SDX900 Lenses - 16:9 or Not

I'm hearing rumours that locals are sending their SDX900's out with regular standard def lenses. Does this camera require a lens designed for 16:9 use or can one just stick any old glass on it?

I've got a client that I'm trying to talk into using an SDX900 for some regional spots. They own their own camera equipment but if I can just rent the SDX900 and a paintbox I might be able to make the deal attractive enough that they'll bite. They own a Fujinon wide angle zoom and I'm trying to figure out if we can use theirs or if I'll have to rent one for additional money that may not be available.

Art Adams, DP [film|hdtv|sdtv]
San Francisco Bay Area - "Silicon Valley"
http://www.artadams.net/
Local resource : http://www.artadams.net/localcrew

Art

I have shot 16:9 on the SDX 900 with standard def B4-mount lenses without vignetting or other issues. HD lenses look a lot better, of course, which is especially obvious at the wide end of the lens. You may want more detail with SD lenses than HD lenses.

Best

Byron Shah
DP/LA

>I have shot 16:9 on the SDX 900 with standard def B4-mount lenses >without vignetting or other issues.

Any advice about 16:9? I'm really hoping to shoot this project for letterbox distribution as it will match the client's current ad campaign.

Art Adams, DP [film|hdtv|sdtv]
San Francisco Bay Area - "Silicon Valley"

I should be more clear: I can't shoot 16:9 on an SDX900 with a standard SD zoom, correct?

Art Adams, DP [film|hdtv|sdtv]
San Francisco Bay Area - "Silicon Valley"

>I should be more clear: I can't shoot 16:9 on an SDX900 with a >standard SD zoom, correct?

Hi Art, have a look at the manufacturer's specifications, some SD-lenses are 4:3/16:9 compatible.

Jacques Nortier
South Africa

Hi Art,

>I should be more clear: I can't shoot 16:9 on an SDX900 with a standard >SD zoom, correct?

Yes you can. The wide angle will be focused across the 16:9 chip set and it will be fine. It is the 4:3 that will lose the wide angle of the lens and needs the cross-over lens.

Hope that helps,

Jan M. Crittenden
Product Line Business Manager, DVCPRO50/25, Cameras
Panasonic Broadcast & TV Systems

Art Adams wrote :

>I should be more clear: I can't shoot 16:9 on an SDX900 with a >standard SD zoom, correct?

All zooms for 2/3 chip cameras will work no problem and no vignetting. Since 16x9 is the full width of the CCD your SD zoom's wide end will be a bit longer than on a 4x3 CCD. Your 8mm wide end will now be more like 11mm. If you have a HD zoom it will look better and render the wide end what you are used to seeing.

The 16x9/4x3 compatabile zooms have a secondary lens you throw in to compensate for the 4x3 imaging area. It's a focal length reducer giving you back the wide end on the smaller 4x3 CCD imaging area.

Tom McDonnell
Dir/DP
New Orleans, La

>I have shot 16:9 on the SDX 900 with standard def B4-mount lenses >without vignetting or other issues.

Same here. SD B4 lenses did not vignette in 16:9.

But I do miss 'cine-style- Hd lenses nonetheless. Better markings, better image, etc.

Mark Doering-Powell
LA based DP

Mark Doering-Powell wrote :

>But I do miss 'cine-style- Hd lenses nonetheless. Better markings, >better image, etc.

Don't forget less breathing, these things breath A LOT!

Eric Fletcher SOC
Steadicam/"A" Camera Operator
Los Angeles, CA USA

>I'm hearing rumors that locals are sending their SDX900's out with >regular standard def lenses. Does this camera require a lens designed >for 16:9 use or can one just stick any old glass on it?"

You can use a standard lens w/ any 16:9 camera, you just loose a percentage of the width of the lens. However, you make that up in length; what you loose in width, you gain in telephoto. So, using a standard wide angle might not allow you any more width than using a 16:9 telephoto lens at its widest point.

You might ask your rental house to let you do a test w/ a standard wide angle and w/ their 16:9 telephoto to determine what you will gain w/ the wide angle.

Meredith Seawright
Director of Development
MPS Studios

Recent SDX shoot with a switchable Fujinon zoom lens. The lens had only a 4:3 / 16:9 lever, no 2x extender. The Fujinon lens vignettes badly in full wide 16:9 mode, camera in 16:9. Any idea why? We ended up shooting with the lens in 4:3 and the camera in 16:9.

Dave Winters
DP L.A.

Dave Winters wrote :

>Recent SDX shoot with a switchable Fujinon zoom lens.

A crossover lens will vignette when it is in the 4:3 mode and not in the 16:9 Mode on the SDX900. Have done this myself only to quickly change it back.

Hope this helps,

Jan Crittenden

>Recent SDX shoot with a switchable Fujinon zoom lens.

Sounds like somewhere, the nomenclature is cross referenced here. The lens will vignette badly if you have the wrong function selected. Sounds like you did the right thing and all will be OK.

Lew Comenetz

Video Engineer