I just received a link (from the ASC) to an interesting Canon promotional Flash animation regarding Canon's line of HD lenses.

If you're at all interested in professional HD gear you, too, will find this overview (http://www.marcommgroup.com/hdec.html) interesting.

<<<-- Originally posted by Ken Tanaka : I just received a link (from the ASC) to an interesting Canon promotional Flash animation regarding Canon's line of HD lenses.

If you're at all interested in professional HD gear you, too, will find this overview (http://www.marcommgroup.com/hdec.html) interesting. -->>>

Nice, but how much? I'd love to see a price list so I could get the stroke out of the way. ;-)

I don't know specifically about these lenses. But, based on other similar lenses, I'd guess that we're talking in the $10,000-$30,000+ range. Note, however, that many of these lenses are aimed at the rental market for use on, say, Varicams, Vipers and CineAltas. Certainly not the glass for the lowly "consumer" XL1 or XL2.

Just out of curiousity, how would you attach one of these lenses to an XL2? Would any of them give you a wide angle on the XL2?

After the stroke of course.

You wouldn't, Michael. These lenses are going to be for a completely different mount than the XL mount. They're also designed for 1/2" or, more likely, 2/3" nominal target chips. Heck, I'll bet that one of those long zoom lenses weighs 10lbs or more all by itself.

On top of the different mounts, would you really buy or use a $10,000-$30,000 HD lens on a $3,500 720X480 pixel camera?

I think the lenses Danny Boyle used in 28 Days Later were in that price range, mounted on XL1 bodies.

Although there's been a lot of discussion about it, I haven't read up on the shooitng for "28 Days Later". Why would you use HD lenses on SD cameras? I'm sure there must be capable SD lenses (if the recording could only finish out at 720X480) that are a lot cheaper.

I didn't say he used HD lenses. I said they were in that price range.

Ah ha...You're always there to keep me in line, Dylan. Good lookin' out. ;)