lens newb - help with buying hpx170 lenses

[soulslinga]

hello - we have two hpx170 cameras over at the video production studio i work at. i'm a shooter/editor but have never used different lenses. I would love some guidance, and i'm starting from scratch.
1. Prime lens vs. 35 mm lens (LIke the Letus Ultimate) - whats the difference?
2. if i have a 35 mm lens like the Letus, are there additional recomended lenses i can use in conjuction with it.
3. what acccessories will i need to use the letus or lenses in general?
4. we need a high quality image - budget is high, say up to 10k for everything. can't afford 25k prime lenses.
5. is there a package - like a letus lens, a couple other lenses, and all accessories available for the hpx170?

we are shooting mostly chroma-key footage, but also some on location stuff. music vidoes mainly. if anything might be a problem for chroma/blue screen shooting i'd love to know that too.

 

[steev'sHVX]

do u really need to use any other lens besides the stock for chroma key work.
I got a few nikon lenses for my letus extreme.

 

[wgzn]

slow down slinga' i think you have a few misconceptions here...

the first one is - you absolutely do NOT need a 35mm adapter/lenses to do chroma key footage. in fact, in my experience. it usually will make your footage harder to key.

second thing - the letus (as well as the brevis, redrock, sgblade, etc.) is NOT a lens. its is merely an adapter device that ALLOWS you to connect 35mm still-photography lenses to the front of your fixed lens camera in order to achieve greater and controllable depth of field

the adapter has mounts to attach various brands (cannon, nikon, pentax, zeiss, etc...) of lenses. generally you choose one when you buy it. but most modern 35mm adapters have removable mounts so youre not absolutely married to any specific lens brand

$10k is a decent budget for an adapter setup. but i wouldnt call it "high" as its not just a matter of the adapter and lenses. you will also need: base plate and rails, lens mounts, follow focus and probably a mattebox to use an adapter setup properly. all-in, my very basic setup cost me a little over $5k and it is the bare minimum id suggest.

i think you need to do some more research before plunking down any cash. but to answer your questions:

1. as mentioned above, a 35mm can be a "prime" and the letus is not a lens. its a product that allows you to connect photo lenses to your video camera. prime just means fixed focal length (does not zoom)
2. when you buy your letus you specify what brand of lens mount you want. from that point forward. its a matter of preference. i chose nikon lenses just because i already had some old nikon lenses. my kit has a 35, 50, 85 and 110 (as i recall)
3. as mentioned above, you will absolutely NEED; base plate, rails, lens mount and follow focus. mattebox is typically optional
4. for 35mm adapter use. older, manual focus lenses are optimal
5. i think you can find kits. but they are usually pretty pricey. id suggest building as you go or finding a turnkey used kit.

 

[soulslinga]

thanks - thats really useful info. I should have been a little clearer - we dont plan on using the lens for the chroma shoot (although i might have considered it, if not for your post).... its mostly for the location stuff. The lack of a nice depth of field has driven us to look into more lenses.

 

[wgzn]

first, evaluate adapter manufacturers. look at letus, cinevate, sgblade, redrock, cinemek. all make good products and each has its good as well as not so good points.

then decide what brand of lenses you want as your base brand. nikon, canon, zeiss, pentax, etc...

then figure out what focal length lenses you want in your kit. id say you need 3 different lenses at an absolute minimum (id say a 35, 50 and 85). and you can look beyond primes. you CAN also use zooms. the primary reason zooms are unfavorable is that a good fast (low f-stop) zoom is UBER PRICEY

then you need to look at baseplates, rails, mounts, follow focus and matteboxes. many of the adapters these days have options that come with baseplate and rails. but you will need to evaluate your options for follow focus and mattebox. minimum prices on those are probably around $500 and $1000 respectively and go much higher very quickly

and of course a good strong carrying case for all of it.

this has all been discussed in great detail many times here on the forum. id suggest doing a search and see what u come up with as there is no "best" in this discussion. its all a complex mix of need, workflow and personal preference.