Lens help for a newbie please...

mdslammer

mdslammer

Well-known member
Hi Guys,

I'm very close to picking up a 35mm adapter. I think I'm going with the Brevis.
So I'm very ignorant about this whole setup and could use some of your
expertise.

I plan on using a follow focus so I'm assuming I would want "manual" focus as
opposed to "auto" focus. Is this correct?

I asked for some suggestions as to lens selection and they recommended the
following: (I was going to go with Nikon Primes which are somewhat more affordable).
28mm (Wide), 50mm (General and 100mm (Tele). All f2.0 or faster f1.8.

They went on to say "Zooms are usually more light-efficient due to their larger
rear element, and are still fine at f2.8. Just be sure to pick a zoon with a constant
aperture (those have the better optics, plus you don't want your image to go darker as you're zooming in)".
For Zooms: Nikon AF Zooms: 17-35 and 35-70mm, both f2.8.

If you have any suggestions, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks in advance.

Mark Dalzell
Las Vegas, NV
 
I am not sure you are confused with sounds like you got a plan!

Anyways not all AF lens, are automatic almost all of them can be used with a follow focus in manual mode. Stay away from AF lens that don't have a apperature control ring on the outside. If you are looking at Nikon thats pretty much all their new lens that have a "G". For Canon none of the EOS lens have apperature control.

I use Nikon AIS prime lens because they were cheaper and faster. The AF lens where more money then I wanted to spend but some people buy them because they don't want to carry multiple lens. My friend carries the 17-35mm 2.8, 50mm 1.4 and a 80-200 all AF lens. My set has 7 lens which is alot more to carry around.
 
Along as you stay manual focus and aperture, and go with the fastest lens you can get, you're set.
Avoid , internal dust, fungus, and specs , chips or deep scratches on the outer elements.
Remember you may get vignetting and probably will at 17mm and will have to zoom into 24 or 28mm anyway, buy something that has a 7 day return policy, you can't go wrong.
When i bought a 50mm, which they said i needed i ended always using the 85mm or a 35mm over it every time simply due to nicer looking Bokeh!
Cheers
 
Buy from a place that has a return policy and will stand by the sale. Yes, you can find lots of lenses on Ebay at what seems like good prices but unless you are sophisticated enough to inspect the lens and know immediately what's wrong, I'd steer clear of Ebay.

B&H, KEH are very reputable. Older Nikons are wonderful for this because they are usually affordable and have an aperture ring.

Please don't take this this the wrong way, but if you don't understand what's going on with the lenses and equipment, you might want to save your money until you do. It's VERY easy to spend a ton (as in $2000 at least) on accessories not including the adapter just to get the damn thing connected to your camera. Take it from me, it can be a costly mistake if you don't understand each component of the process. I'd suggest renting a rig a couple of times so you can see first hand what you need and how it works.

Many years ago I spent almost $5k on a large format camera set up, pretty much because I liked the idea of large negatives and the huge prints you can make from them. Unfortunately I had no understanding of how the camera worked in the field. I used it for about 6 months, grew frustrated and sold it at a loss. I'm proceeding at a very slow pace deciding on an adapter just so I don't repeat that foolishness.

The people here will be happy to give advice but make sure you understand the details before you unholster your credit card!

Finally, the "zooms are usually more light efficient" advice is misleading. There are oodles of primes (fixed focal length lenses) that are more efficient. Also, by the laws of optics a zoom cannot be as sharp as a prime, though today's zooms are light-years better than they were just 10 years ago.

Most of my Nikons are 2.8s. I have one or two 1.8s. Outdoors the 2.8 are fine. Indoors (with ordinary indoor incandescent lighting) with a Letus Ultimate /f2.8 Nikkor and Sony EX-1, I was very underexposed until I started adding gain on the camera. That's why people who use these rigs daily will spend the extra money on f 1.8 or faster Nikkors or Zeiss glass. It really depends where and how you'll be shooting and what your budget is.

The 28 mm and 50mm are good starting points because they'll be inexpensive. Many people get bored with the 50. But both are available in f1.8 models which is good for adapter use.
 
Gentlemen,

As usual, you guys always come thru. One reason why I depend so much on
this forum. Thanks for taking time to chime in and your help. I will take what
you've posted and do my homework.

Again, my thanks to you all.

Best.

Mark
 
I don't know if you have already found the answers of what lenses to buy, but anyway I have recently bought Nikon lenses for my HVX205 with G35, and came to realize that my lens combination was really the best pick as far as image framing is concerned. For wide angle I picked Nikon 24mm f2.8 D NAF AF, and for Medium shots and some Close ups I picked Nikon 50mm f1.4 D AF, and a back up zoom lens Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 ED AF for Mediums and Close ups in case you are in a position where you can't get closer to the subject. With these lenses above I'm satisfied for all my shooting needs. Here is a link to the footage taken using them with Cinemk G35 under natural light for both outdoor and indoor shots: http://vimeo.com/5155550
 
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