Carl Zeiss Digi-Primes on 2/3" Scarlet Option

[STEPHEN LANGMANIS]

Hi Red Users,

Currently when I'm not shooting on a Red I use various 2/3" HD Panasonic Camera bodies with a set of Carl Zeiss Digi-Primes and a Canon ENG Zoom Lens. All these lenses have a B4 mount.

Does anyone know if these lenses will be compatible with the planned 2/3" Scarlet option?

My understanding is that along as the lenses diameter is large enough to accommodate the chip's size and the bayonet mount is suitable then all should be fine.
Is this correct thinking?

Many thanks for any advice and knowledge passed this way,

Steve

www.langmanis.com

[David Rasberry]

Yes, B4 will be a mount option for 2/3" Scarlet. B4 lenses are made to back focus through a prism rather than air, so the mount will have an optical block to correct back focus to match the standard.

I hope you will shoot and post some tests of these lenses when you get the Scarlet. Scarlet won't support all of the ENG lens functions, but power for the servo zoom and record start/stop should work with an adapter cable.

[STEPHEN LANGMANIS]

Thats great news. I've had really beautiful images with the Digi Primes so looking forward to seeing how the 2/3" Scarlet renders skin tone in beauty shots. Yes, will post any results I get, if I go for this configuration.

Thanks David!

Steve

[STEPHEN LANGMANIS]

"There is definitely great glass for the 2/3 cameras, such as the ARRI/ZEISS DIGI PRIMES, fantastic glass, and truly at par with UP and Cooke S4.


Those lenses are not designed for a Bayer sensor, the focus for the 3 colors falls on 3 different levels."

Do you know if this is true?

Steve

[David Rasberry]

Those lenses are not designed for a Bayer sensor, the focus for the 3 colors falls on 3 different levels."

Do you know if this is true?

Yes. The B4 lens standard is designed to focus correctly through the beam splitter prism of a 3 chip HD camera. When focused through air to a single focal plane sensor they will exhibit chroma aberrations, slight separation of the RGB colors. However the B4 mount for Scarlet will I am sure incorporate an optical block to correct this, as does the B4 adapter for RED ONE, so it won't be a problem.

[Stefan Christou]

Hi Stephen. Out of interest, what Panasonics have you been shooting on?

[STEPHEN LANGMANIS]

Hi David. Excitement of continuing using the Digi Primes restored.
Thanks for the follow up info.
Steve

[STEPHEN LANGMANIS]

Hi Stefan,

Mostly the Panasonic HVX500 with the Digi Primes.

Steve

[David Rasberry]

Compared with the expressed preferences of many Red fans toward using cheaper still lenses on the S35 version, using ultra premium quality megabuck B4 or 16mm glass on a 2/3" Scarlet is refreshingly contrarian.

I like it. long live 2/3"!

[STEPHEN LANGMANIS]

Thanks David. There's a lot of beautiful imagery to be had in the 2/3" chip and all the other sizes becoming available and I've always thought the best way to utilize the fantastic capture technology is by using the best optics available. Exciting times. S.