Red Pro Primes on Helium- coverage?

[Luka Sanader]

anyone uses RPP on Helium? i am wondering about the coverage of the wider lenses. i remember issues with the Dragon and that it was border line usable at 5.5k. Helium is bit smaller and i wounder how it looks on 18mm and 24mm @8k and at 7k. anyone has experience with this combo? thanks

 

[Grzegorz Gill]

I owned a set of pro primes for years with my helium. 18mm and 25mm vignette on 8kff, not heavy but it's noticeable. 7k your sorted.

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

The RPPs work great on helium. Nice and sharp to match all those little pixels. And yes, the 18 and 25 vignette slightly, most will never notice on the 25 unless specifically looking for it. I had a bit of clipping in the corners with the 18 on both Dragon and Helium. Once again very slight and I would do a slight post crop or something along those lines if need be as opposed to shooting at a smaller frame like 7K. 8K wide is just fine.

 

[Luka Sanader]

thanks! Jeff are 18 and 25 more less the same when it comes to vignetting ? also is there any issue when lenses are stop down lets say at 8?

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

The 25 vignettes less than the 18. I never saw any corner clipping with the 25. I can’t recall how significant any effects were in relation to stopping down. I seem to remember seeing some change in corner coverage and image geometry with focus ‘breathing’ on the 18. It’s been a while and I’m trying to remember more specifics. My RPP experience is predominantly limited to Mysterium-X and Dragon sensors, mostly Dragon. I only owned them briefly after receiving Helium. Thinking back on it, I don’t recall seeing the corner clipping at all on Helium as it’s a bit narrower than 6K Dragon.

 

[Luka Sanader]

Thanks Jeff. i shot only once with RPP in the times fo Red One later i used Unioptic couple times on Epic-M but that was it. since then i didnt see them once. i have opportunity to buy a set for 6k and if i can use them on my Helium i will buy them as backup set

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

They're a good deal at 6K, but at the same time I don't know if it would be worth it. Lots of newer lenses on the market now to fit lower price ranges and offer some good performance traits of their own. The T1.8 of the RPPs is excellent and I really like the 50, 80 and 100. The 18, 15 and 35 are a different design than the rest of the set and physically larger, different flare and sharpness qualities. The RPP 85 is good enough to hang with the ARRI UP 85 and even the 85mm Master in most ways, although most lens snobs will never admit it. The 50 and 100 are almost just as good, like 95% as good as the 85. The 18 thru 35 are just different though... Then there was the 300mm RPP. My only gripe about that lens was the drop-in filter tray being too narrow for the majority of 43mm (I think that was the size) of filters. Hoya had some decent NDs that fit. That lens is stellar and has great flare, highlight and bokeh properties. Loved using it for close-ups/ portraits. Paired really well with a Schneider 2X for 600mm equivalent and great for those shots of a distant car on a dirt road or pointing at the moon.

Ultimately, I let my RPPs go since I was using my Schneider Xenon FF primes as my main PL set. They were all around much more manageable in size and weight and consistent across the set for image quality. Not as fast at T2.5, nor as sharp for the 85 and 100mm vs. the RPPs, but all things considered are the better way to go. And I retired those lenses last year. I've predominantly gone all EF mount for Monstro and my workhorse lenses are the Zeiss Otus primes and Canon zooms. And I have a CP.3 set that I love... I was not a fan of the original CP's and CP.2 didn't fix all the issues. The Zeiss 15mm is crazy good. Anyway, I'm rambling on and have definitely jumped off the rails.

 

[Luka Sanader]

thanks Jeff! I have a hole that i need to plug as i have bunch of vintage cinema lenses and some anamorphic but i dont have nothing "normal" specially when i rent my kit our to low budget shoots and MVs. this RPP set that i could buy comes to 1000USD per lens and i find that monetary value is fantastic specially for 50 85 and 100. but as you say even eith this ultra low price in mind that is a a price of 2 used Sigmas or half of NiSi/MavoLF lens set. i personally know that i would not shoot anything on them and i also have a feel that i will need to explain and convince every potential person that wants to rent them... at the end of the day there is a reason why are they 6k, but am sure if i was shooting on Blackmagic or Sony this would be way easier decision to make.