How much should I expect to pay for lenses?

[Mickey Munday]

i've been checking out these 35mm adapters and i like the m2 and brevis the best so far. my question though, is how much should i expect to pay for a set of nikon lenses?

also should i be looking for a 28mm 50mm and 85mm to start with? is there much difference between a 28mm and a 35mm lens?

i don't need the most expensive set of lenses but something pretty decent. i'm trying to figure out how much it's going to cost me for an adapter and set of lenses. one person said i should be able to find a set of lenses for about $500 and somebody else said expect to pay $1k to $1,500 for lenses.

i'm confused now.

 

[insomniac61]

I've got a set of Nikons I bought off of ebay. I have a 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 135mm & 200mm. I paid less than $300 total for all the lenses combined. If you're patient, and willing to wait, you can get some really great deals. I wasn't picky about how the lenses looked cosmetically, as long as they had clean optics and smooth movements. You can see some test footage I shot with the HVX/Brevis combo and nikon lenses here:

http://www.cinevate.com/images/ji_brevis.wmv

I think everyone should have a 50mm, but I must say, now that I've started testing, I really like the long lenses a lot.

Jiovanni

i've been checking out these 35mm adapters and i like the m2 and brevis the best so far. my question though, is how much should i expect to pay for a set of nikon lenses?

also should i be looking for a 28mm 50mm and 85mm to start with? is there much difference between a 28mm and a 35mm lens?

i don't need the most expensive set of lenses but something pretty decent. i'm trying to figure out how much it's going to cost me for an adapter and set of lenses. one person said i should be able to find a set of lenses for about $500 and somebody else said expect to pay $1k to $1,500 for lenses.

i'm confused now.

 

[bwest]

I think everyone should have a 50mm, but I must say, now that I've started testing, I really like the long lenses a lot.

Jiovanni

can you explain why you like the long lenses a lot. Im patiently waiting for my adapter but researching lenses now!
saw your video, looks like a lot of fun your having

 

[Mickey Munday]

I've got a set of Nikons I bought off of ebay. I have a 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 135mm & 200mm. I paid less than $300 total for all the lenses combined. If you're patient, and willing to wait, you can get some really great deals. I wasn't picky about how the lenses looked cosmetically, as long as they had clean optics and smooth movements. You can see some test footage I shot with the HVX/Brevis combo and nikon lenses here:

http://www.cinevate.com/images/ji_brevis.wmv

I think everyone should have a 50mm, but I must say, now that I've started testing, I really like the long lenses a lot.

Jiovanni

what are long lenses? telephoto lenses used for extreme close ups? i've never used ebay before is that the best place to get them from?

arent you taking a chance by getting used lenses and stuff? maybe there's a scratch or something when you get them.

do you need a rail system with the HVX/Brevis combo??

 

[DavidChia]

Try old photoshops or fleemarket. Ebay is always a last option for me. One man's good is another man's nightmare. It is always nice to be able to see the lens for yourself before partting with your money.

If you are consider a Brevis. Try using a zoom lens, that way you only need to buy one or two and have less to carry around.

I've got a nikon f2.8 35mm- 70mm and a 80 - 210mm. I pretty much cover the range I want to shoot.

If you can't efford to buy nikon lenses, go for the cheaper lens like tokina or tamron. They also give pretty good results, but not as sharp as the nikon.

 

[Huy Vu]

Basically the sky is the limit when it comes to lenses. You can get a set of 28mm, 50mm and 100mm prime for your wide and close up needs for about $50 each. But these lenses are crappy because 1)they breath when you rack focus and 2) there's slight barrel distortion.

After having a chance to work with prime lenses I've decided that it's probably better to just get one zoom lense about 28mm-75mm that's a constant aparture and adjust the focus length. Saves time switching the lenses in and out.

 

[insomniac61]

Most people use the term long lense to refer to any lense over normal focal length. In 35mm photography, the 50mm lense is considered normal focal length since it is closest to what we see with our eyes. In my case, my 135mm and 200mm are my long lenses.

Ebay isn't the only place you can look, but it definitely is the easiest. You can also try used camera shops, pawn shops and even yard sales. As for taking a chance... yes,
you are taking a chance. Like everything else in life, you try to be smart about who you buy from. For instance, on ebay, I will never buy anything that has a value of more than a few hundred dollars or from someone who doesn't have positive feedback and who doesn't have a long history of sales. Even so,you still could get burned. There are no guarentees.

You can easily use the Brevis without rails if you are sticking with 28mm, 35mm or 50mm lenses. If you plan on using longer lenses, then I would definitely invest in a rail system. When I have my 200mm, Brevis and mattebox on my HVX, the whole rig is over 2 feet long. Looks more like a bazooka, then a camera.

Jiovanni

what are long lenses? telephoto lenses used for extreme close ups? i've never used ebay before is that the best place to get them from?

arent you taking a chance by getting used lenses and stuff? maybe there's a scratch or something when you get them.

do you need a rail system with the HVX/Brevis combo??

 

[insomniac61]

I agree that these lenses will breath. However, you'll find that any still lense you buy, even brand new beautiful zeiss primes will also breath. Still lenses aren't made to pull focus. If you plan on doing a lot of rack focusing, then you need to get yourself a pl mounted 35mm adaptor and rent cine lenses.

As for them being crappy, I think it's not fair to paint all lenses with the same brush. I agree, some are crappy, but some are also quite nice. I have been amazed at the quality of some 40 year Nikon lenses I personally have been able to use. I've also seen some great footage with Canon lenses and Zeiss lenses are just beautiful and very sharp.

Jiovanni

Basically the sky is the limit when it comes to lenses. You can get a set of 28mm, 50mm and 100mm prime for your wide and close up needs for about $50 each. But these lenses are crappy because 1)they breath when you rack focus and 2) there's slight barrel distortion.

After having a chance to work with prime lenses I've decided that it's probably better to just get one zoom lense about 28mm-75mm that's a constant aparture and adjust the focus length. Saves time switching the lenses in and out.

 

[insomniac61]

It's totally subjective, but I just like the organic look the longer lenses give me. There's a quality the images have that is hard to explain, except to say, that I really just like it. Also, the longer focal lengths are much easier to focus, than the shorter focal lengths, particularly if you don't have a monitor and are using the on camera LCD. When you start playing with your own set of lenses, I think you'll see what I mean.

Jiovanni

can you explain why you like the long lenses a lot. Im patiently waiting for my adapter but researching lenses now!
saw your video, looks like a lot of fun your having

 

[bwest]

got it... thanks,
I had a hunch that was the reason, just confirms in my mind.
I'm slowing learning this stuff... emphasis sssslow.

 

[insomniac61]

Believe me, I know. I'm still pretty new to all this adaptor stuff. There are so many variables, from camera settings, to proper adaptor alignment, to which lense to use at which f-stop so that you get absolute sharpness from edge to edge. It can really be overwhelming sometimes, but it's also a lot of fun.

Jiovanni

got it... thanks,
I had a hunch that was the reason, just confirms in my mind.
I'm slowing learning this stuff... emphasis sssslow.

 

[tmnt]

Lense breathing really varies between each and every lense. Most of my Canon FDs show very little.

I get nearly all mine off eBay but like David said, you could get burnt.

Mickey the 28, 50 and 85mm would be a good start (My 1.8 85mm is probably my favorite). I personally won't buy a 28 because I have a 24mm a a 35mm.

If you get the M2 you will have to get the fastest lenses you can because of the M2's light loss.

 

[Mickey Munday]

what do you mean fastest lense? lenses have speeds? is 2.8 considered slow? what does that number even represent?

If you are consider a Brevis. Try using a zoom lens, that way you only need to buy one or two and have less to carry around.

i'm confused by this, probably because i've never seen an adapter before outside of photos, but is the Brevis very different from the other adapters? when you say get a zoom lens do you mean with the 28mm and the 85mm make sure i have zoom capabilities in these lenses?

what do you guys mean when you say the lenses breathe when you rack focus? they come with noses? (bad joke)

 

[smithy]

I prefer fast lenses.

I prefer fast lenses.

You want a fast lenses meaning lenses around 1.4-2.0 rating. The aperture is wider and you will see a difference in the size of the lens itself. This give you more light into your camera. I prefer older AI or AIS lenses from Nikon because of the glass that was used was very good. Image quality tends to be more warmer and appealing to the eye. In addition I can use these same lenses on my Nikon D70s and it creates something very nice and special. If you live in the states, you can buy it at pawnshops, camera stores, and craigslist. Ebay is a crap shoot because you never know what you get. I got a 24mm f2.8 lens from a person from craigslist who was liquidating her late husbands equipment for $40 bucks. But the best thing was I got to inspect the product before i bought it. Camera stores are the best because they are liquidating out the older lenses and you can negotiate price with them, especially if you are buying multiples.

 

[Huy Vu]

what do you guys mean when you say the lenses breathe when you rack focus? they come with noses? (bad joke)

f-stop (2.8, 3.2 etc.) refers to how wide the lense's iris is open. The higher the number the more closed the iris and the less light enter the lense. All lense have a "sweet spot" usually two stops below their widest f-stop where the image will be sharpest.

"Breathing" refers to the phenomenon where object appears to change sizes when there is a focus shift. More expensive lense=less breathing.

Zoom lense in my experience is more versatile than prime because you don't have to switch out lenses for a different focal length. The disadvantage is that they're slower and the cheaper zoom lense will start to close down the iris at full telephoto.