Which Lenses to buy

[Chaz Olivier]

I have a set of Red Pro Primes that I have been renting out with my Red Dragon I am considering replacing- but I wanted to get the opinion of more experienced DP's -

 

I am considering selling my RPP's for a good zoom lens. I get the feeling that people renting a Red would rather rent other lenses than RPPs. Here are some lenses I was considering buying in place of the RPP's

 

Cooke 18-100 T3

Cooke 20-100 T3.1

Cooke 20-60 T3.1

Cooke S4i 15-40mm T2

or a set of 5 Zeiss Standard speeds T2.1

 

 

Which would you all prefer for your shoots, or would it be best just sell the lenses and rent the camera Body and accessories only. If you have other suggestions for great zooms or primes, I would love those!

 

I would love to hear your thoughts! and insights! Thank you so much!

[James Martin]

The Cooke 18-100 is a beautiful, stunning lens, but it is big, requires big filters, and is impractical as a sole lens.

 

i used to have a set of Zeiss standards, I loved them, but they do have a classic feel and I don't believe they'll cover the Dragon sensor properly. Not sure the others would either TBH

[Dom Jaeger]

All those Cooke zooms are great, I just finished servicing a 20-100 as it happens and they're gorgeous too but yes sensor coverage could be a problem. Both Varotals only cover an image circle of a bit over 28 mm at the wide end. The Zeiss Standards generally cover about a 31 mm circle.

 

If it's to help get more camera rentals, you should try to work out what your clients would generally want. The Varotals are quite large, the 20-60 and 15 -40 relatively compact, the Standards are tiny, all suited for different jobs, or often just part of a bigger package.

[Satsuki Murashige]

Buy Compact Zooms, best bang for the buck in terms of focal lengths, close focus, speed, size, lens coverage, modern coatings, and cost. Those big zooms as you one and only lens would be great if you only shoot off a dolly, crane, or sticks and already own an OConnor 2575 head, Studio 15/19 AKS, 6x6 filters and matte box, 6" diopters, Microforce zoom control, etc. But most people don't shoot like that. You also probably need a run and gun setup, an interview setup, a handheld/Easyrig/Steadicam setup, etc.

 

Used Angenieux DPs are probably the most affordable right now since the newer Style series has been announced. The Canon 15.5-47, 30-105 compact zooms are great. The Fuji 19-90 gives you the most range in a single lens. The Zeiss compact zooms cover full frame 35mm. Lots of options right now.