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    help me (lens advice needed)

    I need some advice. I am going to be buying myself a full on video filmmaking kit with a budget of approximately £5000 British pounds.

    A Canon 5D is at the top of the list. I will be buying other filming and sound equipment, with 3 or 4 or 5 lenses too.

    I am really lost in the world of lenses. I have been researching as much as possible. I absolutely LOVE the look that the canon L series lenses seem to capture. However, I simply can't afford those lenses. I imagine I will be spending £1000-£1500 pounds of my budget on lenses. So thats an average of about £300 for each of the 4 or 5 lenses I buy.

    The only one i THINK I will be buying for sure is a 50mm. The f1.2 just seems way too much for me so instead I think I will buy a f1.4.

    I would love some advice on lenses, especially on what BRANDS of lenses you think I could get hold of for relatively cheap prices.

    Someone recommended Nikkor lenses to me?????? Any info/personal experince on these would be appreciated. Someone else also suggested Zeiss lenses?????? Obviously I will need to buy adapters for these???? Is that right???

    I have also heard something about the adapter sometimes damaging the internal glass shutter in the camera for some reason (which obviously I don't want to happen) so please advise me on this too.

    Although this camera is primarily going to be used for 'video', I do still want to use it for 'still photography' so please bear this in mind too.

    Also finally, I am based in the UK but will be moving to Australia in a months time, for about 6 months, maybe even a year. I will be buying most of my kit when I get back to UK after Australia...

    BUT...

    I will be buying the actual canon 5D first and I am hoping to buy one lens to take with me. Not really for filming video whilst in Australia, but just to take still photographs. So what should be my first lens? Someone else suggested I could buy a zoom lens with the camera, and then sell it once I get back to the UK (without too much of a loss) and start buying my 3 or 4 primes soon after for video. Is this a good idea?

    Just any and all advice would be welcome, thanks guys.

    #2
    I recommend getting the 24-105 with the 5d and the 50mm f/1.4 that you mentioned. After awhile, you'll see what else you want or need.


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      #3
      The 50/1.4 from Canon stinks, I have owned more 10 different 50mm lenses. I know. Don't buy it. Bad CA, not sharp until at least f2.5-4. This lens is due for an update soon, because Canon knows it as well.

      If you are doing more video than photography, you should be buying manual lenses. AF Canon lenses have a short throw, the barrel does not stop at infinity or it's shortest focal length and for the most part the aperture can only be controlled in-camera.

      In your budget range, you will have more than enough to buy vintage lenses which are wonderfully sharp. See the lens section over at Cinema5D for more clarity as to your choices.

      You will almost always need adapters. M42 is the easiest.

      I heartily recommend on the other hand the older Zeiss Contax lenses. Excellent sharpness and less contrast than the newer Zeiss, but T* nonetheless.

      For the photography side the Canon 24-105 is a wonderful lens, but a little slow. Very good sharpness and contrast + Macro. Also, don't forget the humble (and cheap) Canon 50/1.8, it had almost no Chromatic Aberration and is surprisingly sharp, but do buy the original metal bayonet version (1) and not the later plastic one.

      Finally, Be careful of LBA, it will creep up on you!

      (LBA=Lens Buying Addiction).

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        #4
        ^Hmm..my Canon 50mm f/1.4 is sharp at 2.0 and very sharp at 2.8. And its IQ is every bit as good as the 24-70 at 50mm. I also have the 1.8 and it provides very harsh bokeh unless it's wide open. Color is lacking with the 1.8, compared to the 1.4. Build quality is lacking in both lenses; the 1.8's manual focus ring is unusable.

        If you want to go manual, the Helios 44-2 is a good start.


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          #5
          Gota go with Jordan here. The 50 1.4 is a very good lens. I got some really good stuff out of it.
          Last edited by Skilled; 09-24-2010, 09:27 AM.

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            #6
            Hey yoclay. Just to clarify when I sais I was getting the '50mm 1.4' I never specified what brand I would get, as quite frankly I don't actually know. I just think that a 50mm 1.4 of some sort would be generally a good lens to have.

            Although I don't doubt your experience with it I am curious why you think it is not good when a few other people seem to think the opposite.

            But thanks everyone so far. Would love more advice.

            I will do some research on that helios lens.

            Anyone know WHERE i can buy cheap but good quality vintage lenses. Ebay? Craigslist?

            Could I buy a cheap vintage zoom lens? Such as the 24-70mm?

            Also I f I buy the 24-70mm that comes with the canon 5D, do you think I could sell it on again without making too much of a loss?

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