Olympus 35-100mm F2 for video use - recap and clarifications please

B

binba

Active member
I've read heaps of posts about the Olympus lenses, and ended up with more questions than answers. I'd appreciate answers to any of the following:

Iris click and shift issue:
  1. Most discussions are from 1-2 years ago, am I correct that this has never been resolved?
  2. Is the problem just the same on the GH2 as is on the AF100?
  3. How much is the shift (worst case scenario)? Half a stop? 5 stops?
  4. What happens when it shifts? Does the number on the camera change and you have to readjust? Does the lens get out of sync with the camera reading? How do you align them back?
  5. How loud are those lens clicks? Would they get picked up in a typical interior interview setting?
  6. I understand that focus is always by wire, and that marks are not repeatable. With gears and a follow focus, how usable are the mechanics, though? Can you make small smooth focus adjustments, or is there too much play, it acts "sticky", etc.?
  7. In manual focus mode, does the focus ring have hard stops or is it a slipping servo?
  8. What's the focus ring travel / throw distance?
  9. Does all this basically apply to the 14-35mm F2 lens, or it's better/worse in certain aspects?


Basically, $2500 is completely worth it for a super-fast, optically excellent zoom lens - if it's usable. I'd like to use it in addition to a Zeiss prime set, mostly for interviews.

Thanks!
 
I can answer most of your questions from first hand experience over the past few days (March 2012), however it's with the 14-35 Olympus lens and not the 35-100...I am ASSUMING that the electronics and everything other than the focal length are the same.

1) What has not been resolved?
2) What problem are you talking about?
3) I will assume you're talking about the f-stop shift...yes, this was a surprise...essentially here's how it goes:

Zoom ALL THE WAY out and set your f-stop. Let's say it's a sunny day and you have your ND filter set at 3 and you set exposure (via the rolling knob thingy) to 5.6. Basically as soon as you zoom in JUST A LITTLE, the exposure will change to f/6, and it will remain f/6 throughout the remainder of the zoom range. Let's say we do the same thing at f/2.0......there is no change.

Let's say we do the same thing for f/3.2..zoom in and out all your want; it does not change.

The olympus lens has an electronic aperture like the Canons. Also, these lenses are pretty much the only fast zooms available for the AF100 which have electronic iris control. As far as the difference in light is concerned, it's noticeable, but the lenses and the AF100 are not designed to be zoomed in during recording so you shouldn't be doing it -- I'd say maybe 1/3 stop difference.

In a nutshell, sometimes it shifts, and sometimes it doesn't...if it does, it's about 1/3 stop difference.

Look at it as a "variable prime" instead of a zoom and adjust accordingly.

4) Yes, the f number in the camera goes from 5.6 (for example) to 6.....and then it stays at 6 (again, just an example) throughout the rest of the zoom range. I don't know what you mean by "out of sync"...if you zoom back out, it returns to 5.6 (again, just an example).

5. The lens clicks are loud enough to register while using the internal mic with the volume knobs set to the default (middle). Not a big deal unless you are changing aperture DURING recording.

6. Not sure. Focus is not by wire...aperture is. Focus is manual -- unless I'm talking out of my ass....I didn't try any auto focus with it. It takes getting used to....today I was hanging in the back yard recording my 2 year old son running around and I was practicing racking focus based on where he was. It's a matter of practice and I'll get good at it within a month I think. The one thing that does suck about focus on this lens is that it focuses beyond infinity.

It DOES appear to be parfocal. If I zoom in and focus, then zoom out, it APPEARS (according to the AF100 focus-in-red focus assist) to stay in focus. Gears + follow focus should be fine.

7. There is no auto focus mode -- only manual. Setting the camera to autp-focus yields a "MF ONLY" message. No stops and it rotates freely. It's a matter of getting used to it.

8. See #7.

9. This is based on the 14-35 and my experience with it the past 3 days. I assume the 35-100 is the same.


All in all, you can't beat a variable f2.0 prime like this for the money. It's not perfect, but actually what's not perfect is the electronics in the AF100 instead of the lens. The lens itself is fine but the AF100 is FULL of compromises -- you just need to deal with them.

Having said all the above, the image quality is very good and my plans are to add the 35-100 Olympus to complement my 14-35 in the near future, as well as the Nokton 25mm 0.95.
 
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In short; the Olympus 35-100/2 is a great still lens but to heavy and with the exception of the excellent optics it's not suited for a video camera. I had one, I seldom used it and sold it.
 
I have had an Oly 35-100 for a year and use it a lot with my two af's . The 14-35 and 35 -100 are my base lenses for the AF and while they are not perfect by any means, they are role players that get a lot of use in my world. That said , the 35-100 is not a hand held run and gun lens. The lens is too heavy and make the camera too front heavy for hand held shooting.

With the camera on sticks its my main interview lens, portrait lens . I can also use a manfrotto lens controller to operate iris and focus from the pan handle of the tripod. Which is great for TelePrompTer situations.

I use this lens like a variable prime and use it frequently . If I need a real zoom lens, I have a Cooke 20-100 that fills that need, and that iis definitely a tripod only lens.
 
I regularly use the 35-100 and 14-35 as my go-to lenses for dual cam interviews and am very pleased with the results. Like Mark Smith, also use them as variable primes with the Manfrotto controller. One thing to note is the Manfrotto will not open either of these lenses fully to 2.0. Which isn't a big deal since you can always go manual when 2.0 is needed - which rarely, if ever, happens for my interview needs - not too many times when you want the eyes in focus and the tips of the eyelashes soft. :smile:

Here's an interview shot with these lenses:

 
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Thanks for all the responses.
Weight is no issue, I'm used to ENG / cine rigs. You think this lens is bulky? Try the 10lbs Red 18-85 f2.8.
If the iris shifts, can you just adjust it back to the desired value? My use for this will be for quick reframing during interviews. No need for usable zoom motion, but easier than changing primes. So as long as refocusing & readjusting iris is easy and fast, I could consider it, like tflak. I just hope those clicks aren't too loud. And compared to Zeiss ZF lenses the Oly isn't so pricey either.
 
Nope, 4/3 and M4/3 use the same sensor. Look at it this way, if it was full sensor it'd be bigger, heavier, slower, and pricier.
 
goetzpd said:
Problem is that it is 4/3. If it was MFT it would be physically smaller, right?
Click to expand...

The 35-100 could be designed marginally smaller. It is just slightly retrofocal on 4/3, and could be designed as a normal optic on µ4/3.

The 14-35 could be designed significantly smaller in µ4/3.

Whether you would end up with the same quality of lens going smaller.. who knows.
 
binba said:
Thanks for all the responses.
Weight is no issue, I'm used to ENG / cine rigs. You think this lens is bulky? Try the 10lbs Red 18-85 f2.8.
If the iris shifts, can you just adjust it back to the desired value? My use for this will be for quick reframing during interviews. No need for usable zoom motion, but easier than changing primes. So as long as refocusing & readjusting iris is easy and fast, I could consider it, like tflak. I just hope those clicks aren't too loud. And compared to Zeiss ZF lenses the Oly isn't so pricey either.
Click to expand...

Have shot over a dozen interviews with these lenses. Admittedly, they've all been in controlled lighting situations so the need to adjust the iris during shooting hasn't been a complication. As far as noise from clicking is concerned - it has never been a problem.

Frankly, while I've read about others having issues with the 35-100 and have no doubt they've experienced what they say, I just haven't personally experienced any of those issues in over two years of using it. First with a GH1, then GH2 and finally the AF100.

Here's a short test I did over two years ago (using a GH1) showing the zooming capability of the 35-100 while holding a constant 2.0. The only negative thing I can say about this lens is that it's a shame it's not parfocal.

Password = constant2

 
i use Sigma 4/3 70-200 f/2.8 apo ex dg macro! defiantly much much cheaper especially if u find it used (i bought 2 for 400$ and for 600$), constant aperture(yes iris smaller then 2.0, but also the price), NO CLICKS at all!!!, its macro - so close focus is not a problem, i am not a pro, but its seems like macro gives more bokhe then regular lens, lens does not extend - both and zoom and focus happens inside the lens (so u can use it with mate box and filters), very smooth, also looks cool and kind of sexy on my cam!

unfortunately it does not work with my manfrotto 521 pfi
 
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