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Sigma 18-35mm & lens options

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daniel dayani

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Hey guys,

i just picked up a red one Mx. Curious about lenses and exactly how to use this cam to the best of its abilities with PL and Nikon lenses... even more specifically, if anyone has any experience with the Sigma 18-35mm 1.8 and how it performs in 2k-4.5k... excited to be in the world of red. cheers
 
Congrats Daniel! If you need to use PL and Nikon then I would opt for an All Star mount which will allow you to use both without much hassle. I did this for a while. Then I switched to a Leitax Red One mount when I picked up Contax lenses that now have Leitax EF mounts. My Nikon F version of the Sigma 18-35 gets a Novoflex EF adapter with aperture control when I use it on Red. The Leitax mount also has a PL adapter so I can use that glass when need be.

If you don't need to use PL and Nikon simultaneously you could always pick up a Nikon mount from RED or the excellent Optitek Nikon mount. So plentry of options and fortunately for you it's possible to find these things at lower prices now that DSMC cameras have taken over.
 
The 18-35 is excellent by the way. And probably sharp enough for some decent 2k or 3k
 
thanks steve!! so is the sharpness come in to question when using these lenses? what does it matter its a APS-C? I've been searching the thread for hours trying to find, in layman terms how to properly use this sensor and find very convoluted answers. i've come from using the blackmagic, Nikon D800, and 5diii. either cropped or full frame sensors. thanks again for your reply :)
 
by the way, I have the Long Valley Nikon Mount with IRIS control... in any case, i have around $3k to spend on either one workhorse PL mount (possibly the rokinon Xeen 24mm) or a few vintage Nikon lenses (i already have a few).
 
When you are in 4KHD, 4K 16:9, 4KWS you are maximizing image quality. In terms of sharpness, based on where you are coming from with those other cameras you will probably find the RED image softer. The reason is the OLPF (optical low pass filter) which handles aliasing/moire issues. You can then add the proper amount of sharpening back in during the final stages of grading/finishing. The 18-35 should be very sharp by that point. Any older, vintage glass will naturally be softer, but perhaps pleasing for the type of image you are going for.

When it comes to 2K or 3K modes, keep in mind that at that point you are cropping in on the sensor so you will see more noise and the image will be softer. However, if you light it well and use sharp glass, I have found that you can get very nice images, especially at 3K. That allows you to get the higher frame rates. Also, if you are able to master something like Neat Video, you can do some cool tricks in there to minimize the noise and retain some sharpness. I would highly recommend shooting tests and capturing noise profiles so you can build a library to work from inside Neat Video. It's a really helpful tool for the RED cameras.
 
daniel dayani said:
by the way, I have the Long Valley Nikon Mount with IRIS control... in any case, i have around $3k to spend on either one workhorse PL mount (possibly the rokinon Xeen 24mm) or a few vintage Nikon lenses (i already have a few).
Click to expand...


I would go with the multiple Nikon lenses, unless you need the mechanics of cinema glass. I would suggest the non-PL versions of the Rokinons if mechanics aren't that big a deal for you. You could build a whole set for the money you'll spend on that one Xeen. I'd rather have a set of 16, 24, 35, 50, 85 then one 24mm. And then you have your vintage Nikons in there for the projects that require that look. I nice set that is somewhat in between stills quality and cinema quality are the Contax lenses which Nick Morrison got me into here on Reduser. I've built a set of those (21, 28, 35, 50, 85) for about $5000 with Leitax EF mounts, focus gears, and front ends. Similar look to Zeiss Super Speeds.
 
again steve, thanks, super useful. that's my eventual goal, is to build exactly that, a set of the Contax Zeiss. They are a bit difficult to find and especially for a reasonable price. very excited to explore this new world.
 
You are on a very similar path that I took. When I first purchased the Red One I also bought a beautiful Cooke Technovision 18-90 zoom. Fantastic lens, but for the kind of shooting I was doing, way too much lens. So I purchased a set of handpicked, cinevised Nikons from RP Lens (24, 35,50,85,105). Those handled all of the smaller projects, and for the big projects clients could rent whatever glass they wanted to, usually PL. Eventually, I got the All Star Mount to have an easier time going back and forth between Nikon and PL and the thought was I could add additional adapters when I needed to for other types of lenses. Eventually I just decided to standardize on EF. Thought being, I could use them on Red One, Canon 5D, C100/C500, Epic, Blackmagic, etc. I kept the Nikons which I mainly use on smaller mirrorless cameras now, but I have adapters to go to EF if I need to. And the 18-35 is able to bounce back and forth with that aperture controlled adapter. So, i have a kit of lenses that can get me through just about any small project. For bigger projects, I will mostly be renting cine glass and most likely a different camera. Not that the Red One isn't still capable, but sometimes the choice of camera is either out of my hands or it's just decided that another camera might work better for that particular situation.

You are in good hands with the setup you have. If you add those Contax lenses, you'll see they render a really nice image on the Red One. You are also going to benefit from Graeme Nattress new color science that he has been working feverishly on. Not only does it improve Helium 8K footage, it also improves the color science across the entire line of Red Cameras from the original M all the way up to the very latest. So, as you go along make sure to post images when you can so people can see how the new color science is impacting the original cameras. I'm sure a lot of people would be interested in that. And people also like to see different lens combinations as well.

Good luck with everything!
 
how and what process do i take to get this new "color science" :) .... is this a firmware update or something separate altogether ... also good to know I'm on a path of someone else who's very knowledgeable on all this !
 
thanks Steve. i've geeked out on that the past few hours... quite complex but I'm excited to try it out.... i was pleased to find out that my friend has a zeiss contax 50mm RTA with the c/y bayonet! quite perfect. to adapt this though, I'll need something like the all star mount + adapter ? whats the best and most efficient configuration of this?
 
I could shoot an entire film with the Sigma 18-35 f1.8. It is pretty much "the one lens to rule them all." Love that thing. IN FACT, I have our Scarlet Dragon up on its tripod right now. . . and guess what's on the front?

:-)

Stephen
 
Steve Sherrick said:
The 18-35 is excellent by the way. And probably sharp enough for some decent 2k or 3k
Click to expand...

People shoot 24megapixel stills with the Sigma 18-35mm and love it, thus it can certainly handle much more than 3K resolution


Steve Sherrick said:
I would go with the multiple Nikon lenses, unless you need the mechanics of cinema glass. I would suggest the non-PL versions of the Rokinons if mechanics aren't that big a deal for you. You could build a whole set for the money you'll spend on that one Xeen. I'd rather have a set of 16, 24, 35, 50, 85 then one 24mm. And then you have your vintage Nikons in there for the projects that require that look.
Click to expand...

100% agreed with this. I'd suggest the same.

daniel dayani said:
that's awesome!! i do wonder though how it will be with the Red One MX in 4.5k Widescreen since it is a APS-C
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So? Rule of thumb: APS-C = Super 35mm
 
We've shot extensively on the 18-35 on 4K MX & 6K Dragon - never been wanting for sharpness - not even on the big wides where you often see it the most.

It truly is the 'one lens to rule them all' in its focal length range. If the 50-100 /F1.8 didn't have the notable focus breathing it does, those 2 would literally be all many a project could shoot on :)
 
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