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Using Nikon Lenses

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Robert Mott

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1. What are the issues using Nikon Lenses as opposed to PL on the Epic?
2. Are there any obvious flaws with this thinking?
3. Will the lenses cover the entire sensor?
4. What would I sacrifice?
 
Nikon Lenses are designed to cover 24mm x 36mm frame. which is larger than the Epic sensor. If you use a good solid mount, not the standard Nikon mount, these lenses are firmly mounted.

I use the Nikon lens system on my Red One MX and love it. The lenses are optically cherry and I like the look. Now, remember that the "look" is a very personal thing. I also like the Cooke look. But for a feature I am working on and for commercials I love the Nikon glass. It's very sharp, has great bokeh, and a natural feel.

However here are some considerations.

1. I use the Optitek Nikon mount which locks the lens like a PL mount.
2. The lenses breathe a little in focus pulls. It is very slight, and so do many other lenses.
3. The lenses are not mechanically as robust as cine lenses and the focus turn on the barrel is on many lenses between a 1/4 and 1/2 turn. Therefore use a good follow focus system with a reverse gear so your AC will be in sync. Use gears that are solidly mounted on the barrels.
4. I understand that the Epic will take advantage of auto focus and iris features on the newer Nikon lenses so this could be a nice advantage to using Nikon glass.

I have been using these lenses in still and film (on a Hard front modified ARRI IIC) for TV commercial work for over 35 years. I really like the images they produce. Some of the most famous photographs in the world have been taken with Nikons.

BTW I am not associated with Nikon in any way. These are just my professional observations.
 
Nikon glass is awesome. Richard sums it up nicely. Only thing I would add is that the Nikon DX series lenses only cover their DX format sensor (APS-C equivalent), which still happens to fit within a 31mm image circle and they will cover the S35 window as well as EPIC 5K. So coverage is not an issue on those lenses either.

Nikon mount for the EPIC is supposed to be full electronic, so we can use all the electronic functions.

As I'm finding myself needing to be more mobile these days, my primary mobile EPIC kit will fit in a backpack and will include the Nikon 14-24, 24-70 and 70-200 as the primary lenses I bring. I'll also bring longer if I'm shooting wildlife. I also have the 70-300, but it's not as nice as the 70-200, just nice to have the extra range at times, at the expense of image quality.

Lens mount changes should be very easy on the DSMC brains. I have a bunch of PL and Canon glass too...
 
Just be sure to use the AF-S lens and not the DX ones for full sensor coverage.

Edit: Jeff beat me to it.
 
I use Nikon AIS lenses on my R1 almost exclusively. It is rare for anyone to ask for anything different. The images they produce are beautiful. In fact, there is at least one producer that hires me just because he likes the pictures from my Nikons so much.

As Richard said, the focus rotation is less than with a cine lens. But, if you choose a follow focus with a small gear, that helps. With my follow focus, even if the lens only has a 180 deg rotation, it still takes 360 rotation on the FF knob. So, it is not so bad. As far as the "backwards" focus rotation goes, it seems more intuitive to me. You rotate the FF forward to focus further away and backward to focus closer. Makes perfect sense.
 
Just to do some pimping where pimping is due: Duclos does a wonderful cine-mod for Nikons, adding Delrin gears for focus/iris/zoom, and de-clicking. I've got a 17-35, a 70-200, and three ZF's that have all had the Duclos treatment, and I have used them extensively on my R1. Still not the mechanical robustness of a cine lens, and the 70-200 breathes a lot, but you can't beat the weight, size, or price. :)

- Tim
 
I have Tokina 11-16mm, 17-35m, 50mm and 80-200.
Very happy with the result.
There is a solution for focus turn on the barrel 1/4 and 1/2 turn to Full 360 (with VF follow focus)

Draw-back: Some of the strong FF's motor might break your Focus turn, if not doing correctly.
 
Jeff Kilgroe said:
Nikon glass is awesome. Richard sums it up nicely. Only thing I would add is that the Nikon DX series lenses only cover their DX format sensor (APS-C equivalent), which still happens to fit within a 31mm image circle and they will cover the S35 window as well as EPIC 5K. So coverage is not an issue on those lenses either.

Nikon mount for the EPIC is supposed to be full electronic, so we can use all the electronic functions.

As I'm finding myself needing to be more mobile these days, my primary mobile EPIC kit will fit in a backpack and will include the Nikon 14-24, 24-70 and 70-200 as the primary lenses I bring. I'll also bring longer if I'm shooting wildlife. I also have the 70-300, but it's not as nice as the 70-200, just nice to have the extra range at times, at the expense of image quality.

Lens mount changes should be very easy on the DSMC brains. I have a bunch of PL and Canon glass too...
Click to expand...
Jeff, if you want a real workhorse, you should take a look at the new Nikon 28-300mm-a surprisingly good lens at all ends; in fact, I'd say it's as good as it's prime equivalents at 50mm and 85mm; and better than the 70-300mm even at 300mm.
 
I enjoy my Nikon glass as well, although image-shift when switching focus direction can be a problem on random lenses (I've noticed it most on my 24mm f/2... but I feel every lens might be a tiny bit different in that respect)

Have you guys ever had trouble with setting back focus on Nikons? Specifically my 35mm f/1.4 and the aforementioned 24mm seem to have difficulty reaching infinite focus without adjustment, thus leaving the barrel distance measurements off a bit.
 
We've been using Nikon glass on our Red since day one. We get great image quality as well. Lately though, I'm being tempted toward the Canon side. All because of the focus direction. I rent cine lenses several times a year for various projects, and recently purchased the Red 18-85 zoom for a monthly shoot for one particular client. Switching directions on the focus is really getting to me, especially when it comes to sports and you have to get it right quickly. It's starting to make sense to sell our Nikons and buy Canon equivalents. If we head down that path, I'll have some nice Nikons for sale here.
 
I have Four nikon lenses that I'm gonna use with my Epic L: a 10.5 fisheye, a 17-55 and a 50 1.4 and 70-200. The two first are DX and and should fit Epic L good ! Even If I'm planning to buy a few Zeiss CP2's, I'll for sure keep the nikons. Light, affordable and good optic quality.
 
David, another option to switching to Canon just for the focus direction is get a reverse gear like the one on this page http://www.ducloslenses.com/Duclos_Lenses/Misc.html

You could either use it with your Nikons, or if you are used to the way the Nikons turn, you could use it with cine lenses. Either way, you wouldn't have to relearn focus direction on the fly.
 
My Nikon kit:
a. the workhorse: 18-200
b. 10-17 tokina fisheye
c. 80-200
d. 80-400
e. macro: 100mm; 60mm
f. 600mm

my all round favorite is the 18-200. Use that lens every time i shoot.

.....all using Jacek's Nikon mount. the positive lock system.
 
No. . . the one to watch is the 50mm f1.4 (NOT the 50mm f1.2 which I think is really, really soft) and, of course, the greatest of the greats. . . the 85mm f1.2.

The other lens I strongly recommend is the Sigma 30mm f1.4 DX, but you'll need Doug Underdahl's modified Nikon mount to change the iris. That lens is a great, great thing and is very sharp and very fast. Between those three lenses (30mm, 50mm, and 85mm, you'll seldom look for anything else. . . except ND!).

If you want to see shots taken from these lenses on an indie feature film, check out this website:

http://magazine.iupui.edu/10Winter/works_in_progress/

And then click on the "view frames from the film" link. Virtually all of these shots were taken with a RED One (non-MX, which didn't exist at the time) and Nikon glass (a few shots were taken with our second RED using Canon L-Series glass). Almost all of these shots were either the 50mm or the 85mm. We seldom used anything wider on this film.

Happy shooting!

Stephen
 
Optitek Nikon Prolock

Optitek Nikon Prolock

Stephen Pruitt said:
No. . . the one to watch is the 50mm f1.4 (NOT the 50mm f1.2 which I think is really, really soft) and, of course, the greatest of the greats. . . the 85mm f1.2.

The other lens I strongly recommend is the Sigma 30mm f1.4 DX, but you'll need Doug Underdahl's modified Nikon mount to change the iris.

Stephen
Click to expand...
The Prolock mount has the iris control mechanism built into the mount with traditional calibrated iris ring to control iris on unmodified G- lenses.
The positive locking system is very gentle on lens mount -even more gentle than the original mount in Nikon cameras.
 
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