Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

I was at B&H in New York on the weekend and a sales associate told me he believes this will be the new servo lens available for the FS700. It is the E-mount kit lens on the new NEX-EA50UH (scheduled for October release).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/887069-REG/Sony_nex_ea50h_Sony_NEX_EA50_Camcorder_with.html
Looks like the servo lens will be similar to the current FS700 kit lens in that it is 18-200mm at 3.5. It will have constant aperture and of course the convenience of the servo, but it appears to be slow and have that goofy little iris wheel and thus not a proper three-ring lens that so many users prefer. If this is what is coming for FS700 owners, my reaction is: meh. I was hoping for something better considering the quality of the camera itself. Curious of any thoughts or reactions you may have.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

If you want a constant aperture ENG/CINE style lens for a FS700 or any other S35 sensor camera there are high quality options out there.

The new Fuji lens has true manual controls as well as an attachable servo.

19-90mm (ZK4.7x19) | Premier PL Series | PL Mount Lenses | Digital/Film/Cinema | Optical Devices | Fujifilm USA

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

Thanks Chris. I appreciate the heads up. I just did a little recon on the Fujinon Cabrio lens. Very sweet...but it looks like it costs $38,000. That a budget buster. That Sony option in October is looking better!

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

The kit lens isn't fast but it is a good value for what you get. I am considering selling my non servo version and buying the servo version when they become available.

If you want high optical performance and mechanical rings in a package that doesn't change shape as you focus and zoom it becomes very costly. As much as I wish awesome glass was cheap unfortunately it isn't.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

B&H had it listed for $3,500 for a bit, then it jumped to $4,500. At 3.5K I would have taken a punt on it if I had known.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

Is the only difference between the FS700 kit lens and EA50UH kit lens the servo motor? Or is the servo model really constant 3.5 aperture? They look completely different.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

It is the same as the kit lens. f/3.5 to f/6.3.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

My reaction is "great news", tempered by "how much are they going to charge for it?", once it is actually available on it's own. For those wishing it was constant aperture, consider the physics of light - it would have had to be either 1) much less zoom range, or 2) much, much larger in order to achieve a constant aperture.

If your camera does not spend it's whole life on a dolly, tripod or SteadyCam vest, then a servo zoom lens that fully supports Sony's Active Stabilization is incredibly useful. For the cinema guys, probably no so much. But in the real world, sometimes you just can't dolly to the position you need to be in, and often there is no "Take 2".

The EA50 itself is not particularly interesting in it's features, given that it's more or less a NEX-5n shoehorned into an e-mount camcorder body...

However, the new body shape of the EA50 looks to be absolutely fantastic - the forward mounted 3.5" LCD, and permanently attached handle with extra zoom and REC buttons are what the FS700 should have had from the start for superior ergonomics. The FS700's back mounted LCD is a farce, and it's a real shame to have to use a low resolution DP4 just because you can't see the camera's own high resolution screen from many positions when doing hand held work. Ahh, the price of slow motion...

Would love to see a EA700 - FS700 sensor, electronics & slow motion features in an EA50 body!

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

I too will likely buy the new servo and sell the existing kit lens, (although I am getting used to it). I hope there is a market for them. We won't be alone.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

Same Christmas wish here.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

But how will it focus because the existing 18-200 is a varifocal and the focus changes as you zoom. Will Sony be clever and add additional software to the power zoom lens to track the focus as you zoom, which in turn will need some form of back focus mechanism.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

Based only on the photo, I think Sony will have to be clever. I've never seen a servo lens that has the glass protrude and retract from the main barrel as DSLR camera lenses do. But who knows? It's a whacky world these days. I'm keeping an open mind and hoping it is a step up from the kit lens. My feeling is that the FS700 will be my production camera, and my EX3 will remain my EFP camera. In time, as more aftermarket third party do-dads become available for the FS700, I will find a way to migrate them together.
And then there is matching the picture.....

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

In this video of Dan Chung interviewing a Sony rep, you can clearly see the barrel of the new 18-200mm servo lens extending as he works the zoom rocker:

But this of course goes back to physics... the lens would have had to be much larger to support internal zoom with that range of focal lengths on a e-mount size sensor. Apparently Sony decided to keep the size of the lens small, and have it do something I don't think has ever been done on a video lens before. Who knows, perhaps this will keep the price in check as well, because servo zooms for other formats tend to be ferociously expensive.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

Hmmm, not sure what to make of that lens. Price will be a factor. I like the ENG layout of that camera but they lost me at no ND filters. Thanks for posting that video. It was interesting.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

Any news on wether this lens will be available by itself for use with the FS700?

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

It will be available as a separate item in the new year.

Having used one, I do quite like it. It's almost par focal, not perfect but close. The zoom speed is quite slow but it is convenient to use.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

Thanks, Alister.

I plan to grab one as soon as they are available. Didn't get the Sony lens with the FS700, and can see that we really need the autofocus and IS.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

I just did a handheld shoot with the silver lens and have to say that it was the most confounding experience I've had in years. Everything from the placement of the rings (focus closer to the body than zoom), the direction of rotation on zoom, the drive-by-wire response, the location of the iris control on the body (always took a while for fingers to find it, and it was slow-responding)...this was a run and gun shoot and everything was weighed against us with this lens. The ramping aperture was another nightmare. I continue to fail to see who these lenses will benefit--last year I attempted a narrative piece with the similar lens for the F3 and was constantly confounded by having to light each set to a high stop to avoid running out of exposure when zoomed in, the look was more like a 2/3" camera due to that stop. I assumed at the time that this lens would be better served by a broadcast style of shooting, but after having suffered through that, I now wonder--who does this kind of lens serve? Please weigh in.

(below: me showing my feelings about this setup on set!)

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

Charles I agree with you a variable iris lens is bad for most ENG style work.

I use Canons 24-70 f2.8 as my primary lens on the 700. I think of it as a variable prime. I also usually carry a 70-200 f2.8 and a 17-40 f4 as well. I also sometimes bring a 100-400 Canon with a 2x for ridiculously long shots (wildlife) and a 8mm f3.5 as extreme wide. This gives me a huge range

This may sound like a PITA switching lenses all the time but it really is not that bad. And you gain the large imager look. I enjoy shooting with all these lenses, though it takes a big kit case, in my case it all fits in a pelican.

Just think about how big and expensive a 18-360 f 2.8 would be. This would be equivalent to a 2/3 20X ENG lens.

That said for compact R&G I still opt for an EX3.

Everything is a compromise. I do have the kit lens but rarely use it. I have found it useful for auto focus in certain situations, it really does that well. But I never used auto focus on any other lens ever, so this is new to me. So far it has impressed me on how it will stay focused on person walking towards the camera even when passing behind an object like a parasol. The IS is also very good. I would rather have it be a constant f4 than variable, but that is probably asking too much for a cheap smallish lens.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

Charles, I recognize that 'Silver Lens Look' on your face.
I see my rig is similar to yours… except I've added a follow focus on the right rail, which I find helps when I'm in a hurry.

When I'm not using the SmallHD EVF, I also mount a $50 follow focus stick on the left rail… geared to the zoom ring. It works amazingly well.
I'll post a photo in a few days.

Olof… I'd love to compare your 24-70 f2.8 Canon to my 24-70 f2.8 Zeiss.
I know, I keep promising to drop in… I have a shoot in New York soon, maybe on the way down.

Bill Kerrigan
Montreal
http://fs700user.com

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

Bill, the Zeiss looks really nice, I would love to see it and compare.

Do drop by on the way if you have the time.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

Hi Alister and all.

FWIW. Today I spent about 30 minutes trying to get the E PZ 18-200 F3.5-6.3 OSS SELP18200, the servo lens that comes with the Sony NEX-EA50UH camcorder to work on an FS700.

No matter what I tried the camera just would not 'see' the lens at all. Physically it fits, that's it. No servo zoom, no auto focus, no auto iris... nothing! NADA! On the FS700 screen in the bottom left where you would see the current aperture indicated it just displayed an F---. An F followed by dashes. Didn't make any difference whether the camera was in auto mode or manual.

I ran through most of the camera setting permutations I could think of at the time and still no response from the lens. Put the lens back on the EA50 and it springs back to life. Well when I say 'springs' back to life I use that term rather loosely because the zoom is close to glacially slow. Even the fastest of the three pre-selectable speeds is very leisurely to say the least. I guess it has to be to give the auto focus time to keep up with it being a varifocal lens. Whether the camera, lens or both need some kind of firmware upgrade to communicate with one another who knows. Maybe Sony will release a version of this SELP 18200 that specifically talks to the FS700. Or maybe a different servo lens. Who can guess with Sony!

There again, I may have missed something in the settings but I don't think so. At least it was worth a try.
Back to the ELP 18200 and the primes!

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

I expect there to be a firmware update for the camera itself before that lens works.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

What Chris said. The FS700 will require a firmware update to talk to the power zoom. It will come,just don't know when.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

Just for laughs, and out of pure curiosity, I threw the SELP1650 (16-50mm power zoom) from the new NEX6 mirrorless camera on the FS700...

The SELP1650 has an interesting / odd characteristic on the NEX6 /5r. In stills mode, the zoom lever racks the zoom back and forth very quickly, but when the NEX6 is in video mode, the zoom lever moves the lens through it's rather short range somewhat more slowly - almost slow enough for video work, but not quite. The lever is not pressure sensitive - the speed is the speed, you either like it or you don't (I don't), and there is no speed adjustment either on the lens, or in the NEX6 menu settings.

Anyway, the SELP1650 mounted on the FS700 does report back it's aperture, and the FS700 is happy to work with it in either manual or auto mode. Auto-focus is about the same as with the FS700 kit lens. Active mode stabilization is *not* functional, but regular mode is (the Sony store specs claim that it does have "OSS - Active", but this is not my finding). And finally, the zoom speed on the FS700 is the same as the zoom speed for stills on the NEX6 - way too fast. It apparently does not recognize that it is attached to a video camera operating in video mode.

It's not a lens you'd want to use on the FS700, but mostly I was curious to see if the FS700 zoom rocker did anything with this lens.

It does not.

However, since the NEX6 does not have any way to trigger zoom from the body, it's hard to say if this lens is actually supposed to "power zoom" and at the moment the FS700's rocker is just "vestigial" as Mr. Young discovered in the case of the SELP18200 (3 posts above), or if the lens is just so cheap that Sony couldn't be bothered hooking up the E-mount contacts to the zoom motor...

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

Wow. We were going to test this tomorrow, Thursday. We shot a couple videos with the NEX-EA50 and have more coming soon:

Omega Broadcast Group - YouTube

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

The nex6 also autocorrects the very very severe barrel distortion at the wide end and the fs700 does not.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

You guys are pros with helpers and rigs. The silver lens is good for oneman convenience and inconspicuity. The active stabilization is very useful if you cant mount camera on shoulder, and no other lens stabilization ever approaches its effectiveness. As for vari aperture i just kept it at 6.3 if i cant deal. Focus by wire you get used to.

Indoors ans lowlight the silver lens cant keep up, but then i just use the f1.8 emount primes. Small and light and again inconspicuous.

Precisely because the fs cams are so awkward to handle in reactive shooting, the auto focus i find very valuable. Relieves the finger contortion.

The pushauto aperture pinky button on the fs700 handle proved to me beyond doubt that sony really wants to f with you... Who the hell needs the wellplaced still photo button and why isnt the aperture there? or pushauto focus. Give you a needed functionality but make it just barely useable.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

We put the new servo zoom lens on the FS700 and the camera rocker does NOT control zoom. The slider on the lens itself works fine though for zooming. If you have seen the lens has a low, medium and high switch and then a switch for "manual" or "servo".

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

Yes, I'm fully aware that the NEX6 has a built in auto-correct for both distortion, and vignetting. However, my post was already quite long, and I strongly doubt that anyone here actually cares about that, which was why I didn't mention it.

What I was most curious about was whether the FS700 would recognize the lens as part of the E-mount family (it did), and whether the FS700 zoom rocker had any effect (it didn't).

But since you bring it up, the SELP1650 vignettes horribly on the FS700 at "16mm"... but it's "16mm" is actually noticeably wider than the SEL16F28's 16mm (the E-mount 16mm f2.8), so one must presume that the SELP1650 is actually more like 14mm or 14.5mm at it's widest, and the NEX6 makes it a "16mm" lens via an electronic crop to control the vignetting.

As I clearly stated... not a lens you'd want to use on the FS700, just a fun experiment.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

Dude, relax. I tried it on the FS700 too, for the same reason, and got the same results. "Also" = in addition to what you stated, not "but you're forgetting this."

I happen to think the 16-50, if not for the distortion (and vignetting), would've been useful for some handheld shooting. So light, and stabilized, and a good range, and with mechanically zoom hopefully eventually. The only other stabilized lens that goes this wide is the Canon 15-85mm via Metabones, but that's way heavier.

Re: Is this the new servo lens for FS700?
 

LOL - I am relaxed - we are always relaxed here in the tropics... unless we're not!

So you don't consider the Sony E-mount 10-18mm f4.0 OSS (SEL1018) a contender in the wide category???

Mine is on the way, but importation & customs takes quite some time here (because those guys are quite relaxed too).

Personally, I think it is one of the most interesting wide angle lenses released for any format or mount in quite some time. This one seems to have everything going for it. All that remains to be seen is whether it operates in Steadyshot Standard or Active mode. Sony specs say Active, however, since they lied about the SELP1650, I tend to be suspicious until it is sitting on the front of my FS700. Either way, it will be fine, but Active is so much nicer hand held...