Re: Eclair ACL zoom lenses vs. primes ... the Angenieux 12-120

[Mark <super16acl@aol.com>]

A Zeiss zoom is almost certainly better than cheap primes ... like the 
Angenieux primes.  But all things being equal, a quality zoom simply can't be 
as good as a quality prime in 16mm when you're looking at Blow-up to either 
35mm or HDTV (for regular 4:3 TV transfer, it may not matter as much). I once 
got away with a few quick inserts using the Angeniuex 17.5-68 ... but only 
with very close-up shots. Wide shots will easily reveal the lesser 
resolution. And sharpness aside, an older design zoom will generally breathe 
on a focus pull much more than a prime. Also to consider is the age of the 
Zoom design. Newer design zooms are probably exponentially better than a 60s 
or 70s era zoom ---- on the other hand a 30 year-old Zeiss Prime with good 
coatings is still a fantastic lens today. Mark. PS - When blowup is 
concerned, I've heard many DPs refer to using the Angenieux 12-120 as 
shooting through a coke bottle. I've seen many feature documentaries blown-up 
that were likely shot with that lens, and on a theatrical screen they look 
unsharp. On the other hand I shot an indie a few years back with Zeiss primes 
(under-rating the film stock by 1/3 stop for added shadow depth), and no one 
ever asked if it was a blowup.

==^================================================================
This email was sent to: elroro@propagandaindustries.org

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84xYK.a9svPI
Or send an email to: EclairACL-unsubscribe@topica.com

T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register
==^================================================================