Lens collection flexibility/future-proof/price sweet spot

[nathanleebush]

Hi all, I've been hesitating forever of even thinking about starting the long process of collecting lenses, due to the inertia that the neverending onslaught of new technology brings. There are so many promising directions this whole world could go, from the super-16 BMPC to the full-frame Canon 5D Mark III RAW, so my current thinking is that it's most sensible to go with the largest coverage format (full frame) and collect lenses from there, and then if the market settles anywhere (super 35, full frame, APS-C), you won't have obsolete glass lying around. I'm looking for as many people as possible to poke holes in the intuition or offer different plans as my current one:

I've been thinking lately about collecting Nikon AI-S lenses, since they are the final (and presumably, best?) generation of Nikon manual focus glass.

Some advantages as I see it are:

• adaptibility to the largest range of lens mounts
• long-focus throw
• age-related image character je ne sais quoi
• good build quality
• relatively cheap
• relatively compact
• Nikon quality (perceived? Is Canon just as good/better? Does Canon have an equivalent AI-S-era option that would work on current Canons?)
• Nikon-optimization, as I prefer Nikon for stills work
• Cheap adapters can control aperture, as opposed to Canon mount
• Fast

Some disadvantages that I would imagine:

• Breathing and every other problem inherent in stills-optimized/non-cine lenses
• Difficulty finding cheap super wide options that would translate to normal lenses on much smaller sensors (Super 16, M43, BMCC, 1")
• Futility of collecting for BMPC when you end up settling on a 5DIII and have all these useless super-wides

I'm sure a lot of people on here have thought a lot harder than I have about this quandry, or have skin in the game already, so if anyone has some personal experience or insight on how the filmmaking community is currently addressing this issue, please contribute any and all wisdom! What are general lens collection strategies to maximize utility and minimize cost? Is it presumed that lenses will hold value, so you can just sell them off with minimal long-term losses? Are there lenses that better meet ones needs? Would Canon make more sense, since a follow focus will allow for long focus throws anyway? Are there cheaper options (Contax (Zeiss), for example?)

One caveat:

I shoot stills as well. Is it ridiculous to think that shooting manual focus on all my various stills cameras (NEX-7, GH2, frequent Nikon rentals) is possible, and that I'd need to invest in a second set of AF stills camera (obviously this is a nuanced question, as different photography genres have different needs, but my work does include street photography).

 

[morgan_moore]

Ive had all sorts of lenses and at the end of the day 90% of my video work ends up being shot on a manual focus nikkor.

I seem to reject every other lens for some reason - mainly focus throw being too short, frictionally challenged, or some other such.

I had to pony up for an 18/4 which was basically the only one that cost more than $300

As for stills - im AF all the way but a 20, 50 and 70-200 and im good, the only other lens I use for stills is a 55 nikkor micro

I have two crossover lenses I use for stills and filming - being too costly to duplicate, the 14/2.8 and the 400 2.8 - both are fine for both.

For S16 I think you need to forget FF35 lenses and go for a zeiss or canon zoom that kind of match the S16 vibe.

Those rokinons are pretty good value though.

Other options - an cine people like them cost they focus the 'right' way are contax/zeiss Olympus and Canon FD

As for canonAF - IMO they are overhyped poo for film making - too short throw - and the front elements are bit wonky (zooms) not to mention massively overpriced

S

 

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

There are tons of different lenses for different needs and different shooters (photography, cinema, 16mm, 35mm, full frame, medium format, etc.)

What do YOU think you'll need? If you think you need lenses that can cover everything and anything, you'll probably never going to find the perfect set. If there was one set of lenses that had it all, we'd all be using them. The best decision is to pick the ones that give you want you want and you'll need to predict where you will go.

The industry will never settle on just one thing. Even 35mm, in it's masterful glory had 16mm, 65mm, 8mm as well as video formats to contend with. FF is still ONLY found on a few Canon DSLR's. S35mm is found on most professional cameras (Canon, Arri, Sony, Red), and many smaller formats will always exist for their benefitial reasons (m4/3, 2/3 or S16mm)

For me, I work almost exclusively in PL mount and S35mm with the largest sensor likely being the new Red Dragon, somewhere a little over S35mm. So diversity doesn't really matter much to me nor does FF. I chose a lens set that suited what I was looking for, and because I work in a very narrow niche of the industry, have not needed to protect myself on other fronts and have been super successful and happy with my choice.

I hope you can find the same!

It sounds like you have found a set (Nikons) which you feel are the best way to go. I'd say trust your instincts. Remember half the battle is the image the lenses give and the other half is how they allow you to work. I think cost will be the biggest issue for you, because if you had the money, it sounds like the CP.2's would be the way to go.

They can be changed to almost any common mount, are cinema housed, focus the right way, light weight, good optics, full frame, and do have some wide options (15, I believe is the widest).