How do my Lenses Compare, and what should I know about Zooms?

J

Jon Neely

Well-known member
Hello All, just ordered my SGpro, so now im looking at inventory of my lenses and I need to know what else to be putting on my wish list. I have all Nikkor primes, with two Sigma Zooms(came with my N65 when I bought it new.) and one nikkor pull zoom. My primes Consist of a Nikkor-H 1:3.5 28mm, Nikkor 1:1.4 50mm, Nikkor-P 1:3.5 55mm Macro, Nikkor 1:2.5 105mm, Nikkor 1:2.8 135mm. Then to zooms Sigma 1:3.5 28-80mm Macro, Sigma 1:4 70-300mm DL Macro Super, then the pull type zoom Nikkor 1:3.5 35-105mm. So my question on zooms is that I hear that some breathe more than others, whats the case here, will the sigmas even work?If any one has had any experience with the pull zoom on I would like to know. prime wise Im think that I might be looking for a 85mm nikkor, but thats just what I have heard, I think that the 50mm and the 105mm prime should be ok for any situation.
Is there anything special I should know about the SGpro and any lenses? I have a matte box made for it right now, and im waiting for a newer FF to come out, The Hysonfilms prototype looks fun, also Cinvate has yet to come out with theirs but it sounds promising, as of right now the RR micro FF sounds bet for me and my budget.
here is a pic of zooms
P1034049.jpg

Any Help would be appreciated!


Jon
 
I aint no lens expert by a long shot, but zooms tend to eat more light.
The 35mm adaptor is eating light itself (half stop minimum it seems), combined with video generally sucking at low light performance compared to the 35mm film camera from which the lens came from.
The 35mm fim camera will capture less light a lot more besterest than a video camera with small ccd/cmos sensors etc recording digitally.
Consequently, you're needing every bit of light possible if you're not filming directly on the surface of the Sun. Hence zooms tend to not be in favour versus primes.

But I could be completely wrong.
 
Okay, I'll have a go here:

PRIMES:

Nikkor 28/3.5 - slightly slow for GG use. Try and upgrade to an f/2

50/1.4, 105/2.5, 135/2.8 are all fine

55/3.5M maybe a tad slow, try for a 105/2 Macro in the future, more distance between subject and lens.

The best DOF effect is usually the least, which means the fastest lenses you can get. In Nikon these would be the 35/1.4, 50/1.2, 85/1.4, 105/2, 180/2.8. Everything else f/2 or as close as possible.

If you want new, buy Zeiss. Since Nikon stopped making manual focus lenses and the Cosina factory was going free when Contax stopped making Zeiss lenses there, they started again, making Zeiss ZF (Zeiss for Nikon F mount) and 42mm thread mount primes. Seem to be pretty good, but pricey.

It's not the lens coverage we're looking for, it's minimum falloff at the edges, and lack of falloff when you stop the lenses down. Bokeh also comes into the equation.

Stills lenses weren't designed for movie work. The most obvious differences are the pitch of the internal focussing ring (more turns in a stills camera lens to get from far to close focus) and the fact that the aperture ring has click stops in it, making smooth iris pulls more difficult.

Also, the lens mount itself doesn't usually lock in as solidly as a movie lens mount. Whilst there's no danger of a lens falling out (there is a locking mechanism, after all, at the end of the bayonet travel) The lens itself may move from side to side whilst pulling focus (which matters not a whit in stills cameras, as long as the lens-to-film distance isn't moved). Plus there are a heck of a lot more Nikons out there than, say, Panavision Primo lenses, and so tolerances are a touch more varied.


ZOOMS
This is also particularly true of zoom lenses, especially the one touch variety, which you seem to have mostly all of.

While most one touch zooms are faster to operate on a stills camera than a two touch zoom (with separate focus and zoom rings), on a movie camera they tend to be more fluid, less precise, and breathe a lot more than the two touch designs.

Don't forget that focus breathing, zoom clicks and the like don't matter in a stills camera, unless the lens is actually zooming, breathing and the like while the shutter is open. Mostly it isn't. Not the same case at all with a moving camera.

So set your zoom up, start record, focus near, far, near, zoom in, out, in, pull aperture open, closed, open, and see if the recorded image clicks, pumps, zooms off centered, loses focus when zoomed out, all of the little things that can ruin a smooth shot.

Of course, if you like those characteristics in your shots, then use the lenses. They're usually plenty sharp enough. Most people tend to use a zoom as a convenient collection of primes, though. They just set the zoom for a particular shot and leave it there, then use the lens as if it were a prime lens. Saves carrying a case of primes all over the place. 'Course, this is hard to do on a one touch zoom - it's quite easy to change the zoom setting while just trying to pull focus. It varies from lens to lens, though, so you'll have to try it on yours and see if it works well for you.

The 18-200 Nikon zoom is great for that, and also the 70-300/2.8. These are all big glass and very expensive, though, knocking on a grand apiece. However, they are the glass of choice for people who need long, fast zooms and also more compact and portable shooting packages.

FF UNITS
Now we're getting fancy.
If you have a camera assist who knows that s/he's doing, a FF is great. It was basically designed to get the focus marks visible from the side of the camera, and for a second person to operate the focus without bumping the lens while the operator was moving, framing, zooming, what have you. Usually an operator can touch the lens of the camera s/he's operating without bumping it a lot easier than a second person can. Or, put another way, if they're going to bump the lens while pulling focus using the barrel, then they're probably going to bump it anyway fumbling for the FF knob.

Now whips and wireless controls are very nice to have, but again, not the best things to use when you have one eye or two eyes in the viewfinder and the other hand on the pan handle. Much better for an assistant to use.

If you're the operator then you're not standing at the side of the camera. So you don' t need a follow focus device.

Most people who don't have one think everybody needs one.
Everybody doesn't need one.

Most people who do have one only use it really when they need to show off their camera (to peers or to clients) or if they actually have a good focus puller on the crew and really need focus pulls and follows done. In that case, IMHO, you gotta have one.

Otherwise, not.

HTH
JM2c, YMMV, etc
Chris
 
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you might also want something wider than 28mm. i have a 20mm and i still end up short. A 15mm is what i use for very wide landscape shots or for architectural shots.
 
Thank you guys, emotepix, thanks for the kind words on this. In reality I will be the person operating the camera so I guess that an FF is not mandatory, I think im going to wait for RR wireless set up so it can be good for any situation. Has anyone had use with the Nikon pull zoom i have? When pulling the lens to increase the telephoto, does it ruin the image inside?

Thanks
Jon
 
vignetting?

vignetting?

teddybear said:
you might also want something wider than 28mm. i have a 20mm and i still end up short. A 15mm is what i use for very wide landscape shots or for architectural shots.
Click to expand...

Teddy, what lens adapter do you use, do you experience vignetting when you go with such wide lenses?
 
Jon,

emotepix said it best in his post so i'll echo that, The pull zoom can be useful but its best used in a fixed manner and only using the pull zoom for composition. Meaning, that after fixing the framing, you tape it down and just twist it for focus, the pulling action of the zoom, unless its very loose and soft, tends to jar the setup. If you do have the dexterity and having agile hands, make sure backfocus is nailed as these lenses sometimes have different backfocus between zoom lengths.

Bill,

I use my custom built spinners, i have two. One for mid format mamiya 645 lenses and one for 35mm nikon mount lenses.

As for using wide lenses, many adapter users tend to avoid them because of falloff and vignette, well its a matter of taste, my Sigma 20mm doesnt show 'a lot' of vignetting, the Sigma 15mm has 'slight' falloff at the outside of the TV safe area.
Since the term 'a lot' and 'slight' is subjective im attaching frames i did today to show what these wide lenses can offer.

The first four are side by side shots of the same subject using 50mm and 20mm for comparision. The lowest 2 are shot with 15mm.


Ted

1199719592.jpg
 
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