Buying first lens - Need to decide manufacturer

These are all really great replies! Because, yes, my first reason is the buy the lens for my new digital camera. The lens will probably be used more more in still then video. But since I don't have a camera body and like both Nikon and Canon cameras I need to make the decision here that may effect if I can use future lenses with a 35mm adapter in video.

You've all mentioned a few different mounts but can someone please list or direct me to a full list of what mounts fit what adapters?

I'm still a little unclear about what fits. Sorry, I'm new to adapters and haven't learned about all available mounts and fittings in lenses (there's so many). I've been looking online and wikipedia has articles but I think I need a list in order to understand.
 
Okay here's the deal... most adapters have mounts for both Nikon and Canon.
Canon's aperture is adjusted within the lens! That makes the EOS lenses unusable at the current time with any adapter.

If you want good lenses, go with Nikon's... this will enable you to use both Nikon lenses and the Zeiss ZF prime set.

If you want to use Canon FD mount lenses.... you'll have to get a FD mount... but I don't think newer Canon dSLRs will work with them

Nikon seems like the best fit for your adapter mount and then price will dictate Nikon or Zeiss lenses.
 
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please do your research before posting!

canons EOS lenses (EF MOUNT, not compatible with FD mount! no glassless adapter available too!) don't have a manual aperture dial, BUT you can use any EOS camera to adjust the aperture! you just put it on the camera, adjust the aperture, press and HOLD the DOF preview button and then release the lens from the mount! voila, new aperture! it's really tiresome but it can be done

the new line of canon cameras (EOS/EF) don't work with the older FD lenses!

so if you want old lenses which you can use with your new DSLR and your adapter, either get canon EOS/EF (stupid procedure for the aperture) or nikon ones, whereas there are also different styles, i don't know for sure about nikon!

regards, xax
 
Nikon has one universal mount unlike Canon (as Xax just said).
I have a friend who uses the Canon procedure with his Letus Economy.
It's up to your personal preferences...

Eventually, I see an adapter that will accommodate Canon EOS lenses.

One thing to consider is price range for Canon FD mount lenses... I haven't done any research but they may be cheaper than Nikons
 
Xax said:
please do your research before posting!

canons EOS lenses (EF MOUNT, not compatible with FD mount! no glassless adapter available too!) don't have a manual aperture dial, BUT you can use any EOS camera to adjust the aperture! you just put it on the camera, adjust the aperture, press and HOLD the DOF preview button and then release the lens from the mount! voila, new aperture! it's really tiresome but it can be done
Click to expand...

Thank you for giving a specific answer. I have been trying to understand what would be involved if I went ahead with my Canon purchase. You are the first person I have seen that has acutally answered the question. Thanks!
 
Maybe Oynk can vouch that there really isn't good info out there regarding this. Still some of you seem to know it. Either through experience or perhaps there's a mysterious web site or thread that has evaded all my searches. Believe me i've searched many hours over the past few weeks before I posted. I've heard of compatibility issues but never a clear explanation.

And you'd think this would be a big subject given i'm sure you'd like to use the lenses in still photography . Some of you have got to be photographers and if you're spending thousands on hot new video gear i'm sure not all of you are using old film SRLs. So it's weird I hear FD mount suggestions when you can't use it on modern gear.

Q-tip hacks, EOS, FD, EF, Nikon... Then people saying its up to personal preference. It's like someone passed out a pamphlet explaining this to everyone but me. And I can't believe people would bother with the setting aperture in a camera and remount method.

If there's any other info you can direct me to i'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks for the replies and Keep suggestions and advice coming to!

Oynk--never forget 10/23/07, haha
 
I have one more question on the Canon issue.

Since I have not worked with an adaptor before, I am not as familiar with the workflow. Can I just leave my SLR lens wide open and adjust exposure using the iris on my HDV camera?

I will be doing documentary work so I need something that I can set and go.


I really want to go with Canon for several reasons so I guess I am hoping to hear that it is really not a big deal.... In the end, I will go with Nikon lenses if that is what I need to do.


Thanks for the great info!
 
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Uh.... I've never done that Oynk. I'll let someone else answer that... but on the HVX when using the aperture thumb-dial... it isn't sensitive enough! You can use it on the focus ring which may be more sensitive... but when shooting with my 35mm DOFA... I usually adjust my lens's aperture and leave my HVX200 open.
 
Oynk said:
... Can I just leave my SLR lens wide open and adjust exposure using the iris on my HDV camera?
....
Click to expand...

Sure you can do it, and some are forced to in low light situations. BUT ... you are significantly limiting your creative abilities. Adjusting the aperture on you HD camera will effect exposure but it will not allow you to control your depth of field very much at all. Now where you previously had the problem having almost everything in focus all the time you will have the oppsite problem, everything will be in the most extreme shallow depth of field your lens can achieve. This is far from ideal. No movies are shot like this. At moments yes. But that extreme shallow depth of field is rare. Plus if your talent shifts their weight from one foot to the other or are not EXACTLY on their mark they will be be out of focus.

you want the ability to control the depth of field to suit the shot and storytelling, extreme SDOF can be surreal and push a viewer out of the moment ... like scoring, you want it to draw the viewer's attention somewhere without stepping out infront of the movie and drawing attention to the fact that you are doing so .. IMHO.

Also compositionally, EXTREME SDOF is not always the right choice just aesthetically, and like I said it can be too much, look surreal. More often than not you will still want to be able to tell what the background element is rather than just abastract blobs.

Lots of newbs throw a 35mm lens on a video camera and shoot with it wide open all the time thinking of it as a binary solution, either on or off, and thinking the shallower the depth of field the better because it is getting further away from the perceived problem of the near infinite depth of field of 1/3" chip video ... but that is not how film DP's view it or use it.

If it was just about exposure you could adjust it via the controls on the HD camera no problem, but changing the aperture affects the DOF.

So ... it is important to be able to control the the depth of field in increments from infinite to just softening the background to blurring the background so much its totally abstract and only the aperture ring on the lens can do that to any significant degree.
 
Jack Daniel Stanley said:
So ... it is important to be able to control the the depth of field in increments from infinite to just softening the background to blurring the background so much its totally abstract and only the aperture ring on the lens can do that to any significant degree.
Click to expand...

Thanks for a thoughtful and complete answer. I appreciate it.

I guess I will have to go with Nikon since pulling a lens off to adjust the aperture with my camera during documentary filming seems ridiculous. It is a shame because I am buying a DSLR at the same time as the 35mm adapter and was really leaning towards the Canon 40D. I guess I will get the Nikon D80 instead and start investing in Nikkor glass.

Very helpful. Thanks.
 
Oynk... this whole adapter thing actually led to my decision on a camera! I couldn't ever really decide.. canon or nikon!

But for reference... the StillMotion guys from canada (who amazingly use their adapters) shoot with both Nikon and Canon. They're event videographers and have to change lenses and what not on the FLY! So they obviously can make it work. It's whether you want to hassle with the workflow issue.
 
Thanks guys.

I guess I am talking about the EOS lenses that I would buy for a new 40d camera. I am led to believe that the old FD canon lenses could be adjusted manually, but wont work on a new Canon camera. If I go with the new (EOS) lenses, I am led to believe that I can not adjust aperture manually on the lens. I will have to take it off my adapter, put it on my camera, adjust the aperture, then put it back on my adapter. As described here.

If I am misunderstanding this, I would love to be told otherwise. Like I said, I really want to go with Canon (SLR and Glass) but it seems like the lenses are not workable for fast paced shooting.

UPDATE: Maybe I will just buy this that way I can pick up some old FD lenses (manual aperture). I will, in theory, be able to use them on my Canon 40d. This will give me an excuse to buy the DSlr that I want.....

Update #2: Ok. I guess I am worried for nothing. I could also get this which would allow me to put manual Nikon glass on my EOS camera. That way, if I spend some money on that glass, I can still theoretically use it on my EOS camera.

Thanks again for the input.
 
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