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Need advices about lenses
  • Hi, I have a GH5 and plan to buy lens for a short film. I have already a Voigtländer 25mm, wich I love ( a lot since I can work the focus easily with the remap range function of Nucleus-M). I was ready to buy Xeen lens but the Voigtlander are lighter and better in lowlight (even if they are not sharpe at 0.95, I can do it postproduction). (this lens will be mounted on BM Pocket 4K when it'll be available)

    I have 3 options:

    • Voigtlander
    • Veydra
    • Xeen

    Voigtlander and Veydra are MFT, so I can't mount it on Full frame. Xeen are FF, but they are much heavier and not luminous (speedbooster will help).

    Does MFT have a future ? Is it better to go with Xeen ? It's very hard to choose. What is your opinion ? (sorry for my english)

  • 14 Replies sorted by
  • As far as I can understand Veydra can have some problems with shipping now.

    https://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/19115/veydra-out-of-business

    Next thing is to understand that you are shooting and how, do you use big matte box, follow focus.

    Most affordable way to get good cinema lenses set is to get Samyang T series with FF gears on lenses. If you wait for sales it'll be very cheap. Xeen is next level.

  • It's impossible to know if anything has a future.

    Is "lighter" a major concern?

    What's your budget? You may also want to consider Canon FD mount lenses - they are relatively small and cover full frame. If you buy both a speed booster and a non-speed booster adapter, you also get two focal lengths with each lens - and the FD 50/1.2L is only about $600 used and the 85/1.2L is about $700 - and there's a 24mm f/2 FD which is only $300ish (I don't have one of these, but I'd expect it to be decent based on other FD lenses) (there's a Voigtlander 17/0.95, but that's a bit more expensive).

    That'd give you 17/1.4 (FD 24 + speed booster) 24/2 (FD without speed booster) 25/0.95 (Voigtlander) 35/1 (FD 50/1.2 + speed booster) 50/1.2 (FD 50 without speed booster) 60/1 (FD 85/1.2 + speed booster) 85/1.2 (FD 85 without speed booster)

    That doesn't give you a lot for wide angle so consider adding the SLR magic 8mm f/4 if you need it. It's pretty cheap and it's decent.

    And that way, if you decide later to move to mirrorless APS-C or full frame, your lenses will keep working. :)

  • @VK Yes I was thinking about Samyang T series because they are FF. Are they sharp at full open ?

    @eatstoomuchjam I want to be able to film on my Freefly gimbal and with the shoulder by being the fastest and free possible. I have already a set of 6 very good Nikkor (from 16mm to 135mm) but each lens have a different render. It's unmanageable with color grading. I don't want to play with color chart like X-rite. I prefer work with a set that have same color science.

  • but each lens have a different render. It's unmanageable with color grading. I don't want to play with color chart like X-rite.

    Best and cheapest idea is to get https://3dlutcreator.com/ and make just LUT sets using X-Rite :-)
    Will save ton of money.

  • @Vk, Thanks for the tips. A good solution. But for me, less computer and more live ;-) (I hate computer ^^)

  • Very interesting comparison between SLR Magic and Voigtlander :

    I will don't go with SLR-M because there is a zoom effect during the changement of focus.

    Another important thing for me is the ability to focus near a subject. When I compare all the lens, Voightlander win.

  • It doesn't look like the M43 mount is going anywhere anytime soon, you will be good with 10-bit 422 4K for years to come. BUY lenses that you know you will use day in and day out, RENT lenses that you suspect you will only use on certain projects.

    Personally, the 12-35mm is on my GH5 90% of the time. If I had big cinema lenses I likely wouldn't use them enough to justify the purchase - why rig up my camera and make it heavy when I can just as easily get the shot I need with just the camera and lightweight zoom? To impress my client? They hardly care and are far more impressed with the fact that I am working quickly and efficiently. But that's just me and the kind of work that I get paid for.

    Now if I needed a cine lens like for a film that requires follow focusing, I'll rent. Will I rent a Xeen? No, I'll rent the DS lenses because it's basically the same image, unless of course I want to waste the money to impress people with the looks. If I can get away with it (lighting-wise) I'll go for a Fujinon 18-55 and only have to switch lenses when shallow DOF is for some reason critical to the shot.

    Again, this just has to do with the way I shoot. I stopped caring about appearing like a "legit" filmmaker and started making decisions based on reality and what I actually need my gear to do for me. There's rarely ever a need for me to shoot with an 0.95 lens - why deal with that razor thin focus when I can just use lighting to expose for 400-800ISO? If I want a super blurry background, why pay more for an 0.95 25mm lens if it possible to move the camera back and use the 42.5mm f1.7, I get the blurriness and more wiggle room to keep focus?

    Anyway, for a shooting a film I just say, I don't know, maybe you have unlimited means, but I usually shoot shorts with tight budgets and limited time. I'm not going to risk a half hour to rack focus through a shot a 0.95 or f1.4 when the story is told just as well at f2.8 or even f4 and it can be done in one take. Of course, it's an artistic medium and I don't suggest sacrificing that, but more often than not when I hear someone suggest shooting at a fast aperture it's because of laziness (they don't want to light and/or set design). If you don't want to spend as much time lighting get a GH5s not a new lens.

  • @theconformist, thank you for your answer.

    For now, I work around 3 focales.

    Laowa 7.5mm F2. This lens is very impressive. But I can't mount my Nucleus-M remote Follow Focus on it because the focus ring of the lens is tiny and too light to balance gimbal with Nucleus-M :-/

    Nikkor Ai 16mm F2.8. Nice but too darker. I remove grain with Davinci but I don't like the final result.

    Voigtlander 25mm. It give what I am looking for !

    About 0.95, I work at this speed many time. I need this because I shoot during night in urban place not well illuminated. But Voigtlander 25mm is too long focale. I need wider (Voightlander 17,5mm 0.95 is nice) And there is the Voightlander 10,5mm 0.95 that even it is not sharp on corners I know that it will perfect for what I do. The 3 Voightlander can focus near a subject like no other.

    But you are right, Gh5s is the choice for lowlight (I don't need ibis). I am waiting more info about BMPocket4k before purchase GH5s (or EZCAMERA 2 ^^).

  • Go for consistency, get a set from the same manufacturer and range if you can. You will thank yourself in the edit and grade when you have minimal colour matching between setups in the same scene.

  • @ Bernie, yes I agree.

  • @flash Looks like BMPocket may have same sensor so hope to expect same low light performance. But remember the reality is this camera won't be around for another year probably. I guess you are best off going for voigtlander's to maintain consistency.

  • @ theconformist, I agree, BM camera are always late. Perhaps this new Pocket will not ^^

    The best record I had was with Pocket. Never see again this kind of image.

    I thought about it. I don't want full frame camera. I love lightweight and little rig. My Nucleus-M allows me to work at 0.95 relatively easily. I go with Voightlander. Today I bought the 17.5mm. The next one will be the 10.5mm then the 42.5mm.

  • @flash

    Nice decision.

    Make sure to post opinion about this lenses and make some samples. Also interesting is how good they are for mounting gear and how large in degrees is focus throw.

  • @ Vk, yes I will.