Lens test database

[Sanjin Jukic]

JVC's new HD camera ( HDSDI output ) is with Nikon lenses as well.

Stewart

http://www.zoerk.com/_deutsch/adapt2jvc-E.html

[Martin Drew]

Hi Evin

Great idea. Any chance you could be consistent in subject matter and shooting conditions (in the style of DP review) makes it much easier to be objective in assessing the results.

Martin

[RED Russians]

Yeah, thank you Evin! I was thinking wouldn't it be cool if we had some 'real world' tests of lenses, and on the almost identical sized nikon sensor. Great!

Doesn't the fact that with Canon you're forced to use pre mid 80's lenses due to absence of aperture ring in all Canon glass after that really limit their usability/desirability with Red? I'm going Nikon myself tho I'm kind of still tossing up between zooms and primes (or a mix?) in the overall kit. Any thoughts on this would be really welcome.

[Steve Gibby]

Excellent idea Evin. I'll look forward to the test results. I also agree that a subjective analysis is preferrable to just numbers, assuming that we know that the person being subjective has a good eye for aesthetics - something you have.

I can be a resource for you. A business associate of mine has a cache of manual Nikkor lenses. I'll check with him for an itemized list of lenses he has, and if they're ones you don't have, but want to test, I'll bring them to you to test. I'll PM you a list when I get one. My oldest Nikkor lens is a 50mm f1.4, which was on a new Nikon F that I bought when I visited Hong Kong in 1969. (I still have that Nikon F, and occasionally use it, but I prefer to shoot mostly digital nowdays)

[RED Russians]

Evin, you only mention one nikon zoom:

17-35mm f2.8 AFS-D

I'm looking at this too but also a zoom to cover the 50-100+ range. Can you recommend any? What about zoom lens age? I heard 30+ yo lenses to be avoided. Thanks.

[David Nardini]

... also a zoom to cover the 50-100+ range ...

Have a look at one of these, Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 D (assuming you want to stick with zoom Nikkor glass) : http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/80200.htm

[Don Woods]

Canon dose make so sexy glass. I would love if we could get some info from our RED friends if and when they are thinking of doing an EOS mount.. I know they got allot on there plate. But to offer a Nikon Mount and not a Canon for all use guys that went that way is hard. I now have to buy Nikon Lens's that wont go on my 1D.. I would also love to see some of the bigger L series zooms tested that would be interesting. But then again we need that mount.

[Jeff Kilgroe]

I'm going to start testing various still lenses

Evin Grant, you're my hero...

[Finner]

Has anyone thought about what kind of matte box you can throw in front of a stills lens?

I do not think any stats have come out for dimensions of the Red 300mm but I assume it will need 6x6 filters for it especially for grad movement. So does anyone know of a matte box that may work for both stills lens situations & Red lenses? I know the 6x6 box would be huge in front of a stills lens but it may be more cost effective then a 4x4 for stills and the 6x6 for Red lenses. Maybe a 4x4 matte box and filters are cheaper then I think?

[David Nardini]

Canon dose make so sexy glass. I would love if we could get some info from our RED friends if and when they are thinking of doing an EOS mount.. I know they got allot on there plate. But to offer a Nikon Mount and not a Canon for all use guys that went that way is hard. I now have to buy Nikon Lens's that wont go on my 1D.. I would also love to see some of the bigger L series zooms tested that would be interesting. But then again we need that mount.

Hi IMG ... like you I'm Canon based, and kept some of the good Nikkor glass when I switched.

We'll have to wait and see, but given the following back focus measurements (I'm no engineer, but I gather these are near enough) :

• PL mount = 52.0 mm
• Nikon mount = 46.5 mm
• Canon mount = 42.0 mm

So you CAN use Nikkor glass on EOS bodies (with an adapter) ... thus your potential re-investment can be re-used :) ... manually that is.

As you know EOS lenses have no aperture control, and the only way you can set another aperture is a manual hack by mounting the lens on a body, and select aperture while in M-mode. Now comes the 'work-around' ... while keeping depth of field button depressed, unmount the lens ... yuk, yuk, yuk. Clearly not practical ... you can, of course, work at full aperture.
I for one, would love to try the Canon EF-S 10-22mm/f3.5-4.5 for wide-angle underwater work : http://www.eflens.com/efs1022mmf3545usm/.

There is a thread somewhere about an interface to drive the EOS lenses, but I'm unclear if it needs a laptop to drive it (RS232 interface or something like it) ... not something I can contemplate for my housing :(