Lenses for Sony Alpha a7s


Sony Alpha a7s
What lenses do I use on my Sony a7s? I use everything I own, mostly vintage manual Nikon glass. I have even managed to find adapters on eBay for obscure lenses that most people haven't heard of.

Steinheil München 50mm f/1.9
How about this German made Steinheil München 50mm lens? Yes I got an adapter that allowed it to work with my NEX-7 and would allow it to work with my Sony Alpha a7s as well. I don't use the SM 50mm because I have a Nikon 50mm f/1.2 that serves as my 50mm lens for video.

I have reviewed numerous lenses on this blog and they all have been used with an adapter on my NEX cameras, most recently the Sony Alpha a7s.

No matter what manual 35mm photo lens you have, you can find an adapter to make it fit the a7s. Try eBay.

See my post on Have to Have Lenses for video, and this one on the use of Manual Lenses.


DSLR Rigs for Sony a7s

I suppose that we shouldn't refer to the Sony a7s as a DSLR, after all it is a mirror-less camera. OK, we still have to use a rig, if we are going to shoot professional video. Deciding what to get can be daunting and expensive. I'll let you in on some of my choices and hopefully you can get something out of it.

Matte box, the best way to implement ND filters
I've said it many times, I prefer the camcorder form-factor, but since I decided to get a Sony a7s I need to acquire all the accessories that will allow me to make it work for me.

The most common item to mount the camera and all its accessories on is a 15mm rod system. We'll get into that later. Lets look at the accessories we are going to use first.

First thing that comes to mind are ND filters. Pro-video camcorders normally have ND filters built-in. These allow one to use fast lenses on bright days. It is also the way we narrow our depth of field to create the beautifully blurred backgrounds we love. See DOF for more on that.

For a still camera with no built-in ND filters we can use a matte box. Matte boxes allow the efficient use of filters and also keep lens flares to a minimum because of their french doors.

The FOTGA M2 matte box is a Chinese knock-off. Try one of the Pro US video or photo equipment matte boxes, you'll end up paying $800 - $1200+. This one is made of hard plastic and metal. Works great for me. $88 free shipping on eBay!

V-Mount


I have two V-Mount batteries and two Anton-Bauer batteries I used to use with my large video camcorders a few years back. 

I decided to use them to run both camera and recorder for my set-up.  So I got a V-Mount Power station that will mount on the 15mm rods. I already have an Anton-Bauer to V-mount adapter that will allow me to use the AB on the V-Mount power station.

Power Station with multiple voltage taps
The third thing I decided to get was a cage. This one had me going for sometime. I looked at, or should I say, I researched on-line for over a week to decide which one to get. 

Because this is a new hot camera there are a few to choose from. I decided to get the CUBE from Motionnine in Korea. 

When I got it I was quite impressed. Very good system. I did't like the wood at first but after using it a little, I don't mind it. 

It has a top handle which is very useful and cable clamp that protect your HDMI cable from being pulled or damaged. Mounting holes everywhere and the cage envelopes the Sony a7s in a protective armor that can't be beat.

I'll talk more about the cage in another post soon.

CUBE cage

Lets not forget the follow-focus. Another FOTGA product made in China. Hey, it may not be a name-brand here in the US, but it works well and doesn't break the bank. I wish I could afford US made, but that's another blog post.

Here you can see the follow-focus, also FOTGA

The wood grows on you - The French flags are not attached

This brings us to the 15mm rod system. There are so many of these to choose from and they all are pretty much the same. They consist of two 15mm rods and a mounting point for the camera and a bottom mounting point to attach your whole system onto a tripod. The rods are there to mount everything in alignment to the lens and you can also mount all sorts of stuff to them; like monitors and wireless mic systems and more.

I am still figuring out the best way to set it up so I can quickly switch from hand-held to tripod shooting in the most efficient way. At this point I have the large battery on a separate rod system from the camera, attached by a quick disconnect system - still working on it - I'll let you know what I decide to go with.

In the meantime you give it a whirl - research your way of doing it. Google: "15mm Rod Support System." Have fun searching!

To insure no conflict of interest I would like to be clear, I have NOT been given any of these products in exchange for positive reviews. These items have all been purchased and payed for by me with no help from their manufacturers.

FEB. 27 UPDATE:

I have decided on a rig/15mm rod system. See my 4K Producer Blog:

http://4kproducer.blogspot.com

4K Footage - XVAC-S S-Log2 From a Sony a7s and an Atoms Shogun

Today I received my Atomos Shogun 4K recorder/monitor and quickly set it up and shot a few seconds to test everything out. Below is the footage - first S-Log2 with no grading, then side by side, and finally full screen graded footage.




This is by no means a comprehensive review of S-log2 and the Sony a7s, I am merely sharing my first video testing.
Sony a7s Full-Frame 4K capable with external recorder like the Atomos Shogun

As most of you know S-Log2 is supposed to give you more dynamic range then Rec. 709. I've read some users claim excessive graininess or noise depending on how S-log2 is exposed.

I mostly eyeballed the exposure. These were +2 or more stops overexposed. I am going to delve deeper into this profile and experiment more closely to see what happens at different exposure settings.

Stay tuned...



I would like to be clear here, I have NOT been given any of these products in exchange for positive reviews. These products have all been purchased and payed for by me with no help from these manufacturers.




Sony a7s and some S-Log2 XAVC-S footage

I know I said I didn't care for the DSLR form factor. Mainly because DSLR's don't normally have all the features of a dedicated video camcorder, and because you have to purchase all the extra DSLR "rig" stuff. Like a matte box, and a whole rail system with a cage, and on and on.
Well, I got tired of waiting for Sony to release an interchangeable lens 4K video form-factor camcorder, that wouldn't break the bank. I'm sure there's one in the works, but I can't wait, besides I needed a new still camera anyway.
I purchased the Full-Frame Sony a7s camera to replace my NEX-VG900, and to get started shooting 4K video. I don't have an Atomos Shogun recorder yet but in the meantime I shot some 1080p footage using the XAVC-S and S-Log2 profile.



This is a short video shot using the Picture Profile 7 which is S-Log2. I didn't have any luck using FCPX built in Log Processing, under the Info tab in the Inspector window. I graded using FCPX's built-in Color Correction. Sorry for the shaky video.
You have to overexpose slightly or else you get noise. The lowest ISO for Profile 7 is 3200. If you are going to use this, experiment with it first and shoot plenty test footage. You may need an ND filter if you want to open your iris and shoot narrow depth of field. You can also increase shutter speed to something outrageous, you just won't get the 24p movie blur, when you pan.
The S-Log2 stuff looks flat and low contrast out of the camera and it must be graded, unless you like low contrast flat video. I guess the idea is that you have more range for grading. 

I believe this is 8bit S-Log2. I wonder if I can shoot 4k and down-convert to 1080p 10bit S-log2? As soon as I get my Atomos Shogun I'll post more footage - 4K footage, and I'll see if 10bit 1080P is possible from 4K footage.


Below you can appreciate this small camera surrounded by stuff just to make it more video friendly. I'm still missing the Shogun from Atomos - I'll review it soon - and more on shooting 4K on the a7s.


a7s with all the fixings - Atomos Shogun coming soon

I would like to be clear here, I have NOT been given any of these products in exchange for positive reviews. These products have all been purchased and payed for by me with no help from these manufacturers.





Sony NEX-VG900 More Impressions

As you can probably tell, I purchased a Sony NEX-VG900 last year and have had a bit of experience shooting with it. Below is a sample of what can be done with this camcorder.

I love the fact that I can finally use my full frame 35mm Nikon lenses without any crop factor. On the NEX-VG900 my Nikon 15mm rectilinear lens gives me the whole picture; can't beat that!

I shot this entire video with vintage manual Nikon AI-s lenses. You can't beat the beautiful bokeh these vintage lenses create.



Update: as of January 2015 - this is still the only interchangeable lens, full frame video camcorder available with a "video form factor" Sony always amazes me, not necessarily in a good way - this time they did.

WIKI List of large sensor interchangeable-lens video cameras



Using Full Frame 35mm Manual Lenses on the NEX-VG900 - Sony Alpha a7s

Adapters galore; Nikon, Schneider-Kreuznach, Leica M & L39
You can finally use your full frame 35mm Nikon lenses without any crop factor.

On the NEX-VG900 my Nikon 15mm rectilinear lens gives me the whole picture; can't beat that!

You can get almost any lens adapter for this camcorder on eBay.  I found one for my old Retina-Curtagon 28mm Schneider-Kreuznach lens. Have you got old Leica screw-mount lenses sitting around?





UPDATE Feb. 22, 2015:

I continue to use all my manual lenses with the new Sony Alpha a7s. I utilize the same adapters I used on my NEX-7 and NEX-VG900 camcorder.




Rack Focus with Narrow DOF

DOF or Depth of Field is used by a filmmaker to guide viewers to what he wants them to look at.

One method, often used to direct your gaze, is the rack-focus. The shot will be focused on the one element that requires your attention. The rest of the shot will be out of focus or blurred. When the filmmaker wants to change your attention to another element in the shot he focuses on it, and by design, blurs the element in focus initially.

Here's a poorly executed rack-focus, but I'm sure you can appreciate the potential.



This is one reason a narrow DOF lens is a must. It captures the film look as well as allowing the ability to create a rack-focus.

Remember, for the most part, FAST lenses give good narrow DOF, and when using a zoom lens the longer the focal length (zoomed-in) the narrower the DOF.

For more info on DOF see:

http://oldlensesnew.blogspot.com/2012/07/dof-elusive-optical-gold-bokeh.html

Large Sensors: The Short Version

This is a post I wrote for my other blog on the VG900 - From the start I'll tell you that the reason for large sensors is simple; DOF and better sensitivity or low light capabilities. For filmmakers it is part of the elusive "film-look" not attainable on small sensor video cameras. If you are interested in where large sensors evolved from, we have to go back in time a little.

I'm going to skim the surface on the development of video camera sensors starting after the invention of the CCD. I won't get into the old tube cameras or the 2 inch Quadruplex videotape. Nor will I get into all the complicated electronics involved. Search the web for this info if you want to go deeper into the rabbit hole.

OK, let's start our journey back in time and begin by going to the movies.


In 1892 George Eastman provided Thomas Edison with 35mm filmstrip with four perforations per frame. By 1909 Eastman Kodak's standard became the international gauge for movie-making - now loosely referred to as Super-35mm.

Oskar Barnack's idea was to take advantage of the newly designed cine film strip and use it in his compact still camera. By 1913 he had developed his prototype. To obtain a larger negative size for his creation he turned the film strip on its side and the Leitz Camera (Leica) was born - commonly referred to as Full Frame 35mm.

Television or video took a different path. Standard video sensors developed for TV had nothing to do with 35mm cine filmstrip, mostly because of the development of the cheaper and more compact 16mm film format, which became the standard film size for early TV production. Before the invention of dedicated video cameras, 16mm film was shot, edited and then transferred to video.

Thanks in part to the extensive use of this smaller film in TV production, manufacturers created the 2/3" CCD sensor for use on video cameras. This innovative sensor was designed for use with c-mount which took advantage of the vast supply of high quality 16mm lenses in use at the time.

Sony CineAlta F900 - $80,000US
Professional as well as consumer quality video camcorders were based on TV's analog 525 line NTSC. In the digital realm this translates to 640x480 pixels.

The size of early consumer camcorder sensors was determined by cost - as long as the final image produced 640x480 video with a 4:3 ratio, the sensor could be as small as practical.

By the year 2000 Standard video or SD started giving way to high definition or HD, and sensor size remained the same.

HD cameras developed for professional production, like the groundbreaking $80,000 Sony CineAlta F900, used 2/3" sensors. Sony and other manufacturers were able to fit all the extra pixels and information needed for the larger 1920x1080 HD image into a 2/3" sensor.

Why is the use of large sensors all the rage today? If manufacturers are able to fit more than enough pixels on a 2/3" sensor to make HD video, why make sensors any bigger?

DOF and low-light sensitivity, and because we can. Needless to say, the cost of manufacturing large sensors has come down to reasonable levels.

Now we have to switch back to still photography.

When Kodak invented the first digital camera in 1975 the cost was beyond the common consumer's price-point. By 1995 Kodak's 6 megapixel DCS 460 was selling for over $28,000. The DCS 460 had a relatively large 28mm x 19mm sensor. It was nearly as large as a Full Frame 35mm sensor, and larger than Sony's current Super-35mm, 23.6mm x 13.3mm. The reason?
Kodak DCS 460 - $28,000US

Kodak developed their sensors to be used on existing 35mm bodies and lenses, so sensor size had to be as close as possible to Full Frame 35mm as cost would dictate.

Thank you Mr. Oskar Barnack for the development of the 35mm Full Frame format.

As you probably have figured out by now, consumers weren't going to pay over $28,000 for a still camera. The common man had to wait until the development of lower-cost digital still cameras. Sensors for average consumer's would have to be smaller.

As still cameras got better and cheaper to make, manufacturers started adding video capability. At first the video quality was a joke, but as development progressed, and sensors got larger, video quality got increasingly more palatable.

Enter - Jim Jannard, the creative force behind the RED camera. A video camera with a pixel count of 4096x2304 or 4K; much larger than HD's 1920x1080. If it weren't for  RED we probably wouldn't be where we are today with large sensor HD filmmaking. Many Hollywood films are now shot in 4K video with RED cameras. These super-35mm cameras are at the forefront of digital cinema production. Checkout some of the films made on RED. Go visit RED Digital Cinema for more on RED.
Red One - you can get a stripped
down body for less than $6,000

Jim thought, why not use the large Full Frame sensors developed for still cameras on video cameras. This would make video look like film, and if he could use a Super-35mm size sensor with the common PL mount it would allow filmmakers to use the full range of high-end cine lenses already in use in Hollywood. Mind you, the cost for these large sensor video cameras were still beyond the reach of po'folk like me.

Influenced by the success of Red and by Canon's Full Frame 5D still camera, camcorder makers like Sony, Panasonic, and others are now finally marketing the next generation of camcorders with larger sensors at much more benign prices. The elusive "film-look" with extreme narrow depth of field is now attainable by independent filmmakers at reasonable costs.
Sony NEX-VG900

Sony's latest release, the NEX-VG900 camcorder with a Full Frame 35mm 24.3MP sensor, sells for under $3300.

Canon, Panasonic, Sony as well as other manufacturers have released interchangeable lens, large sensor camcorders in recent months. They are counting on people like us to keep making digital films.

I purchased a VG900 and you can see a video I shot with it in my Post Above.

FEB. 2015 UPDATE:

Sony has introduced a mirrorless digital camera that shoots 4K Video - see my blog 4KProducer

First Impressions - Sony's NEX-VG900

Sony's recently released HD camcorder has a full-frame 35mm sensor, and will accept practically any old manual lens with the appropriate adapter.

No, it won't do autofocus on a newer Canon or Nikon lens, but Sony makes quite a few auto-focus lenses for this camera under the Zeiss moniker.

The VG900 comes with a LA-EA3 adapter that will allow you to use Sony Alpha lenses. I'm not sure about being able to auto-focus with this adapter - google it, cause I don't do auto-focus, sorry.

This first impressions video is mostly about controls, and how the camera performs in low light. Watch the video and see some sample footage, make sure to select HD for best viewing:


I was impressed with low-light performance, my wife shoots with a large pro camcorder costing well over $10,000 and as most news photographers will tell you - shooting at 12db the image looks extremely grainy and noisy, ask my good friend Alex Pimentel, he's been a news photog for many years. Alex saw the footage I shot with 21db gain and was blown away.

Update: as of October 2014 - this is still the only interchangeable lens, full frame video camcorder available with a "video form factor" Sony always amazes me, not necessarily in a good way - this time they did.

WIKI List of large sensor interchangeable-lens video cameras



Buying and Selling: eBay the Golden Goose

I've collected vintage film cameras and lenses through the years and I've sold many of them after using them for a little. I no longer have many of the older film cameras that I've collected. I recently sold my prized Nikon Rangefinder from the fifties; these are very collectable and have increased in value.

Nikon S2 with legendary 35mm f/1.4 sold on eBay for $1500 to a collector in Japan
Buying the latest gadget or photo equipment can get very expensive - If you are like me, and 99% of most people I know, it's hard to justify large purchases. Hey, I'm no rich dude.

What if there was a way to sell the gadgets you no longer use? What if you could sell last year's amazing gadget so you could buy this years incredibly more amazing gadget? Thanks to eBay and craigslist you can buy and sell all your stuff on a regular basis. Not just collectable cameras and lenses, you can sell or get just about anything on eBay.

If you are looking for photo equipment you can find the newest or the rarest of vintage photo equipment on eBay. From a cheap new point and shoot to a rare Leica lens listed at over $200,000.00:

Expensive rare Leica Lens on eBay

Buy your NEW gadgets wherever you can get them for the lowest price. Amazon has consistently been one of my go-to retailers for new stuff. Always search the internet for the best price - this is an art form in itself.

Always take extreme care of your stuff - you need to be anal retentive about it - so that your buyers can always count on getting near-mint items.

Never keep something beyond the point of obsolescence. I try to sell my computers within a one to two year window. If you wait too long nobody will want it.

Always make sure that whatever you get will hold its value, or even better, will increase in value. This is key, don't buy crap. Get the best. In the long run you'll get more for it when it's time to sell. I can't stress it enough - take care of you stuff - it won't be worth anything if it isn't in near-mint condition when you try to sell it.

One more selling tip - Price your items at a reasonable prices. Find the price everyone is selling at, then price your item lower if possible.

Last spring I went through the house and collected everything I thought would sell and listed it on eBay - I made close to $3000.  We spent that money on a needed family vacation.

My wife no longer lets me buy anything unless I sell something to cover the cost first. I could tell you stories.

OK, a short one: I was looking for a commercial espresso grinder for my caffeine addiction, I own a commercial espresso machine. (that's another story) It happens that the model grinder I was looking into cost over $700 new. Way beyond what I would consider reasonably sane. The cheapest I could find on eBay was around $350 - used, paint coming off, didn't look very nice.

I figured, as I always do, that it wouldn't be too complicated to fix, if it were not working optimally, so I pull the trigger and buy it. After all, I'll just turn around and sell it if I decide I don't need it anymore.

I get the grinder, the box it came in had no padding, these large burr grinders weigh a ton. What the hell were they thinking, no padding? I call the seller, they tell me to accept the package and that they will make it right if it is damaged.

Long story short; the damage to the grinder would cost $350 to repair. They refund my $350 and tell me to keep the grinder. I repair the grinder with 2 hours of my labor - no parts needed.

These guys may not know how to pack heavy items for shipping, but they happen to be a reputable seller, not every eBay seller will make things right.

I would say that with the amount of knowledge gained in repairing and restoring the grinder it was free. In my mind it cost me nothing, and after striping and polishing it, the grinder is probably worth close to $650 now.

So, don't be afraid to buy your highly yearned, expensive, thoroughly marketed, consumer desired wonder widget. You can always sell it on eBay and recoup most, if not all, of your hard earned money.

See what's up for sale on my eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/kubanakan


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NEX-VG900 • DSLR Killer?

The Holy Grail - Canon EOS 5D Mark III

DSLR's have recently taken over the low-cost, high-end video production world. Camcorders, with their small sensors and fixed lenses are no match for DSLR's like the Canon EOS 5D with it's Full Frame 35mm sensor and vast collection of interchangeable lenses.

I've been on the fence with regard to DSLR's for filmmaking. I'm not fond of the still camera form factor for video production - I love my video form-factor.

Most Videographers using DSLR's end up buying a plethora of accessories and rigs to try and transform the still camera form-factor to a more video friendly one. Don't even mention audio, most videographers end up buying a separate audio recorder to use with their DSLR.
Sony NEX-VG10

Sony is now trying to compete with DSLR manufacturers by using the same qualities found in DSLR's and incorporating them into video camcorder bodies.

The Sony NEX-VG10, with an APS-C size sensor, was Sony's first low cost, video form-factor, interchangeable lens video camcorder. It was designed to compete with DSLR's for the video market.

Because it was their first attempt,  and they wanted a competitive price-point, it had some minor disadvantages. The VG10 didn't have many of the features video professionals have come to require; no XLR inputs, no Zebra, lack of focus assist, and the list goes on. Since then, they have released better equipped interchangeable lens camcorders, including an upgraded NEX-VG10, VG20, VG30, FS100, FS700 and now the full frame NEX-VG900.


The NEX-VG900 is the first affordable, mass produced Full Frame 35mm sensor video camera with interchangeable lenses.  It sports a 24.3MP Exmor HD CMOS sensor -  and shoots 1080 at 60p / 24p. Street price less than $3300 US.

With this many pixels why doesn't it shoot 4K? You might want to ask Sony - as far as I can tell there's plenty of info coming off the sensor to make 4k images. Maybe we'll see 4k in the next iteration of this model. Wouldn't it be cool if it were possible to hack this camera to churn out 4k video? How about a firmware upgrade - never mind - enough mental masturbation...

For the moment there is little information and/or reviews on the NEX-VG900, but we'll start to see more in the next few weeks - If you are one of those daring first adopters you can pre-order one at the usual suspects - Amazon, B&H, and the rest. I just ordered on last week. As soon as I get my hands on it I'll shoot some demos for you.
Sony's new DSLR killer: Full Frame NEX-VG900





The VG900 comes with an E-mount to A-mount lens adapter. The LA-EA3 allows you to use all the Sony Alpha lenses and many Zeiss lenses made for A-mount.






Sony NEX-EA50

Here's one I didn't hear about till a couple of days ago, seems Sony announced it back in August. Nobody told me! Just when I thought I knew which camcorder I was going to purchase for the next year - I find out about this new interchangeable lens NEX. 



The EA50 is an interchangeable lens E-mount like other NEX cameras. This NEX has the form-factor and all the video buttons and features you'd want in a video camcorder. One exception, no ND filters. With a 16.7 Megapixel Exmor APS-C size sensor you can get those great DOF shots we all drool over.
Yes, you can use Nikon, Canon, Zeiss and many other lenses with the appropriate adapter.

It comes with the first auto-focus servo zoom E-mount lens. The Sony 18-200mm f/3.5 - 6.3 power zoom lens has a zoom control on the lens which allows you to install this lens on any E-mount camera and use the power zoom; how cool is that!

Other great features include Pro 2x XLR audio connectors, HDMI out, shoulder pad that pulls out to use as a shoulder-mount when shooting run-n-gun. No need for expensive aftermarket camera rigs, (there goes an entire aftermarket industry) although, you might need to use a matte box for your ND needs, unless you use a variable ND filter screwed onto your lens.

It's designed to use Sony's 128GB Flash Drive. The HXR-FMU128 Flash Memory Unit will record up to 11 hours in FX mode. The EA50 also uses SD/SDHC/SDXC and Sony Memory Sticks to record your media.

60p, 24p, 30p recording modes. Slow motion? BTW, it also shoots great still photos with 16.7 megapixels.






Candy from a Nikon 50mm f/1.2 - Shooting Video

Have you ever taken a picture or video of something you look at regularly and realize how beautiful it is. The images capture the beauty that we have, somehow, learned to ignore. An example that comes to mind is my kitchen. I see it everyday, so I am desensitized to its beauty, but when I look at a photo of my kitchen it looks amazing.

Based on this premise, I decided to shoot a simple hand-held video of relatively common and unremarkable objects found in my kitchen with a Nikon 50mm f/1.2 lens. The intention is to try to make the mundane beautiful.

You be the judge:



Make sure you select 1080p HD to see the videos in their best quality.

Below are two videos I made for the Randall Museum in San Francisco. Artnok Kontrabecki teaches Ceramics there. He had heard that someone once referred to one of my sewing machine videos as "sewing machine porn" and asked me to make him some "ceramics porn." Again; you be the judge...





I think these videos speak for themselves, the Nikon 50mm f/1.2 makes very pretty pictures. Sharp and fast - all metal construction, it's one of Nikon's best manual lenses. I don't leave home without it...

BTW, here's the Blog on sewing machines and the "sewing machine porn" video - an overly industrious, or dare I say, prudish "blog administrator" removed the "porn" comment.

http://ucansew2.blogspot.com/2011/11/necchi-bu-mira-2.html#comment-form

All videos shot on a Sony NEX-7 with Nikon's 50mm f/1.2 lens

Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 - Short Review

Shot wide open at f/1.2 on Sony NEX-7 camera
In my opinion this is Nikon's king of DOF! This optic marvel has such a narrow depth of field and makes an amazingly soft transition to the creamiest bokeh, that it's hard NOT to make a beautiful picture.

This is Nikons fastest Manual lens. With an f-stop of 1.2 it will throw lots of light on your sensor. On a bright day you can use a variable ND filter to allow you to open the iris to maximum, if desired.

According to experts this is Nikon's sharpest 50mm lens, and it is still in production. When shot at f/2 it outperforms most 50mm lenses.

I use this lens regularly on my APS-C mirror-less camera. With a FoV of 75mm I sometimes use it for portraits. With a close focus distance of a little more than a foot and a half you can surely fill the frame with a face. See my post on the Nikon 15mm f/3.5 for a sample portrait shot with this fast lens.

You can imagine the beautiful shots that you can create with this lens when shooting High-Def video. This is no common 50mm lens. This is on my list of must have video prime lenses.

Nikon's Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 with original Nikon rubber hood on a Sony NEX-7 APS-C mirror-less camera






Nikon 15mm f/3.5

This is an amazing wide angle lens. No other reasonably priced mass produced manual focus wide lens can touch it. It is a rectilinear lens which means it won't bend or distort straight lines. As long as the subject is 10 feet away you will not see any barrel distortion. Not many extreme wide angle lenses I know of can claim to have no barrel distortion.

15mm f/3.5 on Sony NEX-7
Mounted on Sony NEX-7 with Nikon to NEX adapter - looks huge
This Nikkor AI-s lens is not for everyone. First of all, it will set you back close to $1000 used. Secondly, on a full frame or FX camera it is quite wide. It may be difficult  to compose a decent photo that includes so much area.

On DX, APS-C or micro4/3 cameras it makes a great wide angle manual focus lens.

There are times when no other lens will work. When shooting indoor architectural photography this lens shines. It will make the rooms look big without adding any distortion.

For HD video this lens can make some wonderful wide shots for indoor sequences. In fact, this is my favorite lens for indoor establishing shots - it's wide enough to include everything you might want to include in a room, with no linear distortion. Your just going to have to move the lights a little farther away from the subject.

15mm in my hand
On a Sony NEX-7 or similar camera this lens looks big, but it's not unruly. FoV on APS-C cameras is around 22mm. Close focus limit is 1 foot, which works wonderful in tight spots.

Below is a comparison of the Nikon 15mm f/3.5 and the Nikon 50mm f/1.2 lens. Both photos were taken at approximately the same distance from the subject. I'm standing close to 5 feet from the back wall, and a little more than 1.5 feet from my son Hatuey.

A little more than 1.5 feet from subject - Nikon 15mm f/3.5
Approximately same distance from subject - Nikon 50mm f/1.2
Nikon 15mm f/3.5 - notice horizon, no distortion 

Nikon Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 AI-s

This is one of Nikon's GREAT lenses. (see post below) It's one you have to have if you're going to shoot video on a DSLR or on one of the new video camcorders by Sony, Panasonic or Canon, that accept interchangeable lenses.

NEX-7 85mm f/1.4 Nikon
On an NEX-7 with a Nikon to NEX adapter

Nikon 85mm f/1.4 on NEX-7
Silky smooth bokeh - soft creamy background
This Nikkor lens is fast and sharp. As mentioned in another post, it's a large monster piece of glass.

The Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 AI-s was designed as a professional lens for use on Nikon FX 35mm cameras.

I've used this lens on Nikon DX DSLRs and on mirror-less cameras like the NEX-5 and NEX-7. For cameras with a 1.5x multiplier, the field of view of this 85mm lens is equivalent to 127.5mm.

It's seems big when mounted on an NEX, but it doesn't feel too awkward.

This big bright glass will make backgrounds creamy soft. Wide open this lens gives you a truly narrow depth of field that seems paper thin.

Focusing at f/1.4 can be tricky. When shooting stills with the extremely narrow DOF that can be achieved wide open, it can be difficult to focus without the stability of a tripod.

Imagine hand holding the camera while at the shortest focusing distance and moving forward and backward to focus on a flower's anther.

Still, this is one of my favorite portrait lenses. Sharp and fast, what else would you want?



Filmmaking: Have-to-have Lenses for Nikon Types

If you are shooting a narrative film where you have time for composing and setting up lighting, then you have time to change your lens and time to manually focus it. Zooms and auto-focus lenses are for wimps.

In filmmaking, prime lenses are KING - unless you're one of those French New Wave filmmakers influenced by Italian Neorealism.  Just kidding, they didn't use zooms much.

Prime lenses are faster, lighter, smaller and perform better optically. Oh yeah, sometimes they're cheaper too. I like FAST lenses that can render very narrow DOF. This is a common trait of the following lens recommendations.

Before I go on I have to acknowledge one of my favorite resources when it comes to all things Nikon. Ken Rockwell at kenrockwell.com - You need to know anything about Nikon cameras and/or lenses this is the website to visit. Don't forget to donate a little in return for Ken's work...

The following lenses are available used from many sources, and are not too expensive.

Your going to need a wide angle for establishing shots. Typically with 35mm full frame you want to stick to 28mm or wider. If you don't mind spending $1000, for a used one, I would recommend the Nikon 15mm f/3.5 wide angle lens. I love this lens. The only reason it is not a part of this list is because of its high cost. I'll blog about the 15mm soon.

On 4/3 or APS-C sensors 28mm field of view is approximately equivalent to 40mm which is close to the human eye's FoV. 40mm is not very wide, but if you have space to move far enough away from your actors you can have nice coverage. For this range here's my favorite:

Nikon's Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AI-s - (see post below) What makes this lens extra special is the incredibly short focus distance and the lack of any noticeable barrel distortion. This allows you to get some extreme close-ups as well as your medium-wide shot from the same prime lens. An extremely sharp prime lens that's reasonably priced. Nikon makes a wider lens with no barrel distortion, the 15mm f/3.5 AI-s, but it will cost you over a $1000 used. BTW, Make sure that you get an AI-s version of the 28mm f/2.8 the older AI version is a completely different lens. Do not get that one!

Most filmmakers will agree that if you had to choose one lens to take along on a film shoot it would undoubtedly be a 50mm. This focal-length will work great for medium to tight shots. I like the fastest one made by Nikon:

Nikon's Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 AI-s - Another favorite of mine. This is a big chunk of fast glass. At a maximum aperture of f/1.2 this baby lets in a lot of light. This bastard will see things in the dark. On my APS-C sensor it is equivalent to a 75mm lens, still good for medium to tight shots. The beauty of this lens is the extremely narrow depth of field that can be achieved. Gorgeous bokeh. Focus on the eyes and the ears are a soft blur - careful, the nose will be just as soft.

See more on this lens in its own post:
http://nikon-nikkor-50mm-f12.html

Are you starting to notice I'm partial to Nikon - they are readily available and in my opinion they have made some of the best manual focus lenses in history. I'm sure you can find Canon or other lenses of equal quality. Maybe we can explore that in a future post.

For ECU or telephoto, and to squeeze perspective a lens over 100mm is typical. Lets explore two of my favorites:

Nikon's Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 AI-s - Did I mention that the Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 was big? This monster is bigger. The APS-C multiplier of 1.5x makes this equivalent to a 127mm lens well into the telephoto range. This Nikkor also creates very narrow depth of field thanks to its f/1.4 maximum aperture. Heavy, big, sharp lens with very good performance.

See More:
http://nikkor-85mm-f14-ai-s.html

Nikon's Nikkor 105mm f/1.8 AI-s - Not to be confused with the 105mm f2.8 that I wrote about in another post. Either 105mm will make you a beautiful photo - the f/1.8 will need less light and will give you a sharper image. It will also cost you more money. These are great for portrait shots, and therefore, great for single or tight shots. Don't leave home without one.

In my opinion you won't need longer focal-length, except for rare occasions when you need to shoot long distance telephoto scenes. As far as wide-angle shots are concerned the $1000 15mm f/3.5 Nikkor AI-s lens, with no barrel distortion, is king. On the other hand you might have a need for a wide shot where barrel distortion is desired - a fish-eye lens would be appropriate.

Typically narrative films require lenses to be transparent or invisible, meaning that they do not add editorial content by way of distortion or perspective manipulation - unless that's what you want to do.

I remember someone once told me when I was a photography student "...you want a standard photo, use a standard lens." I suppose he meant if I wanted a compelling shot I should use anything but a "standard" 50mm lens... 


Schneider-Kreuznach Retina-Xenar 50mm f/2.8

My Retina III S with sharp Xenar 50mm f/2.8
Another great compact German 50mm lens. They were used on Kodak Retina cameras.

Retinas were made in Germany by Nagel Camerawerk. Dr. August Nagel founder of Contessa and co-founder of Zeiss Ikon decided to go on his own and started Nagel Camerawerk in 1928. Acquired by Kodak in the early 1930s they made Retinas until 1969.

I love this little lens, it's very sharp and makes great pictures on my NEX-7.

Just like the Steinheil München I posted about earlier I was blown away by the sharpness and lack of chromatic aberration.


Nikon Nikkor-P 105mm f/2.5

Nikon's wonderful 105mm portrait lens
This lens has been very popular among Nikon enthusiasts since it was developed in the early 1950s for the Rangefinder S series cameras.

Great for portraits this 105mm on an APS-C is equivalent to a 157.5mm.  This lens works well with all the new interchangeable lens cameras out there. It is a Non-AI lens, which will not affect how it works on my camera.

More on AI and Non-AI lenses:

http://support.nikonusa.com/


On my Sony NEX-7 it doesn't feel too large or obtrusive. I was able to focus quick and was very happy with my results.

You can get one of these on eBay for under $200. Get one if you want to take portraits or are shooting CU and "over the shoulder" shots on your interchangeable lens HD camcorder.



Nikko-P 105mm f/2.5 mounted on Sony NEX-7 mirror-less digital camera



Buying Lenses and Stuff

I've collected vintage film cameras and lenses through the years and I've sold many of them after using them for a little. I no longer have many of the older film cameras that I've collected. I recently sold my prized Nikon Rangefinder from the fifties; these are very collectable and have increased in value.

Nikon S2 with legendary 35mm f/1.4 sold on eBay for $1500 to a collector in Japan
Buying the latest gadget or photo equipment can get very expensive - If you are like me, and 99% of most people I know, it's hard to justify large purchases. Hey, I'm no rich dude.

What if there was a way to sell the gadgets you no longer use? What if you could sell last year's amazing gadget so you could buy this years incredibly more amazing gadget? Thanks to eBay and craigslist you can buy and sell all your stuff on a regular basis. Not just collectable cameras and lenses, you can sell or get just about anything on eBay.

If you are looking for photo equipment you can find the newest or the rarest of vintage photo equipment on eBay. From a cheap new point and shoot to a rare vintage Leica lens listed at over $60,000.00:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Leica-Summilux

Buy your NEW gadgets wherever you can get them for the lowest price. Amazon has consistently been one of my go-to retailers for new stuff. Always search the internet for the best price - this is an art form in itself.

Always take extreme care of your stuff - you need to be anal retentive about it - so that your buyers can always count on getting near-mint items.

Never keep something beyond the point of obsolescence. I try to sell my computers within a one to two year window. If you wait too long nobody will want it.

Always make sure that whatever you get will hold its value, or even better, will increase in value. This is key, don't buy crap. Get the best. In the long run you'll get more for it when it's time to sell. I can't stress it enough - take care of you stuff - it won't be worth anything if it isn't in near-mint condition when you try to sell it.

One more selling tip - Price your items at a reasonable prices. Find the price everyone is selling at and price your item lower if possible.

Last spring I went through the house and collected everything I thought would sell and listed it on eBay - I made close to $3000.  We spent that money on a needed family vacation.

My wife no longer lets me buy anything unless I sell something to cover the cost first. I could tell you stories.

OK, a short one: I was looking for a commercial espresso grinder for my caffeine addiction, I own a commercial espresso machine. (that's another story) It happens that the model grinder I was looking into cost over $700 new. Way beyond what I would consider reasonably sane. The cheapest I could find on eBay was around $350 - used, paint coming off, didn't look very nice.

I figured, as I always do, that it wouldn't be too complicated to fix, if it were not working optimally, so I pull the trigger and buy it. After all, I'll just turn around and sell it if I decide I don't need it anymore.

I get the grinder, the box it came in had no padding, these large burr grinders weigh a ton. What the hell were they thinking, no padding? I call the seller, they tell me to accept the package and that they will make it right if it is damaged.

Long story short; the damage to the grinder would cost $350 to repair. They refund my $350 and tell me to keep the grinder. I repair the grinder with 2 hours of my labor - no parts needed.

These guys may not know how to pack heavy items for shipping, but they happen to be a reputable seller, not every eBay seller will make things right.

I would say that with the amount of knowledge gained in repairing and restoring the grinder it was free. In my mind it cost me nothing, and after striping and polishing it, the grinder is probably worth close to $650 now.

So, don't be afraid to buy your highly yearned, expensive, thoroughly marketed, consumer desired wonder widget. You can always sell it on eBay and recoup most, if not all, of your hard earned money.

See what's up for sale on my eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/kubanakan