'red-eye' wide angle adapters at DVinfo.net

Jon Turner · March 16th, 2005, 08:59 AM

any users got any comments on/criticisms of the 'Red-eye'?

Marty Hudzik · March 16th, 2005, 09:06 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Jon Turner : any users got any comments on/criticisms of the 'Red-eye'? -->

I have never heard of this. What is it and could you post a link?

Jon Turner · March 16th, 2005, 09:09 AM

http://www.red-eye.tv/

i guess you have no comments then! ;-)

check it out, anyway. i'm interested because it's cheap, and invented by a cameraman.

Marty Hudzik · March 16th, 2005, 09:34 AM

It didn't say so on the main page but when I selected it to see the price I found that it says it is an aspherical lens. Which is good as these typically they have very little distortion. Can anyone convert these prices to a rough US dollar equivalent so I can get an idea what they cost? It definitely seems intriguing.

Jon Turner · March 16th, 2005, 09:41 AM

this is my local supplier:

http://www.b-hague.co.uk/Wide_Angle_Lens.htm

conversion rate at bottom of page suggests a price of $281.80 for the 0.5x, and $252.00 for the 0.7x

very reasonable, and tempting! that's why i'd like some user feedback!

Marty Hudzik · March 16th, 2005, 09:59 AM

it seems to be worth looking into but I'd like to see some full res sample images first. I currently have the .6x Century adapter and it works great but it has a lot of angular distortion. Colors are great but straight lines are bent at the edges.

IF this "red-eye" is truly an aspherical design like the Bolex WA then it might be worth the investment.

Anyone ever use this? I'm not being trying to be a pessimist but if this is really the cats meow why hasn't the XL community embraced it up until now? I didn't get the impression that i was brand new but maybe it is.

I am just cautious as that old saying: "If it seems too good to be true it probably is."

But still hoping it proves to be the rare find that breaks the rules.

Jon Turner · March 16th, 2005, 10:05 AM

you will be interested in...

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

John Sandel · March 16th, 2005, 10:52 AM

Interesting. Marty, you may be able to save yourself some spondulix ...

I emailed Tom Hardwick to see if he'll weigh in, here. Anybody else have experience with these add-ons?

John Sandel · March 16th, 2005, 11:05 AM

The tvcameramen review says "[T]he Red Eye, manufactured by cameraman Rene Collins in Canada."

Here's Collins's website (with prices in US$):

http://www.collinscraft.com/

That lists www.communiquip.com as the US reseller.

Marty Hudzik · March 16th, 2005, 11:36 AM

While it says it is an aspherical design there are many references to vertical and horizontal bending in the reviews I have seen. This is in direct contradiction to the Bolex which shows no bending and claims that the aspherical design is what allows that.

Anxious to hear what Tom Hardwick has to add since he currently uses the Bolex.

John, did you get your Bolex working yet? Curious to hear your experiences.

Peace!

John Sandel · March 16th, 2005, 12:21 PM

Yeah, I saw that, too. I guess you get what you pay for; here, the lower price (compared with, say, Bolex's aspheric, one of which just sold on Ebay for $845) may also buy you some barrel distortion.

My Bolex is at Century Optics, being fitted. Their backlog on a one-off like mine is more than a week, so I'm suffering its absence while they craft the mount. But I'll note that I could hold the Bolex up to the front of my Canon 14x manual zoom---the rear of the Bolex's housing fitted nicely to the front metal lip of the Canon, preventing scratches to the Canon--and I saw *zero* barrel distortion on the XL2's viewfinder & on my studio monitor. And the angle-of-view was amazing.

Is there anybody on this forum who has a RedEye add-on & can relate their experiences, esp. as to barrel distortion? Any screen-shots to share, perhaps?

Tom Hardwick · March 16th, 2005, 12:24 PM

Thanks for the wake-up call John. I have been interested in getting hold of one of the aspherical RedEye wide-angle adapters for test (they make spherical and aspherical versions). But no luck so far, and I'm certaibly not going to spend that sort of money without doing some tests first. People I've spoken to want to sell me the lens before I try it. No-go.

I've had a look at the lenses, but without trying it on a camcorder all I can say is that the lens is a moulded plastic aspheric (nothing wrong with that) and that it's beautifully multi-coated. The red circle that gives it its name wasn't 100% perfect on the sample I saw, which I thought a bit suspicious.

Of course there's aspherical surfaces galore - more permutations than any spherical lens of course, so until it's tested folks, I can't give it any sort of recomendation at all. The Schneider Kreuznach lenses sold here:

http://www.wittner-kinotechnik.de/katalog/08_aufna/b_optike.php

will remove any barrel distortion (as will the magnificient Bolex Aspheron of course).

tom.

Don Berube · March 17th, 2005, 12:34 PM

Plastic???

Think I'd pass on that one.

- don

Tom Hardwick · March 17th, 2005, 01:21 PM

So you'll be passing on your XL2's 20x zoom lens as well then will you Don? Or maybe you have the XL1s - you won't want to be using that 16x lens either. Why? Well you can bet top dollar that both of them have injection moulded plastic elements in their line-up. There's no way you are going to get a whole camera with two aspherical surfaces in the 12 element zoom for $3500 if you want them all to be polished glass.

tom.

John Jay · March 17th, 2005, 06:09 PM

There's a Zeiss Distagon Aspheron on 'bombay' at the moment - out of my reach with the 20% duty an' all - but hey - Ive been tracking it -- as soon as it hits $500 -- the seller drops 50 $ each listing

who knows

Bolex = 'B' grade Zeissed glass all made by Kern

Zeiss = Zeiss

March 16th, 2005, 08:59 AM	#1
Jon Turner Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: England Posts: 69	'red-eye' wide angle adapters any users got any comments on/criticisms of the 'Red-eye'?

March 16th, 2005, 09:06 AM	#2
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	Re: 'red-eye' wide angle adapters <<<-- Originally posted by Jon Turner : any users got any comments on/criticisms of the 'Red-eye'? --> I have never heard of this. What is it and could you post a link?

March 16th, 2005, 09:09 AM	#3
Jon Turner Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: England Posts: 69	link http://www.red-eye.tv/ i guess you have no comments then! ;-) check it out, anyway. i'm interested because it's cheap, and invented by a cameraman.

March 16th, 2005, 12:21 PM	#11
John Sandel Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: stately Eldora Road Posts: 386	"Many references to bending" Yeah, I saw that, too. I guess you get what you pay for; here, the lower price (compared with, say, Bolex's aspheric, one of which just sold on Ebay for $845) may also buy you some barrel distortion. My Bolex is at Century Optics, being fitted. Their backlog on a one-off like mine is more than a week, so I'm suffering its absence while they craft the mount. But I'll note that I could hold the Bolex up to the front of my Canon 14x manual zoom---the rear of the Bolex's housing fitted nicely to the front metal lip of the Canon, preventing scratches to the Canon--and I saw zero barrel distortion on the XL2's viewfinder & on my studio monitor. And the angle-of-view was amazing. Is there anybody on this forum who has a RedEye add-on & can relate their experiences, esp. as to barrel distortion? Any screen-shots to share, perhaps?

March 17th, 2005, 12:34 PM	#13
Don Berube Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Boston, MA (travel frequently) Posts: 837	Plastic??? Think I'd pass on that one. - don __________________ DONALD BERUBE - noisybrain. Productions, LLC Director Of Photography/ Producer/ Consultant http://noisybrain.com/donbio.html CREATE and NETWORK with http://www.bosfcpug.org and also http://fcpugnetwork.org

March 16th, 2005, 09:34 AM	#4
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	It didn't say so on the main page but when I selected it to see the price I found that it says it is an aspherical lens. Which is good as these typically they have very little distortion. Can anyone convert these prices to a rough US dollar equivalent so I can get an idea what they cost? It definitely seems intriguing.

March 16th, 2005, 09:41 AM	#5
Jon Turner Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: England Posts: 69	this is my local supplier: http://www.b-hague.co.uk/Wide_Angle_Lens.htm conversion rate at bottom of page suggests a price of $281.80 for the 0.5x, and $252.00 for the 0.7x very reasonable, and tempting! that's why i'd like some user feedback!

March 16th, 2005, 09:59 AM	#6
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	it seems to be worth looking into but I'd like to see some full res sample images first. I currently have the .6x Century adapter and it works great but it has a lot of angular distortion. Colors are great but straight lines are bent at the edges. IF this "red-eye" is truly an aspherical design like the Bolex WA then it might be worth the investment. Anyone ever use this? I'm not being trying to be a pessimist but if this is really the cats meow why hasn't the XL community embraced it up until now? I didn't get the impression that i was brand new but maybe it is. I am just cautious as that old saying: "If it seems too good to be true it probably is." But still hoping it proves to be the rare find that breaks the rules.

March 16th, 2005, 10:05 AM	#7
Jon Turner Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: England Posts: 69	you will be interested in... http://www.tvcameramen.com/equipment/equipment11.htm

March 16th, 2005, 10:52 AM	#8
John Sandel Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: stately Eldora Road Posts: 386	Interesting. Marty, you may be able to save yourself some spondulix ... I emailed Tom Hardwick to see if he'll weigh in, here. Anybody else have experience with these add-ons?

March 16th, 2005, 11:05 AM	#9
John Sandel Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: stately Eldora Road Posts: 386	The tvcameramen review says "[T]he Red Eye, manufactured by cameraman Rene Collins in Canada." Here's Collins's website (with prices in US$): http://www.collinscraft.com/ That lists www.communiquip.com as the US reseller.

March 16th, 2005, 11:36 AM	#10
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	While it says it is an aspherical design there are many references to vertical and horizontal bending in the reviews I have seen. This is in direct contradiction to the Bolex which shows no bending and claims that the aspherical design is what allows that. Anxious to hear what Tom Hardwick has to add since he currently uses the Bolex. John, did you get your Bolex working yet? Curious to hear your experiences. Peace!

March 16th, 2005, 12:24 PM	#12
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Thanks for the wake-up call John. I have been interested in getting hold of one of the aspherical RedEye wide-angle adapters for test (they make spherical and aspherical versions). But no luck so far, and I'm certaibly not going to spend that sort of money without doing some tests first. People I've spoken to want to sell me the lens before I try it. No-go. I've had a look at the lenses, but without trying it on a camcorder all I can say is that the lens is a moulded plastic aspheric (nothing wrong with that) and that it's beautifully multi-coated. The red circle that gives it its name wasn't 100% perfect on the sample I saw, which I thought a bit suspicious. Of course there's aspherical surfaces galore - more permutations than any spherical lens of course, so until it's tested folks, I can't give it any sort of recomendation at all. The Schneider Kreuznach lenses sold here: http://www.wittner-kinotechnik.de/katalog/08_aufna/b_optike.php will remove any barrel distortion (as will the magnificient Bolex Aspheron of course). tom.

March 17th, 2005, 01:21 PM	#14
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	So you'll be passing on your XL2's 20x zoom lens as well then will you Don? Or maybe you have the XL1s - you won't want to be using that 16x lens either. Why? Well you can bet top dollar that both of them have injection moulded plastic elements in their line-up. There's no way you are going to get a whole camera with two aspherical surfaces in the 12 element zoom for $3500 if you want them all to be polished glass. tom.

March 17th, 2005, 06:09 PM	#15
John Jay Major Player Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: US & THEM Posts: 827	There's a Zeiss Distagon Aspheron on 'bombay' at the moment - out of my reach with the 20% duty an' all - but hey - Ive been tracking it -- as soon as it hits $500 -- the seller drops 50 $ each listing who knows Bolex = 'B' grade Zeissed glass all made by Kern Zeiss = Zeiss __________________ John Jay Beware *PLUGGER-BYTES*