Leica 14-50 and Tokina 11-16?

T

tet20

Active member
Hello,

I have to update my lens set and thinking about those 2.
What do you think about them?

Do they expand when zooming?
Are they good for Video Use?

thank you...
 
I love my tokina 11-16. Fast, sharp, no expanding, and so far has been great for video use. That lens, coupled with manual aperture nikon/M43 mount is great.
 
When a company like Zeiss says that their cream of the crop Master Primes have "virtually no breathing", you can bet that most lenses breathe, even if just a little.
 
perfect.. :)
Tokina seems to be a safe bet..

I was just referring to the zooming not the Focus..
because the 14-140 is not usable with a Mattebox.. Or at least not my Mattebox..but the Leica surely looks like it expands while zooming... but i want to make sure..

I need the OIS with the Leica... and with 2.8 at 14mm it seems pretty ok...
I just dont know if its loud while focusing etc. if its any good for Video?

Does anybody know?
 
I have the Leicasonic 14-50mm f2.8-3.5 and it's a superb lens for handheld static shots. Unlike the subtle OIS of Panasonic's Micro 4/3rds lenses, the 14-50mm has a drop-dead steady OIS that you can actually feel while you're shooting. However, it's not the kind of lens you'd want to pull focus on, and the AF100 is unable to auto-focus with it. If what you mean by "good for Video" is run-n-gun, zoom-in for the close-up, the Leicasonic can produce good-looking results when it's pre-focused. But if you're thinking of filmmaking with a traditional rails and follow-focus setup, look elsewhere.

Here's a handheld example of what the Leicasonic does well:

 
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+1 for the Tokina 11-16mm. It is a great lens, and dare I say probably the best choice in an ultra-wide for the AF100, especially when you consider the price!
 
That looks pretty good.. Thanks for the Info..
Its just for run and gun.. On Thursday I was filming Interviews in a Club with the 14-140mm and a Microbeam LED light.. Going around handheld.. People where right in front of the Camera.. the Range of the Leicasonic is perfect and it will be just for those Situations... the 14-140 mm wasnt performing very well.. not only Lowlight but I am pretty sure my OIS is broken.. there are jumps in the Picture... so if there is gonna be a new lens anyway why not something with 2.8 Sensitivity...

cheers...
 
tet20 said:
...I am pretty sure my OIS is broken.. there are jumps in the Picture... so if there is gonna be a new lens anyway why not something with 2.8 Sensitivity....
Click to expand...

Sounds like there's nothing wrong with your lens, as no matter how smooth you operate, it's OIS does occasionally jump. The Leica does too.

I debated returning this Leica for a month, but decided to hold off until the Birger mount is available. After that I'll have to see how it compares to the EOS 17-55mm IS. The Leica breathes like no lens I've used, & it's distance readouts on the AF100 are unreliable. I could almost live without OIS on the AF100, but a bare GH2 is almost unusable handheld at focal lengths beyond "normal".

Best,
Bern
 
Bern Caughey said:
Sounds like there's nothing wrong with your lens, as no matter how smooth you operate, it's OIS does occasionally jump. The Leica does too.

I debated returning this Leica for a month, but decided to hold off until the Birger mount is available. After that I'll have to see how it compares to the EOS 17-55mm IS. The Leica breathes like no lens I've used, & it's distance readouts on the AF100 are unreliable. I could almost live without OIS on the AF100, but a bare GH2 is almost unusable handheld at focal lengths beyond "normal".

Best,
Bern
Click to expand...

I have found a monopod indispensable. I shot at a large concert at a time square venue last night, and was not allowed to bring the AF100 and HPX out of the artists dressing rooms to shoot backstage and in the pit due to the venue rules about video cameras (even though I was hired by the talent), so I grabbed a GH1.3 I had in my bag that I borrowed for some stills, my nikons and adaptor, and a cheap monopod, and was able to get some great professional footage of the artists, all while using manual non-OIS primes, including my 85 1.4 at faster speeds (I could not stop down over f/4 due to the GH1's owner having some dust on the sensor, grrr...). I was also mainly using my 35mm 1.4, and my 11-16 tokina that really was a rockstar of a lens when i was in the pit. I really found shooting with the monopod to be a great way to get steady run and gun footage with out OIS. Really, it is almost a must have.
 
Oliver Rush said:
I really found shooting with the monopod to be a great way to get steady run and gun footage with out OIS. Really, it is almost a must have.
Click to expand...
Here's another shot I did with the Leicasonic on a GH1 in 1080p24 mode, mounted on a Manfrotto 560B monopod. When I can't use a tripod, this is the combo I rely on. (And yes, it does breathe deeply when you focus it, though not as boldly as my Olympus 35-100mm f2.0, or as clickety as the Olympus 14-54mm the Leicasonic replaced.)

 
Are they good for Video Use?
Click to expand...


Any reason why you would think they might or might not be?

I suggest you mount them up as a test (in a shop maybe) and see if they suit your purpose.

Different strokes for different folks.
 
I was seriously considering the Leica 14-50 until I read some reviews on B&H from several people that had the lense break down on them. I'm now leaning toward the Oly 14-54II which is cheaper anyway.
 
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