Prime lens suggestions in the 85-135mm focal length range

F

forsterite

New member
I own an FS700/Odyssey7q combo with a few lenses under 50 mm focal length, and I am looking to add a prime lens in the 85mm to 135mm range that is f/2.8 or better and is sub-$5,000. The obvious candidate would be a Zeiss CP.2 85mm, since I already own their 35 mm lens and have a matte box that fits that size. I am looking for other suggestions, however, based on what other people use. I would like something that doesn't have lenticular bokeh (football-shaped) on point sources of light. For this reason, the Zeiss Milvus and Batis seem to be disqualified. Zoom lenses might also be worth considering in the 70-200mm range, I suppose. I have an F-mount adapter already, but I would consider getting another adapter for the right lens. Any thoughts?

Jeff
 
Have you read up on the Sony FE 70-200 f/2.8 GM lens? It will be $2600ish and is available Soon Only Not Yet. Or maybe it's just backordered.
http://www.sony.com/electronics/camera-lenses/sel70200gm

I like primes when we have time to take advantage of them...but I also like the speed of working with a good zoom. So not sure I'm helping, but if you looked at that Sony lens and decided it wasn't for you, I'd love to hear why.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, seanmc. I see that the Rokinon also comes in an E-mount, which is nice. 11 blades on the aperture should produce some nice effects in the background. I hadn't really considered Rokinon before, so I am glad of the suggestion. The Canon CN-E 85 mm is a similar price range to the Zeiss CP.2. Any thoughts on the differences between these 2 in terms of sharpness and coloration?
 
Jim,
Yeah, that lens is definitely on my radar. I will be using a tripod 99% of the time, so weight is probably not as much of a factor, but man that will make my setup long! I have the Odyssey and IDX battery mounted behind the camera on rails for a streamlined look. The other lens that I am considering is the SONY FE 85 mm f/1.4 G Master series lens, as the bokeh looked nice and creamy on shots that I have seen.
 
forsterite said:
Thanks for the suggestions, seanmc. I see that the Rokinon also comes in an E-mount, which is nice. 11 blades on the aperture should produce some nice effects in the background. I hadn't really considered Rokinon before, so I am glad of the suggestion. The Canon CN-E 85 mm is a similar price range to the Zeiss CP.2. Any thoughts on the differences between these 2 in terms of sharpness and coloration?
Click to expand...

Zeiss has better contrast, Canon has Canon color, which many people prefer. In Canada, the Canon CN-Es are much cheaper than the Zeiss CP.2 super speeds. So it's no contest for me.

I would says the Rokinon Xeens are good, but not great, for the money. I think for their build quality, they are too expensive. If you're mostly studio shooting, no problem. If you're doing a lot of location shooting, I would invest more in a Canon/Zeiss, they can take more abuse.

The new(ish) Veydra primes are really nice too, but not sized like your other lenses.
 
@jpham Nice suggestion, as I own Nikon cameras as well. Would you recommend the Nikon 105mm DC over the 135mm DC in terms of optic quality?
 
I highly recommend going the 70-200 route if you are at all considering it as an option. Although I should mention that I come from a doco/tv/corporate shooter perspective so my style dictates against working with primes most of the time.

The Canon 70-200 2.8L IS is probably my favorite lens and gets more use than anything else in my kit. I sold my 85mm 1.2L after I realised it had been years since I'd picked it in favour of the 70-200. Awesome IQ, very useful zoom range for anything talking head related such as PTC's, IV's, dialogue, etc. The IS is great to have too - even on sticks - and makes it a viable option to use on a shoulder mount.
 
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@deltoidjohn Thanks. It is a lens I am considering. I would be interested to hear if anyone has experience with this lens and the metabones speed booster. I do a lot with 240 fps RAW, so having those wide open lenses are advantageous. At least with the metabones I could get f/2. In addition, for about the same price, I could preorder the SONY FE 70-200mm f/2.8, with the advantage of having autofocus for filming sports. I have 1-2 months to make a decision, giving me time to make the right choice. I might see if I can rent some lenses to help narrow the decision.
 
I can't comment at all on the Sony version, but I use the Canon on a Speedbooster and it looks great, even wide open.
 
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No problem! Out of curiosity, what other lenses are you currently using?

I pretty much exclusively use Canon lenses, so I can't really comment on how well the 70-200 might match your other lenses.
 
@deltoidjohn I use the kit SONY 18-200, a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G, Nikkor 12-24mm f/4G or Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 for wide shots, and the Zeiss CP.2 35mm lens. I am really lacking in the telephoto department!
 
If you're already used to the Nikon lenses with their backward focus rings, definitely take a look at the Nikon 80-200. I had one of those and loved it - it had amazing IQ, it was built like a tank, and it had a lovely mechanical feel to all of the rings. The only reason I sold it was because I couldn't get used to the reversed focusing.

The 80-200, as opposed to the newer 70-200's, has the advantage of having a manual aperture ring on the lens, so you can choose from a wider variety of adapters.
 
Having that manual adapter ring is so nice. On the G series, I hate not knowing what the aperture is, even though some of the lenses are very high quality.
 
I'm looking at a Rokinon Cinema DS kit, including the 135mm - these are the only other lenses other than my FD's I'd consider buying because of the price and quality/value. If I needed better I'd be renting as I don't think it makes sense to own a lens kit worth so much $ - I'm sure many would disagree.

I really want to actually try the 135 though as I've only tested the 16, so anyone who's used the whole set or the 135, did it stand up to the rest in terms of quality?
 
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