was 2.8 not 1.8, and the blades are not stuck, it works fine on my still camera. It's just much darker, darker than what you'd expect, at it's widest, slowest shutter and 500+ ISO in a fairly well lit room, it's around 3 stops under what it should be...

And there is no filter on it at all...
 
have you tried the same settings with the same lens on a dslr?
 
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