The lenses I am currently considering are:

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM (art) for Canon EF

Rokinon/Samyang/Bower 35mm T1.5 for EF

If anybody has used those lenses, please offer your opinions. I have been impressed by the Sigma footage I have viewed but understand the Rokinon has stronger qualities for video - however, is very soft at 1.5.

pdf download http://www.transferconvert.co.uk/cinemania/HOW%20SINGLE%20FOCUS%20ANAMORPHIC%20ATTACHMENTS%20WORK.pdf

Olympus' tactic of playing down the optical performance of this lens need not be necessary. Even though this lens only costs £90 and is little more than a body cap with some glass in it, it is still capable of delivering decent quality images. Those who fancy experimenting with the fisheye look but don't relish the thought of forking out proper fisheye money, this lens is ideal.

Overall, this lens is fun to use, thanks to its compact size and fuss-free operation.

Available at:

• http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=olympus+9mm&_sop=15
• http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-Fisheye-BCL-0980-Micro-Cameras/dp/B00I19TVU2/

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/olympus-9mm-f-8-fisheye-body-cap-lens-review-24325

Finally comes the first alternative to voigtlander 17.5mm! And to think that the 17mm could also be better in terms of focal length: in fact the crop in 16:9 mode should be a bit more of 2x, is not it? So to get even closer to the equivalent 35mm, it's better than 17.5 (just to make a speech of fanaticism, but there is!) So: what expectations we can feed? The build quality does not come close to voigtlander perhaps, but in terms of image quality, now we should be very close, is not it? Also the price will certainly be lower, you know if you can buy from a third party and take advantage of a street price lower? Let's keep up to date

2X anamorphic lenses provide a very wide 3.55:1 aspect ratio when shooting in 16:9. When I get an anamorphic, I plan to have my final product be either 2.39:1 (or occasionally 2.75:1 if I'm feeling gutsy).

I have found plenty of info on how wide of "taking" glass the various 2X anamorphic lenses can utilize without vignetting, but only when used at 3.5:1. (For example, a Kowa 8Z/16H in 3.55:1 is good down to a 35mm "taking" lens on GH2.)

But if I'm cropping off the sides of my final product to 2.39:1, I would assume I should be able to use a bit wider of a taking lens, even if it vignettes on 16:9, as long as I'm able to crop out the vignette on the sides when trimming down to 2.39:1 from 3.55:1.

What many people get excited with when thinking about anamorphic lenses (especially the 2X crop sensor GH2 crowd) is that the anamorphic gives a wider field of view. While this is true in the horizontal sense of the term, it is not true in the vertical sense. A 35mm taking lens with an anamorphic adapter on front may have twice the field of view horizontally, but vertically it is still a 35mm field of view (70mm equivalent on GH2). This doesn't really help you "get wider" for narrative work in which you are framing up people, where extra vertical field of view is what actually matters.

If cropping 2X anamorphic footage down to 2.39:1 allows the use of an even slightly wider "taking" lens, then I would encourage anamorphic junkies out there to start experimenting with this strategy. even if you loos a bit of horizontal resolution, remember the footage still maintains full 1080 lines vertical, which will keep it looking sharp, even when stretched.

Does anyone know how much more you gain when cropping like this? Using my example of a Kowa, could it be good down to 25mm with the sides cropped to 2.39:1?

I've been doing some research on available walkabout stills/video lens in the 24mm Super35 equivalent (~35mm FF equiv.) length.

On MFT this is of course either a 16-18mm or, with a speedbooster a 24mm (same as Super35).

I'm looking specifically at FAST glass (f/1.8 native or faster, specifically for DOF, so don't count the Speedbooster in that factor), with a great manual focus feel. I have a Nikon speedbooster but the Nikon 24mm f/1.4, besides focusing in the wrong direction, is frighteningly expensive.

I own the Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 and it is very excellent but it is HUGE. The weight isn't the problem but the sheer size - it's not subtle and it's not exactly a great "walkabout" lens. I'll be keeping it for cinema and rig use, but it's not really working for me as a day-carry lens.

So, my current shortlist is: Voigtlander 17,5mm f/0.95 SLR Magic 17mm T/1.6 Rokinon 24mm T/1.5

Right now, despite the cost, the Voigtlander would be my pick solely for the sharpness at f/1.4+ for still photos, but the SLR Magic is tempting for video due to the low cost - although I've heard rumours of build quality being iffy. Owners of both lenses are invited to comment, please!

The Rok/Samyang is interesting, but kind of large physically as well, and I'm not sure I'm sold on it's look for photos either. For cine use I have the Sigma anyway, which is more useful on a rig thanks to the ability to cover 18-35 in one setup.

I'd consider another speedbooster mount for a good vintage lens, if the combined cost of the speedbooster and the lens are under $1000 USD and the combo meets these specs.

So, is there anything I'm missing out there in this length and speed that's a real gem of a lens, one that makes you want to go out and never take it off the camera?

Thanks!

Today I took the Tokina for a test on the GH3 with the Novoflex adapter. It focusses just barely to infinity. Might be 1mm over it, but not more. It's either just on infinity or can't quite reach it. It's a matter of nanometers. My Sigma 18-35mm on the other hand focusses pretty far over infinity and is tack sharp at all apertures.

The Tokina however seems sharp to me, but the left side is clearly softer than the right or middle. This is more pronounced at 16mm than it is at 11mm and of course a bit more pronounced at 2.8 vs smaller apertures, but it is there in every shot. The Speed Booster gives me the same issues and might be even a bit worse.

How do I focus? I'm on manual focus, tap the screen to magnify 10x and focus until it is sharp. This is also how I concluded that it is barely going to / over infinity when I magnify a point in the far distance.

I have a couple of examples here which show the problem. Look how the trees / stones are softer on the left than on the right. The problem starts at about 1/3rd of the image.

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j138/timboz/P1090149.jpg http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j138/timboz/P1090159.jpg http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j138/timboz/P1090156.jpg

Click on the zoom function to be able to see it clearly.

What should I do? Send it back to the shop and exchange for a new one? Or is this 'acceptable' with these kind of super wides? Will infinity focus adjustment also take care of this decentering problem? Christian Schmeer has made a great tutorial about how to do it on the Tokina. Could that help? Or don't bother?

http://www.christianschmeer.com/blog/Tokina-11-16mm-f-2.8-Infinity-Focus-Adjustment

Thanks!!

any other recommendations?

I wonder if any have shot with these. The objective is that I want to put bmcc on a gimbal(birdycam, I'm doing a review, so save your comments on that gimbal till later) with a small light inexpensive lens. It needs to be wide to make gimbal flights look smoother. It needs to be light because I'm weak and a lot of what I will use it for will be wide moving chase or follow shots.

I have been using toking 11-16 on the gimbal and it's fine, but the lens is a full half kilo heavier than either of these and is too much for multiple running takes. Of course I will use other cameras that are lighter, but that's not the point of my query.

Here are the two choices I'm thinking about(I haven't used either)

1) Nikon 20mm 2.8f. I would use this with Metabones speed booster(for mft nikon, bmcc version was not out when I bought). (crop 20 * 2.39 * 0.74 = 35mm)

Pluses: will be fast with sb. Cons: the used one I'm looking at is the 1994+ version. Any bmcc speedbooster distortion, focus issues?

2) Canon's new 10-18 f4.5. Not fast. I would use Kipon adapter with aperature. I don't have the cash for speedbooster for this now. It does have OIS with speedbooster I believe. (crop 10 * 2.39= 24mm)

pluses: getting good reviews for such a cheap lens, brand new. cons: slow, plastic flange

I can get each for about the same price. Not an easy decision.

The obvious question I suppose is why I dont just use the old four thirds lens?

Couple of things:-

• Very heavy lens
• Slow AF
• Inaccurate AF
• Requires Adaptor

The ideal lens would be 12 - 75 with a constant f/4.0 or even better f/3.5

The problem we have is during wedding ceremonies having the ability to get close ups of VOWS without having to swap lenses.

I would certainly pay anythin up to £650 for this type of lens with really good OIS.

Thanks.

On the new one, the focus ring gets frequently stuck when pulling it to MF, I'd say about 1/8 times. It basically sometimes doesn't pull down all the way in one place, and then locks the whole mechanism (AF motor isn't disengaged). If you then try to turn it, it fights the AF motor. That never happens on my old DX version, but I'm on my 2nd DX II with the same problem.

Is that normal for the DX IIs or have I got 2 duff ones in a row?

Nikon has announced a new lens with full-frame coverage -- a fast, wide prime.

http://www.nikon.com/news/2014/0912_lens_03.htm

AF-S NIKKOR 20mm f/1.8G ED Primary Features

• Design based on the latest optical technologies achieves superior point image reproduction characteristics and minimal chromatic aberration
• The ultra wide-angle 20mm focal length achieves rendering that reproduces the entire space visible to the naked eye, and enables photographic expression that harnesses perspective from a variety of angles
• Shallow depth-of-field possible only with a maximum aperture of f/1.8 for smooth and beautiful blur characteristics that render subjects more impressively
• Two aspherical lens elements, two ED lens elements, and Nano Crystal Coat adopted
• Compact and lightweight for superior portability that makes the lens easy to take anywhere
• Close-up photography is also possible with a closest focusing distance of 20 cm

State-of-the-art optical design technology delivers superior image quality
The advanced optical construction of this lens includes four elements of LD (Low Dispersion) glass, three Molded-Glass Aspherical elements, one Hybrid Aspherical element, one XR (Extra Refractive Index) glass element, and one element of UXR (Ultra-Extra Refractive Index) glass, which has greater refractive index than XR. The full use of specialized glass elements in its design contributes to making this outstanding lens as compact and lightweight as possible, while minimizing aberrations, resulting in superior image quality. Particularly impressive is the thorough compensation of chromatic aberrations at the telephoto end, yielding images of enhanced clarity and crispness.

Focus on portability - The lens is now even smaller and lighter
In addition to state-of-the-art optical design that facilitates downsizing of the lens body, the mechanical design, which incorporates a highly sophisticated multi-stack-cam layout that takes up far less space, and PZD (Piezo Drive), an autofocus drive system with a simpler, more compact structure, has made it possible to reduce the overall dimensions of this lens compared to the existing Tamron 28-300mm (Model A20). These technologies are the fruit of Tamron’s more than 20 years of research and development in the high-power zoom lens field.

Advanced anti-reflection coating
The application of BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) coatings for suppressing reflections on lens element surfaces minimizes unwanted flare and ghosting to deliver sharp, crisp, high-contrast images.

PZD (Piezo Drive) delivers faster, quieter autofocus action
The PZD (Piezo Drive), a standing-wave ultrasonic motor system, delivers faster, quieter, more precise action when the autofocus is engaged. The full-time manual focus system is easy and intuitive, enabling quick and convenient manual focus at any time.

VC (Vibration Compensation) Tamron’s acclaimed VC (Vibration Compensation) mechanism reduces image blur caused by camera shake to deliver significantly sharper images even when shooting handheld.

Circular diaphragm facilitates achieving spectacular blur effects Using a circular diaphragm, this lens achieves spectacular background blur effects that enable creative use of depth of field.

Moisture-resistant construction for outdoor shooting
Moisture-resistant construction helps prevent moisture from penetrating the lens.

It is an Apollo Television lens. Does anyone know anything about this lens that may be able to help?

Many thanks!

Will be available on m43 and E mounts.

Price - about $299

I've got a few old lenses on hand, handed down to me from family that has worked in film. Among them is a nice looking Zeiss lens that I haven't been able to find much information about, aside from an auction on Ebay for something similar.

What I can confirm, is that it was taken from a Super 16mm camera... back in the day!

It also seems to come with an aluminum screw-adaptor for to adapt for something else, as seen inthe second picture.

So which lens?

I'm leaning towards the Sigma 18-35, but really wanted IS. I was also thinking about the Canon EF-S 17-55 IS as well (used) but would have to modify.

I want a really good quality workhorse lens and will rent more specialized lenses like WA. I have a monopod and a tripod, so hopefully I'm not overthinking the Sigma's lack of IS.

I came from the GH2, so I still have a couple MFT lenses: Panny 100-300 Panny kit 14-42 I'll probably eventually buy the 12-32 (the kit lens) with OIS as a walk-around.

*also posted this over at BMCuser

btw I have the gh4, 7.5mm ronkinon fisheye, 14-140mm Panasonic lens, Ogio Bag.

I've got two m4/3 panasonic brand lenses (14-42kit and 20mm pancake).

I've been wanting to start adapting some foreign lenses to my gh2 and gh4 but I'm pretty clueless on where to start. Since there are so many options, I'm a bit overwhelmed on what route to go. I've read a bunch about people adapt FD mount lenses to their cameras. And I've read about the canon 50mm. I like doing hyperlapse and timelpase photography, also, a lot of different kinds of video work. I usually use my camera outside in the sun, and at night for timelapses. I guess I'm just looking to get some more variety in my choices.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks