ultimate hypothetical 5d rig

[Tyler Franco]

The best zoom is your feet! Use primes and rails! :)

[Andrew McMillan]

The best zoom is your feet! Use primes and rails! :)" yeah!

who says you can't slide the mattebox forward and back along the rails

No seriously I want "panavionish" when I've got a whole crew and set of lights.

[Dylan Couper]

Originally Posted by Andrew McMillan

who says you can't slide the mattebox forward and back along the rails

Well me for one... :) Just kidding... Really, you can do whatever you like, but I've been shooting video on an SLR for while now using zoom lenses and tried a rail mounted mattebox for a while... huge pain in the ass. Unless you have a non-extending zoom (all mine do) it's way more trouble than it's worth, just so you can look like a "filmmaker"... If what you look like is more important than practicality, ditch the zoom and use prime lenses. If you want to keep the zooms, ditch the rails and get a lens mounted mattebox/filter holder.

[Don Miller]

Originally Posted by Dylan Couper

Sure, some zooms don't change, but the majority do, and so do many expensive ones as well. Is anyone really going to sell off their zooms just so they can use a rail mounted matte box?

In Canon, the 24-70 and both 70-200 do not change size. These are not expensive lenses compared to better HDV choices.

That's a nice two lens kit similar to what better camcorders use (in quality) for a whole lot less money. Throw in a 1.4 TC for more reach.

[Dylan Couper]

Originally Posted by Don Miller

In Canon, the 24-70 and both 70-200 do not change size. These are not expensive lenses compared to better HDV choices.

That's a nice two lens kit similar to what better camcorders use (in quality) for a whole lot less money. Throw in a 1.4 TC for more reach.

I like that combo and agree with you, but my point is...

If you have quality lenses that do move, why sell them and switch just so you can use a rail mounted mattebox in order to impress people or have the coolest looking 5D on DVinfo??

Also, if you are buying new lenses for a kit, it would be silly to limit yourself to non-moving zooms just so you can use rails.

[Andrew McMillan]

well for me the most important factor is in a lens is parafocal-ness. In other words it holds focus through out the zoom range.

Any way I think most of us would be fine with a clip on matte box.

[Josh Brusin]

Originally Posted by Evan Donn

Well, if your goal is to make it look more like a "movie camera" that's one thing, but I'm thinking something like the Cokin Creative System would work well: COKIN Creative System - Filters A/P/Z/X - Accessories



Definitely an option, something like VocAlign (Synchro Arts - VocALign) should be able to sync it automatically.

I've used the cokins with my mini35 and nikon lenses... works pretty well AND REALLY CHEAP!