New Af-100 owner and complete lens newbie. Lens info and cheapest fast lenses

Loganm187

Loganm187

Well-known member
I have had a DVX100B since late 2009 and have won various film festival awards with it and currently have my first full length film playing in various fests in Vegas, LA, etc this fall. Well, I was thinking I needed a big upgrade as the dvx100 is considered pretty outdated(even though my feature length film is constantly called visually brilliant in reviews) I knew it was time to go HD etc.(I was also losing wedding gigs because of my old cam) I just ordered my af-100 and I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE WITH LENSES AT ALL. The af-100 comes with the 14-140mm and I know it's a pretty slow and dark lens and I need something faster. What size lenses and what brands, mounts (that wont break the bank) would you recommend? I have very little cash as i went into some debt to get the cam, but know i need another lens or two. Any info you can provide about would be so helpful as I am lost and kinda scared right now haha. Thanks guys.

Also if anyone is interested here is my dvx100 demo reel:

 
The cheapest way to get some fast glass is to go with some used Nikons, probably something like a 50/1.4 and a 35 at about an f/2 or so.

If you want to get matching glass, the Lumix 20mm is a great short/fast lens. Not all that ideal for manual control, but it is quite fast (f/1.7) and a mild wide angle, and very sharp.

There's a Canon FD 50mm/f1.4 on ebay right now, claiming to be mint in the box, for a buy-it-now of $80 with free shipping.

Watch out for new Canon lenses because they don't have aperture rings and getting control of the iris is not a fun task. Older Canons like the FDs, or older Nikons, or a Nikon with the Novoflex aperture-control adapter, are more usable.
 
Thanks Barry! I can't seem to find the exact auction you were speaking of though. I can find buy it nows for 90 and 100 with like 6 bucks shipping. also what lens mount adapter would i need for that Nikon lens? thanks!
 
I have lots of Fotodiox adapters and they've all worked fine (M42, FD, Nikon, Leica R, C-mount). My only problematic adapter is a Kipon OM-mount.
 
Yeah, that was the one I was looking at. Note, it was just something I saw that I was pointing out, not that I was specifically recommending.

I don't know the details on the FD lenses, I mean, the difference between f/1.4 and 1.8 is just over 1/2 of an f-stop, so not a huge deal. But there may be a case of that the 1.4 is known to be a better lens in general, or maybe the 1.8 is, I don't know. It was just so cheap that it's hard to imagine going too far wrong; I mean, the SLR lenses I'm using are cine-modded Zeiss ZF's and they cost on average about $1500 apiece, so $80 for a 50/1.8 seemed like a steal, and if you don't like it you could always re-list it on ebay and get probably 80 to 100% of your money back when you re-sell it...
 
Fotodiox or Rainbow adapters are the best of the cheap adapters. I have a few and they are OK. You will probably end up buying a Novoflex or one of the other higher quality ones soon enough.They are so nice and tight and with heavier lenses you don't get wobble. In fact its like the adapter isn't their. Cant say that about the Fotodiox. But it does work.
 
can only point out the immportance of a good adapter.. novoflex, adaptimax.. i cheaped out and got the rainbow and also tried on another cheap chinese model (30 bux on ebay).. if i didnt have reflexes like spiderman my nikon 70-200 would of smashed to bits on the concrete lol.. the adapters mentioned cost a lil more, but you wont be second guessing them or worrying about them wrecking your lenses. i got the adaptimax, good tight fit.. love it
 
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