Lenses

[kidzrevil]

@PannySVHS thanks man ! These were with the nikkor ais 35mm f1.4 and 85mm f2. Very cinematic in portrait mode with default settings & -3 sharpness. I sold these lenses and got a set of pre ai nikkors that have better rendering and build quality imo

[mercer]

2 hours ago, kidzrevil said:

@PannySVHS thanks man ! These were with the nikkor ais 35mm f1.4 and 85mm f2. Very cinematic in portrait mode with default settings & -3 sharpness. I sold these lenses and got a set of pre ai nikkors that have better rendering and build quality imo

Which pre ai lenses did you get? I have the 50mm f2 and man is that a sharp lens. Btw, Nikon made some Cine Nikkor c-mount lenses you may want to check out. They may give you the best of both worlds and would probably cut nicely with your pre ai lenses. 

[kidzrevil]

@mercer I got the 105mm f2.5 , 50mm f1.4 (s version),35mm f2 (single coated version), 28mm f3.5 (h version), 24mm f2.8 & 85mm f1.8

I love the rendering of these lenses, the low element design really shows in their subject separation. The apsh crop with the speedbooster xl makes them a dream for stills !

Im gonna check out the nikkor c mount lenses, they sound promising 

[mercer]

12 hours ago, kidzrevil said:

@mercer I got the 105mm f2.5 , 50mm f1.4 (s version),35mm f2 (single coated version), 28mm f3.5 (h version), 24mm f2.8 & 85mm f1.8

I love the rendering of these lenses, the low element design really shows in their subject separation. The apsh crop with the speedbooster xl makes them a dream for stills !

Im gonna check out the nikkor c mount lenses, they sound promising 

That's a nice setup. I really liked the pre-ai lenses but then when I bought the D5500, I could only use ai-s lenses with it and to be honest I preferred the shorter focus throw of the ai-s lenses. 

Btw, I did buy one of the 25mm f1.8 Cine Nikkor lenses from a seller in Japan and it had a small blotch of fungus, so I returned it. I think it is still listed on eBay, so just be careful when purchasing it from Japan.

I briefly tested it on the GX85 and it has a really nice rendering. One thing to remember with c-mount lenses though... a lot of them have the aperture ring and focus ring switched, with the focus ring closer to the camera... unsure if that would be annoying to you.

[kidzrevil]

@mercer I do miss the short focus throw of the ais lenses. They're great for any type of photojournalism / run & gun video. A slight turn can give you really cinematic looking focus pulls handheld. I do prefer the build quality and scalloped rings of the pre ai lenses though. I also see the benefits of having lenses with less elements, they look better imo

[sondreg]

Could anyone recommend any decent 70-200mm lenses for photography & video? Using canon ef mount (aps). I'm looking at the Sigma 70-200 2.8, Tamron 70-200 2.8 or possibly a used Canon 70-200 2.8 mk1 (so a bit budgety)

Currently only got a sigma 18-35 which is a little too wide for me. Might also pickup a 50mm sigma art lens in near future. What lens combos are common with the sigma 18-35? Do people usually grab a 24-70 or how do people get that middle ground? The 50-100 Doesn't really appeal to me. Thanks

 

[mercer]

9 hours ago, kidzrevil said:

@mercer I do miss the short focus throw of the ais lenses. They're great for any type of photojournalism / run & gun video. A slight turn can give you really cinematic looking focus pulls handheld. I do prefer the build quality and scalloped rings of the pre ai lenses though. I also see the benefits of having lenses with less elements, they look better imo

Yeah all Nikkor lenses are pretty sweet. I recently bought the 35mm 1.4 and it is crazy good with ML Raw...

 

I think I still have the pre ai 50mm f2... I think I have both the scalloped and the later K version. I'll have to give them a try on the 5D3. Right now I am in the middle of shooting a short with EF lenses, but my next project will be all Nikkor lenses, so your shots are a good reminder to be on the lookout for some good deals. I also used to have the 35-70mm f/3.5 and that was a really nice zoom. It would probably be great speedboosted on the G85. And do you have, or did you have, the ai-s 50mm 1.2? I know a lot of people don't like that lens because it's soft wide open, but I love that dreamy look. 

[PannySVHS]

 

Glenn, I read only the best stuff about the Minolta 35- 70 3.5 Macro, the third version of the 35 70. That might also be a super cool lens speedboosted.

 

I got my 12mm SLR magic now. It´s the first version, the F1.6 one, not the T1.6 version. It has the focus wheel close to the lens mount.

At f2.8 it´s reasonably sharp, popping at F4. 1.6 very gloomy, 2.0 already better, half way between 2 and 2.8 not too bad.

It´s a fun lens. But boy, it is a beast when it comes to handling movement and geometry and speed of movement. Not easy to master without a tripod.

GX85 stabilization does not dampen cheesy camera work. 12mm length is unforgiving when it comes to movement.

All in all a great lens, but version 1 is not a resolution wonder above 2.8. Would put it in the same category as Walimex 24mm 1.4. resolution wise.

Mechanically it is a joy to use. For handheld shooting the position of the focus ring is also nice ergonomically. All in all a winner for the 190 EUR I paid.

Very happy! It´s a beauty on my GX85! With practice the right lens for awesome camera work.

 

[meanwhile]

The very respect Roger Cicala is going to start testing cine lenses as well as stills ones -

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2017/07/why-were-going-to-start-testing-cinema-lenses-and-why-we-havent-before/

 

[jonpais]

Apparently, the Venus Optics Laowa 7.5mm f/2 is a great little UW. It's got a few issues with flare, distortion and vignetting, but it's super compact, all metal construction, it's got an aperture ring (full stop increments only?), and it's only $500. The 105mm f/2 turned out to be a sensational lens when tested by lenstip, but some issues with quality control and its high price led them to have some reservations. At half the price of currently available ultra wide zooms, 1/2 to 1/3 the weight, and with a good full stop advantage in light gathering ability, I think the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 might be the one to get. 

[kidzrevil]

On 7/29/2017 at 0:28 PM, mercer said:

Yeah all Nikkor lenses are pretty sweet. I recently bought the 35mm 1.4 and it is crazy good with ML Raw...

 

I think I still have the pre ai 50mm f2... I think I have both the scalloped and the later K version. I'll have to give them a try on the 5D3. Right now I am in the middle of shooting a short with EF lenses, but my next project will be all Nikkor lenses, so your shots are a good reminder to be on the lookout for some good deals. I also used to have the 35-70mm f/3.5 and that was a really nice zoom. It would probably be great speedboosted on the G85. And do you have, or did you have, the ai-s 50mm 1.2? I know a lot of people don't like that lens because it's soft wide open, but I love that dreamy look. 

Dude I went full non ai nikkor and I am in love. I sold the 35mm f1.4 ais for the 35mm f2 non ai and I like the rendering a little better...less field curvature but with that 3D pop. The 50mm f2 non ai came in the mail today and the rendering looks way better than the 50mm f1.4 non ai and 50mm 1.8 ais I had.

this is with the pana g80 speedbooster xl & 85mm f1.8 non ai & the last shot is the 35mm f2

[cantsin]

1 hour ago, jonpais said:

Apparently, the Venus Optics Laowa 7.5mm f/2 is a great little UW. 

It's fantastic - and pretty much peerless - as a gimbal or drone lens on the Blackmagic Pocket Camera and Blackmagic Micro Cinema camera (where its viewing angle is equivalent to that of a 21mm lens on a full frame camera). 

[mercer]

44 minutes ago, kidzrevil said:

Dude I went full non ai nikkor and I am in love. I sold the 35mm f1.4 ais for the 35mm f2 non ai and I like the rendering a little better...less field curvature but with that 3D pop. The 50mm f2 non ai came in the mail today and the rendering looks way better than the 50mm f1.4 non ai and 50mm 1.8 ais I had.

this is with the pana g80 speedbooster xl & 85mm f1.8 non ai & the last shot is the 35mm f2

Yeah the 50mm f/2 is a special lens. So sharp. Love the look of that 85mm in the first shot. 

[jonpais]

1 hour ago, cantsin said:

It's fantastic - and pretty much peerless - as a gimbal or drone lens on the Blackmagic Pocket Camera and Blackmagic Micro Cinema camera (where its viewing angle is equivalent to that of a 21mm lens on a full frame camera). 

and it's only $410 USD in Hong Kong.

[Matt Kieley]

2 hours ago, kidzrevil said:

Dude I went full non ai nikkor and I am in love. I sold the 35mm f1.4 ais for the 35mm f2 non ai and I like the rendering a little better...less field curvature but with that 3D pop. The 50mm f2 non ai came in the mail today and the rendering looks way better than the 50mm f1.4 non ai and 50mm 1.8 ais I had.

this is with the pana g80 speedbooster xl & 85mm f1.8 non ai & the last shot is the 35mm f2

Stop making me want these lenses.

[Cinegain]

4 hours ago, jonpais said:

Apparently, the Venus Optics Laowa 7.5mm f/2 is a great little UW. It's got a few issues with flare, distortion and vignetting, but it's super compact, all metal construction, it's got an aperture ring (full stop increments only?), and it's only $500. The 105mm f/2 turned out to be a sensational lens when tested by lenstip, but some issues with quality control and its high price led them to have some reservations. At half the price of currently available ultra wide zooms, 1/2 to 1/3 the weight, and with a good full stop advantage in light gathering ability, I think the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 might be the one to get. 

Yup, I recognized its value immediately. Rectilinear like my Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8, yet that one is a beast: heavy and big! And! It hasn't got a filterthread, so you'd have to like have something 3D printed or so. Ended up using it more for stills. The Laowa solves those size/weight and filter issues. Perfect as simple carry around lens, but indeed greatly appreciated for gimbal work (aerial or otherwise). As a launch day pre-orderer I'm getting the lightweight version with a free filter set. Their Facebook mentions they've shipped 'em out this week.

[jonpais]

4 minutes ago, Cinegain said:

Yup, I recognized its value immediately. Rectilinear like my Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8, yet that one is a beast: heavy and big! And! It hasn't got a filterthread, so you'd have to like have something 3D printed or so. Ended up using it more for stills. The Laowa solves those size/weight and filter issues. Perfect as simple carry around lens, but indeed greatly appreciated for gimbal work (aerial or otherwise). As a launch day pre-orderer I'm getting the lightweight version with a free filter set. Their Facebook mentions they've shipped 'em out this week.

I've already booked a flight to Hong Kong for next month to pick one of these bad boys up.

[Cinegain]

32 minutes ago, jonpais said:

I've already booked a flight to Hong Kong for next month to pick one of these bad boys up.

Haha, dedication! I'm a Chinese gadgets fanatic, but I had a hard time finding the actual great-bang-for-buck Chinese brands, when I was there back in '14 (attending the HK Electronics Fair, where there obviously was plenty of 'em though). I crossed the border at Lo Wu (on a 5 days visa) to get to Shenzhen, where it was quite a bit better (SEG Electronics Market and surroundings). Definitely a place to think of visiting!

[Bioskop.Inc]

10 hours ago, kidzrevil said:

Dude I went full non ai nikkor and I am in love. I sold the 35mm f1.4 ais for the 35mm f2 non ai and I like the rendering a little better...less field curvature but with that 3D pop. The 50mm f2 non ai came in the mail today and the rendering looks way better than the 50mm f1.4 non ai and 50mm 1.8 ais I had.

Those shots look really nice!

On 29/07/2017 at 8:16 AM, kidzrevil said:

@mercer I do miss the short focus throw of the ais lenses. They're great for any type of photojournalism / run & gun video. A slight turn can give you really cinematic looking focus pulls handheld. I do prefer the build quality and scalloped rings of the pre ai lenses though. I also see the benefits of having lenses with less elements, they look better imo

I've been on the fence for so long about completing my ai-s set, but it was the short focus throw that was putting me off. However, if the non-ai lenses have a longer focus throw & by the looks of your shots, think I might be going in this direction - longer focus throw will be useful for some of the anamorphics i've got.

The only other consideration might be to go the Medium Format lens route & I've been really impressed by some of these lenses recently - anyone have experience with MF lenses? (Looking for budget conscious lenses btw)

[kidzrevil]

@Bioskop.Inc I have no experience with medium format lenses but I can vouch for the non ai nikkors. The flares are beautiful (if you are into that kinda thing) and the shadow to highlight rolloff is beautiful with diffusion filters. Idk how they perform on a full frame camera though