Please help - Red Pro Zoom 18-85 T 2.9

[Alex Lubensky]

Hey all. I know, this lens has been discussed before, but I've spent hours searching through forum and youtube/vimeo, trying to find any footage from this lens, or adress some of my questions related and didn't manage to.

The thing is I'm likely to buy one as a basic lens for small gigs, timelapse stuff, interviews or car chase stuff. Mostly planned for tripod shots (I know it's 4,5kg in weight and bulky), or crane.

Things I wanted to clarify are:

- Does this lens require 6x6 filters (144mm front diameter), or can be used with a 4x5,6 filters (Red Scarlet MX at 4k)?
- Is it parfocal?
- How does it compare to other zoom lenses? I used to have sigma 18-35 T2.0 zoom and to use Fujinon 19-90 (Cabrio without servo motors). I'm thinking of replacing my use of 19-90 with this one, because it's cheaper when crashed on a car-mounted Movi XL system. But what will be the IQ trade off?
- There was two versions of this lens, what's the difference between them?

 

[Michael Hastings]

Hey all. I know, this lens has been discussed before, but I've spent hours searching through forum and youtube/vimeo, trying to find any footage from this lens, or adress some of my questions related and didn't manage to.

The thing is I'm likely to buy one as a basic lens for small gigs, timelapse stuff, interviews or car chase stuff. Mostly planned for tripod shots (I know it's 4,5kg in weight and bulky), or crane.

Things I wanted to clarify are:

- Does this lens require 6x6 filters (144mm front diameter), or can be used with a 4x5,6 filters (Red Scarlet MX at 4k)?
- Is it parfocal?
- How does it compare to other zoom lenses? I used to have sigma 18-35 T2.0 zoom and to use Fujinon 19-90 (Cabrio without servo motors). I'm thinking of replacing my use of 19-90 with this one, because it's cheaper when crashed on a car-mounted Movi XL system. But what will be the IQ trade off?

FYI I have a bunch of 6x6 filters if you need. Came with an ultra prime 10mm I bought which later got wrecked. Sold the matte box to local rental house but they already had plenty of filters.

 

[Alex Lubensky]

Thanks, but I'm really trying to figure-out about the 4x5,6 use @4k MX - there's a bunch of them on local rentals and they are at least lighter (as a system). If they don't - I'll think twice before going into this lens even for free.

 

[Alex Lubensky]

By far the best review I've found - http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?19459-Red-18-85-vs-Cooke-18-100-with-images-clips/page6

Images missing though - too old.

 

[Alex Lubensky]

Did a test today with the lens, only 1 chart was available today to me. The lens seemed to perform really soft in a range from 50mm to 25mm. The lens hit its marks on the focus scale, but seems pretty soft all in all. Can someone who actually has the lens or have worked with one tell me - is it's in okay range for this lens?

Stills:
https://imgur.com/a/jVPxfo4

Video:

Corner blow-up X500:

Center blow-up X500:

The lens did not hold the focus while zooming, maybe it was due to wrong sensor position (had to adjust it on set once with a rental set of lenses), but the cam was used with different various zoom lenses (Cooke 25-250, Fujinon 19-90) during Feb, and they held the focus well, while zooming.