Canon vs Nikon lenses

[steventimothy]

I've used my "cinevised" Nikon primes on both RED shoots and with my 5d/7d for shooting video.

They have a look FOR VIDEO that I love and they are second to none.

For stills, I use my IS USM L glass.

Jebas, you need a good make-up artist when you're using that Red. That's a spectacular image.

All the modern lenses by the majors are spectacularly sharp these days, they have to be to resolve 25 MP. The only flaws tend to be at the periphery (where it doesn't matter for a Red or a 7d) or wide open. Even the older ones had to resolve super fine grain film stocks which could be blown up to building-sizes.

Plus, a good DP can probably make a lens look like any other lens he wants.

 

[biginvegas]

anybody know what Nikkor's Paul Greengrass used for the Bourne Supremacy? For the life of me cannot track down an AC article about the shoot.

 

[macgregor]

On the second Bourne movie, there wasn’t as much available. So on this one, I went out and got every kind of lightweight zoom I could find. I even had a couple made. I found two Nikon digital lenses and sent them to ARRI in Munich, where they were transformed into lenses that would work with the ARRI film cameras. One was a 28-70mm and the other was an 80-200mm, both T2.8 because they had to be fast.

I’d say that 80 percent of the first unit photography ended up being shot on those two lenses,” Wood says. “The 80-200 worked all the time, but we had some problems with the shorter one. ARRI subsequently decided to develop these lenses, and they are in the process now of making ten of each.

 

[biginvegas]

nikon 80-200 for Bourne Supremacy

nikon 80-200 for Bourne Supremacy

right, so he took this lens

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-80-200mm-...ViewItem&pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item19bd71102e

and built a PL mount for it?

 

[TimurCivan]

basically, but its more involved than that. They usually rework then so thy breathe less. Or something like that.

 

[Matt Gottshalk]

basically, but its more involved than that. They usually rework then so thy breathe less. Or something like that.

I think they may even fix Nikon's backwards focusing too.

 

[biginvegas]

Reason I ask is have this lens
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/80200afs.htm and a very heavy 80's 80-200
but it's a ***** on my GH1. I have a hot Rod PL mount and figured it might support better if it was modified to PL. I shoot documentaries and just love this lens.

 

[steventimothy]

It's lenses like Nikon's 80-200 f/2.8 AF-D (or the AF-S above) that make me wish Nikon had a better DSLR for shooting video. It's cheaper and way better than Canon's equivalent.

 

[Lammy]

It's lenses like Nikon's 80-200 f/2.8 AF-D (or the AF-S above) that make me wish Nikon had a better DSLR for shooting video. It's cheaper and way better than Canon's equivalent.

I do use that 80-200mm nikkor lens on my canon 550D, especially in stills. http://www.LammyPictures.com/parkbench

Would love to use it in video given more planning though.

 

[Bobonli]

I've used my "cinevised" Nikon primes on both RED shoots and with my 5d/7d for shooting video.

They have a look FOR VIDEO that I love and they are second to none.

For stills, I use my IS USM L glass.

Where did you have the work done and would you do it again?

In your book (which is outstanding) you advice readers to carefully consider changing the focus direction on Nikkors. Did you change it and do you feel you made the correct choice?

 

[meauounji]

It's lenses like Nikon's 80-200 f/2.8 AF-D (or the AF-S above) that make me wish Nikon had a better DSLR for shooting video. It's cheaper and way better than Canon's equivalent.

According to Nikonrumors.com, it might be happening sooner than we think (Photokina?) Which is great because I also have Cine-ized AI-s primes that I use now.

 

[David G. Smith]

Agree with Davis, it's a coating issue, pre AI isn't multi-coated. Many circumstances will produce flaring/ghosting. Otherwise same optics, though, at least for the 50mm 1.4.

Daylight shoots, not towards the sun, or properly lit indoor shots with no direct or peripheral lights would not be a problem with pre-AI.

Yeah, I have read a lot about how the post AI lenses are supposed to have better coatings. However, I have not found the pre-AI lenses to have an unpleasant lens flare issue. I have shoot into the sun and they do bloom, however, it seems much more "Organic" as opposed to the more prismatic lens flare look of newer lenses. I think that to really solve the problem, "better" (read, "More expensive") lenses than the AI'ed Nikkors would be needed, and that is just not in the cards right now.

Here is a short shot I did where you can see the sun flare at the very end. Now this shot is highly "Magic Bulleted" ("Warm, Fuzzy" look) and slowed down in post, and is really more about the car than the camera and lens. I don't think there is a lens made that would not flare in this situation and the Nikkor, a 24mm f2.8 pre-AI did ok for itself, IMHO.

http://vimeo.com/12893872

 

[steventimothy]

Honestly, I guess when you're reviewing lenses you have to find something to nitpick about. On the Nikkor-S Auto 50 1.4, I find the flaws to be extremely minor and easy to shoot around. Heck, I payed less than $75 for the lens.

If a small ghost or flare or a little CA popped up in an scene it wouldn't really bother me anyway. I think it's more critical in a photo than in video.

 

[bill totolo]

That's why I'm a big fan of Canon's EF 1.8 primes. Sharp (especially wide open) and affordable.
However, for focus pulling you have to go to the Zeiss ZF primes because of the barrel rotation.