Lenses for JVC GY-HD100

[Martin Polach]

Do you know if any other companies plan on making a ressurection for 1/3" CCD camcoders with exchangable lenses, or that the new HD100 cam will use just those two lenses from Fujinon?

I guess that the mount on HD100 will be different on those that are found on Canon XL series?

[Kevin Dooley]

I'm sure the mount will be different, but with enough consumer interest in the camera, someone will make an adapter. Then the only question is whether or not the XL series SD glass is good enough for HD

[Kenn Christenson]

From what I've heard, JVC is supposed to have an adapter that will allow the use of 1/2" broadcast lenses.

[Chris Hurd]

Even if there were an Canon XL lens adapter for the HD100, it wouldn't be able to electronically communicate with the camera head. Nor would you have any way to control it, since XL lenses do not incorporate grip handles. I could see the black 16x manual XL lens being used, maybe, perhaps its resolution is high enough, but no grip handle on that lens means it will be very diffricult to use it effectively.

[Kevin Dooley]

Chris-- I agree with you wholeheartedly, but I've seen stranger things when it comes to the XL series of cameras. Everything from arri and B4 mounts to adapters for all sorts of still SLR lenses. People in this particular price range seem to go bananas for removable lenses and will throw nearly any piece of glass onto their cameras it seems--despite limitations.

[Chris Hurd]

That is certainly true, Kevin, you're definitely right about that... I'm just saying it may not be practical... but practicality has never stopped do-it-yourselfers, and I mean that in the best possible way!

[Martin Polach]

I guess that the 1/2" lens adapter for HD100 won't have any correction lenses, it will be just mechnically put betwen the 1/3" bajonet and 1/2" lens, not?

Well I don't use dSLR bodies because of this. I hate when the field-of-view of the lens is any how changed. Especially with ultrawide lenses.

Well, I guess we will see.

[Robert Shuster]

While at NAB I'm going over to the BandPro booth where Zeiss will be. My question is can they re-work a DigiPrime mount for 1/3in? As their glass runs around 10k$ does it make sense? Same question for the P+S guys.

[Martin Polach]

Robert, I guess it hardly makes sense. Zeiss DigiPrime is different league, also with their preis.. my question was heading if there is going to be more ENG lenses for this camcoder probably from Fujinon or Canon. The 1/3" sensor could be ressurected if more companies would build new cameras with exchangable lenses and 1/3" CCD. The question is, is this possible?

[Joe Carney]

I think a better question is will rental houses buy Zeiss digiprimes at 1/3 inch. At 10k+ apiece, renting will be a more favorable option.

[Michael Maier]

I think if the JVC catches like the XL1 did, we will have a whole array of after market accessories including other lens adapters. So maybe there will be an adapter to use Zeiss primes and normal 2/3" HD lenses.

[Ignacio Rodriguez]

We never saw much of a "whole array" for the XL1, though...

[Michael Maier]

It has 7 lens available to it plus adapters to basically any kind of lens mount you can think of, plus the mini35. Isn't this a whole array?

[Ignacio Rodriguez]

It's something, yes. I just wish the manufacturers would get around to making a cheap "prosumer"-priced 35mm sensor or built-in ground glass system. Thus, we could use the huge array of great quality 35mm photo lenses available for so little money

[Steve Gibby]

<<<-- Originally posted by Kenn Christenson : From what I've heard, JVC is supposed to have an adapter that will allow the use of 1/2" broadcast lenses. -->>>

One of my camera systems is a JVC GY-DV500U, which uses 1/2" lenses. I have a Fujinon 20 x 6.4 lens for the camera. When I heard about the new JVC GY-HD100, and noticed that the announcement included an adaptor for stepdown from 1/2" to 1/3" my first question was if my Fujinon 20 x 6.4 lens would work OK with the HD100. I shoot alot of sports and wildlife, so the longer the lens, the better. I did some research and made some calls and here's the results:

1) I found an article on the Broadcast Engineering web site that defines the differences between SD and HD lens technology. The bottom line I draw from that article is that using an SD lense on an HD camera will degrade the image that the camera is capable of producing. That there is a 1/2" to 1/3" stepdown attachment being made for the HD100, when there are no 1/2" HD lenses to place there, may simply indicate that JVC is planning ahead for use of future 1/2" HD lenses on the HD100 and it's 1/3" successors. Link to the article: http://broadcastengineering.com/mag/broadcasting_hdtv_lens_design/

2) I spoke with a lense repair firm in L.A. (Focus Optics) that has done excellent SD lens work for me in the past. They also repair HD and prime film lenses of every make for the L.A. market and beyond. When I posed concept of my Fujinon 1/2" SD lens downconverted to the 1/3" HD100 their response was that my 20x lens on the HD100 would be "wider and speedier", but that I would have a serious problem with flaring and that I would not be able to achieve the resolution the camera was capable of.

I have several Sony cameras (PD150, etc.), a Panasonic camera (DVX100a), and a JVC GY-DV500U. I've had great service from all of them. It looks like the concept of keeping the 20 x 6.4 lens for use on a HD100, should I buy one, is not a viable option. I believe a company with the reputation of Fujinon will make the new 1/3" HD lenses (16x & 13x) achieve the resolution the HD100 is designed for.