RPPs focus past infinity????

[Petros Nousias]

I was about to order a set of RPPs and today I had the chance to check a set. I noticed that all lenses' focus ring pasts the infinity mark, after which the image goes completely out of focus. It's been a while since I was an assistant but I dont remember of any other sets that did that(I own a 2.1 set and it definately doesnt) and can think of several reasons why it shouldnt. I really hope its a bad batch or something, since I havent read anything similar in other posts regarding the RPPs.

[Douglas Underdahl]

Lots of lenses focus past infinity, both still and cine. Some users like that. I used to say that when the lens goes past infinity, there you find god . . .

[Shawn Nelson]

Remember as a kid "times infinity!" "oh yeah? times infinity plus 1"?

[Petros Nousias]

I've also seen some lenses that focus past infinity - some old zooms if I remember correctly but with only a small or no change at all in focus and dont remember seeeing it in any primes. With the RPPs the image goes completely out of focus past infinity. I find it very impractical and wonder why such a route was taken. Is it that hard to have them stop where they are supposed to?

Another letback is the fact that the 50mm marks go from 5m to infinity. I can hear some ACs yelling...

[Daniel Browning]

Infinity focus on most lenses changes with temperature (due to heating or cooling of lens elements causing minute variations in characteristics). Infinity at 110 degrees F will be different from infinity at 10 degrees F. Travel beyond the normal mark is needed for those circumstances. It can also be used for non-visible light (IR/UV) which have different infinity focus marks.

[J. Bernard Vallon]

if you were to find yourself in the unfortunate situation in which your camera body is not properly collimated and you do not have time to fix the issue before you need to roll, having a lens that focuses beyond infinity assures you that you will be able to get to infinity and make a shot happen.

also, how else are you supposed to capture hyper convergent light rays and photograph the future?

[David (dudi) Namir]

The Angenieux Optimo 17-80 X4.7 focus past infinity.

[Grady Wilson]

I find it very impractical and wonder why such a route was taken. Is it that hard to have them stop where they are supposed to?

My mom always told me you only make yourself look bad when you try and make someone else look bad. If you are going to try and be clever make sure you know what the hell you are talking about Petros :emote_rainshower:

[Tony Lorentzen]

What I don't get is why the heck RED decided to make the witness mark way thicker than the focus marks?!?! Someone from RED please answer that question.

[Gustavo Penna]

WTF?

[Nils J. Nesse]

What I don't get is why the heck RED decided to make the witness mark way thicker than the focus marks?!?! Someone from RED please answer that question.

Jarred answered this here: http://reduser.net/forum/showpost.php?p=418625&postcount=332


Dont worry Shawn your not alone, i get this question every day.. it was not a mistake but a design decision.

The lenses are columnated to the center of the mark, and its pretty easy to tell if you are in the center, but the marks are wider as it gives you breathing room on both sides in case of thermal expansion, and other compounding tolerances in the camera system.

This happens no matter what lens you use, and it avoids unnecessarily sending the lenses back for columniation when it's not needed.. its something alot of rental houses have told us is a pain in their ass, and why we started doing it beginning with the 18-85mm.

I'm sure some people will swear at the marks and hate them and bitch to everyone they can about it.. but there is nothing we can do about it.... its like the lenses rotating past infinity. Some people bitch about it, some people demand it.

[Andrew Walker]

Its nice to have the lens go past infinity because even if your back focus has changed a little because of temp or whatever at least you can still get all the way out with the lens. I kind of wish my Zeiss ZF lenses went past infinity.

[Petros Nousias]

My mom always told me you only make yourself look bad when you try and make someone else look bad. If you are going to try and be clever make sure you know what the hell you are talking about Petros :emote_rainshower:

I wasnt trying to make anyone look bad, it was a simple question, whether it is difficult for a lens to stop in the infinity mark, which I guess is not since tolerances are stricter probably, thats I guess one of the reasons most pro prime series are expensive.

By the way I know exactly what the hell Im talking about and consider myself quite clever, thank you very much.

[Matthew Duclos]

It's very common for a focus scale to go past infinity, especially with zooms.
It's a matter of preference. Some ACs like their gear to be dialed in perfect so that when they hit the stop, it's infinity, no questions asked.
Some like the ability to go past infinity for whatever reason (I don't think improperly adjusted gear should be a reason).
The stop in the RPP is adjustable and it can be changed to stop wherever the user wants.
As is the case with all the Angenieux zooms and newer Zeiss and Cooke lenses.

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Some like the ability to go past infinity for whatever reason (I don't think improperly adjusted gear should be a reason).

Yep. Never a good reason for improperly adjusted gear. And having the ability to focus a bit past infinity isn't going to solve back focus issues.

I personally like my lenses to rotate a bit past infinity. That way infinity is another mark on the dial and I'm not always reaching infinity with a 'thud'.

[Stephen Williams]

Yep. Never a good reason for improperly adjusted gear. And having the ability to focus a bit past infinity isn't going to solve back focus issues.


However if you cant go past infinity you may well have a problem with long lenses & a stack of filters on the front.

[Petros Nousias]

It's very common for a focus scale to go past infinity, especially with zooms.
It's a matter of preference. Some ACs like their gear to be dialed in perfect so that when they hit the stop, it's infinity, no questions asked.
Some like the ability to go past infinity for whatever reason (I don't think improperly adjusted gear should be a reason).
The stop in the RPP is adjustable and it can be changed to stop wherever the user wants.
As is the case with all the Angenieux zooms and newer Zeiss and Cooke lenses.

If I were still an AC I'd definately fall into the 1st category...

Good to know it's adjustable, a visit to the local lens repair shop will do the job.

[Jeff Kilgroe]

However if you cant go past infinity you may well have a problem with long lenses & a stack of filters on the front.

Good point. But I'm also not a fan of stacking tons of filters on the front. I subscribe to the "three is a crowd" theory on that.

[Manuel Wenger]

this reminds me on that discussion ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbVKWCpNFhY

[Felix K.]

And because nobody has mentioned it yet:

"TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!!" - Buzz Lightyear, Space Ranger