Modern Lenses + Filtration vs Vintage

[Jacob James]

What would be your preference?

A set of vintage lenses like Contax Zeiss/Leica Rs that have some character or a newer set of primes like Sigma Cine with a bit of BPM or similar to add some softness and character that way?


Interested to hear your opinions!

 

[Jake Wilganowski]

Never looks the same, having it in the lens is best by far

 

[Misha Engel]

Going from almost perfect to distorted is easier than going from distorted to almost perfect.

 

[Nick Morrison]

There are no correct answers.

Vintage lenses have a number of specific design choices that can't be replicated - even with filtration. Particularly bokeh, flare, fall off, and distortion.

There is a reason they are so popular.

 

[Michael Lindsay]

There are no correct answers.

Vintage lenses have a number of specific design choices that can't be replicated - even with filtration. Particularly bokeh, flare, fall off, and distortion.

There is a reason they are so popular.

+1 Nick is 100% right..... but also conversly shooting with somthing like masterprimes with a 1/2 or 1 Glimmer glass creates a unique image that can't be replicated with older glass.... all very subjective!

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Just depends -- most shows, I'd rather have good modern glass and use diffusion because now and then, I need to avoid a flare from a bright window or need more corner sharpness for an effects composite, etc. I can always soften a sharp lens but I can't sharpen a soft lens. But diffusion is not the same look as a vintage lens.

 

[Phil Holland]

I'm with you there David. I tend to prefer a cleaner optic that I can dirty up. But I still have a host of weird older glass, particularly the 60s, 70s, then jumping to the 90s that is just unique. More or less if there's a culprit it's the materials that are no longer allowed to be used in modern lens manufacturing in most companies. That and those few special lens engineers who came up with this crazy stuff back before simulations ruled the land when designing glass. The glass itself has changed, even on just a dispersion level.