ENG Style zoom lens for FS-100?

[Doug Jensen]

Well, that zoom lens is designed for the F3's native mount and there's no way you're going to adapt it for use on an FS100. So keep looking . . . but nobody's going to come up with a nice ENG lens with servo 10x zoom, etc. for a S-35mm sensor for $2K. It's impossible.

[Brian Drysdale]

Yes, that why I said a version of the lens I'd presume made by Sony if they thought it worth while.

Although, that's not say that an optical engineer couldn't change the lens mount to fit the FS100, depending on the mechanical design of the lens. That's been done quite a bit with cine lenses over the years, but anything like that costs.money. Not thing to do if you want something cheap.

It could be cheaper just to buy an EX3 and use it as a zoom, because you won't probably be gaining any real advantages with these slow zooms.

[Garrett Low]

Originally Posted by Doug Jensen

I can pound a nail with a hammer, and eventually get it into the wood, but that doesn't mean it was the right tool for the job.

Isn't that what a hammer is suppose to do? Sorry just being a smart a$$.

Seriously, one thing that seems to be missing is that such a lens on a FS100 would most likely not be in high demand. Even though it may be possible to engineer such a lens and manufacture it, and sell it for say $3000 under good sales numbers, it probably wouldn't be in high demand so by the time you figure development costs and tooling costs they would have to sell it for much more to make it a wise business decision. So, if they now have to sell the same lens for $6000 why wouldn't someone go out and buy an EX1R which is better suited for that shooting situation?

I understand the appeal of having a camera that can cover many situations. But as has already been expressed, what you usually end up with is a compromise on many levels. To use Doug's example of a Ferrari that can hold 10 people and haul a load of gravel, it's not an issue of how much it will cost., but more of the fact that it is impossible to meet both needs to an acceptable level of quality. Yes you can get something that is close to being as good, but as the demand for quality raises, it becomes more and more apparent that there are short comings. To me, it's a lot like the comparison between German cars. I will never buy a BMW. No offense to BMW's, they are very nice cars, sporty, luxurious, but in the end they are a compromise. If I want a luxury car, I'll buy a Mercedes to get that little bit more luxury and ride, and if I want a performance car I'll buy a Porsche so that I can go out and rack up the tickets. I view cameras in the same way. I'd rather have an FS-100 without an ENG lens plus an EX3 in my kit (actually I'd rather have an F3 plus and EX3 but that's another $15,000 story).

Just my two pennies.

[Doug Jensen]

Oops! I guess I better do a better job proof reading my posts. Glad you got the point anyway.

Yesterday I ordered a Novoflex Nikon to NEX adapter in anticipation of the FS100 arriving soon. Will be ordering a PL adapter soon.

[Noah Yuan-Vogel]

Originally Posted by Brian Drysdale

It could be cheaper just to buy an EX3 and use it as a zoom, because you won't probably be gaining any real advantages with these slow zooms.

I'm not so sure about that. On an FS100, the lens that would be approximately equivalent in DOF an FOV to the EX3 stock lens would be a 21-293mm f6.3-11. I'm not sure about you, but I think an 18-250 f3.5-6.3 is still a pretty good improvement over that (about 2stops faster).

[Brian Drysdale]

It was more a rhetorical comment, but it really depends on what you want to use this camera for and if a shallower DOF is a requirement in the type of productions where you tend to use ENG zoom lenses. There are non ENG zooms that you could use with it, such as RED zooms, which you can buy used and either fit a fluid zoom drive or rig a used servo motor zoom system.

Choices also depend on if you want a parfocal or varifocal zoom.

[Jon Braeley]

I think a lot of Canon DSLR users will be FS-100 customers. Considering this, what is the situation with EOS lenses? There seems some confusion on these as far as adapters and I am told only the Birger Engineering will allow iris control or auto-exposure.
Can anyone clear this up.... Doug?

I have mostly Canon L glass myself - but all zooms. I would like to move to 3 or 4 primes for the FS-100 even though I am a documentary guy.

[Doug Jensen]

I'm a Nikon guy, so the Canon mounts don't interest me too much. :-)
But I agree, a lot FS100 buyers will be coming from Canon, so I'll be looking into solutions when my FS100 arrives. Until then, I've learned not to waste too much time on stuff until I really need to know . . . because things change so fast these days.

[Alister Chapman]

I'll have a Birger Canon mount to play with next week, so I'll let you know.

[Alvise Tedesco]

Hi Alister.
did you play with it?
Really looking forward to see if Birger managed to drive focus motors in a way I can dismiss mechanical ff and older Nikkors.
Thanks

[Jon Braeley]

The Canon mount is ready?....good.

My FS-100 arrives on Monday so I am shopping for lens options right now.

[Jon Braeley]

Regarding a zoom did anyone see this new release from Sigma .... 120-300mm F.28!! for $3k -A-mount.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/755336-USA/Sigma_136205_120_300mm_f_2_8_EX_DG.html