F3: Which PL lens set (mostly Zeiss) should I keep?

[Duke M.]

I wanted to switch my lenses to PL for several reasons. My original intent was to buy/build two Zeiss PL lens sets and sell one.

By happenstance I now have three sets and find that there are different aspects I like of each. Can you help me decide, and tell my why you think that way? All the lenses in all of the sets are now PL with gears and 80mm fronts. (Except the Red and Zeiss 180's are bigger than 80mm fronts.)

Set 1) Zeiss Arriflex primes: 16, 24, 35, 50, 85. Matched, all F2 (mostly T2.2 although one is T2.4), great images, very small and light weight. 280 degree focus throw. This set was used to film the original Ghost Busters and other features.

Set 2) Poor man's Zeiss primes: 28, 37, 58, 80, 120, 180. All F2.8 except the 50mm is F2 and all are single coated. The four longest lenses are Zeiss Jenna (East German), one is Helios and one Mir (both are Russian copies of Zeiss lenses made on Zeiss machines by Zeiss techs captured during the war.) The focus throw is 320 or 280 degress. Zeiss Jenna can be very nice and these are mint.

Set 3) A Red 18-50 PL zoom, and Zeiss 80, 120, 180 multi coated lenses with all of them F2.8. About 320 degree focus throw. These three Zeiss lenses are spectacular, the best lenses I've ever seen. In fact I consider the Red Zoom to be the weak link in this set. The Red does not have the smooth mechanics of the Zeiss among other things, but a zoom is fast to work with. The advantage is they are all F2.8.

Set 4) A different combination that I should keep, and why. I'm somewhat reluctant to break up set 1.

 

[maranfilms]

I would just keep them all, you can never have to many lenses, heck I think I have about 6 50mm, from all different companies. Certain things I like about them all. Unless your hurting for cash, I ain't never met an attorney that was I would keep them all Duke, because as soon as you sale one, your gonna need it for a specific shot. trust me)

 

[Nate Weaver]

Keep the 18-50 for crazy run+gun jobs, and keep set 1 of the primes.

The only reason I can think of NOT to do this is you were hoping to raise more money by selling the leftovers than you'd get otherwise.

 

[Duke M.]

I would just keep them all, you can never have to many lenses, heck I think I have about 6 50mm, from all different companies. Certain things I like about them all. Unless your hurting for cash, I ain't never met an attorney that was I would keep them all Duke, because as soon as you sale one, your gonna need it for a specific shot. trust me)

The whole idea when I was thinking of one set was to sell one set. Now with three I have to sell two sets, but which ones.

 

[Duke M.]

Keep the 18-50 for crazy run+gun jobs, and keep set 1 of the primes.

The only reason I can think of NOT to do this is you were hoping to raise more money by selling the leftovers than you'd get otherwise.

Nate, now we get to my dilema. The 18-50 and set 1 over lap for all but one lens (85mm) and have no longer lenses. That's one reason why I grouped those longer Zeiss multi coated lenses with it.

The Red zoom has some barrel distortion at the widest end. The zeiss primes are better in that regard.

But you're right in assuming that the greatest resale value is in set 1.

 

[Nate Weaver]

Nate, now we get to my dilema. The 18-50 and set 1 over lap for all but one lens (85mm) and have no longer lenses. That's one reason why I grouped those longer Zeiss multi coated lenses with it.

The comment of keeping the 18-50 has a lot more to do with it's resale value vs. utility rather than direct comparison to the set of Standards.

You'd use primes vs. zoom on likely completely different types of jobs. And the 18-50 is not worth a ton, compared to the times it will save your butt on jobs where you have to move like a raped ape to make your day.

Set #1 is the one to keep. The 18-50 is just one of those things that's great to have around, lack of snob appeal aside.

 

[petermullett]

well, I'm drawn back into this forum after a long absence due to Duke's "lens dilemma".......Been there myself, and in some respects I'm still there as I hang onto all of my wonderful S16 glass that I kept along with my Aatons.

Mostly I have to agree with "maranfilms" when he/she (?) says keep them all. The lenses you have all have different characters and as the S35 range of digital cameras become more and more "filmic" those characteristics become increasingly apparent. Some of those lenses will suit better one shoot, others another.......And after all, you bought all these different pieces of glass for a reason while not selling any of the others along the way. So in an ideal world I'd keep the lot.

But If I had to sell anything, I agree with Nate, keep the set #1 and reluctantly I'd still keep the Red 18-50 if only because of it's usefulness on a shoot when you are tight for time and lens changes would slow everything too much. It's an ok lens, more useful than desirable.

I no longer use my F3 very much, it's with a colleague in Atlanta. I kept the Red 18-50 plus the Sony SCL-Z18x140 18-254, some PL'd / rehoused Nikon primes and a Tokina 11-16. The set of Zeiss CP2's I sold to buy into the Ikonoskop A-Cam DII that I just managed to get delivery on before that company sadly ran into the wall a couple of months back...However having the A-Cam DII, ( which I love by the way ), has put another lease of life on my "hoarded" stock of S16 lenses, and I am really happy that I was never tempted to sell them on.

 

[starcentral]

I voted for set #1 and I would sell the rest. (If I absolutely had to)

If you need zooms rent them if they need to be cine-versions or buy Tokina's and maybe do duclos mod. Aren't the RED's Tokina glass anyway (I can't remember)?

 

[Duke M.]

I voted for set #1 and I would sell the rest. (If I absolutely had to)

If you need zooms rent them if they need to be cine-versions or buy Tokina's and maybe do duclos mod. Aren't the RED's Tokina glass anyway (I can't remember)?

The first Red zooms were rumored to be Sigma glass the year that Sigma won a bunch of awards for their badged 18-50mm. I will say the Red lens is nicely marked, nicely geared and although they don't turn butter smooth the rings aren't grinding and have a long throw. It should be easy to get a smooth focus pull with them.

I do still have Nikon AF-S zooms in 17-35, 28-70, and 80-200 with rings on them as wells as a Tokina 11-16, so I'm not exactly wedded to the Red zoom. It looks impressive, but I'm not aiming for snob appeal.

 

[starcentral]

Ah yes that's it.. SIGMA.

My zoom set is all Tokina's: 16-50, 28-70, and coming eventually 11-16.