…would still be one of the cheapest EF mount F1.2 lenses out there! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79S6zPNNtg0 Specs: Focus Throw – Approx 180° Closest Focusing Distance – 0.6m Filter Thread Size – 58mm Weight – 460g Aperture Blades – 8 9 Aperture Settings from F1.2 to F16 Made in Japan Average Price on Ebay – $200 FL 55mm VS FL 58mm? Many ask me what is the difference between the FL 55mm F1.2 and FL 58mm F1.2 and the answer is simple: FL 55mm was… Continue Reading
…the reasons why it is all worth it. First of all, that 2x squeeze! The out-of-focus elements look amazing and I find it so much more pleasing to look at than normal lenses. The images just look more natural and organic to me. Then there is the aspect ratio, shooting with a APS-C sensor doesn’t give me any control of the aspect ratio unless I upscale but I must say I really do love wide aspect ratios. Now there are so many cameras with different c… Continue Reading
…es it adds something unique into the overall look this lens produces. To round up this comparison, let’s take a look at pros and cons of each lens in relation to each other: Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm F2.4 Pros: Cheapest Metal construction Best close focusing ability Easily adaptable to most modern mounts Great performance wide open Great character and flares Cons: Slowest at F2.4 M42 screw mount is not as sold as bayonet mounts Extends when f… Continue Reading
…ses is that on a Super16 camera like BMPCC these 2 lenses aren’t really all-rounders. At the widest end their field of view is equivalent to a 50mm lens on a full frame camera and on the long end it’s equivalent to 200mm on FF, so they feel more like telephoto zooms rather lenses you could be used for any shot, which is where Angenieux 9.5-57mm lens comes in with its much more usable focal range (at least in theory). NOT Super16! While it does see… Continue Reading
…t to try it! Click to find this lens on Ebay Canon FD 50mm F1.4 – The Value-For-Money Lens. It might not be as “magical” as Helios, but it’s my real workhouse, that I use on most of my paid work (my review). The nFD (new FD) version of this lens might not look like the most solid lens in the world, but it reality it handles any abuse I throw on it and it’s actually more solid than the other 2 lenses featured in this post. As mentioned in the video… Continue Reading
…he aperture ring; black version is click-less one and silver has clicks as commonly found on photo lenses, so personally I prefer the black version. Some of the lenses on eBay are also sold with the Retro Focus Wide Angle attachment which sound like a great idea, but unfortunately vignettes heavily at the wide end. The only camera that could utilize this attachment is Digital Bolex and that’s only on HD mode which uses a smaller sensor area. If pl… Continue Reading
…ontrast, slightly de-saturated look, found on other Russian primes like MIR-20, MIR-1, Helios 44, Jupiter-9, Tiar-11, etc, therefore it’s goes nicely as part of a Russian M42 Set. The setup I used to shoot the video above Optical Performance: My version of this lens has a very simple coating, so even the very nice, integrated lens hood does very little to improve the contrast and vibrancy, but this is probably the lens that you’d choose for this k… Continue Reading
…ameras/crop modes. How USABLE is it? In past I’ve reviewed the Angenieux 17-68mm and 9.5-57mm, and while they have their own strengths and weaknesses, their main difference to this lens is their weight and size. The 12-240mm, weighting just under 2kg is an absolute beast, not exactly a run&gun lens and yet it feels very much at home on bmpcc, provided that you support it properly and balance the whole rig on your tripod correctly. The weight and l… Continue Reading
…is top 4 is actually very similar to what my top 4 would be, with Helios 44-2 & MIR-1 definitely in top 3 for me. Makes sure to visit Vashi’s website vashivisuals.com for many other useful and informative posts on aspects of filmmaking. Original blog post can also be found here. I try my best to make this website a great resource for people interested in vintage lenses for video use, so I hope you’ve enjoyed this & other posts. I sure hope they wi… Continue Reading
…can add to this set to make it even better. Such set will set you back around $200-250 and while it doesn’t sound like the biggest bargain, it’s totally worth it! You can learn more about them in this post. The “Allrounder” set: Canon FD 28mm F2.8 Canon FD 50mm F1.8 Canon FD 135mm F3.5 This set covers wider focal range, very cheap to buy (around $100) has great optical performance and images produced are also very cinematic! There are loads of ot… Continue Reading
