Lens choices?

[Dave Allen]

A rep from Sony seemed to tell me that using the Sony A mount adapter with A mount lenses was a better route to go for autofocus as that system uses an alleged superior Phase Detection as opposed to the face detection of the bases systems and e-mount lenses.

I need to be able to shoot in very low light such as indoors with no lights on and outdoors at night. I don't think the supplied kit lens at 3.5 is fast enough, but considering I haven't tried it, what do I know?! lol I am not wild about the retro silver look either with no markings on Sony's kit lens.

The other thing that does not appeal to me is external zoom lenses where the whole lens barrel mechanically extends. That does not work well for me.

Does anyone have auto focus lens recommendations for both low light and again for an autofocus zoom lens with an internal zoom so the barrel does not change length?

[Justin Kuhn]

Sony NEX-FS700 slo-mo & autofocus documentary test reel shown at NAB 2012 on Vimeo

He uses "a Sony Zeiss 16-35 and a 24-70, both mounted with an LA-EA2 A-mount to eMount adapter" in this video, with a breakdown of the AF systems before the actual footage--wait for the slo-mo.

[Dave Allen]

I can't as of yet determine if those two lenses are external zooms or internal zooms whose barrels do not extend upon zooming.

[Justin Kuhn]

does your camera rig not allow the extension?

[Noah Yuan-Vogel]

Keep in mind the kit lens and nearly all similar still super zooms are f3.5 only at their widest focal length and ramp down to around f6.3 at the long end. These are not good lenses for low light shooting, though it depends what your definition of low light is.

I have not seen any internal zooming 24-70 lenses, but many modern wide ~17-35 and ~70-200 zooms are internal zooming. You'll have a tough time finding a full set of internal zooms to cover a a full range.

[Dave Allen]

a 17-35 and a 70 to 200 would be ok...as long as they are internal zooming.....I have seen some 80 and shorter lenses down to F1.8....I think that is plenty fast.

[Dave Allen]

Justin, I don't want to move the matte box around every time I adjust the focal length

[Annen James]

Anyone tried throwing a Fujinon ENG lens on this yet? Curious using this for reality in place of a EX3.

[Noah Yuan-Vogel]

Originally Posted by Dave Allen

Justin, I don't want to move the matte box around every time I adjust the focal length

I just use a clamp on matte box with my lenses, and my favorite lens in my set is the sigma 24-70 which is not internal zooming, works fine with my lightweight clamp on matte box. No matte box adjustments needed while zooming or just changing focal length.

[Noah Yuan-Vogel]

Originally Posted by Annen James

Anyone tried throwing a Fujinon ENG lens on this yet? Curious using this for reality in place of a EX3.

You need a B4 adapter and ~2.5x extender, most of those adapters are $5k alone and you end up with an ENG lens that isn't designed for a single sensor on your camera that is also at best maybe F4 wide open. Plus ENG zooms are very expensive and often have lots of CA and breathing.

[Stephen de Vere]

Originally Posted by Noah Yuan-Vogel

You need a B4 adapter and ~2.5x extender, most of those adapters are $5k alone and you end up with an ENG lens that isn't designed for a single sensor .......

MTF's B4 lens adaptor is much cheaper. Only works on lenses with built-in 2x, which must be engaged. I haven't tried one - I only read from the website. (I don't have any connection with MTF Services but they are well known and regarded in the industry.)

Originally Posted by Noah Yuan-Vogel

you end up with an ENG lens that isn't designed for a single sensor .......

Yes, but the AbelCine (and possibly others) adaptor also corrects for the difference between 3xCCD prism and single plane optical design and it works ok for Red Epic using AbelCine's 35mm adaptor on a Canon HJ18x28b. That setup is in use on some BBC nature productions right now I believe.