'red-eye' wide angle adapters

[Greg Jacobson]

I am actually in the market for a wide angle that gives the MOST distortion without having to use a fisheye. Sharpness is important. Price does not matter.

So go with a red-eye or a non-zoom through Century?

[Rene J. Collins]

Hello Greg,

If you're looking for distortion, The Red Eye may not be for you.

When I've had request for a fish eye effect from my customers, I’ve suggested they turn The Red Eye adapter around so that you’re looking at the lens from the wrong side. It seemed to work for them. Of course it's not designed for this but it will produce slightly more barrel distortion that way and possibly save you some money.

As I mentioned on a previous post, one of the 4 returns over the past 11 yrs was because the Red Eye did NOT produce enough barrel distortion for him.

You may want to try other adapters to see if that trick works for you.

Typically, this trick will work best on low index, spherical glass adapters with a larger radius. Barrel distortion (AKA geometric distortion) is influenced by the type of material used as well as the radius of the lens.

Depending on the lens design, high index or aspheric lenses are less prone to this effect.

Optex and Century make great products. When your testing there adapters, test the Red Eye as well.

So, make your choice based on your needs and budget.

Best regards,

Rene J. Collins
Collinscraft Canada
The Red Eye Guy

[Rene J. Collins]

Hello Tony,

I'm interested in knowing which aspect of the tvcameramen.com Red Eye review concerned you. I may have some answers for you.

In the end, both of the cameramen that did the review bought the demo units I sent. I keep in touch with them and they seem very happy with their adapters.

Johnny Saunderson has since purchase a number of the 82 mm Red Eye adapters. I have their e-mail address's if you wish to contact them for their thoughts.

Kindly let me know when you get the chance. redeye@collinscraft.com

Very best regards,

Rene J. Collins
President
Collinscraft Canada
The Red Eye Guy

<<<-- Originally posted by Tony Davies-Patrick : Having now thoroughly read through the reports shown earlier:

http://www.tvcameramen.com/equipment/equipment11.htm

...I cannot honestly see any advantages over the Optex glass - which I've found to be extremely good so far.

I look forward to reading the DV forum reviews or seeing the results with my own eyes, but both reviews on the website - The Red Eye in Lebanon & The Red Eye in Ireland - have slightly dampened my enthusiasm for the Red Eye. -->>>

[Greg Jacobson]

thanks, but what is "high index"?

[Arlie Nava]

Rene, how muach would it cost to ship red eye to the philippines? Or do you already have a dealer here?

Thanks

[Rene J. Collins]

<<<-- Originally posted by Greg Jacobson : thanks, but what is "high index"? -->>>

<<<-- Originally posted by Greg Jacobson : thanks, but what is "high index"? -->>>

One factor in lens design is refractive index. A high index material will require less of a radius to produce a give focal length, as compared to a low index material.

In short, high index material it denser and bends light more, low index bends light less.

There are literally hundreds of glass, plastic, even what we would call rock and other materials used in optical design that all offer up various optical properties for the visible and invisible electromagnetic spectrum.

Commonly referred to as “substrates”. Each formulation of these substrates have their own complex properties that help in designing optical systems. A lens makers choice of materials is based on a very large number of factors.

Also, the refractive index measurement is relative to the frequency of light the lens will be used in.

The binders listing optical glass choices etc that I have are literally 2” thick and are a study in optics in them selves.

Look up these glass manufacturers , Schott Glass, Ohara, Hoya, Corning. They have online catalogues that will help you in understanding what goes into a simple lens and may offer more insight.

Best regards,

Rene J. Collins
Collinscraft Canada
The Red Eye Guy

[Marco Leavitt]

Any chance of producing a Series 9 version? It's commonly used in film. There are currently a lot of people using 16mm cameras that have been modified for Super16, but most of the existing lenses wider than 12mm vignette. People desparately want wider primes in this format, but lenses for 35mm cameras are insanely expensive and hardly anybody is making lenses specifically for Super16. Even those are insanely expensive. I think you'd sell tons if approached this market.

[Rene J. Collins]

<<<-- Originally posted by Arlie Nava : Rene, how muach would it cost to ship red eye to the philippines? Or do you already have a dealer here?

Thanks -->>>

Hello Arlie, I have a distributor in Singapore who handles sales in your region. Contact Derrick Ang at LSV Enterprise Pte Ltd to arrange for a demo. I’m new to the forum so I hope it’s OK to post the contact info:

Contact:
Derrick Ang
L S V Enterprise Pte Ltd
No.629, Aljunied Road,
#08-14, Cititech Industrial Building,
Singapore 389838
Phone : (65) 744 6775
Fax : (65) 744 3193
e-mail :Derrick Ang
http://www.lsv.com.sg


Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

All the best,

Rene J. Collins
Collinscraft Canada
The Red Eye Guy

[Arlie Nava]

thanks Rene. guess i'll be writing you and email soon.

[Rene J. Collins]

Hello Marco,

I’ve been giving some thought to doing something allong those lines but not exactly a series 9 system. I’ll need to keep those plans for myself for the time being.

However, I have used the 82 mm Red Eye on some 16 mm film commercials. It will work on prime lenses with short focal lengths. The thing is, you may need to adapt the Red Eye in some way so that it will stay on the film lens. As you know, film lenses come in all flavors.

I always encourage people to test first before they commit just to make sure The Red Eye will work for them.

Rene J. Collins
Collinscraft Canada
The Red Eye Guy

<<<-- Originally posted by Marco Leavitt : Any chance of producing a Series 9 version? It's commonly used in film. There are currently a lot of people using 16mm cameras that have been modified for Super16, but most of the existing lenses wider than 12mm vignette. People desparately want wider primes in this format, but lenses for 35mm cameras are insanely expensive and hardly anybody is making lenses specifically for Super16. Even those are insanely expensive. I think you'd sell tons if approached this market. -->>>

[Tony Davies-Patrick]

Rene, I cannot obviously say how good a lens is until I actually try it out myself, but some of the points mentioned in the review slightly bothered me, such as:

"...I was looking for an opportunity to try on the Red Eye but as I was limited to only one focal length I decided to film without it. Once the Red Eye is fitted on the lens the focus can only be achieved by the use of the macro or by changing the back focus. Changing the back focus is not that great an idea when you are on location..."

"...The Red Eye's curved image managed to show the whole cell and the curved distortion emphasized..."

"...Once outside though, at the mercy of the strong Middle East sun, every little spot of dirt was visible. The lens shade was visible in the corners of the picture. I had to cut down the light with the ND filters and make sure that I used the minimum depth of field and make sure the focus of the lens was set on maximum..."

"...This is not a lens that you have on your camera but rather a lens that you carry with you to get you out of tight situations..."

"...The disadvantage is that it is not a zoom-through lens and that you need to have a lens with a macro facility (back focus can be used instead of the macro but I would not recommend it). The Red Eye has some slight distortion, vertical and horizontal lines close to the lens curve..."

"...My first instinct was to hold it up and gaze at a wonderfully distorted, crystal-clear view..."

"...I have dabbled with the idea of forking out the cash and buying a wide angle lens..."

"...'that occasional wide shot'..."

"...Off comes the lens hood, then off with the clear/UV filter and then on with the wide angle...for the kind of news shot where even that kind of time scale is impractical, I ain't gonna worry about wide angle anyway!"

"...On the downside, by its very nature the Red Eye cannot allow 'zoom-through' operation as zooming dramatically alters the focal length and hence the focus!..."


The above are just some of the comments that made me think twice about the Red Eye. Obviously there are a lot of positive points mentioned in both articles, but to be honest, I did not read any advantages at all over the Optex glass, and would want to realise at least some advantages before forking out extra money.

Both reports seem to emphasise the fact that using the Red Eye wide-angle was almost an afterthought to their main film footage, and only used it when they had plenty of time on their hands, or to get them out of a tight situation for short clips - "...a Red Eye shot or two..." - but rarely for prolonged use. For me, and I'm sure many others, the need for a wide angle is extremely important, not just to 'get that short take when it's difficult to fit everything in', but more so as a main, sharp, glare-free, high contrast wide angle lens for prolonged use.


Please note that the above are not my negative views on the Red Eye, as I have never tried one, but just my thoughts after 'reading between the lines' of reviews made by previous users. I am still very interested in viewing actual footage, and reading more reviews, that will hopefully change any negative thoughts I have, and eventually sway me into trying one.

[Chris Hurd]

Tony, we're working with Rene on a Red Eye review for DV Info Net. It'll be as extensive as possible with photos, video clips, etc. I'm not sure it'll be an XL2 Watchdog review or an article for some other part of the site, but I can assure you that it'll be fresh and accurate content. NAB is bearing down on me like a runaway freight train, but I'm trying to get this project coordinated in a timely fashion. Hope this helps,

[Tony Davies-Patrick]

I look forward to your detailed review, Chris.

[Greg Jacobson]

So who knows of a wide angle adapter that is sharp but gives a lot of distortion.

I know that I can just get a fisheye but I don't want that wide or that distorted of a lens. In fact I don't care at all about going wider, just the distortion is needed.

And no, I don't want to do it in post.

Are there any special effect lenses that are just for distortion?

[Tom Hardwick]

There certainly are such lenses Greg. Century make a good barrel-distorting fisheye doublet, but it sure costs. When I need the maximum barrel distortion I film through the front element of my Tecpro 0.5S converter.

This lens unscrews to seperate the +10 dioptre close-up lens and a very powerful (and very distorting) negative element. This covers the full frame, is only half zoom through but is very sharp and well coated.

tom.