DSLR Mid-Range Zoom Lens Test - What Do You Want To See?

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dust'n the callipygous

Well-known member
I've been reading conflicting reviews on every lens I look at concerning video on a DSLR. I know these lenses were designed for stills, so some things just aren't going to work like they should for video. Some lenses may be sharper or better for stills, but for a run and gun zoom, it needs to be somewhat usable for video in terms of zooming, focusing, etc. I've decided to just rent a bunch of lenses and test them out for myself, starting with the lens I need most: the mid-range zoom.

Here's what I'll test so far:
Build Quality
Focal Range & Crop Factor
Low Light Ability
Sharpness & Contrast
Bokeh
Flare
Chromatic Aberration
Barrel Distortion
Focusing: Throw (exact measurements), Feel, Barrel Rotation?, Breathing
Zooming: Ratio, Feel, Barrel Extension?
Is the Lens Parfocal? (constant focus while zooming)
Does the aperture stay locked while zooming?
Size, Weight, Filter Diameter

Since I'm using 7Ds, I'm testing EF-S lenses as well as EF. I probably won't be using charts. I know some people will complain, but I prefer real-life tests for real-life results--plus I don't have any charts and you can just look that stuff up on lens review sites anyway. I'll do my best to cover all the areas, but things like sharpness aren't a big concern, as that probably won't even make a difference in video mode.

The lenses in contention:
Canon 17-55 f2.8 IS
Canon 28-135 f3.5-5.6 IS
Canon 18-135 f3.5-5.6 IS
Canon 24-70 f2.8
Canon 24-105 f4
Canon 15-85 f3.5-5.6 IS
Tamron 17-50 f2.8
Tamron 17-50 f2.8 VC
Tokina 16-50 f2.8
Sigma 18-50 f2.8-4.5 OS
Sigma 18-50 f2.8

Let me know if there are any specific tests you would like to see, or any lenses I've left out or should leave out. It's already a pretty big list, and it may drop slightly depending on availability of the lenses from the rental stores.

I might do another test if this goes well. Just remember, I'm doing the test primarily for me. I want to find the best mid-range zoom for my needs, but I'll try to weigh the benefits vs. drawbacks for each lens the best I can so that you can make your own decision about what's best for your use.
 
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I think the main thing any of us (meaning, folks who are contemplating use of a camera like this for video) would want to know is: does the lens hold focus during a zoom? Can you zoom in, focus, zoom out, and shoot? Can you zoom all the way through the range and back, without losing focus?
 
barry_green said:
i think the main thing any of us (meaning, folks who are contemplating use of a camera like this for video) would want to know is: Does the lens hold focus during a zoom? Can you zoom in, focus, zoom out, and shoot? Can you zoom all the way through the range and back, without losing focus?
Click to expand...

+1
 
Barry_Green said:
I think the main thing any of us (meaning, folks who are contemplating use of a camera like this for video) would want to know is: does the lens hold focus during a zoom? Can you zoom in, focus, zoom out, and shoot? Can you zoom all the way through the range and back, without losing focus?
Click to expand...

The other big problem is do the constant aperture zooms actually hold the exposure so the camera will not flicker while zooming. I shot a job with a 24-105mm f4 L and the exposure seems to shift one stop from one end to the other. Even thought the numbers say it's constant, I don't believe it.
 
when you talk about focus throw, it would be nice to nail it to a range.


For example if the 3-10 ft throw is 5 degrees then it will be good to know that prior to purchase.
 
rockmore said:
the other big problem is do the constant aperture zooms actually hold the exposure so the camera will not flicker while zooming. I shot a job with a 24-105mm f4 l and the exposure seems to shift one stop from one end to the other. Even thought the numbers say it's constant, i don't believe it.
Click to expand...
+1
 
updated. great suggestions. definitely will be included. i may also throw a super-zoom in there to see if that's a viable option. i'm sure it won't be as good as some, but may be at least comparable to a kit lens but with a way more useful zoom range.
 
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anybody know of any places where i can rent the sigma and tokina zooms? can't seem to find any online (definitely none locally). i love my tokina 11-16, so i definitely want to include the 16-50 if i can find it.
 
i had a request over at cinema5d to include a full manual zoom as well, such as a contax or leica 35-70. anybody know where to pick one of these up? i'm having a hard enough time tracking down the sigma and tokina lenses.
 
I'll be doing zoom-throughs on each of the lenses. I'm just trying to get the funds together to rent them all. It's a little more expensive than I had initially anticipated.

I may include one manual lens (if I can get one), just for comparison's sake. Most of this test will be for more current lenses. I know the old manual lenses were made for photos, but I need a lens with autofocus for my work, and I just need to find one that works well for video.

On another note, does anyone have any of these lenses they'd be willing to ship to me for a week to include in the test? I'll pay shipping, and my real name isn't Joe Dono.
 
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On the parfocal thing. I'd be interested in seeing how well each lens holds its focus throughout the zoom range. Also, in this test, it would be good to look at more that one camera. My understanding is that a parfocal lens can be calibrated for a particular camera model.
 
you can calibrate for back-focus issues on different cameras, but this wouldn't have to do with the lenses being parfocal or not. that has to do with the mechanics of the lens. i may be able to get a 5d or gh1 to use as well. we'll see.
 
worried

worried

hey I just got my T2i with the 18-135 EFS IS.

I'm very interesting in finding out if this lens are supposed to be parfocal or if there is something wrong with mine because I loose focus considerably when passing from 135 to 18.

Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions.

Shandor

BTW i'm new to this place, I found it looking for some official info about this lens being parfocal or not, but still it looks like a nice community.:thumbsup:
 
Knowing how far the focus turns from macro to infinity would be a good thing for people using a follow focus. For example, on some of the kit lenses, it seemed like you got less than a 90 degree rotation for your focus, but on the 17-85, it seems more like a 120 degree turn for focus, which makes it a lot easier to use.
 
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