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Video-Friendly Lenses for Lumix DSLRs
  • 211 Replies sorted by
  • airboxlightsairboxlights

    @lpowell So after all this discussion, what's your preferred standard zoom? The olympus 14-35 f2 swd sounds great(although very very expensive!), but you pointed out that it flickers when you zoom. I've been unable to suss out a generally accepted"favorite" in that focal length. leica 14-50? a canon or nikon with an irisable adapter? I'm trying to figure it out.

  • HillTop1HillTop1

    @onionbrain @chief @lumina trying to move the discussion from

    http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/2616/driftwood-quantum-x-settings-series-3-vy-canis-majoris-mysteron-sedna-orion-cluster.../p19

    to the correct thread. But about the Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AI-S or the Nikkor 28mm f2 AI which is better.

    The still of the f2 AI that @chief had does look pretty good. Any body else used any of the lens?

  • luminalumina

    @HillTop1 Thanks and sorry can't really comment from experience. Haven't used either of those, but at onion's suggestion I did have a glance on ebay and there is a good condition used 28mm 2.8 going near me that I could splash out on ;)

  • driftwooddriftwood

    Add both the new Panasonic X lenses with their video friendly Power Zoom which brings camcorder style (W)ide - (T)ele silent zoom features. Both good for daylight shooting but not so fast for night. I bought both to try out and theyre not too bad at all.

    Two flavours; HD X Lens 45-175mm and the HD X Lens 14-42.

    Info:

    14-42

    • Lens Construction 9 elements in 8 groups (4 aspherical lenses , 2 ED lens)
    • Mount Micro Four Thirds mount
    • Nano Surface Coating yes
    • Optical Image Stabilizer YES (POWER OIS)
    • Focal Length f=14-42mm (35mm camera equivalent 28-84mm)
    • Aperture Type 7 diaphragm blades / Circular aperture diaphragm
    • Aperture Range F3.5(Wide) - F5.6(TELE)
    • Minimum Aperture F22
    • Closest Focusing Distance 0.2m / 0.66ft
    • Maximum magnification Approx. 0.17x / 0.34x (35mm camera equivalent)

    Link: http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/Products/Digital+Camera/Lumix+G+Lenses/H-PS14042E/Overview/8022468/index.html

    45-175

    • Lens Construction 14 elements in 10 groups (2 aspherical lenses , 2 ED lens)
    • Mount Micro Four Thirds mount
    • Nano Surface Coating yes
    • Optical Image Stabilizer YES (POWER OIS)
    • Focal Length f=45-175mm (35mm camera equivalent 90-350mm)
    • Aperture Type 7 diaphragm blades / Circular aperture diaphragm
    • Aperture Range F4.0(Wide) - F5.6(TELE)
    • Minimum Aperture F22
    • Closest Focusing Distance 0.9m / 3.0ft
    • Maximum magnification Approx. 0.2x / 0.4x (35mm camera equivalent)

    Link: http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/Products/Digital+Camera/Lumix+G+Lenses/H-PS45175E/Overview/8022598/index.html

  • HillTop1HillTop1

    @lumina, yah I think I will try that too. Get a 28mm f2.8 and try it out

  • chiefchief

    @HillTop1 @lumina - you are both missing out. Nikkor 28mm AI f2 is THE WHOLE STOP faster (ISO800 or ISO1600?) and the drawing of it wide open is magical. Handling/construction/feel is the same as 28mm f2.8 AI-S - superb.

    f/2.8 AI-S vs f/2 AI:

    1. Slower
    2. More CA
    3. Border quality is much worse when focused on a distant object (near focus is OK) EDIT: This is irrelevant with x2 crop.

    Both are very sharp, peak performance is at f/4 for AI and f/5.6 for AI-S.

  • LPowellLPowell

    @driftwood - By my original criteria, which are biased in preference toward manual lens controls, the only thing that's particularly video-friendly about the Panasonic X lenses are their touch-sensitive power-zoom controls. But since that unique feature is highly desirable for run-and-gun documentary shooting, it likely overcomes their other drawbacks, which make them unsuitable for use with 15mm rails-mounted matte box and follow focus:

    Panasonic X 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 Power OIS

    Panasonic X 45-175mm F3.5-5.6 Power OIS

    • Manual aperture ring: No - aperture set in camera
    • Direct-coupled focus ring: No focus ring on lens
    • Non-rotating outer barrel: Yes
    • Non-extending outer barrel: No
    • Constant field of view: No
    • Constant f-stop aperture: No
    • Rotational zoom ring: Power zoom
    • Shutter-button auto-focus: GH2 only
    • Optical Image Stabilization: Yes
  • LPowellLPowell

    @Hilltop1 @chief

    The lens criteria I'm focusing on in this thread emphasize video-friendly functionality rather than optical image quality. (Check out my initial post for more details.) Like most vintage primes, Nikkor AI and AIS lenses produce fine image quality, but their compact size and extending outer lens barrels tend to make them awkward to use with 15mm rail-mounted matte box and follow focus units. Here's how they rate:

    • Manual aperture ring: Yes
    • Direct-coupled focus ring: Yes
    • Proper focus ring rotation: Nikon only
    • Non-rotating outer barrel: Yes
    • Non-extending outer barrel: No
    • Constant field of view: No
  • HillTop1HillTop1

    Anybody tried a Nikon Nikkor 24mm F2 Ai/ Ai-s lens?

  • wigginjswigginjs

    Maybe this is a pipe dream, but can anyone recommend a reasonably priced fixed, fast (~f/2.8) aperture parafocal zoom lens using either a native m43 mount or a Canon FD mount?

  • GabelGabel

    Well, I've used the Canon FD 35-105 3.5 (only about half a stop less) and it is very nice. Not perfect, in that it breathes a bit and can only focus to 1.5 meters (about 4 1/2 feet) but my dad (who owns it and uses it for his FS100) paid about $40 for it for close to mint condition and for that, we can't complain.

  • LPowellLPowell

    @wiggins Check out the list of zoom lenses in the second post of this thread. For an inexpensive lens, I'd recommend the Tokina AT-X 35-70mm f2.8 in FD mount. It's a bit uncommon, however, so you may need to search a bit for it.

  • HillTop1HillTop1

    @chief, you're right! We were missing out. I just received my nikkor 28mm f2 Ai, and all I can say is wow. Of all my lenses (canon, zeiss, pansonic, samyang) this nikkor is the best hands down! I am considering a wider nikkor 24mm f2 ai but not sure. Thanks! so I will say it too a nikkor 28mm f2 Ai is a must have.

  • AlexAlex

    just got the Nokton 17.5mm F0.95. Ok wide but too fast to focus without any help. Rigged with shoulder mount - perfect. Hand held with naked body in low light - funky to focus. I miss OIS, but not F3.5-5.6!

  • 0understeer0understeer

    Any thoughts on the new video optimised Olympus 12-50 PZ lens? As far as i can tell: - slow aperture + weather sealed + Powerzoom + Macro mode + wider than the standard kit lenses

    Hopefully no double images issues as Panasonics X Powerzoom lenses..

  • meemee

    @Oundersteer, I was just cruising this thread with the same question. I spent some time today at the camera shop mounting different Zuiko demos onto my GH2, and this was the lens that I found the most interesting. I am no expert on what makes a good lens though. All I can say is that this seemed like a very versatile and smooth functioning lens. What I could see on my lcd looked nice, and the touch focus worked well on the gh2. I really liked that it has Macro too. I really would like to hear what others think about this lens, because the price versatility and weather proofing makes it a very tempting lens.

  • itimjimitimjim

    @mee Looks good apart from the aperture range. It doesn't rotate or extend on zoom or focus either, which is great for a mattebox. It also seems long enough (physically) to mate up to a follow focus, and I think it's direct coupled focus when in manual focus mode.

    Shame about the 3.5-6.3 though, it'll put a lot of people off.

  • meemee

    @itimjim, thanks for the reply. I did a bit more research on it, but you mentioned some valuable things about FF and matteboxes. For now I put off getting this lens. It really wasn't in the budget anyways for the time being, but I did order an adapter for FD/FL lenses, so that should keep me busy hunting down cheap lenses and getting better at manual focus. If something similar but better than the 12-50 comes out by the time I have the funds SWEEEEET... if not I think it will be my regular lens for day trippin. Shortfalls aside it is just too dang useful. My 14-42 is getting dust in it so often I am ready to see if I can't exchange it anyways.

  • itimjimitimjim

    @mee The Canon FD range are fiddly for follow focus, as the lens barrels are so short. It's doable, but as I said, fiddly. Also, quite a lot of the FD lenses have quite stiff focus barrels, meaning a lot of torque is applied to the barrel when using FF. I have one FD (85/2) that was recently CLA'd and it performs effortlessly.

    The Tokina 28-80/2.8 I have is incredible. It might not be the fastest lens I have, but it is just perfect on a rig with FF and MB.

  • LPowellLPowell

    @weyker @rajamalik Your references to other types of lenses are off-topic. This thread is about lens attributes that make them video-friendly, i.e. well-suited for use with follow-focus and/or matte box. See the first post in the thread for details on the criteria that are used to evaluate lenses for this purpose:

    http://www.personal-view.com./talks/discussion/859/video-friendly-lenses-for-lumix-dslrs/p1

  • spike08spike08

    What about Tokina AT-X 24-40 2.8. I can't find reviews on the web but it's pretty cheap on ebay.

  • itimjimitimjim

    @spike08 As far as I'm aware, It's not internal focusing/zooming, so the barrel moves in and out.

  • weykerweyker

    Sorry if I made a mistake. I have the Tokina Tokina AT-X Pro 28-70mm f/2.6-2.8 and thought that was the same as the Tokina AT-X 270 Pro 28-70mm f2.8 mentioned at the top of this thread.

  • itimjimitimjim

    @weyker the thread is about well-suited lenses for cine purposes. I don't think your EF mount lens will have an aperture ring, and there's no way on this planet you're going to get AF. There are other threads that discuss mFT to G/F/FD/EF/etc mounts.

  • ZekoZeko

    Maybe it would have been a better idea to name this thread "best AF lenses for video", espescially considering the fact that many videographers prefer MF.

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