Fast prime (f/1.8) or slightly slower (f/2.8) zoom with static gg dof adapter?

T

tomperson

Active member
Ok,
After having done a few small time projects, I'm finally filming a short fiction by the end of the year.

I have my lovely HV20, a Rode VideoMic, a boompole (well, in fact it's a painters pole that I adapted for holding the mic), a decent tripod and fluid head (manfrotto), a sound recorder, and AN ALMOST FINISHED SCRIPT!!! All of the action happens during the daytime, and I have a mixed bag of outdoors/indoors scenes in my script. Some of my shots will be in small places (elevators, rooms), other in big, spacious landscapes (beaches, highways).

My next step is to make a DIY static gg dof adapter (EOS mount), and then I'll need some lenses.

I already have a lovely fast Canon EF 50mm f/1.8. I have budget to buy one more lens, and I'm torn about what to get. I could afford a fast tele prime, a fast wide angle prime, or a slightly slower zoom. My candidates are:

FAST WIDE ANGLE

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-30mm-Ca...5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1211205144&sr=8-5

OR

Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-28mm-Wi...3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1211204862&sr=8-3

OR

Canon EF 35mm f/2 Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-35mm-Wi...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1211204736&sr=8-1

OR

Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DG RF Aspherical Wide Angle Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-Aspheri...7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1211205014&sr=8-7

OR

FAST TELE PRIME

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-85mm-Te...TF8&coliid=I14S2G1VWTPHYL&colid=3VHJ38M4D43DT

OR

SLIGHTLY SLOWER ZOOM

Tamron Autofocus 28-75mm f2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon SLR Cameras
http://www.amazon.com/Tamron-Autofo...TF8&coliid=I16EXF7CROOKQ5&colid=3VHJ38M4D43DT

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Aspherical Large Aperture Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-24-70mm...UTF8&coliid=ICEV6RB8F312G&colid=3VHJ38M4D43DT

The zooms are really tempting, because I could cover quite a lot of ground with them, but I don't really know how well they'll work with a static GG. As far as I know, the DOF adapter eats a lot of light, and some people say that anything slower than f/2.8 shows a lot of the grain of the ground glass.

What are your experiences and what would you recommend? What would be more important as a second lens, a wide angle or a tele? Would the zooms do it? (I HOPE SO)

THANKSSSS!!!
 
I don't know how you're planning to shoot the film, but I think that getting either a wide prime or a wide zoom would be best since you already have a telephoto zoom.

Are you going to be shooting a lot in low light? If so a wide, fast prime would be helpful. But a wide zoom that goes into the normal range would be the most verastile.
 
Hi davide, thanks for replying. I'm not really sure if I follow you, but I don't have a telephoto zoom, I just have a 50mm f/1.8 prime.

I have a mixed bag of scenes, I'd say 50% indoors, and 50% outdoors. Outdoors shouldn't be a problem, since those scenes will benefit from full daylight, my main concern are the indoors scenes: a bathroom, a bedroom, a kitchen, a living room, an elevator, and an office.

I'd love to buy a zoom lens, but at f/2.8 I'm a bit worried if it will cut it indoors...that's why I'm asking for your guidance...
 
Keep in mind that for best result, you should never shoot with the lens wide open. That will results in very soft images. I always shoot between f4 or f5.6 for best sharpness. A 50mm lens is very vesatile and in a pinch can account for wide and telephoto if you just move forward and back. I would save that money until you can get some lights.
 
For cramped interiors you'll definitely want a wider lens. What type of light package do you have?
 
@HUY VU
I know what you mean regarding not shooting wide open. Then again, how come most of the time I read in forums regarding dof adapters people seem to be always filming with the biggest aperture the lens allows? Mostly because of the fact that the adapters eat a lot of light, and that at higher f stops grain is more visible...

@DAVIDE
I don't own any lights and I don't have budget for that, either. I plan on renting whatever I need. It seems people gets away in relatively small places with something like 1K?
 
tomperson said:
@HUY VU
Then again, how come most of the time I read in forums regarding dof adapters people seem to be always filming with the biggest aperture the lens allows?
Click to expand...

That's because they're not lighting their interior location enough or they're forced to do it because they ran out of sunlight. Every adapter out there is good up until f4 or f5.6, and a competent DP would always prefer to stop the lens down to its sweet spot to get the image as sharp as possible. There's really no benefit to having the lens wide open, except for ultra shallow DOF that usually hurts you more than it helps. My first film after getting an adapter was shot with all the lenses wide open because I love getting the background way out of focus. It's not until someone pointed out that 80% of the film looks really soft did I stop and take noticed. Next project I closed the lenses down a few stopped and voila, it's a world of difference in sharpness.

If you're anticipating that you won't have enough light, then you should add more light instead of buying faster lenses and shooting wide open. It's the wrong way to approach the problem.
 
I get what you say Huy. Thanks for the suggestions...Everything's too theoretical at this point for me, as I haven't the adapter...I guess I'll have to wait until it's finished to see what are my own conclusions...Of course I'd love to step down a bit and get to a sweeter point of the optics...I guess I'll have to see if my DIY 35mm adapter is up to the task...
 
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