On the still lens front, you have a variety of options. I am addressing this topic from a 40 foot screen digital projection perspective, not a still photography one.
ZEISS ZE PRIMES
21mm-Zeiss-ZE
Zeiss ZE primes rock. Their resolution is spectacular and they are lightweight. Their focus is alittle more cinematic then a Canon or a Nikon, so it gives your focus puller a chance.
28mm-Zeiss-ZE
The lenses do breathe, which means they zoom in or zoom out when you rack focus. This asthetetic bothers some people so you should see if you like it and or can deal with it.
CANON L SERIES PRIMES
Canon L Series 35mm
Canon L Series 85mm
Canon L series primes deliver very beautiful, sharp images. They do not resolve as well as the Zeiss primes. So you will loose a little detail and color gradation choices in post. If you are fine with that, then the Canon primes are a great choice. Their zooms are not as sharp as the primes and they don’t hold contrast as well.
Canon L Series Lenses
The Canon EF lenses cannot hold up on the big screen. I used them on the first 2 shooting days of the Navy SEAL movie and they were just plain soft. When I went into color correction, I was not able to have the full range of detail of the 8 BIT compressed color space, that I had with the L series or the Nikons. Canon lenses also have one tricky issue: the endless focus wheel. It is amazing for a still photographer but not a trained focus puller. Companies like Zacuto have put lens stops on their zip gears to try and correct the problem but it is still something to contend with.
NIKON AI SERIES PRIMES
Nikon AI Series 28 mm
Nikon AI Series 50 mm
Nikon glass delivers well with the AI series. They were the cream of the crop back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s and still are in my book. They deliver images just like the Zeiss in contrast but the glass has a warmer tone. However, their focus range is short like the Canon’s.
LEICA R SERIES PRIMES
Leica 35 mm R Series
I tested Leica and found that they delivered beautiful contrast and color throughout. They felt the closest to the Panavision Primo primes and had more of a cinema focus throw, even more than the Zeiss ZE primes. These lenses resolve so well on the big screen.
HASSELBLAD MEDIUM FORMAT ZEISS PRIMES
50 mm Hasselblad Medium Format
150 mm Hasselblad Medium Format
Hasselblad medium format lenses were very interesting on the 5D. It had the same contrast and color of the Zeiss ZE Primes. You need to check it out. They have an amazing cinema focus throw, but breathe like the Zeiss. I like the large focus markings and the weight, they felt really nice on my Red Rock Micro shoulder rig. As long as you feel comfortable shooting above a 4.0 these lenses are a great choice.
With all of the lens options out there, these are still just tools. The story and the characters are KING! These players all have a back story that never makes it to the screen, but it is the thread, the tapestry that binds the film. Find that thread, follow it to dream and create your next work of art!!!!
Tags: lense choice, Lenses
Shane 
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still macro lenses typically have long focus throw. heard people complaining leica 100 mm elmarit macro too heavy and too long focus throw.
shane, have you tried zeiss ze 50mm and 100mm macro? they may match the resolution of cine lenses. if zeiss lens are too much contrasty, leica 60mm and l00mm macro lenses may be comparable to primo lenses. just a quick guess.
HI, Shane.
This information is very much appreciated. We are currently researching lenses for a feature film DSLR production. and have pretty much narrowed it down to the Zeiss ZEs or the Leica R lenses. I’ve seen some Zeiss videos on vimeo and the footage/quality looks great. We really haven’t seen anything with the Leicas though. The Leicas seem to be your best reviewed lenses and based on some ebay browsing, they also seem to be really fairly priced. $400-$700ish. The Zeiss lenses are over $1000. Can you elaborate at all on the differences/benefits of shooting with either or? We’re just obviously a little cautious about investing in a prime set when we haven’t seen a ton of footage. Really appreciate any further info about this. Thank you kindly. -C&Y
C&Y, I would go for the Zeiss ZE, for two reasons, they talk with the camera, and are a little more user friendly than the Leica’s. You will have to buy mounts for all of those lenses, because taking the mount on and off is not the best thing to do. They run $150-$250 a piece. Leica have a little lower contrast range, flare very easy, which milks your image out quickly, but a nicer focus throw. Zeiss ZE are sharper, have more contrast, don’t flare out easily, talk with the camera, and have a canon mount, but doesn’t have as nice as a focus throw, it also breathes a bunch. I hope this helps.
wei, I think you might be right. The only thing I am put off by the Leica’s are their coating and flaring issues. Great for some things though.
Shane: A quick search suggests that Leica lenses rarelly flare (I don’t remember I came across such complaint on leica lenses before, maybe I am not into leica that much.)
If flare occurs, I guess that either leica lenses are old versions (1970-80s) or lens filters are added in front of the lenses, which is a normal practice in cinematography. The air distance between the filter and the lens may cause flare. If the latest version of leica lenses flare much, the basic instinct is to call leica customer support to get a new copy, or at lease get the old copy recalibrated.
Another angle of view (may well deserve a debate): Will flare help a 3-D feeling? Three major helpers to generate 3-D view in 2-D photography/cinematography: perspective, front placement, and air reflection including flare, etc. The first two are about composition and framing. The last one is about lenses. A lot of still photographers like old Germane lenses because these lenses can reflect the air distance between the shooter and candid. Citizen Kane used a lot of air reflection techniques. I still remember the take that the guy walked into the library room, with the sun shining from the top windows into the dark room, reflecting a lot of dust in the room, gave a nice feeling of 3-D effects.
Thanks Shane for all those usefull infos.
Don’t know personally (I use Nikkors for video and Canon L for stills), but It looklike many Leica R can hit the 5DmkII mirror (http://www.pebbleplace.com/Personal/Leica_db.html
less than 25mm that is the case for 5d2. on 7d, even 19mm is ok, according to some experimenters.
wei, what are you describing here?
wei, I have been talking about the 70-80’s Leica glass, and the flaring I am talking about is not cool, it milks out the contrast. The new glass performs very well.
great post. there’s a new upcoming zeiss compact 2, look on vincent laforet’s blog
Shane, thanks for this great resource! I was wondering what Nikon mount adapter would you recommend for the 7D?
Hi Shane,
you mentioned the Hasselblad medium format lenses, will the focal lengths stay the same on a 5D ?
anybody messed around with the lomo anamorphic 75mm roundhead? Are they any good?
Shane,
Thanks so much for your blog. Lots of interesting information here that you don’t have to share, so I appreciate it. I just wanted to get your opinion on PL mounts on DSLRs. I recently found a site that offers (non adapter) mods on the 7D. Just wondering if you had any experience with this.
Thanks
Shane, have you ever tried the famous medium format Zebra Zeiss Jena primes of the 1960s/early 1970s?
Best glass Zeiss ever made in my book. Amazing cinema focus throw, no breathing at all and a extremely cinematic look and bokeh.
I use them religiously on the HVX200/Letus Adapter combo and on the 5D now.
Best of all, they are dirt cheap (at least here in Germany) you can score them in mint condition between 100 and 170 Euros on German Ebay. Look for “PENTACON SIX Zeiss”
best, Frank
Frank Glencairn, wow they sound incredible. I will try them out. Thank you for your comments.
Arvel, thank you for your kind words. I have not used the PL mounts yet, waiting for the Compact Zeiss Primes.
Luke, I would recommend the Novoflex or the Fotodiox, both will run you around 140.00 to 250.00 for one that comes up true to the focus marks on the lens.
Thanks for all your advice, Shane! Question for you: Do you think the Zeiss Compact Prime 2 Cine Lenses will be worth the extra money over a set of RPLenses converted Zeiss ZF lenses?
Shane, if you want to try out some of the vintage Zebra Zeiss glass, send me an e-mail. There are sertain points to take care of when you buy that lenses (I learned the hard way), and I would be glad to give you some hints if you want me to.
Frank
Frank Glencairn, I would love anything that you can pass on to me. Thank you so much.
Tony Reale, I have not tested the compact primes, I get my set in a week. I will try to give you some feedback soon.
Hi Shane, thank you for the reviews. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the new Zeiss Compact Primes 2. I am thinking of putting together a 7D package for myself for use as an extra camera on features, tv docs, music videos, low budget commercials, etc. I’m just wondering- is there is a zoom lens that you like or have tested with these cameras? I’m prone to think a zoom would be great for a lot of situations I’ll be getting into…
[...] If you are looking for a lens adapter to shoot Leica M on a Panasonic GH-1, a Nikon lens on a Canon Camera, or any lens/camera combination you can come up with, Fotodiox seems like the place to go since they have pages and pages of adapters for medium format and 35mm lenses.. I first saw them mentioned in the comments section on Shane Hurlbut’s blog post called Still Lenses That Can Grace The Big Screen. [...]
Toby Birney, I am looking to buy two of the 7D EVO PL-54 mount cameras by Denz so that I can use the ANGENIEUX 17-80mm OPTIMA ZOOM and the ANGENIEUX 24-290 mm OPTIMA ZOOM.
What I find is that in the Zoom department they do not hold up very well. They do not resolve well and many have stop changes when you zoom. The 24-70mm T2.8 is not bad but I just haven’t found any I like.
[...] was built in the 70s, but you still have to pay upwards of $400-600 to purchase a used model. But according to Shane Hulburt, these lenses hold with the best of them. Plus, the build quality is incredible, the focus rings are [...]
Shane, I am also contemplating a PL modified 7D. I hadn’t heard of Denz doing mods, I only knew of Hot Rod. Have you compared the work of the 2 different companies and any reason you are going with Denz?
Toby Birney, I love the Denz mod. It seems tight and excepts all PL lenses and zooms. Hot Rods is very good too. I want to see a 5D modified, screw the 7D. Let’s move to the best image capture possible in this compressed format. Let’s move forward not backwards.
Thank you Shane- I will have to do some more research on the Denz modified cameras. I wish there were an easy way for me to compare the different mods with my own eyes- I’m far away in Eastern Europe, having to depend on word of mouth and the opinions of other professionals. And, yes I agree- a 5D mod would be fabulous…
[...] “Buy used” has seldom been more true than when it comes to DSLR lenses. New DSLRs come with autofocus lenses, which work great for still images, but in video mode they’re stuck using a contrast-detection method which is too slow to be viable; no one should be using autofocus on narrative films anyway. If you buy the camera with a bundled lens, you’ll get a solid all-around lens for taking still photos; however, if you’re on a tight budget and are mostly interested in shooting movies, you can skip the bundled lens, buy the body-only version, and spend the savings on used lenses. Here’s where the great advantage of “obsolete” technology comes in: there are thousands of manual focus-only lenses available with a deflated value because of their relative uselessness on modern DSLRs — except when it comes to video mode, where they’re suddenly useful again. While you can’t beat good cine lenses, at this price point it’s a blessing to have so many interchangeable lenses available at bargain prices. Also, whereas many of these older manual lenses may not be up to the task of resolving 21 megapixels with aplomb, they don’t need to; in video mode, 1080p amounts to just shy of 2 megapixels, and any decent SLR lens outstrips this resolution. For the web almost any SLR lens will be sharp enough, but if you’re planning on going to the big screen (theatrical, a festival run, etc.) then you’ll want to make sure you’re getting a sharp enough piece of glass. [...]
O.K. Shane, I wrote an article on vintage Zeiss glass on modern cameras.
If you have any further question, feel free to ask.
best, Frank
http://frankglencairn.wordpress.com/2010/04/01/vintage-zeiss-glass-on-modern-cameras/
Thank you so much for your response, Shane. Still doing some research. It looks like we’ll be picking up the Zeiss ZE 50mm 1.4 for sure. Just a quick question about Zeiss C/Y lenses. Any experience. As far as the longer lenses go, they seem to have some nice options. (180mm 2.8 for example). Any experience? We know an adapter (C/Y to EOS) is necessary and are attracted to their cheaper prices on ebay. Resolution and image wise, are they solid? If they’re a little lower contrasty and vintage looking the better! Thanks so much.
C&Y, you are so welcome, I have not tried the Zeiss C/Y lenses. Do not go with cheap adapters. They will screw you. You should pay at least $140.00 to $250.00 an adapter. The cheap ones will be loose and move the whole image around while focusing. Also the focus will not be true with the lens and your marks will be all off. Fotodiox and Novoflex are the leaders in this category.
I am getting a set of the Compact 2 Zeiss Primes tomorrow to test and I am very excited. Will give you my thoughts once I put them to the test.
Thanks again. Novoflex doesn’t seem to make a CY-EOS adapter, but Fotodiox makes a very reasonable Pro one for $89.00
http://www.fotodiox.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=36
Hi Shane,
Do you typically lose anything with zoom lenses over primes? Zoom lenses offer some real flexibility in the field when perhaps constant lens swapping is trickier.
Thanks
Hey Shane,
I have to ask; How does a sharper lens drastically change the overall image of video on the Canon DSLRS? I shot this video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIi8q0mKvR4 ) that even at full res on a Sharp Aquos 1080p tv looks identical… and it’s a kit Canon 18-135 at F/5 vs a Zeiss ZE 35mm also set to F/5.
Also, Barry Green says that it does NOTHING to change video resolution. Bokeh, moire, and slight changes in the focal length and depth of field (SLIGHT) are the most difference you will notice, maybe some color difference too. These cameras stream video and down sample to 1080p which is just over 2 megapixels in size… the actual resolution isn’t 1080p, nor is it 480p… just somewhere in between, closer to 720p than anything… and changing to a faster lens isn’t going to make that any better, period.
I agree that for photography, it helps a lot and changes a lot – for video, it’s nice to have faster lenses if you want to stop up to a wider maximum aperture and obtain a more shallow depth of field… but it will barely change the sharpness.
To be honest, if you shoot with a Zeiss lens, it’s going to cause a lot MORE aliasing than anything. I’ll work on shooting some tests.
With all this said, I still would want to own nice glass just to shoot better photos on, for the build of the lenses, and the usability of them. I’m simply not sold on the fact that FOR VIDEO, better lenses make the image sharper. I guess I should clarify and say it can make the slight differences I mentioned above, but it really comes down to the question: Is it worth paying $1500 for something like the Canon F/1.4L, or just paying something like $300 for the Canon EF 30mm F/2?
Again – Even on a nicely sized 42″, full 1080p Sharp Aquos (which is a good TV at that) the image I showed you above looks identical (FOR VIDEO, NOT PHOTOS)
Kennon Flesiher, I can only tell you that on a 60 foot screen your $300.00 30mm EF looks soft and does not resolve well, which then effects your color space. You have to roll out the way that you do. So if these lenses make your work sing then I am in full support. To each his own.
RJ, Zoom lenses do not resolve as well as primes. The more glass that the light has to pass through the more the image is softened. You have to go with what works for you in the field. If you need the zoom then have at it. Function follows format.
O.K. I fixed the missing picture links for the vintage Zeiss glass. Should work fine now. Sorry for the muddle.
Frank
http://frankglencairn.wordpress.com/2010/04/01/vintage-zeiss-glass-on-modern-cameras/
Shane, wonderful blog.
I’m switching to Zeiss ZE Lenses for shooting short films, commercials & music videos on my 5D Mark II.
The first two lenses are the Zeiss 50mm F/2 Makro-Planar ZE & 100mm F/2 Makro-Planar ZE.
I need help selecting the best Zeiss ZE wide angle for video.
The Zeiss 21mm F/2.8 is one of the best lenses in existence for still photos on a Canon body, but the distortion (sides curving inward) worries me for video, especially with people in the shot.
The 28mm & 35mm ZE’s have less distortion and are faster at F/2 than the 21mm, but they don’t have the same amazing 3D quality of the 21mm.
What do you think would be the best choice if I can only afford one of them?
Thanks. Robert
Robert Anthony, I am so glad that you like the blog, The ZE’s are pretty kick ass. I feel the 21mm bends even more than the 18mm ZE, but for wide angle lenses I feel the 28mm is plenty wide for HD. That is equal to a 18mm on a 35mm Motion Picture camera. That Vista Vision sensor gives you a pretty wide view. I say 28mm unless you want wider, then I would go 18mm. It does not resolve as well as the 21mm but I feel it is flatter. You are welcome.
@wei. The APO-Summicron-R 90 ASPH is a great lens, but I agree that the flaring with Leica lenses is still a problem. I was initially a big fan of the Summicron-R 35/2.0 which is flare resistant even into direct sunlight, but with more experience it’s pretty clear that it has a lot of veiling when the light is just outside the frame and hits the lens at the correct angle. In the right conditions, I still like the Leica lenses very much given their contrast/color character, but the Zeiss lenses are much more resistant.
I think part of what gives Leica it’s unique look is the low number of elements but possibly less impressive coatings. Also important to consider is the barrel design. I suspect Leica’s passion for making lenses *tiny* hurts them here because of the greater impact of reflections off the barrel. Mechanically, the focus throw on the Leica is a lot better than the Zeiss and you can also easily modify them to have clickless aperture rings.
The 35/50/90 setup makes for a nice set of lenses though. Add the 100 macro and you have a versatile setup that can easily travel. If you need wider, the 1994+ era 28/2.8 fits on the 5D2.
I don’t know if Leica’s flaring is “cool” or not, but it’s certainly beautiful when used judiciously. The loss of contrast is counteracted by reduced aperture flaring (from fewer lens elements). I think it gives the viewer the feeling of squinting to deal with the bright sun as opposed to something that is too technically perfect. You can use this as its own special effect the same way Daniel Mindel shot the new Star Trek.
—-
@C&Y. Zeiss has gone on record to say that the 50 and 85mm ZF lenses are very similar to the Contax versions. The ZF is supposed to have more circular aperture blades and improved flare resistance. Probably changes to the internal baffling and barrel rather than just coating alone. They definitely have similar resolving power and contrast.
The problem with Contax lenses is the difficulty with adapting the lens. Even though there’s no glass in the way, variations in the thickness of the adapter have significant consequences:
http://visualnary.com/2009/04/01/comparing-contax-canon-adapters.html
(not my test).
If you have an existing set of Contax lenses, it’s cheap and easy to go with them. If budget was a non-issue, I’d go with the new ones. The 21mm is supposed to be very similar but I haven’t tested it. Very sharp lens although there is moustache distortion which people don’t like in both the new and old versions. The 18mm is a brand new design; also the 18 f/4 doesn’t fit reliability on Canon cameras.
—-
@Shane: Which Leica lenses did you test? The 24mm that you have a picture of is actually a Minolta design which Leica licensed and then manufactured to their tolerances.
In your world, do you still think there’s a role for adapting still lenses to the 5D when you now have true cinema housed lenses for the EF mount?
Also, have you tried the IB/E Cine-Xenars? Those cover the full 5D frame and seem to be better and cheaper than the CP.2’s.
http://www.ibe-optics.com/PLPrimes
Alan, wow, I have to say I am overwhelmed with all this amazing information. Thank you so much for your wealth of data. I am not very happy with the CP2’s. All they are is ZE glass with a big barrel. Period, the end, not worth paying another 2000.00 a lens for the same glass. The Schneider Optics lenses I have not tested, but seem in all of the online data to be better. I will do some more research and get back to you when I have more time to digest this info. Thanks again for everything and your support of this platform.
[...] Panavisions ranging in the $50k+ range) he has tons of great tips for the average shooter. Such as differences in still glass, recording sound, picture style settings, and much more. Vincent [...]
Hi Shane
Over the years I have built up quite a large collection of prime lenses from my work as a photographer:
Olympus Zuiko
24mm 2.8 | 28mm 3.5 | 35mm 2.0 | 50mm 1.4 | 50mm 1.8 | 85mm 2.0
Pentax Super-Takumar
35mm 2.0 | 50mm 1.4 | 85mm 1.9
Pentax SMC
35mm 2.0 | 50mm 1.4 | 85mm 1.8
Carl Zeiss (Contax Mount)
28mm 2.8 | 50mm 1.4 | 85mm 1.4 | 135mm 2.8 £227
In your opinion will none of these sets work with the Mk2 for footage other than that for the web?!
Regards from England, Richard
Very interested in your comments on the CP2s. I had been giving the Zeiss lenses some consideration after struggling with my Canon photo lenses. One thing that had been worrying me about the ZE’s was that the loss of the aperture ring meant you might get locked in to Canon. I have 2 Canon DSLRs already (5D2&550D) but everything is evolving so fast it makes me a little nervous. Although, they are more expensive (and as an amateur, thats not insignificant) I was wondering if they were perhaps still a better long term investment?
How do the CP2s handle when not on rods, are they usable handheld or for stills?
Regards Andy, UK
Andrew Howe, I was not impressed with them. They are the exact same glass as the ZE’s but when I put them up on the projector at Panavision the ZE’s blew away the CP2’s. So why spend the money. What you are paying for is the housing. So I would either have a permanent 32 pitch gear ring put on or buy the Red Rocks’s that increase the diameter of the lens. Move you focus witness mark to the side and then P-touch your footage marks on the side of the lens so that your focus puller can see and you are batting a 1000. I would wait to the dust settles. I am loving my new set of Canon L series I just bought. After “The Last 3 Minutes” where I had to use them for the joint venture with Canon, I found the 50,85, and 100mm Macro rocked.
If anybody wants to see more examples, I updated my article on “Vintage Zeiss glass on modern cameras” with some screengrabs of a feature film I shot recently (Indiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny). Thou I used “only” an HVX200 and an LEX 35mm adapter, the images look great in the theater.
http://frankglencairn.wordpress.com/vintage-zeiss-glass-on-modern-cameras/
Frank
Frank Glencairn, thank yo so much for sharing. I love the stills from the Indiana Jones motorcycle leap. Love the de-saturated, lower contrast look.