Canon "new" FD vs. Rokinon cine lenses (not XEEN)?

G

Greg_E

Veteran
Has anyone compared the Canon "new" FD (twist lock) to the Rokinon original or DS series of cine lenses (not going to go to XEEN for what I intend to do, don't need that level of lens)? Image quality is all I'm really looking for, I know the FD lenses breath a bunch. Just weighing the price of my missing focal lengths in nFD and the adapters I need to make them EF mount (passive) and cutting the focus gears vs. cost of finding some good used Samyang/Rokinon cine lenses. I'm needing 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm for an MFT camera with both regular and focal reducer adapters.

Things like the 85mm I can put together cheaper with Rokinon, but I seem to recall the Rokinon 35mm is typically a little soft, and the 50mm is more than I can put an FD together.

I've settled on EF as being my lowest common denominator for mounts and adapting if I need something else, I'll build an anti-rotation device when time permits. I have 15mm and 24mm already converted to EF, though the 24 needs a little repair.
 
My advice, take it or leave it..... I love the look of Canon FD glass. But if my camera lens mount solution was Canon EF then I would skip the FD route.

What I would do, is likely keep my existing FD glass, and build out my collection so that when you have another camera which can properly use FD glass, you are ready to go with a complete kit.


All the best!

Dave
 
The mount conversions are about $100, so it isn't a horrible expense, and still cheaper than Rokinon new prices (except the 85mm). I may still build out the FD kit, I was just looking for opinions on whether it was wise or dumb to go that way. I was initially looking to build out a system at the lowest cost as an example of what could be done for our students. GH2, some kind of lenses, cheap mattebox, etc. Basically a "toy", but also a project to see how far I could push it. Maybe I'll just fix my medium format lenses like I was originally planning to use (another rabbit hole to dive down).

Guess I need to start buying some cheap step up rings to build out the front of the lenses, the follow focus is getting jammed up against the mattebox. Also going to need to settle on all 88mm lens gears to push the FF farther away. These lenses look funny with that great big gear on them, looks better with a 78mm gear once the 77mm threaded set up rings are attached.
 
Been fixing my adapter and will move to the lenses when that is finished, going to stay with my plan on the medium format lenses for now and sit and wait on more FD stuff. The FD makes a more compact kit, but I liked the way the Mamiya 645 look, the extra (almost) inch of mount also means the follow focus is all cramped up. Have to see if I can find an M645 24f4 at a good price.
 
I was working with a couple of my M645 lenses and noticed that there was way too much flex in the adapters, and no good place to put a lens bridge... Back to buying FD glass to flesh out my kit. Too bad because the images were very good. Also had my 45mm M645 lens get a focus problem and is now locked up, need to pull it apart and see what is going on.
 
Got my FD 50f1.2 today, it's a lot smaller than I thought it would be. Still need to select a 35mm and 85mm and then order the mount conversion for all three.
 
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