Hi all. I was DVX100 user and big fan and this forum was great help to me back then... I never upgrade to HVX200 or HPX170, but now I feel like is time to enter HD world with AG AF100. Soon I'll be down Amazonian jungle making a documentary and my budget fits AF100 but just one lens (maybe two, depending on the price). I'm new to interchangeable lens and would like to know best lens if you could get only one in order to match all kind of situations: faces, groups of people, landscapes, plants and insects close ups, etc...
Basic & versatile lens for AG AF100
- Thread starter syd
- Start date
Where did you learned to talk so poetically? You never know, maybe I´ll be among gods there in the jungle while you will still dreaming... But, besides my inexperience in lens matter, I'm just asking for best OPTION to match that fields best way possible and not assuming that there is a magical lens that makes it all.
Cleared that, I'll appreciate serious help
Cleared that, I'll appreciate serious help
NoahK
Hottie Mod
Just out of curiosity- why buy this camera if you want a one-size fits all lens? Sounds like a fixed lens camera is what you should be sticking with. The AF100 excels with a variety of high quality prime lenses and expensive zooms. To be asking for the magical bullet lens that fits all situations is missing the point. Just stick with an EX1 or HVX200 and you'll get reliable shots to fit your style.
Noah
Noah
Oliver Rush
Well-known member
You can put together a set of nikkors for less than $2K that would cover everything if you play your cards right used. That is about the same price as two decent used lenses. What is your budget exactly?
BTW; All six of mine pack neatly into a little pelican 1400 case if space is your concern. If you want the best the Af100 can offer you really want to be using good primes. Think of it more as a movie camera. If you want an all in one lens for ENG style shooting, I would frankly get an EX-1.
CineStill
Active member
Hi Syd
I would have a look at 17-50mm range at f2.8
Sigma probably make an inexpensive Nikon mount version, or the Nikon 17-55 f2.8 G lens is very good. I suggest the nikon mount because it is easy to get a Nikon G adaptor to control the aperture. ( see Adaptirmax, Novaflex and others)
I would have a look at 17-50mm range at f2.8
Sigma probably make an inexpensive Nikon mount version, or the Nikon 17-55 f2.8 G lens is very good. I suggest the nikon mount because it is easy to get a Nikon G adaptor to control the aperture. ( see Adaptirmax, Novaflex and others)
You can use just two lenses to cover a long range, nice price, nice quality, both on Nikon or Sony mount to change the aperture.
Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 (500$ or less)
Tamron 70-200mm f.28 (800$ or less)
And if you need to go wider (certainly you must if you go the Amazon)
Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 (600$ or less)
Cheers and good luck
Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 (500$ or less)
Tamron 70-200mm f.28 (800$ or less)
And if you need to go wider (certainly you must if you go the Amazon)
Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 (600$ or less)
Cheers and good luck
NoahK
Hottie Mod
My point exactly. An AF100 with that lens alone is far less capable than most fixed lens HD camcorders already on the market.
Noah
I think you're likely looking at three different lenses for your purposes. Wide angle ( Lumix 7-14 is one),
general ( Lumix 14-140 is one) and a faster lens that has macro capability (Voigtlander 25mm is one) ..
min. focus distance is 6" .. may not be tight enough for insects and such though...but is faster than the
Lumix's.
jeff
ps: how you gonna keep your gear dry? wet is bad.
general ( Lumix 14-140 is one) and a faster lens that has macro capability (Voigtlander 25mm is one) ..
min. focus distance is 6" .. may not be tight enough for insects and such though...but is faster than the
Lumix's.
jeff
ps: how you gonna keep your gear dry? wet is bad.
Hey just to add my two cent, just got the af 100 and the voigtlander 25mm, its macro capabilities are amazing! I've become obsessed with getting huge macro close ups of everything and anything! Much to my friends annoyance....apparently its not cool to see a spot in all its glorious high definition!
David W. Jones
Veteran
The last thing you want to be doing in the Amazon is lugging around heavy gear, and changing lenses often.
Plus the more gear you take the more expensive it will be to fly. Ever weighed a StormCase full of lenses?
If you have a good support crew and fixer, then it's a different story.
As others have suggested a fixed lens camera will be more manageable and allow you to cover more ground in the given time when working solo.
If you were to go with an interchangeable lens camera like the AF100, then 3 zooms to cover your needs and maybe a fast prime for lower light shooting.
But again I would weigh everything you plan to take and see if you really want to be lugging all that gear around.
Batteries start to weigh a bunch and take up space when you bring enough to shoot extended without access to a charger.
Bring extra microfiber cloths, extra SDXC cards/whatever your camera uses, plastic bags & silica gel, and figure out a transfer/charging solution before you go.
All the Best!
Dave
Plus the more gear you take the more expensive it will be to fly. Ever weighed a StormCase full of lenses?
If you have a good support crew and fixer, then it's a different story.
As others have suggested a fixed lens camera will be more manageable and allow you to cover more ground in the given time when working solo.
If you were to go with an interchangeable lens camera like the AF100, then 3 zooms to cover your needs and maybe a fast prime for lower light shooting.
But again I would weigh everything you plan to take and see if you really want to be lugging all that gear around.
Batteries start to weigh a bunch and take up space when you bring enough to shoot extended without access to a charger.
Bring extra microfiber cloths, extra SDXC cards/whatever your camera uses, plastic bags & silica gel, and figure out a transfer/charging solution before you go.
All the Best!
Dave
Jarek Zabczynski
Veteran
I don't think the AF-100 is the right camera for this. Last thing I'd wanna be doing in a rain forrest is changing lenses and keeping them all clean. I'd weatherproof a fixed lens camera and go to town.
Thanks to you all. I think Cinestill and Xenogears are getting the point: Due to my budget (around 6.5k) I need to get the lens that matchs better all possible fields. That´s the thing Noah, it's a matter of budget right now. I know AF100 to be more like a movie camera and that´s what I'll be doing: a documentary movie among indigenous people. But besides this particular project, a low budget filmmaker like me should think investing best way possible his money due to be prepared for projects to come. Thats why I´m thinking in this camera. I hope I´ll be upgrading my lenses in the future. But I have to be in the jungle in less than a month and I want to shoot best quality then, because this project is important in my professional career. So, Noah I can´t undestand why are you saying to get a cheap camera. I have a Sony Z1 and a DVX100 avaliable in my wardrobe, but I want to shoot High Quality due to this project relevance (I won´t be shooting Xtreme sports or something like that, I'll be making a movie). Do you really think it would be the same? If so, I would be very surprised about all this AF100 matter, if it´s still the same than shooting with old tech cams.
Apart, I know wet it's a matter, I have been down there and really is, but do you think AF100 is specially sensitive in that? more than DVX100?
DVX100 and Z1, both had been perfect to me in that field until now
Apart, I know wet it's a matter, I have been down there and really is, but do you think AF100 is specially sensitive in that? more than DVX100?
DVX100 and Z1, both had been perfect to me in that field until now
dustylense
Veteran
sony nx-70
Unless it's projected big screen and he wants DOF...