Zeiss milius prime lens cine-mod

[ALLSTAR]

I recently used a set of Zeiss milvus lens, and felt it really had nice performance(Nice bokeh and flare, very very low CA, longer focus throw...). Therefore I am planning to design some accessories for cine mod, for even better performance and suitable for shooting. Including the distance scale (the original scale is not accuracy enough). The cine-mod kit allow user assemble by themselves.

Now, I am making decision between EF and F version.

EF version:
Most cameras have EF mount, so it probably is more popular than F. However, the biggest problem is that it doesn't has iris ring.
The EF version cine mod will have
1.Unified front outer diameters and caps
2.focus gear ring with distance scales.

F version:
The best advantage of the F version is it comes with de-clicked aperture. However, F mount needs to be changed , and also the direction of turning the focus ring is wrong direction.
Focus turning can to be reversed by follow focus. (Wireless follow focus is becoming standard accessory these days... )

Changing F mount is much complicate, using F to EF adapter always cause play. The best way is to make a EF mount and attach it on the lens by screws.

The F version cine mod will have:
1.Unified front outer diameters and caps
2.Focus gear ring with distance scales.
3. Solid EF mount fixed by 4 screws.

I personally prefer F version because the iris is suitable for video making. EF version’s iris is stepping , and it only works on electronic EF mount camera.

However I want to hear user's opinion for my consideration before production.
So, please let me know which version you and the focal length you prefer .

For example:
F version, 15, 21, 35, 50, 85, 100, 135

Thank you very much

 

[Cristian Mihai]

WOW... i love my Milvus line also... 18/25/35/50/85. EF.....

 

[ALLSTAR]

Not so many people has interest on this lens??

 

[Michael Lindsay]

The 25 and 35 and 85 are pretty good.. why not swap in the Otus 55mm instead of the Milvus 50? The Milvus 50s axial CC is a little higher than I like in a modern clean style lens... it is definitely not “very very low” Axial CA...

Also don’t companies like Duclos do this already?

 

[Jens Jakob Thorsen]

Is the F the Nikon version? If so it turns the wrong way...

 

[Phil Holland]

I prefer Canon EF over Nikon F due to the focus gear directional issues as mention above. I ramp iris rarely and as long as the camera supports electronic iris, I'm fine.

Milvus are really nice and lightweight. I do prefer the Otus Primes in the Zeiss world, but that's me. They are obviously larger and heavier.

 

[Cristian Mihai]

You need to post these on various facebook groups for Zeiss fans and video shooters, camera specific groups like A7s, GH5, XT, S1H etc...plenty of Milvus fans and users there.

 

[vincent kardasik]

I dig the EF version.

 

[Cristian Mihai]

Would not hurt to correct the Milvus name in the title of the thread...

 

[ALLSTAR]

Would not hurt to correct the Milvus name in the title of the thread...

Sorry for the confusion of lens' name. But I can't change the title of the article now.... :undecided:
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I have been selling the front ring for many years, so it is not what I want to talk about now.

The distance marks on the lens is :

There is no scales , the focus puller always need to work with distance scales. Although you can DIY ...

The best way is making a gear ring with scales, but it is difference between F and EF version, I only want to make one of them... that is the reason I want to know a statistics.


And I found it is very easy to take off the F mount, you just need to screw out 4 screws. So if I make the replacment EF mount , people can change it by themselves if you want to swap F version to EF mount.
For me, I really like the lens with iris ring. The wrong directional of focus can be reversed by follow focus.

 

[Josiah Duncan]

I'm actually working on a set of Otus with a 18mm Milvus to round out the wide end so 18-28-55-85. All nikon mount but cinemodded by duclos to be EF mount and both geared rings. Haven't decided on the 114mm or 95mm fronts yet and still looking for a used 28, but if the new design on the milvus 18 is anything like the classics 15 or 21mm they'll do a great job. I have a set of 15-21-35-50 of the classics that the milvus line replaced, and the 15-21 are great but the 35-50 have some crazy CA problems especially wide open, which I've heard are the focal lengths that Milvus redesigned, so I bet for that price point they perform great.