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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 :)

SLR Magic APO HyperPrime mini review

Ben Scott said:
I love it when you guys talk dirty.
Click to expand...

Spits coffee over keyboard...

I realise now that I misread over summilux and summicrons. The crons are what i'm aspiring too, 36mm image circle and pretty lightweight down to 18mm (still T2) and the 15mm isn't that much heavier. So these are the designs that show it's possible.

So an 18mm T2.1 from SLR Magic is not physically impossible at all.

The APO thing is that red light doesn't get focused correctly, that's the case? And i don't think you *need* aspherics to correct that? It's just these days moulded aspherics are a cheap way to correct. The downside with that is that they seem to introduce noisy bokeh balls and general nervousness in the OOF areas. At the high end (summilux) then aspherics are used (maybe those are hand ground) but actually a lot of the reviews of the luxes say they're technically perfect but lacking a bit of soul. Whereas the crons are much more traditional designs and appear a bit more characterful. The SLR Hyperprimes i believe build on that ancestry.

cheers
Paul
 
paulcurtis said:
Spits coffee over keyboard...

I realise now that I misread over summilux and summicrons. The crons are what i'm aspiring too, 36mm image circle and pretty lightweight down to 18mm (still T2) and the 15mm isn't that much heavier. So these are the designs that show it's possible.

So an 18mm T2.1 from SLR Magic is not physically impossible at all.
Paul
Click to expand...

Again: 36mm image circle = a bit beyond S35
44mm image circle = FF35

Getting an 18mm T2.1 lens that is small/inexpensive and that covers FF is the insane design problem.
Regardless, we've gotten to the point of speculating massively about the future of these lenses and my enthusiasm for this set is partially to blame. What we know for sure is that the 32mm T2.1 is coming soon and something wider than the 25mm might be coming afterwards.

I've been looking over the 40GB file that John Brawley was kind enough to share with us and I'm still floored at what an amazing value proposition these lenses are.

Switchable EF/PL mount, light and compact (around 1.1kg per lens), FF coverage (though they do vignette a little), by all accounts good mechanics and customer service, beautiful bokeh and sharp but gentle rendering wide open.
The only real cons are the slight CA on the 25mm, the breathing on the 85mm (though it doesn't look too bad) and the fact that the 50mm's focus gears are not aligned with the other two.

At this price, it looks like these lenses are punching way above their weight.
 
Curious what Phil Holland and Matt Dulcos have to say about these
 
I just ordered the 50mm the other day, should arrive tomorrow. I have a mini and a weapon magnesium, I'll try and upload some frames when i can...
 
Jake Wilganowski said:
I just ordered the 50mm the other day, should arrive tomorrow. I have a mini and a weapon magnesium, I'll try and upload some frames when i can...
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Great... would love to see. Also just curious....why only one lens? just need one lens to complete an already existing package?
 
darren scott said:
Great... would love to see. Also just curious....why only one lens? just need one lens to complete an already existing package?
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I'm very interested in these but of course wouldn't buy the whole line without testing a bit myself, this is the easiest way, can't really rent them anywhere
 
Jake Wilganowski said:
I'm very interested in these but of course wouldn't buy the whole line without testing a bit myself, this is the easiest way, can't really rent them anywhere
Click to expand...

Oh ok. Hope the 32mm is the next to come out or 18. Three lenses is one short of what I would consider a set... 4 is the least IMO.
 
Yes I've shot a lot with the art lenses. They are great, butt too sharp and contrasty for my tastes in owning a personal set. But they are great. Very clinical though. These have more character, which I like.

Quick thoughts: love the APO-ness, zero CA, the 50 has a flare that I like, and a veiling bloom for sources out of frame that grows intense as it approaches the edge, and a rainbow for things passing through frame, both which I like, the bokeh is creamy, they are warm like Cooke, and seem definitely less harsh just in general than sigma, build quality is super solid, and they are not light, I actually add a soft fingerprint on the rear element which gives a nice bloom to sources, I like that kind of thing though

This is all coming for a guy who loves superspeeds and contax zeiss, so i'm looking for certain bloom and lo-con
 
also, everything I've shot is wide open which adds a bit of locon, also what i like
 
Jake Wilganowski said:
Yes I've shot a lot with the art lenses. They are great, butt too sharp and contrasty for my tastes in owning a personal set. But they are great. Very clinical though. These have more character, which I like.

Quick thoughts: love the APO-ness, zero CA, the 50 has a flare that I like, and a veiling bloom for sources out of frame that grows intense as it approaches the edge, and a rainbow for things passing through frame, both which I like, the bokeh is creamy, they are warm like Cooke, and seem definitely less harsh just in general than sigma, build quality is super solid, and they are not light, I actually add a soft fingerprint on the rear element which gives a nice bloom to sources, I like that kind of thing though

This is all coming for a guy who loves superspeeds and contax zeiss, so i'm looking for certain bloom and lo-con
Click to expand...

Have you considered Hollywood blackmagic filters? If not you can look into it....the have 1/4 and 1/8 strengths that have a nice bloom. The 1/8 i have on all the time. gives a nice subtle bloom.
 
For those of you who have tried the SLR magic APO and the offerings from GL optics....which would you go with? Which is better built?

For some reason I cannot see any of the pics anymore that Paul posted. Weird. I have tried 2 browsers.
 
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darren scott said:
For those of you who have tried the SLR magic APO and the offerings from GL optics....which would you go with? Which is better built?

For some reason I cannot see any of the pics anymore that Paul posted. Weird. I have tried 2 browsers.
Click to expand...

That was odd, my AWS account had been suspended, it's back now. So should all be there again. Thanks for noticing because i hadn't...

In answer to your question the GL Optics are just rehouses of existing stills lenses, i don't think the focus are changed on them either. So IMHO the Hyperprimes are hands down a better choice...

cheers
Paul
 
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