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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Differences in lens brands

Andy Jarosz

Andy Jarosz

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I'm getting tired of the one slow kit lens for my GH1. And I really would like to go with another brand of full manual lenses. There are lots of adapters, but the most available are for Nikon F, Pentax K, and Leica M.

Most would say go with the Leicas--I know they were high quality back in the day. But why? What's the differences between the three brands, and what should I be looking for?
 
Leica M-lenses are excellent -- but the fast ones are so expensive, you'll be better off buying a PL adapter and a set of Red Pro Primes. For example, the Leica Summilux 24mm f/1.4 is $6000, while a RPP 25mm T1.8 is $3800 (set price). The RPPs are of course much better suited for cine shooting.

So IMHO, if you can afford Leicas, get RPPs instead.

If you're looking for something less expensive, the Zeiss ZF lenses (Nikon mount) are very good. I recommend getting a modded set from Duclos Lenses ,with focus gear, 80mm front ring, and de-clicked aperture. http://www.ducloslenses.com/DL/ZeissZF.html These will be much better for cine work than the modern primes from Nikon, Canon etc.
 
Get Arri-Zeiss Master Prime set and a Master Zoom and be done with it. :biggrinjester:

Seriously: Speed, sharpness, contrast, build quality, focus range, breathing, flare, ghosting, chromatic aberrations, distortion, vignetting, weight, price, etc... it all depends on what you are trying to film and achieve and what the budget is. It is like asking, which brand of a car you should buy?
 
I'm not shooting super pro here--remember this is still only a GH1 we're talking about, not a RED, so I'd prefer to keep things under the cost of the camera itself.
 
Andy Jarisz said:
prefer to keep things under the cost of the camera itself.
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The Voigtländer SL-lenses are similar to the Zeiss ZFs in quality (made at the same factory) -- but less expensive. Available in Nikon and Pentax mount.

Voigtlander Color Skopar 20mm f/3.5 $549.00
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f/2 $379
Voigtlander Nokton 58mm f/1.4 $379
 
I would say Contax Yashica mount Zeiss lenses are the best at the lowest price. They are basically the same optically as the ZFs but sell used in excellent condition for about a third of the price. They have cinema like buttery smooth long focus throws and rotate in the "right" direction - i.e. the same as zeiss cine lenses rather than reverse like the nikon lenses.

They have the Zeiss T* coatings and the famous zeiss sharpness and contrast/microcontrast.
 
Andy Jarisz said:
I'm not shooting super pro here--remember this is still only a GH1 we're talking about, not a RED, so I'd prefer to keep things under the cost of the camera itself.
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The lens is more important than the camera.
 
Liam Hall said:
Stephen, I'm talking formats not focal lengths, ie using a lens designed for 35mm stills (135 format) will have a crop factor of x2.
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Lenses are named by whatever the focal length written it says it is. What the lens was originally designed for makes no difference.
Am 80mm on a Hassleblad is a standard lens for 6 x 6 cm format, if placed on a RED will behave like any other 80mm lens on a RED.
 
Stephen Williams said:
Lenses are named by whatever the focal length written it says it is. What the lens was originally designed for makes no difference.
Am 80mm on a Hassleblad is a standard lens for 6 x 6 cm format, if placed on a RED will behave like any other 80mm lens on a RED.
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But on the RED, the image captured will have a smaller angle of view. That's what we are talking here. Yes the lens will behave in exactly the same way, but the image created on the two formats will be different. Commonly referred to all over the internet as a crop factor or am I being really stupid?
 
Liam Hall said:
But on the RED, the image captured will have a smaller angle of view. That's what we are talking here. Yes the lens will behave in exactly the same way, but the image created on the two formats will be different. Commonly referred to all over the internet as a crop factor or am I being really stupid?
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Generally lenses are refered to by focal length, not angle of view.

Confusion caused by people by talking about crop factors does not help anyone. Red primes currently go from 25mm to 100, any one elses lenses with the same focal length will produce the same FOV & Crop on a RED One.
 
Perhaps this helps,

A 15mm lens would be a standard lens in S16, A very wide lens in S35 & en extreamly wide lens if FF35.
A 32mm lens is a long lens in S16, a standard lens in S35 & a slightly wide lens in FF35,
The focal length written on the lens never change.

What is focal length ? http://www.paragon-press.com/lens/lenchart.htm
 
Stephen Williams said:
Perhaps this helps,

A 15mm lens would be a standard lens in S16, A very wide lens in S35 & en extreamly wide lens if FF35.
A 32mm lens is a long lens in S16, a standard lens in S35 & a slightly wide lens in FF35,
The focal length written on the lens never change.
Click to expand...

Yeah - isn't this the crop factor we've been talking about all along?
 
Stephen Williams said:
The focal length written on the lens never change.
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Stephen, no one said it would.

I guess the term "crop factor" bugs you a bit, but in a world saturated with different formats many people find it helpful and I think we all know what I was talking about.

I do understand your point, but you must admit "Crop Factor" is a better term than "Focal Length Multiplier", the term used by B&H Photo to describe the same thing. That even makes me come out in a rash:)
 
Liam Hall said:
Stephen, no one said it would.

I guess the term "crop factor" bugs you a bit, but in a world saturated with different formats many people find it helpful and I think we all know what I was talking about.

I do understand your point, but you must admit "Crop Factor" is a better term than "Focal Length Multiplier", the term used by B&H Photo to describe the same thing. That even makes me come out in a rash:)
Click to expand...

It is only annoying because it has been explained 1000 times - primarily because it has become a totally misleading term. It was only useful at the beginning of DSLRs when the comparison was always to the 35mm 24x36 film because it was basically the only thing used in semiserious still photography. Now there are millions of people buying Digital cameras that have never even loaded a roll of 35mm film. And we have had numerous sensor sizes from 4/3 to APS-C to APS-H to Full frame (kind of a silly designation since they ALL shoot full frame?) plus the medium format sizes. Not to mention that the vast majority of motion picture people are coming from the video world where normal was 2/3" or less.

Without a common reference point that virtually everyone understands the idea of a "crop factor" becomes a hindrance rather than a help (and it often leads people down mental pathways that make it even harder to understand and communicate).

So at this point it is probably better to just understand that a "normal" lens gives an angle of view (diagonal) of about 45 degrees and then figure out what focal length gives you that for your particular sensor size and then anything higher gives you more telephoto and lower is more wide angle.

So if APS-C/RED/S35 is normal at a little over 30mm then an 80 mm lens will be a short telephoto on your REDONE regardless if it was made for S35, or full frame SLRs or 645 medium format .
 
Liam Hall said:
Stephen, no one said it would.
:)
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Hi Liam,

You wrote earlier in the thread "If you go for 35mm stills glass don't forget you'll have a 2x crop factor. "

That implies that the focal length written on the lens is wrong when used with a RED. It makes no difference if the still lenses are designed for DX or FF35, the focal length written on them is what they are.

Stephen
 
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