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Wich zoom for RED

samuel33

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I don't have the money to buy 35 prime lens and I want to buy a zoom at first.
Any advice? (still camera lens and 35 zoom lens)
 
I don't have the money to buy 35 prime lens and I want to buy a zoom at first.
Any advice? (still camera lens and 35 zoom lens)

Hi Samuel,

I would look closely at a Cooke 20-100 T3.1 or a Cooke 20-60 T3.1, they both cost in the region of $30,000 when new, today available for less than $3000 on Ebay.

Stephen
 
posted in error...
 
Hi Samuel,

I would look closely at a Cooke 20-100 T3.1 or a Cooke 20-60 T3.1, they both cost in the region of $30,000 when new, today available for less than $3000 on Ebay.

Stephen

Well there's a Cooke 18-100 F3 zoom lens on there right now. Looks like a really nice lens. Not sure if the $9500 starting bid is that attractive, but nice lens. I think I'll wait and see what the lenses from RED can do before I cough up that much on a pre-owned Cooke. OTOH, I would probably consider it if I already had RED in hand, but with my RED still a long ways off (don't even have my reservation yet), I'll keep waiting. :)
 
Well there's a Cooke 18-100 F3 zoom lens on there right now. Looks like a really nice lens. Not sure if the $9500 starting bid is that attractive, but nice lens. I think I'll wait and see what the lenses from RED can do before I cough up that much on a pre-owned Cooke. OTOH, I would probably consider it if I already had RED in hand, but with my RED still a long ways off (don't even have my reservation yet), I'll keep waiting. :)


Hi,

The 18-100 T3 is the current version of the original 20-100 T3.1. They usually sell for big money. FWIW you can part exchange a 20-100 to Cooke, as some of the internal lenses are reused in the latest version today. (The lens was launched in 1971). At that time it was sharper, and breathed less than any prime lens. Stanley K owned one, he used it on all his films from 'The Shining' to 'Eyes Wide Shut'.

Stephen

Edit The one on Ebay is not the latest version mechanically & looks identical to the Cooke 20-100. Cooke did make various versions including a 14-70mm (with a huge front element)
 
Well there's a Cooke 18-100 F3 zoom lens on there right now. Looks like a really nice lens. Not sure if the $9500 starting bid is that attractive, but nice lens. I think I'll wait and see what the lenses from RED can do before I cough up that much on a pre-owned Cooke. OTOH, I would probably consider it if I already had RED in hand, but with my RED still a long ways off (don't even have my reservation yet), I'll keep waiting. :)

Which lens do you think will be suitable for ENG/EFP use?
 
No 35mm format Cooke is at all suitable for ENG work. IF you just have to shoot in that style look at the optar 25-80 t3 or converted 28-70's t3. Seems like you'll be better off with a super 16mm lens using the cropped sensor format.

The cooke 18-100 and 20-100 are nice lenses. These were my favorite non Panavision zoom lenses in that range until the Optimo 17-80 T2.2 ( which costs $57K ) I have yet to use the Zeiss 16-110 monster in real life ( Cinegear does not count! ). One has to wonder if Cooke is working on a new version that has a much faster aperature to go with the rocking 15-40 T2 Cxx ?

Back to the Cooke 5:1's
It's quite a big lens, probably best to forget about doing much handheld...
In good tune it approaches prime lens sharpness, and lack of optical defects.
they focus very close, very minimal breathing...
Low Distortion. Decent contrast ( better on the 18-100 )

The 20-60 is a bit smaller, but still a large lens. I think I would miss the long end...

With any used zoom it would be a good idea to have a lens tech check it out for you before you buy... If you have to rebuild the lens it won't seem like that good a deal any more.

And of course we are all eager to find out what the Red 18-85 Zoom is going to be all about...

If you have projects to shoot right when you get your camera and buying is going to be in some way better than renting go for it !

Matt Uhry
www.fuzby.com
 
Which lens do you think will be suitable for ENG/EFP use?

Hi,

I think the RED zoom, as I understand it's quite small & light.
Cookes are large, one advantage of big glass is the T stop does not change as you zoom in, unlike smaller video zooms.

I have no knowledge of the Red zoom, this is not to be taken as a negative comment!

Stephen
 
Hi,

I think the RED zoom, as I understand it's quite small & light.
Cookes are large, one advantage of big glass is the T stop does not change as you zoom in, unlike smaller video zooms.

I have no knowledge of the Red zoom, this is not to be taken as a negative comment!

Stephen

Thanks, Stephen.
 
I might do some very rare ENG type work with my RED. For that I would definitely consider the RED zoom, but it might be a while until we see what it's all about. A B4 mount adapter could be a good choice too and you can then use all sorts of common broadcast lenses (which will limit your sensor area - 1080p or 2K probably). Also consider a Nikon mount and some of the Nikkor zooms and primes, which ar relatively inexpensive and look to give great results. The 50mm lens Evin tested looks great - I'm thinking of picking up a 50-300mm Nikkor zoom to test. That could make a real nice general use zoom lens. If I need something better with a sharper image and a lot less breathing, I can rent a Cooke or Zeiss.
 
I might do some very rare ENG type work with my RED. For that I would definitely consider the RED zoom, but it might be a while until we see what it's all about. A B4 mount adapter could be a good choice too and you can then use all sorts of common broadcast lenses (which will limit your sensor area - 1080p or 2K probably). Also consider a Nikon mount and some of the Nikkor zooms and primes, which ar relatively inexpensive and look to give great results. The 50mm lens Evin tested looks great - I'm thinking of picking up a 50-300mm Nikkor zoom to test. That could make a real nice general use zoom lens. If I need something better with a sharper image and a lot less breathing, I can rent a Cooke or Zeiss.

The Nikon prime lenses like the 50mm seem like a great solution for low budget indy projects, but I just can't see myself using prime lenses for ENG/EFP.

Regarding the 50-300mm, how is that a general use lens? Won't the already high focal length increase exponentially?

I gave the B4 idea some thought as well. I suppose if RED zoom doesn't work out I'll have to look into that. Thanks for your input!
 
Does anyone know how much the Cooke 20-100 weighs?

I have used it before and guess 15-25 lbs but would like to know the accurate weight. I searched a little but could not find the stats on the weight.
 
Spielberg shot the Emmy-winning mini-series Brothers in Arms with a Cooke 20-100 T3.1.

For true run 'n gun EFP work I'd suggest a B4 mount and a 2/3" HD ENG Zoom lens. You can find them used for around $6k. (18x). RED One is supposed to have two 12 volt auxiliary taps, so powering the servo of an HD ENG zoom will not be a problem.

As mentioned, another possibility is a used S16 zoom. A 35mm still photo zoom would be tricky to do EFP run 'n gun with.

I've ordered the RED 18-85mm zoom, which I know I'll use a lot for cine-style production, but being small and light (as RED has projected), it could be a candidate for some good EFP work when stopped down to f5.6 to f8 for the generally deeper DOF requirements of EFP.
 
The Nikon prime lenses like the 50mm seem like a great solution for low budget indy projects, but I just can't see myself using prime lenses for ENG/EFP.

Probably not I'd guess, you'd be swapping out lenses all the time.

Regarding the 50-300mm, how is that a general use lens? Won't the already high focal length increase exponentially?

Perhaps. I'm not sure how it would stack up, but I think it could make a nice workhorse zoom lens. I guess general use doesn't really apply, but it should fit the bill for the times when you need a decent telephoto. I'll have to play with it and see -- I just grabbed one off ebay and will have to do some tests when I get it. It's an older lens model and it seems Nikon doesn't make it anymore as they've replaced it with a couple different 70-300 models ranging in price from about $600 MSRP to upwards of $3K for the same focal length depending on number of elements and whatnot. It's an older model I picked up and looks to be in good condition.

Anyway without drifting too far off topic, you'll probably want a couple lenses to choose from. I wouldn't shy away from something like the 70-300 Nikkor, and a 20-100 with maybe a couple primes. Most decent cameras have interchangeable lenses for a reason, even broadcast/ENG cameras. May as well exploit that if you can.

I gave the B4 idea some thought as well. I suppose if RED zoom doesn't work out I'll have to look into that. Thanks for your input!

The B4 mount may not be a bad way to go. Are you doing ENG work now? What lens(es) do you currently use (if any)? You would probably do well with a 2/3" HD zoom like Gibby said.
 
for the price of Cooke prime you can buy another Red!!! factor that into your budget/workflow.. of course then you need to buy another lens ehh.
 
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