Upcoming hands-on comparison of F3, FS100 and AF100 from Philip Bloom

[Glen Vandermolen]

I know there's a thread about good lenses for the FS100, but I think this would make a good starter zoom lens, with the a-mount adapter:

SAL-2875 | 28-75mm f/2.8 Wide-Angle Lens | Sony | Sony Style USA

I just might pick one up myself.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Thanks Glen. It beats me why Sony has chosen the E-mount for the FS100, while there are so many nice A-lenses around already...

[Glen Vandermolen]

Well, Sony is supposed to expand the e-mount line-up. Plus, other lens manufacturers have the specs of the mount, so they'll be producing more lenses. Zeiss is coming out with some e-mount lenses, for instance. And the e-mount really is ideal to fit adapters for many other makes of lenses.

The pickings are slim now, but give it some time.

[Doug Jensen]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/97413-USA/Nikon_1902_AF_Nikkor_50mm_f_1_4D.html
This f/1.4 50mm Nikon would be a great starter lens for the FS100 and get people thinking about using this camera in a different way than ordinary video camcorders. If you want a zoom lens, auto-focus, auto-iris, steady-shot and all that stuff, then my advice is to buy an EX1R or Z7U and you'll be happier anyway. The whole idea of the F3 and FS100 is to start moving in a new direction, not to try to force them to work the same old way.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Doug Jensen

If you want a zoom lens, auto-focus, auto-iris, steady-shot and all that stuff, then my advice is to buy an EX1R or Z7U and you'll be happier anyway. The whole idea of the F3 and FS100 is to start moving in a new direction, not to try to force them to work the same old way.

Hey Doug, you misunderstood me!

I myself do have a nice collection of Canon FD lenses - from 24 up to 85mm, all F1.4 (yes!!!) - and I could be using them on the FS-100 with an $ 20-50 adapter from eBay.

If I pushed the "all-auto zoom for starters" idea has been with all those consumers in mind, jumping on the all new camera from Sony that is drawing so much attention on the web:)

Piotr

[Glen Vandermolen]

..or this, if you've already invested in an a-mount adapter (like I did).

SAL-50F14 | SAL-50F14 - 50mm f/1.4 Lens | Sony | SonyStyle USA

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Piotr Wozniacki

It beats me why Sony has chosen the E-mount for the FS100, while there are so many nice A-lenses around already...

I have heard that the A Mount's electronics (in terms of how fast data is transferred and processed) is quite slow and therefore unsuitable for a more demanding system requirement such as tracking autofocus. Hence the newer E mount as a base on which to build.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Good info, Matt - thanks!

[John Godwin]

I really appreciate the lens recommendations and sorry if I've inadvertently hijacked this thread. If I need to pick this up in the more appropriate "glass & mounts" thread I will.

The comments here, though, do partially address my issues. It seems to me that over the next few months there will be a number of lens adaptors and lenses coming out that work with the FS-100 mount. Surely some will work better than others, and it'll become evident rather quickly which those are. So that's the main reason it appears to be better to me to go with the kit lens (though the 2.8 zoom referenced above might be a better choice), and wait to start filling out any kind of lens selection until things shake out a bit. I'd like to end up with only one or two lenses to carry around for basic use, and preferably of the same brand and working with the same, if any, adaptor. I also do expect Sony to bring out a better E mount zoom for double or triple the kit lens price, although that's just a WAG as something I think is logical for them to do.

At this point the only lenses I own that are suitable for the FS-100 are 2 EOS style lenses. One of those is a nice 2.8 very wide Tokina and the other is the 7D kit lens, which is worse than the FS-100 kit lens. Everything else I already own is an expensive 2/3" or 1/2" betacam or dvcam zoom.

Although I expect to use the FS-100 eventually for a variety of projects I'm intent on buying it initially for use with a specific client. He really likes the DSLR look. He also would have little if any patience with lens changes, as much of the b-roll I shoot with him is very run and gun, so a zoom is essential. I have a 7D, but the kludges and workarounds of shooting for him with that are too painful to contemplate. So I think the FS-100 eliminates most of the workarounds, allows for cheap storage and long battery life, and provides more of the look we need.

And I really appreciate the lens comments particularly. They are making me reconsider the kit lens. I just wanted to clarify my thinking here.

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Piotr Wozniacki

Good info, Matt - thanks!

You're most welcome - IIRC, it came from a great webcast called Red Centre (Podcasts | fxguide).

I also picked up from an earlier show that the E-mount specs and protocol has been made 'open' for any manufacturers to exploit - which is a refreshing and somewhat unexpected angle from Sony.

[Steve Kalle]

I would really like to know what Mike or John at fxguide were talking about with the autofocus tracking on Alpha lenses. I am a former Alpha photographer and I shot sports and birds in flight quite a few times and I found the autofocus to work great. I had the 24mp A900, Sony G 70-200 2.8, Zeiss 24-70 2.8, Zeiss 135 1.8 and a few other lenses. With the SSM lenses, focusing worked nearly flawlessly. If fast moving subjects weren't hard enough to track, I also shot some runway models with perfect tracking. So, their comments really puzzle me.

[Gabe Strong]

Originally Posted by Doug Jensen

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D Autofocus Lens 1902 B&H Photo Video

This f/1.4 50mm Nikon would be a great starter lens for the FS100 and get people thinking about using this camera in a different way than ordinary video camcorders. If you want a zoom lens, auto-focus, auto-iris, steady-shot and all that stuff, then my advice is to buy an EX1R or Z7U and you'll be happier anyway. The whole idea of the F3 and FS100 is to start moving in a new direction, not to try to force them to work the same old way.

Doug,

I think one of the neat things about this camera, is that 'video' shooters
(like me) could use something like the kit lens or similar and produce
similar results as an EX-1. It's not like I zoom DURING my shots that
often, just nice to reframe WITHOUT having to move the camera and tripod
when doing run and gun. Then, when you have a little extra time (you
know, when you get a client that actually gives you a little time to
do something) you could put a prime lens or short fast zoom on and
get the shallow depth of field shots. Seems like it could kind of do
both. From everything I've seen, even the video with the cheapo
kit lens looks very very good.

[Alister Chapman]

From my time with the FS100 the 18-200mm Sony lens is really not a good lens.

IF you ONLY want to shoot auto focus, auto iris then it is possibly a good option. But trying to use the lens manually is a pain, the focus is sluggish and the lack of true iris ring annoying. On top of that at f5.6 if you are just going to use it as an autofocus lens, you would be better of using and EX1 as the DoF won't be all that different to the EX1 at f1.8 and the EX1 has a parfocal servo zoom.

For the $500 the lens adds to the kit I would rather get a Nikon adapter and buy a couple of decent, used Nikon fit lenses like the 50mm f1.8 AiS or the Tokina 28mm f2.8.

The kit lens kind of defeats the whole point of the FS100.

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Gabe Strong

the cheapo kit lens looks very very good.

It's not exactly cheapo! :-) It adds about £700 + VAT (£840) to the price in the UK. You can get a nice serviceable 17-55 2.8 with IS, and your Nikkor adaptor, for that - with enough left over to consider a 70-200 or 11-16. Or both... Such a long zoom range leads to so many compromises - and if there's one thing that the DSLR revolution taught me, it was 'invest in good glass'. The kit lens doesn't really fit into that category just because of the limited aperture.

Apologies to Alister for repeating what he said basically... But how come it's only $500 there and £700 here? UK tax?!

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Matt Daviss

But how come it's only $500 there and £700 here? UK tax?!

Hi Matt,

Yeah, the EU prices are really ridiculous for that camera... I mean, they've always been higher than in the US - but usually, when you deducted the VAT (which I do), and consider the nice Prime Support we're getting with Sony Broadcast gear - the difference used to be quite easy to swallow.

Not so with the FS100 - on the most reputable UK vendor's pages, I can see the $6,735.64 price tag - and this is without VAT, and for body only! The kit including lens is $7,915.85 (still without VAT).

My little theory is that with this particular model not having all frame rates globally, the EU vendors are going to use this opportunity and try to apply unusually high margins...