New zoom...

[Jannard]

We are working on a new zoom lens... the 50-150 f2.8 (T-3). It should be ready this year.

I expect that we will still be able to update the camera status mid-June.

Jim

[Emanuel A.]

Thank you very much, Jim. We are praying... :wink:

And excellent news indeed! Any estimated price?...

EDIT -- Grateful for the hint: it will be a no brainer!

[IAN SUN]

Any thoughts on pricing Jim?

Looks like it's all RED lenses for me!

[Jannard]

I'm thinking about $7500. Not quite sure yet.

Jim

[Alexander Nikishin]

Perfect addition to the 18-50, excellent choice Jim.

[Brook Willard]

Very nice. Is it going to be lightweight [handheld/Steadicam capable] or more Hubble-esque?

[Joe Aurili]

Maybe that was the plan ;)

So many thing to buy, so little cash....


Perfect addition to the 18-50, excellent choice Jim.

[IAN SUN]

I'm thinking about $7500. Not quite sure yet.

Jim

Sugar!

[Alexander Nikishin]

Jim, should we expect to see the prime set available before years end or next year?

[Scott Webster]

If both zooms are available with the camera launch (or close to), you're going to sell a lot of glass :)

[Jannard]

Prime set late this year...

Jim

[Alexander Nikishin]

Beautiful, Jim.

[Anders Holck]

Great news with the zooms.

Do you plan to post more info on the primes, a bit earlier than late? :-)
(More info like CF distance, pics etc.)

[donatello b]

status on the 18-85mm ??
if 18-85 is good-bye ... can 18-85m reservation holder transfer their #'s to the 50-150m ?

[Jannard]

The 18-85mm is still in the works.

Jim

[Greg Voevodsky]

Same here, the original 18-85 is a great first zoom lense, if you can only buy one. If you can afford 2 lenses then the new zooms are very cool. However, with my 2 Nikon zooms, I may stay where I am. More zooms and more choices the better... please deliver your first zoom. Thanks.

[jaadgy akanni]

Gotta love the price!!! I'm gonna start with Nikon lenses but I know after a while I'll be able to afford the RED lenses. I'm thinking the 15mm f2.8, 25mm f1.9 ,35mm f1.9, and 50-150mm and I'll be pimping!

[dalemccready]

"Hubble-esque"

Brilliant! :)

[Emanuel & Co]

Prime set late this year...

JimWill it be possible to buy the primes separately too?

[jaadgy akanni]

Will it be possible to buy the primes separately too?

I'm presuming that it will. Will it be possible...anyone know?

[Jannard]

Prime lenses will be sold as a set to begin with... late in 2008 they will be sold individually. Our initail pricing is predicated on sets.

Jim

[Jarred Land]

expect of course for the 300mm prime.. which is finished and being manufactured.

[Nook Kim]

Hi Red team,

I couldn't thank you guys more for making my future brighter. As a film student,
who is just finishing up the school, there couldn't be any better
tool than yours to arm myself with. Just hoping to have mine before
this September, so I could do a lot of tests with all the available equipment
at school. Fingers firmly crossed.

Best regards,

[Jannard]

Will it be possible to buy the primes separately too?

Late 2008.

Jim

[Emanuel & Co]

We hope Red can sell as much as possible. There are different scopes. The 18-50mm + 15mm + 85mm will shine where the primes set won't and vice versa. Different ballparks and shooting work require different investments.

[Matt Uhry]

That's a smart move. The two zooms will make up an excellent starter package. Can't wait to test...

Matt Uhry
www.mattuhry.com

[Jonathan L. Bowen]

So this is a question more for the professional cinematographers here, but if you bought a prime lens set and had an 18-50mm zoom lens for starters, would you still want a 50-150 zoom lens too? Isn't that kind of redundant? I mean I know from what I've read that supposedly you get the best results by using a specific lens for a specific purpose, i.e. a 15mm lens, a 25mm lens, a 50mm lens, etc. But would you really notice that much of a difference on a camera like the RED if you were using two zoom lenses, an 18-50mm and a 50-150mm? Just curious. This is the area I'm foggiest about.

[Emanuel A.]

I'm not a professional cinematographer here at all but I'd guess -- or still better, I'm saying that every tool has its own profile. You need to take in consideration important parameters indeed like convenience, DOF you wish, lighting requirements you have, aperture you need, focal length you want, shotlist taking perspective, scale and composition choices (the most difficult and relevant factor to the great cinema IMHO -- director's work) with direct implications regarding some issues as for instance non breathing requirements or not going so far, etc, etc, etc.

EDIT -- A zoom is not a prime and vice versa. Hope this helps!

[Alexander Nikishin]

Jonathan,

The main reason for purchasing primes would be a possible improvement in image quality over a zoom in addition to the benefits of a faster iris / T stop and possible breathing improvements.

Assuming the prime set will be T 2.1, aside from the 15mm T 3.1, you will be gaining a stop and a half of light if you need it. That extra stop and a half translates into 3/4 more light sensitivity when wide open.

So, if you're really choking for light in a particualr setup, you may just be saved by having the faster prime set.

As far as whether or not you need the 50-150mm zoom, I'd say yes, without a doubt. The average Cinematographer's lens set consists of focal lengths from 18-85mm at the minimum. Many directors will ask for an 85 or 100mm lens for particular shots.

That's not to say that you can't get by without lengths longer than 50mm's, but personally, I enjoy long lengths for particular shots that require a very shallow DOF.

It really depends on your liking. Grab a 35mm slr still camera from your local photo shop and test out some of the Nikkors to see what you feel comfortable shooting with and see fit to your particular shooting style.

[dewaldaukema]

Over coffee this morning I thought how fantastic a 55 - 150 Red zoom would be... half an hour later I go online... T stops, new 50 - 150 and Peter Jackson's extraordinary statements...
This is all going to be very, very interesting. Can't wait.
The impact of RED on our industry will only be fully understood in a few years time.
Louis Lumiere must be sagely nodding with respect... somewhere

[Jonathan L. Bowen]

Nice, thank you, that's good advice. I was talking to my friend who has no experience in cinematography but is a semi-professional photographer and he was reminding me (we learned this, but I had in my fatigue forgotten) that the prime lenses would be faster so it would give me more flexibility in lower light situations, and that does seem to be a really useful tool potentially.

I'm just wondering if I might be able to get away with two zoom lenses, the 18-50mm and the 50-150mm, until perhaps another year down the road at which point I'd have made some money either shooting my own stuff or offering my camera equipment as an operator (I don't think I'd have the skills to be a DP but I could know how to use the RED itself and work with a DP), then I could buy the prime set, too. But now that you've explained that as you have, I'm not so sure, maybe it'd be best to just go ahead and buy as many lenses as possible upfront to maximize the flexibility of my package and figure that with that much equipment flexibility I would be able to make the money back in time, anyway. It does make sense why the different tools would give you a lot of different options.

[Emanuel A.]

The impact of RED on our industry will only be fully understood in a few years time.
Louis Lumiere must be sagely nodding with respect... somewhereTotally agreed but don't forget that was there where all began...

[PaulClements]

Interesting Zoom choice, we were talking about a 50-150 (http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1550&page=7) a month and a half ago and now here it is. Nice to see Red's still listening :) much appreciated!

[PaulClements]

Though perhaps looking at Alexanders comments there had already been something hinted at, perhaps during NAB that it was coming.

[dewaldaukema]

We are working on a new zoom lens... the 50-150 f2.8 (T-3). It should be ready this year.

I expect that we will still be able to update the camera status mid-June.

Jim
Sorry, got my knickers in a knot with the threads.

Over coffee this morning I thought how fantastic a 55 - 150 Red zoom would be... half an hour later I go online... T stops, new 50 - 150 and Jackson's extraordinary interview...
This is all going to be very, very interesting. Can't wait.
The impact of RED on our industry will only be fully understood in a few years time.
Louis Lumiere must be sagely nodding with respect...

[Chris Gearhart]

This is great news, Jim. Thanks for getting this thing out the door this year, too.

[dewaldaukema]

Totally agreed but don't forget that was there where all began...
More interestingly Lumiere's invention was a portable motion-picture camera, film processing unit and a projector, the Cinematographe.
Two of the three necessary components is the neatly packaged RED/Apple system, and with the NAB announcements about a 4K RED projector in development...
Louis would not just be nodding, he would be green with envy...

[Ken Willinger]

This is exciting news, thanks Jim.

[Andrew M.]

Any chance for 10mm 100 deg wide angle?
4K lends itself for such nice panoramic shots……..

[David Wyatt]

Everyone's discussing the Red lenses in terms of T-stops but aren't they advertised with f-stops not T-stops?

[Michael Schrengohst]

I know what I want for Christmas!

[Adrian Correia]

by the end of the year? My God you guys are really setting the bar high. I can't say that I am not happy about it though. This really is a great opportunity for people who have always wanted their own kit but couldn't afford the higher end stuff...in terms of price at least. So Jim.....when are you open to taking more of my money.....for reservations purposes that is....

[donatello b]

"the 18-50mm and the 50-150mm"

in general- these 2 lenses will cover you for most of a project.
for me it would be a hard choice on which 2 ... in general i prefer not to change lenses so the 18-85 would cover most interior work - with every now/then a change out to 50 -150 .. i would be changing more often between 18-50 & 50-150 because i really like 65mm ...
the 18-50 would be 1st choice for steadicam , hand held, car shots ( cam attached to auto) .... a choice of which 2 really comes down to a preference of how you prefer to work ... right now i'm not sure which 2 i would choose ?

[David Mullen ASC]

"the 18-50mm and the 50-150mm"

in general- these 2 lenses will cover you for most of a project.
for me it would be a hard choice on which 2 ... in general i prefer not to change lenses so the 18-85 would cover most interior work - with every now/then a change out to 50 -150 .. i would be changing more often between 18-50 & 50-150 because i really like 65mm ...
the 18-50 would be 1st choice for steadicam , hand held, car shots ( cam attached to auto) .... a choice of which 2 really comes down to a preference of how you prefer to work ... right now i'm not sure which 2 i would choose ?

I'd probably prefer 18-85 and 50-150 so that there was some overlap in lens coverage.

[Adrian T.]

I'd probably prefer 18-85 and 50-150 so that there was some overlap in lens coverage.

That's the dilemma. I also prefer some overlap. But the 18-50 mm is so compact and close focus, I can see many applications which are not covered by the 18-85 mm. I think we need all three zooms... :greedy:

[Matt Uhry]

That's the dilemma. I also prefer some overlap. But the 18-50 mm is so compact and close focus, I can see many applications which are not covered by the 18-85 mm. I think we need all three zooms... :greedy:

Has anyone actually seen the 18-85 or heard about it's anticipated dimensions ? close focus? All that I've heard is $9500, f2.8, and "SPECS MAY CHANGE"

Matt Uhry
www.mattuhry.com

[Brook Willard]

The real question is... which will be sharper at 50mm? The 18-50mm or the 50-150mm?

And... /i?

[Stephen Williams]

The real question is... which will be sharper at 50mm? The 18-50mm or the 50-150mm?

And... /i?

Hi Brook,

I would hope they were equally sharp.

Stephen

[Blair S. Paulsen]

Very good question about the close focus abilities of the 18-85. Assuming both the 18-50 and the 18-85 are available when the camera ships; what issues are most critical?

The 18-50 is a bit cheaper, lighter weight, great close focus, reasonably fast...

The 18-85 would save some lens changes, the 60-85mm range is useful for singles and some mild interior compression shots, might have enough flexibility for doco work, curious about the amount of breathing for racks...

I guess if I had to decide today I would get the 18-50 to save the $3,500 bucks to spend on other glass. Ultimately a short throw wide zoom is just one of many lens options I want in my kit.

I like the idea of a kit that includes the 15mm, 85mm and 300mm primes, plus the 18-50mm and the 50-150mm zooms. This set would be relatively affordable for an owner-operator and cover every reasonable focal length.

Short answer, I'll probably end up with the 18-50 instead of the 18-85 just because of availability issues.

[Corrado Silveri]

Please Jim, stop here for awhile...
I don't want finish the money anytime soon.. I want the pocket RED!

[johannperry]

I'd probably prefer 18-85 and 50-150 so that there was some overlap in lens coverage.

I would agree with David here and will more than likely order these two zooms to finish my kit. I do still need to know how the minimum focus and breathing (if any) compares on the 18-50mm verses the 18-85mm. I guess ultimately we'll have to fly out to LA to test the glass in a real shooting situation before making a final purchase. Great news about the 50-150mm all the same.

[David Mullen ASC]

I was only saying that 18-85mm and 50-150mm would be a nice overlap in theory, just looking at the focal-length numbers, nothing more -- in practice, it would depend on the particular zoom lens. If the 18-50mm lens were better all-around than the 18-85mm, or it served my purposes better in terms of size, speed, or MOD, then I'd probably go for 18-50 and 50-150.

[Alex Wengert]

Question. Will all of the coatings on these upcoming lenses be matched?

[Steve Gibby]

Great new addition Jim...

After NAB I speculated on a thread here on RED User that sometime in the future RED would announce another longer focal length zoom that would dovetail nicely with the 18-50 CF zoom. I had no idea it would be this soon! I really like the choice - 50-150mm. I will get one to tandem up with the 18-50 I have coming. If the 18-85 is still alive, I may get one of those also, although for me, the 18-50 & 50-150 tandem kit will be great.

[Paul Hazlett]

throw one of those 50 to 150 bad boys in my shopping cart......yipppie kai yahh.

this lens ends my dillema of nikons vs. PL.....whew.

I think maybe a 50mm prime to bridge the crossover gap Mr. Mullen is talking about perhaps?

[Michael Hastings]

Any chance for 10mm 100 deg wide angle?
4K lends itself for such nice panoramic shots……..

Thanks, Andrew. The underwater guys want the 10mm too!

[chuck colburn]

Makes you wonder if other camera companys are working with these people.

http://www.globalspec.com/featuredProducts/detail?exhibitId=48969&frmtrk=Alert&emailId=20070607137

[Emanuel A.]

If the 18-50mm lens were better all-around than the 18-85mm, or it served my purposes better in terms of size, speed, or MOD, then I'd probably go for 18-50 and 50-150.Actually, I believe that size, weight and MOD will be major issues on this preference since speed should be the same. And, of course, beyond convenience, there's the price item too (18-50).

The shop list, as well. If two zooms can be included (18-50 + 50-150). Or just one zoom (18-85). Or still, a zoom (18-50) + extra glass (85mm prime).

[Alexander Nikishin]

I'm still looking forward to the Prime Set much more than the zooms.

[Poi Boy]

boy howdy !
-A

[Alexander Nikishin]

04-21-2007, 03:07 AM
I've heard that there may be a 50-150 in the works. With the release of the 18-50, I don't see there being a reason to release a second zoom with basically the same focal lengths.

Strange how I predicted that soo precisely.

Then again maybe I did hear something about it at NAB subconsciously? :spidy:

[Emanuel A.]

Alexander, I hope your spider instinct only work 50%, no more than that...! :wink:

[planet e]

buh-bye nikons, hello big RED!

this is great news! now i can have a full range on a single lens mount, from macro to tele....RED and the zoom line are suddenly looking like a dream documentary unit....

[Michael Schrengohst]

Makes you wonder if other camera companys are working with these people.

http://www.globalspec.com/featuredProducts/detail?exhibitId=48969&frmtrk=Alert&emailId=20070607137

My producer has done some video work for this division:
Interesting.....

http://www.elcan.com/ELCAN_Business_Areas/Defense_Security/US_Market/Complete_Customer_Solutions/Defense_Applications/Man_Portable.php

[Shawn Nelson]

Hmmm, I wonder if he means late summer this year, or December 30th of this year. Either way, I'll have to get it!

[Justin K Phillips]

"Hubble-esque"

Brilliant! :)

Keck (http://www.keckobservatory.org/)-esque would have been brillianter, albeit quite exaggerated. :D

[Alexander Nikishin]

Alexander, I hope your spider instinct only work 50%, no more than that...! :wink:

My predictions on RED related topics have been %100 spot on. Beware, the next thing I predict is a delivery schedule that will reveal the true shipping dates! :waaa:

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Hmmm... As some others seem to be thinking, I'm probably going to skip the Nikon mount now. Why mess with changing mounts when I can have two affordable PL mount zooms. T-Stops on the 18-50 (and presumably will be on the 50-150). The two zooms are a no brainer, this is great news.