How To Determine if a Zoom Lens is S16 Safe?

[David Fitch]

I'm curious if someone can help with a question I have about vignetting and pairing up a zoom lens with a S16 camera. If I'm looking to purchase a zoom lens to use with an Aaton or Arri (SR series) 16mm S16 camera, is there any way to determine whether or not the lens will cause vignetting at shorter focal lengths simply by taking into account the focal length range of the lens? For example, if I'm looking to acquire a 7 - 56mm zoom lens, can the minimum focal length alone determine whether or not the lens will cause vignetting, or do there exist some 7 - 56mm zoom lenses intended for R16 that would cause vignetting with S16 while other 7 - 56mm zoom lenses that would be just fine for S16?

 

If the latter is the case, then what physically makes one 7 - 56mm lens S16 safe while another is not? Is the actual diameter of the optics a little larger in lenses that are S16 safe?

 

Bottom line, if I'm looking to purchase a second hand zoom lens from a buyer who isn't sure whether or not the entire range of the lens is S16 safe, is the only fail-safe method to actually connect the lens to the camera, set it to the minimum focal length, and have a look through the viewfinder?

 

Thanks!

[Dom Jaeger]

The focal length itself won't tell you anything about the size of the image circle, nor will the diameter of the optics. While these factors may play a role in the design relative to the format coverage you can't use them as an indicator of what that coverage might be. The only real way of knowing is to test the lens on a camera or test projector, or rely on lists of S16 compatible lenses.

 

This list (and the accompanying information) by Jorge Diaz-Amador is reliable:

http://www.cinematechnic.com/resources/optics_for_super-16.html

[Will Montgomery]

Do you have a local rental house that you can take it to and have them put it on a projector with coverage lines? That would be the simplest way. It would be more easily seen than looking through the viewfinder. There may be some issues with the viewfinder seeing everything if it's a conversion.

[Kip Kubin]

My cooke 9-50 is super from about 15mm on....I just crop to 2:35x1 sometimes

 

But

 

I did put angeniux zoom on and it covered super at about 20 or so mm but started to vignette again closer to 50

 

If it helps I'll go over my Cooke again and get you exact MMs that vignette.

 

http://vimeo.com/46914629

 

@1:27 the lens is at 9mm..I'm sure I punched in a bit in post.

 

So there are "work a rounds" if you come across. Good deal on a lens.