2011Cameras (Film/Video/HD) forum
Finding a non-extending zoom lens for Steadicam work with the NEX-FS100
15 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Lenses that do not extend during zooming, offer autofocus and auto iris, and provide a wide zoom range are not readily available on the market for this camera system.
- Sony was developing a professional video lens with LANC control capability expected to be priced around $4000 for use with this camera platform.
- The standard kit lens supplied with the NEX-FS100 extends during zooming, making it unsuitable for Steadicam operation.
- Lens extension during zooming can be managed by making minor adjustments to the Steadicam stage between shots rather than avoiding extending lenses entirely.
- Canon EF mount lenses can be used via adapter, potentially enabling access to a wider selection of non-extending optics.
- Sony A-mount lenses function with autofocus and auto-exposure when used with the LA-EA1 adapter on this camera.
- Nikon F-mount lenses can be adapted to Sony E-mount through third-party adapters, though manual control models lack autofocus and auto-exposure capability.
Depends on
- The Sony professional lens with LANC control was still in development at the time of this discussion and availability was uncertain.
- Auto-focus performance may be unreliable for professional video work compared to manual focus with remote follow focus systems.
- Many adapted lens combinations result in loss of autofocus and auto-exposure functionality.
- Sourcing affordable third-party adapters required dealing with individual sellers and uncertain inventory.
- Proposed Canon EF adapters for this camera system were rumored but not yet available at the time of discussion.