Help with Lenses

Josh Allen · June 9th, 2004, 11:21 PM

Looks very nice. I look forward to seeing your test shots. Heck the setup alone looks so "cool" it makes us all want to go buy it ;)

Dave Frank · June 16th, 2004, 08:59 PM

Hey guys! I am reporting back with a couple of shots from the first 3 days of filming. This is straight out the camera, no processing(bars, color correction, etc.) More to come!

http://www.yvyears.com/crap/shot1.jpg
http://www.yvyears.com/crap/shot2.jpg

Josh Allen · June 20th, 2004, 04:04 PM

Dave, #1 looks very nice IMHO. What were your lens, settings, etc. for that shot?

Dave Frank · June 20th, 2004, 04:11 PM

Thanks! It was the first thing I had ever shot with the system. Off the top of my head, I think that shot was with a 50mm Nikon MF @ f/1.4

Onomen Asikele · June 24th, 2004, 06:32 AM

I just shot a short film using a set of high speed Zeiss PLs. The pictures are absolutely stunning. Will post links soon.
By the way, we used the Canon XL1S + Mini35 combo.

Dave Frank · June 30th, 2004, 06:49 PM

Here is a new shot from the film. I did a little bit of post processing as well with MB.

http://www.yvyears.com/crap/shot3.jpg

If I remember correctly, this was done on my 35mm Nikon MF @ f/2

Dan McCain · July 31st, 2004, 03:49 PM

I have seen cooke cinema zoom lenses for sale on ebay. Currently a 2.8 T3 is available. Would this lens be too slow for the Mini 35? I really love shallow DOF, however I would like to get a zoom lens. Also I need to use my follow focus. Any comments would be appreciated.

Charles Papert · August 1st, 2004, 08:15 PM

Dan, not sure about your description of that lens...is it a T3 or a T2.8?? what focal lengths are incorporated in that lens?

Assuming it's a T2.8, you are losing about 2 stops of "goodness" over fast prime lenses, which will give you that oft-desired shallow focus look. A 2.8 is plenty fast enough for focal lengths over 75mm, where a T1.4 would be really hard to keep a moving subject in focus, but the wider end might not have the impact you want at that stop. Also, depending on which vintage Mini35 you are using as well as which camera, 2.8 is starting to get into the hairy range where the grain of the groundglass might become visible.

Unfortunately, there's no free ride with this setup. Zooms are always slower than primes, but are obviously quicker to work with. There is a certain elegance to working with fixed focal length lenses however.

Dan McCain · August 2nd, 2004, 05:04 AM

I am using the 400 series Mini 35 with the DVX100A camera here is the lens I am talking about.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3830336077&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

June 16th, 2004, 08:59 PM	#32
Dave Frank Major Player Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 244	Hey guys! I am reporting back with a couple of shots from the first 3 days of filming. This is straight out the camera, no processing(bars, color correction, etc.) More to come! http://www.yvyears.com/crap/shot1.jpg http://www.yvyears.com/crap/shot2.jpg __________________ http://www.sleeptightmovie.com

June 20th, 2004, 04:11 PM	#34
Dave Frank Major Player Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 244	Thanks! It was the first thing I had ever shot with the system. Off the top of my head, I think that shot was with a 50mm Nikon MF @ f/1.4 __________________ http://www.sleeptightmovie.com

June 24th, 2004, 06:32 AM	#35
Onomen Asikele New Boot Join Date: May 2004 Location: LA, CA. Posts: 8	Lens Choices I just shot a short film using a set of high speed Zeiss PLs. The pictures are absolutely stunning. Will post links soon. By the way, we used the Canon XL1S + Mini35 combo. __________________ RobbenIsland...

June 30th, 2004, 06:49 PM	#36
Dave Frank Major Player Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 244	Here is a new shot from the film. I did a little bit of post processing as well with MB. http://www.yvyears.com/crap/shot3.jpg If I remember correctly, this was done on my 35mm Nikon MF @ f/2 __________________ http://www.sleeptightmovie.com

July 31st, 2004, 03:49 PM	#37
Dan McCain Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 65	Thoughts on buys a zoom lens I have seen cooke cinema zoom lenses for sale on ebay. Currently a 2.8 T3 is available. Would this lens be too slow for the Mini 35? I really love shallow DOF, however I would like to get a zoom lens. Also I need to use my follow focus. Any comments would be appreciated.

June 9th, 2004, 11:21 PM	#31
Josh Allen Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Wildomar, CA Posts: 89	Looks very nice. I look forward to seeing your test shots. Heck the setup alone looks so "cool" it makes us all want to go buy it ;)

June 20th, 2004, 04:04 PM	#33
Josh Allen Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Wildomar, CA Posts: 89	Dave, #1 looks very nice IMHO. What were your lens, settings, etc. for that shot?

August 1st, 2004, 08:15 PM	#38
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Dan, not sure about your description of that lens...is it a T3 or a T2.8?? what focal lengths are incorporated in that lens? Assuming it's a T2.8, you are losing about 2 stops of "goodness" over fast prime lenses, which will give you that oft-desired shallow focus look. A 2.8 is plenty fast enough for focal lengths over 75mm, where a T1.4 would be really hard to keep a moving subject in focus, but the wider end might not have the impact you want at that stop. Also, depending on which vintage Mini35 you are using as well as which camera, 2.8 is starting to get into the hairy range where the grain of the groundglass might become visible. Unfortunately, there's no free ride with this setup. Zooms are always slower than primes, but are obviously quicker to work with. There is a certain elegance to working with fixed focal length lenses however. __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

August 2nd, 2004, 05:04 AM	#39
Dan McCain Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 65	I am using the 400 series Mini 35 with the DVX100A camera here is the lens I am talking about. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3830336077&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT