What old Nikkor (Nikon) lenses are good for Canon DSLRs for video?
- Thread starter jordy2324
- Start date
PerroneFord
Deals in Lead
Ones that say Nippon Kogaku on them.
Ones that say Nikkor on them and have an aperture ring.
Ones that say Nikkor on them and have an aperture ring.
PerroneFord
Deals in Lead
Yep. That's exactly the 50mm I have on my camera as we speak.
Chris Johnston
Veteran
I have a 24mm 2.8 that I really like (and are kinda cheap)
and a nikkor ED 50-300 that I like (even though it's really big and heavy and kinda expensive)
and a nikkor ED 50-300 that I like (even though it's really big and heavy and kinda expensive)
David G. Smith
Steak Knife Member
That 24mm is the lens I have on my camera right now. I also have a 50mm f1.4, a 35mm F2.8, a 100mm F2.8 E Series and a 200mm f4.5 Q lens. I am looking to also pick up a 20mm F2.8 and an 85mm F1.8. I like the Nikons a lot.
Jarrett P. Morgan
Well-known member
KEH.com has a large selection, but has a little higher prices.
I have found the best place is a local camera shop (locally owned of course)
I am going to my favorite one this weekend!!
I have found the best place is a local camera shop (locally owned of course)
I am going to my favorite one this weekend!!
jambredz
Veteran
I'm gonna humble myself and get a set of nikon vintage instead of struggling to break the bank on more expensive Vintage. you guys think its possible to get set of 24, 35, 50, 85 nikkors for $800?
to the OP...ive bought 3 vinatge lenses off ebay and they were fine. just read the feedback, ask seller alot of question and look on the pics carefully.
to the OP...ive bought 3 vinatge lenses off ebay and they were fine. just read the feedback, ask seller alot of question and look on the pics carefully.
randomname
Well-known member
Thats very doable, you may not be able to get everything at 1.8 or under.
Zissou
Well-known member
check my sig; i have all D version primes (AF for my Nikon F5 that i never use and Nikon and Canon DSLR's) and some Canon FD primes. Only ones i want is the 60mm f2.8 AF-D, 85mm AF-D f2.8 and maybe a 200mm AF-D f2.8.
Also just bought an Adorama branded F-mount to EOS mount adapter, supposedly will allow me to use G Nikkors (no aperture ring) on my Canons and retain aperture control. hasnt arrived yet. The only G Nikkors i have are the f2.8 trio, 18-200 VR and 70-300 VR; NONE of which i think would work well for video, but i bet for vacations we'll end up taking the 7D (GF's) with my 18-200VR assuming aperture control actually works. The 12-24 f2.8G, 24-70 f2.8G, and 70-200 f2.8 VR will NEVER again see use as video lenses for work (my personal lenses).
I cant WAIT to use my Nikkors on the little gem that is the T2i; all we currently have is the kit 18-55 IS, 18-200 IS, and an 18-55 non-IS. Nowhere NEAR sharp, all plastic, and slow lenses. Canons' IS is great though, the IS in the 18-200 is better than my 18-200 VR, but i prefer the Nikkor as it doesnt distort NEARLY as much, and i have instant MF override without a switch.
After years avoiding them in photography i FINALLY warmed up to them after i got the first Letus. I used to be lazy and always shoot with the 18-200VR; not any more. Most of my Nikkor primes were a gift, along with the F5, from a friend with failing vision.
Also just bought an Adorama branded F-mount to EOS mount adapter, supposedly will allow me to use G Nikkors (no aperture ring) on my Canons and retain aperture control. hasnt arrived yet. The only G Nikkors i have are the f2.8 trio, 18-200 VR and 70-300 VR; NONE of which i think would work well for video, but i bet for vacations we'll end up taking the 7D (GF's) with my 18-200VR assuming aperture control actually works. The 12-24 f2.8G, 24-70 f2.8G, and 70-200 f2.8 VR will NEVER again see use as video lenses for work (my personal lenses).
I cant WAIT to use my Nikkors on the little gem that is the T2i; all we currently have is the kit 18-55 IS, 18-200 IS, and an 18-55 non-IS. Nowhere NEAR sharp, all plastic, and slow lenses. Canons' IS is great though, the IS in the 18-200 is better than my 18-200 VR, but i prefer the Nikkor as it doesnt distort NEARLY as much, and i have instant MF override without a switch.
After years avoiding them in photography i FINALLY warmed up to them after i got the first Letus. I used to be lazy and always shoot with the 18-200VR; not any more. Most of my Nikkor primes were a gift, along with the F5, from a friend with failing vision.
Jarrett P. Morgan
Well-known member
you can also look at the old Pentax lenses. The SMC Takumar 50 f1.4 is supposedly one of the best 50mm lenses made. (I know people will argue with me on this, but it is a fantastic lens)
it is also pretty cheap.
it is also pretty cheap.
Ben_B
Veteran
Yeah probably! In fact $800 is probably what you will end up paying for all those lenses in good condition and relatively fast.
J Davis
Veteran
I highly recommend the nikon manuals, great lenses but do your research there are some dud ones. With these crop cameras its hard to go wide, avoid the 24mm f2,
get the 24 f2.8 (and the 20 f2,8 if you can afford it)
If you need to go wider than 20 get the canon mount tokina 11-16 f2.8 its a good match in sharpness when you it all on a timeline.
The 50mm f1.2 is a little bit of a waste of money, high prices just to get nicer bokeh and an fstop you will shoot at only once in a blue moon.
Beyond 50mm I highly recommend the series E 75-150mm f3.5. Its sharp, good contrast and inexpensive. But my fave in this range is the 50-135 f3.5.
Interestingly enough I have moved over to 1 canon EFS lens that beats all of my nikon AIS primes for sharpness and that's the 17-55/2.8. Since I got that I only use my nikons to rack focus or with diopters.
edit:
The link in my sig for the trailer is all shot with nikon manual primes
get the 24 f2.8 (and the 20 f2,8 if you can afford it)
If you need to go wider than 20 get the canon mount tokina 11-16 f2.8 its a good match in sharpness when you it all on a timeline.
The 50mm f1.2 is a little bit of a waste of money, high prices just to get nicer bokeh and an fstop you will shoot at only once in a blue moon.
Beyond 50mm I highly recommend the series E 75-150mm f3.5. Its sharp, good contrast and inexpensive. But my fave in this range is the 50-135 f3.5.
Interestingly enough I have moved over to 1 canon EFS lens that beats all of my nikon AIS primes for sharpness and that's the 17-55/2.8. Since I got that I only use my nikons to rack focus or with diopters.
edit:
The link in my sig for the trailer is all shot with nikon manual primes
Lenilenapi
Carbonite Member
Most of the old Nikon manual lenses are excellent and they are also too numerous to mention. Do you searching on the web and you can find lots of very detailed websites with tons of info on them. A few of the more recent lines are cheaper - I think the G is not supposed to be that good but I don't know. I have a set of AIS , AI lenses and pre AI primes. If you want the fastest lenses you pay more and they are often over $300. If you are happy with 2.8 then you can get them very cheap. Be aware that with some of the old ones you will have to get a dremel and actually grind down metal obstructions that get in the way of the Canon mount. Its easier to do than you would think.
What's the focus ring like? The 50mm 1.8 Canon is terrible for PF work, while Canon's 1.4 is a bit better. Where does the vintage Nikkor rank as far as smooth focus ring?
PerroneFord
Deals in Lead
They feel very much like real cinema lenses. On a scale of 1-10, I'd rate the two Canon's you listed as 2 or 3, and the older Nikons as an 8, and the older Pentax lenses as a 9. You're playing in a totally different league.
Michael Carter
Veteran
I did some focus chart testing on AI lenses - Nikon series E, some vivitars, and put them up against more modern AF lenses.
The series E's I tested - 28, 35, and 100, all 2.8's - were pretty nice, and markedly beat the pre-AF era Vivitars. But they do have a sharpness sweet spot around F4 - 5.6. The softness wide open wasn't objectionable though. And I tested with still images on a Nikon body - I wonder if it's even an issue with such compressed video.
The series E primes are a great value; and the 50mm 1.8 AF has been around forever in several incarnations and is a fantastic lens; the Series E 50 is considered a great lens, the 100 pretty stellar. But I find I use the 28 most often as it's more "normal" with the crop factor. The Nikon AF glass that evolved around the time of the 8008 body (I still have two of those bodies, one with a forscher polaroid back - yeah, I'm old!) is some great stuff as well, and there's tons of it out there. I have the 85 1.8 - it's a lens with gobs of mojo, but it's pretty dang long on a small sensor body.
You'll generally find that pre-AF lenses have much, much nicer focus damping than AF glass - not a huge issue with a follow focus, but AF lenses are very "touchy" lenses to focus - every single one I own, until you get up to the big zooms like the 80-200 2.8 (which for some reason I love shooting handheld video with when you want a real "action" feel). My series E stuff feels really sweet focus-wise.
I post this again and again, but you'll get sick of the Adorama Nikon-to-Canon adapter if you're doing rack focus pulls - it wobbles and shifts. Google the Fotodiox "no play" adapter, it about $70 but much more solid feel.
And finally, almost every SLR lens I use for video seems to "shift" a hair when focusing - you really see it on longer lenses or closeups, a little side-to-side bump. These weren't built for motion work after all.
The series E's I tested - 28, 35, and 100, all 2.8's - were pretty nice, and markedly beat the pre-AF era Vivitars. But they do have a sharpness sweet spot around F4 - 5.6. The softness wide open wasn't objectionable though. And I tested with still images on a Nikon body - I wonder if it's even an issue with such compressed video.
The series E primes are a great value; and the 50mm 1.8 AF has been around forever in several incarnations and is a fantastic lens; the Series E 50 is considered a great lens, the 100 pretty stellar. But I find I use the 28 most often as it's more "normal" with the crop factor. The Nikon AF glass that evolved around the time of the 8008 body (I still have two of those bodies, one with a forscher polaroid back - yeah, I'm old!) is some great stuff as well, and there's tons of it out there. I have the 85 1.8 - it's a lens with gobs of mojo, but it's pretty dang long on a small sensor body.
You'll generally find that pre-AF lenses have much, much nicer focus damping than AF glass - not a huge issue with a follow focus, but AF lenses are very "touchy" lenses to focus - every single one I own, until you get up to the big zooms like the 80-200 2.8 (which for some reason I love shooting handheld video with when you want a real "action" feel). My series E stuff feels really sweet focus-wise.
I post this again and again, but you'll get sick of the Adorama Nikon-to-Canon adapter if you're doing rack focus pulls - it wobbles and shifts. Google the Fotodiox "no play" adapter, it about $70 but much more solid feel.
And finally, almost every SLR lens I use for video seems to "shift" a hair when focusing - you really see it on longer lenses or closeups, a little side-to-side bump. These weren't built for motion work after all.
Nice. This makes me pretty confident in buying my first non-Canon gear.