Wildlife zooms

[Mike Mcc]

With the Red One which Nikon ,Canon, or Sigma would you use shooting in 2K to resemble the zooming and lowlight capabilities of a Fujinon 20X with 2X teleconverter. I video allot of wildlife at distances of 200 to 300 yards and like to be able to zoom in on them and also be able to video a person sitting as close as 3 feet from me, I also do not want to use a lens support system, Need a true ENG pick up and go camera rig. Is there a SLR lens that can handle that distance shooting near and far?? What would be your favorite?? Just hate to spend another 20K on a HD Fujinon lens if I can get the same from a SLR lens. Thanks

 

[rod bradley]

There is not an SLR lens that I know of that covers that range -- and would love to know of such myself. An SLR lens (even a so-called DSLR lens) has to cover a much larger sensor, which means more glass, more weight, etc -- especially if you want a reasonably fast lens. You will have a much wider zoom range and lighter lens with a 2/3" zoom -- you will need the Red B4 adapter which allows it to cover 2K. Overwise you will have to get a series of lenses and switch them out. Plus if they are zooms (2x to 6x seems to be about the general still range for the "fast" SLR zooms), they will be "slower" than your Fujinon --

I would also say that shooting 2K on Red you sacrifice some advantages of shooting on the camera.

 

[Mike Mcc]

Thanks, with that being said, sounds like a Fujinon ENG is the way to go with our shooting style. Would you absolutly need to use a HD fujinon lens or could you get away with a Non HD lens. The main reason I was wanting to shoot 2K is that I could get somewhere around 16 hrs of 2K video on the new Red raid and usually when I go on a shoot I will shoot at least 10 64 minute tapes. We have 7 Field producers and shoot about 50 tapes a week for 8 months out of the year. Serious ENG type shooting and am trying to get all the info I can concerning lenses and accessories before Scarlet debuts. Think thats gonna be the ENG shooters dream come true. THX

 

[David Rasberry]

Go with HD lenses. HD lenses have much higher MTF than SD lenses. Here is a Canon white paper on the subject.

http://www.usa.canon.com/html/industrial_bctv/pdf/501be18b_Ed.pdf

 

[David Rasberry]

Another Canon White paper.

http://www.usa.canon.com/html/industrial_bctv/Whitepapers/Whitepaper_Revised.pdf

 

[Michael Hastings]

Try the Canon 28-300 L series F3.5-4.5 USM with IS about $2400 and combine it with a 17-55 EF-S F2.8 with IS for about $1000. (for even wider there is a 10-22mm). For Greater speed but less range consider the 70-200mm L series F2.8 with IS. (about $1800)

Both of these have image stabilization when used on a birger EOS mount - which can be quite useful and usually not available or extremely expensive in the cine/video world.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/319784-USA/Canon_9322A002AA_28_300mm_f_3_5_5_6L_IS_USM.html

The L zooms cover all the way to full frame 35 and the 17-55EF-s covers up to S35 so much more "future proof" than a 2/3" video lens. And since there is a huge SLR market and these are some of the most popular lenses, you can usually sell them on EBAY/Craiglist almost anytime within a few years of purchase for 80% or more of what you paid for them.

BTW
One thing they don't make as clear on broadcast lenses is that the F number normally changes but they don't print it on the lens or in the name - whereas they are very clear about it on SLR lenses.

This is the spec for a modern highend 21x Canon:

(F-Number)
At 7.5mm-------116mm 1 : 1.9
At 158mm (Ramping Characteristic) 1 : 2.6

with Extender
At 15mm------232mm 1 : 3.8
At 316mm (Ramping Characteristic) 1 : 5.2

So you are at f5.2 at full zoom (316mm) and 2x extender while you would be at F4.5 at 300mm on the SLR lens.

 

[David Rasberry]

If you are shooting at 4k, the Canon's will do well. If you are shooting at 2k, the HD lenses or super 16mm film lenses have higher MTF and better resolution.

The point of using HD zooms for 2k is to get a very broad focal length range, fast speed, servo zoom controls, and compact size and weight in a single lens that does not have to be changed in the field.