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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

red pro primes..

Zakaree Sandberg

Zakaree Sandberg

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I hate to complain about this.. because for the price/performance.. the red primes look great and feel great (focus wise)..

I guess if you wanna get super buff on your right shoulder.. def use RED primes for handheld.. they are gnarly large.. but thats not what this complaint is about.. because the size is what it is..

This is really more of a complaint on behalf of my 1st AC as well as every 1st AC in the world..

for example: the 85 focus marks go from 20-50 .... no in between..
the 100 mark goes from 30-50.. this is wayyyyyy to large of a focus margin for such lenses..

not to mention the large marker. its extremely hard to tell exactly where you are focal length wise.

when I pull by eye, I can get it.. but anyAC who uses marks vs monitor has a hard time hitting the mark...

OBVIOUSLY its too late to change things.. plus I wouldnt ask for it for the price right now.. but would it be possible for a 3rd party to make some sort of ring that would have better marks for the RPP's?
 
Zakaree Sandberg said:
OBVIOUSLY its too late to change things.. plus I wouldnt ask for it for the price right now.. but would it be possible for a 3rd party to make some sort of ring that would have better marks for the RPP's?
Click to expand...

Dr. Dulcos you are wanted in OR
 
white tape, marker, measuring tape, focus chart?
 
David Mullen ASC said:
I would think after twenty feet or so, you are getting eye focuses and marking up the lens / focus wheel -- seems rather far to be running out a tape measure, though I guess with CineTapes these days...
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the problem is.. even with eye focusing.. your judging distances (if not looking at a monitor) and with the RPP's its impossible to tell exactly where you are within 20-50 ft..

I know many 1st's who dont even look at monitors.
 
I put tape around my 18-50 a long time ago, I even have put tape around Zeiss and Cooke Wide Lenses at Close Focus for Wide shots that Slide or Dolly in to a Close up. 25mm From 7ft to 1 1/2 Feet!! Thats freakin Critical!!
 
If you want more marks, why not just have more of them engraved on your set of lenses?
 
Chris Burket said:
If you want more marks, why not just have more of them engraved on your set of lenses?
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Yes sure, just engrave them on the barrel :confused1:
When I ordered the set I asked Red to have more marks. They responded that this is it, that's the way they designed them.
I just too often :emote_headwall: seeing what these guys there are doing while all the knowledge from experience is just out there free for their use. If they only ask for it.
 
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Even if you engraved or made up a strip with written marks, the static mark has been tested and shown 2 different measurements on its own.

Even with the marks issue "worked around" this is an issue. Sure, after plenty of practice one could learn what part of the mark to use and you could even "alter" the mark to something thinner...

Issues solved sure, but why have to? With everything that went into these lenses and their quality, it's surprising they aren't marked properly. Even @ the $20K price point...
 
Well, to be fair, most AC's I know add a big yellow tape triangle mark on the barrel because it's easier to see than the little hash mark. So that would improve the static mark. Also, most AC's go and use a piece of tape and measure out more precise focus scales with more marks on the lenses. I've seen guys do this kind of stuff on panavision's lenses, and they don't suck to start off with.

Nick
 
Yes, I agree with Nick. Having worked for Panavision, I took a lot of "custom" hand drawn focus scales off lenes all day long. So, put tape scales on your lenses and add your own marks. And, it should be noted, that the RED camera is quite simply the perfect camera to use to accomplish this . . .
 
Nick Gardner said:
Well, to be fair, most AC's I know add a big yellow tape triangle mark on the barrel because it's easier to see than the little hash mark. So that would improve the static mark. Also, most AC's go and use a piece of tape and measure out more precise focus scales with more marks on the lenses. I've seen guys do this kind of stuff on panavision's lenses, and they don't suck to start off with.

Nick
Click to expand...

Absolutely true.
But... it would have been so easy, fast, cheap, to add some more focus marks before starting production... everybody happy... I mean, just to say...
Guido
 
Even if RED made the RPPs with more marks, ACs would still put their own focus marks on the scales, because factory focus marks are often not dead on, and they drift as the cams and followers in the lenses wear. This is particularly true with zooms. So, don't think that those marks are the final say - it's the AC's eyes that make that judgement, based on comparing tape and eye.
 
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