RED 17 - 50mm plus 85mm prime vs and army of Canons

[Benjamin May]

I don't have any lenses for my Scarlet at this point, and am starting from scratch. I had intended to buy the following for documentary type film-making:

Tokina 11-16mm
Canon 17-35mm
Canon 24-70mm
Canon 70-200mm

However,

I may switch to a PL mount and get the RED 17 - 50mm and an 85mm prime instead. This is considerably more expensive, but I could do it.

If $ was not the most important issue, what option would you buy to start?
Any suggestions for a 85mm prime besides the RED?

Thanks in advance,
Ben

 

[Matt Gottshalk]

All of the Red primes are excellent quality, IMO, they are just also very heavy.

If you are shooting handheld with the 17-50 and switch to the 85, you will not be liking life.

 

[Shane Kelly]

get the zeiss cp2 85. Same outside diameter as the the red pro V2 and cuts pretty well with it. (and it's light)

 

[Nils J. Nesse]

The RPP 85mm is actually the lightest of the RPPs, and not that much heavier than the RPZ.

I agree that the 18, 25, 35mm have "weight issues", but not the 85.

 

[Ryan Skeete]

get the zeiss cp2 85. Same outside diameter as the the red pro V2 and cuts pretty well with it. (and it's light)

Shane, do you have any footage combining the footage from both lenses? I have the RPZ and just had it updated with the new hood and I'm seriously considering the CP.2 85mm and 100mm but I'm curious to know how they cut together with the RPZ.

 

[Milan Spasic]

I've got the Duclos 11-16, RPZ 17-50, RPP 85, PL Nikkor 80-200 and RRP 300.

Very happy with the combo, 85 is a beautiful lens, probably my favorite but I don't use it as much as I would like to on documentary style shoots, not because I don't want to but because it has limited usage unless you have control over the situation and have time to set up a shot. It's really true of all primes in the documentary setting. Having said that I'm sticking with this set up. I've never shot shoulder mounted with the 85, perhaps I should try.... I don't see a problem there especially with the EVF.

It's a tough one, zooms are generally more friendly for docos but you will probably find yourself changing lenses just as often with short range Canon zooms listed above as you would with the primes.

Good shooting.

Milan

 

[Shane Kelly]

Shane, do you have any footage combining the footage from both lenses? I have the RPZ and just had it updated to the new hood and I'm seriously considering the CP.2 85mm and 100mm but I've curious to know how they cut together with the RPZ.

Let me shoot something for you next week to compare. Remind me if you don't see something by the end of the week.

 

[Bob Gundu]

LOL! , "not be liking life"

All of the Red primes are excellent quality, IMO, they are just also very heavy.

If you are shooting handheld with the 17-50 and switch to the 85, you will not be liking life.

 

[Ryan Skeete]

Let me shoot something for you next week to compare. Remind me if you don't see something by the end of the week.

Will do.

 

[Jeffrey T. Morgan]

This RPZ + 85 RPP is exactly what I wish I could get with my incoming scarlet. After the Dec 10 Portland lens shoot thread, I am really loving the Red Pro Primes, despite the weight. Starting woth the 85 lets you slowly build the full red prime set. I would be less enthusiastic about building the Zeiss CPP set because of the varied T-stops and other things. But that's just me,

 

[Randall Brown]

I just shot a month long series of short segment docs in Haiti, and it was my first real project taking Canon glass. I had the 16-35 f2.8, 50 f1.2, 85 f1.2, and 70-200MM f2.8 II. No Matte Box and Screw in Singh Ray variable ND filters. Up to this point I have used primarily PL glass (RPZ, Primes). I have to say I was shocked to find that I really didn't love shooting the canon glass over my RPZ. I was expecting to come off this trip and ditch some PL glass. But that's not the case.

The 16-35 is soft wide open, but is good at 5.6. The 50 and 85 are beautiful but I didn't find myself shooting them often. I did find myself using the 70-200MM when I need reach for distant vista but longed for even more reach. The canon lenses are smaller and lighter, but the RPZ 17-50 isn't too much heavier than the canon 16-35 and has more range, and it's sharp wide open. I could never come up with a practical use for the autofocus in the field, so it was all manual as normal. And manual focus on these autofocus lenses is just "squishy", hard to get a feel for it. I did like having the variable ND screw ins though, but you can screw in a 67mm filter to the RPZ front threads. What the canons do offer than the PL doesn't is weather sealing. But since the epic/ scarlet aren't weather sealed, I am not sure that matters.

I would get the RPZ 17-50 (buy it battle tested or used to save money) and potentially go even longer than the 85MM. Just depends on your style and access to your subjects.

Once the Redmote pro arrives though, then all bets are off, and it's worth reevaluating. Brcause that can take away the feel issue and it saves big $$$ vs. wireless focus systems. But I honestly think that's 6 mos to a year off, and the good thing about PL glass is that it's in demand and will sell just fine, and canon glass is easily picked up at any time (no 6 mos waiting period for L primes). Go Pl now and switch Out/ test canon when you have a Redmote pro in hand.

 

[Shane Kelly]

For Ryan, a not very scientific test of the rpz 17-35 at 50mm and the zeiss cp.2 85mm. both lenses are at t4 and I moved the camera closer for the 50mm. Color is pretty good between the lenses, obviously the zeiss is sharper and has more contrast.
I can post r3d snapshots if anyone wants.

 

[Ryan Skeete]

Thanks Shane. Any chance of some real-world shots?