On a whim, I found a deal on eBay on a Canon YH18x6.7 KRS 1/2" SD lens and figured at the price I paid, I could easily unload it if results on my EX-3 were totally unacceptable.

All I have had the chance to do thus far is adjust the backfocus of the lens and shoot a few comparison shots of a messy table in my studio under tungsten lighting.

As I expected, the SD lens showed some softness around the edges. I was shooting between f4-f5.6, which is generally in the sweet spot range for most lenses. No stills really worth posting but I will say in preliminary testing that it can be adequate for work requiring the longer telephoto.

I was fortunate to find a lens in excellent condition with perfect glass, no loose elements and smooth focus/zoom/iris controls.

Once I get the chance to shoot some better material, I'll post comparison still frames.

Edge softness seems to be the consensus when using SD lenses on an HD camera. And this may not be across the entire zoom/iris range. So if you are happy with the SD lens results and your clients are happy, congratulations, you have found a good bargain. You know where and when to use it for the best results.

Nonetheless the HD lens will bring the best out of the camera

Best wishes

Hi, Ted-
Looking forward to your results.... I, too, have been playing with an SD lens (a Canon 2/3" 20X broadcast lens) and have been very pleased with the results so far. Granted, using the 2/3" lens puts me even more into the 'sweet spot' of the lens, but edge sharpness seems quite good with what I've seen so far. That said, I've only viewed it in Clip Browser as I had not until just recently loaded FCP6. Might be a different story when I get it up on a HD monitor.
I intend to get a resolution chart and do some serious tests soon. I'll post come capture frames when that is done.

Guys please post some comparison shots, I'm really thinking to go this way from my EX1

If you're happy with the results then that is excellent. However you might be interested in this Panavision lecture: Demystifying Digital Camera Specifications Part 1: What?s in a Pixel? (http://media.panavision.com/ScreeningRoom/Screening_Room/Demystifying_Part1.html) --- the lecture is in 7 portions, but actually all make up a single presentation.

I intend to get a resolution chart and do some serious tests soon. I'll post come capture frames when that is done.

Hi Derek,

I am really interested in these results, as I have a Fujinon 15X8 BEVM 2/3 broadcast lens. I hope to get an EX3 soon, and would like to see how a SD broadcast lens compares with the kit lens.

Stuart

Make sure you shoot some contrasty backlit scenes as well as low light scenes to see how the lens performs under less than ideal situations. Usually problems will show up under less controlled situations which will determine how much you like the results.