Xeen Infinity Focus Issues

[Jeremy Barry]

Hello fellow Raven users.

Does anyone shoot with Red Raven and using the Xeen line of lenses?

I got my red raven in November and have shot just a hand full of porjects I have not had really any issues with focus relativly close say interview style or close ups with my xeen lenses. I hadn't been able to test outdoor scenes often but we have had a string of nice weather so I have been going out and shooting well upon coming back I've noticed none of my landscape style shots are sharp at all it's like I can stop down f11 - f22 even and it just does not focus to infinity it's very fristarating that everything looks so soft. I understand Red doesn't sharpen in camera but its not like ohh it needs some contrast and it will work it just looks plain out of focus. I've used every tool on the monitor and it all says it's in focus, but that's just not the case.

It's becoming really frustrating that the image quality is so out of focus when shooting any type of landscape style of video. I also have an Ursa and have no problems with my Xeens at those distances so I'm wondering is it a compatability issue or could it be something else?

 

[Mike P.]

Could be that the Xeens need shimming or, more likely since they look fine on the Ursa, the Raven's sensor/back focus might be off... Have you noticed it with any other lenses?

Bare in mind, the BMD doesn't use an OLPF so pixel-for-pixel it'll be way sharper than RED.

Can you post a couple frames? .r3ds preferably.

 

[Jeremy Barry]

Thanks for the reply Mike. My friend said shimming also but I didn't know if that's possible being it's a fixed lens.

I know that Red doesn't apply sharpness so I'm guessing the same my ursa would feel sharper out of box but I feel like I'm not even pulling the detail with out it looking fake on almost anything further than interview style focal length. I've gotten some really good close up shots and interview type shots seem to be fine. Unfortunatly i had a health issue with my feet all Feburary and wasn't able to really even barley walk for a month so I just really haven't been able to test these type of shots. I did try with a friends tilt shift lenses they were locked I felt like wide open i got somewhat a little better infinate focus but it's still just seems off.

I can add a couple screen grabs tommorw and you mean a screen grab of the r3d file?

If the sensores back focus is off would I need to send it to RED? I was planning on calling and talking to them about the issue. But thought I'd see if I could get a little more information on here as well.

 

[Kenneth C Merrill]

Sounds like a back focus issue. You should be able to fix that yourself. You can on every Red I've used, but I've never used the Raven.

 

[Bob Gundu]

Sounds like a back focus issue. You should be able to fix that yourself. You can on every Red I've used, but I've never used the Raven.

I would assume all Red cameras are the same but I couldn't find in the documentation on how to do back focus adjustment on the Raven.

 

[Jeremy Barry]

i found some other info loooks like it was a screw on the other reds, I guess my best bet is to call support in the morning and see what they say.

 

[Jeremy Barry]

Called Red looks like i have to send it in to check the specs because you can't adjust backfous since it's a fixed lens mount. Pretty bummed that all my landscape style shots are so soft even went back and looked at old footage of that style I never did anything with all the same. So basically 30 hours on it and have to send it in to see if it's up to spec cause the back focus range is not sharp. Anyways that's what I found out.

 

[Eric Santiago]

Called Red looks like i have to send it in to check the specs because you can't adjust backfous since it's a fixed lens mount. Pretty bummed that all my landscape style shots are so soft even went back and looked at old footage of that style I never did anything with all the same. So basically 30 hours on it and have to send it in to see if it's up to spec cause the back focus range is not sharp. Anyways that's what I found out.

Just to clarify, it wasnt an issue with the XEENs?

We're planning on purchasing a set and need to be comfortable.

 

[Alan Greene]

It could also be an issue of diffraction, which I understand can happen when you close down the aperture like that. Try testing again at T4 and see if you see the same thing.

 

[Jeremy Barry]

It could also be an issue of diffraction, which I understand can happen when you close down the aperture like that. Try testing again at T4 and see if you see the same thing.

I just saw this and went out and tried it and I think you are right I think t4 area is the right stop for this I got a really nice sharp image from it. Will be time to get a Matte Box and some filters probably now lol