Nikon Lenses & Mini 35 at DVinfo.net

Matt Pope · May 10th, 2003, 01:00 PM

For anyone who has had experience with a mini35 / Nikon combination setup, can you give me any advice on which Nikon lenses to be looking for? Does anyone actually sell "sets" of Nikon primes, or do I just need to look for them individually?

Also, how much should I expect to pay? It seems like the 1.2s - 1.8s are significantly more expensive than the 2.8s from what I can tell, but I'm afraid those would require too much light when combined with the mini35...

Another question - can I substitute brands (Sigma, etc.) as long as they've got a Nikon mount?

And finally... what size mattebox should I be looking at for this setup (4x4?) and what are the different ring-sizes I might need. This may depend on which Nikon lenses I get, but if you've got any hints...

Thanks!

Matt

Jeff Donald · May 10th, 2003, 01:40 PM

Nikon lenses are sold individually, not in sets. Remember, they are made for 35mm still photography and though they can physically fit video and cine equipment, they have different characteristics. If you search this topic you'll find the posts of several people using Nikon lenses with the mini 35.

I would not substitute other brands, optical quality will suffer. If you are looking for shallow depth of field, opt for the lowest F-number you can afford. DOF is directly related to F-number (diameter).

A 3X3 matte box will fit most lenses, large telephotos and some zooms may require a 4X4. Depending on the lenses, the front element may rotate, so you may need a matte box with rails.

Matt Pope · May 10th, 2003, 05:12 PM

I've found a few posts where people have referred to using the Nikons, but haven't seen anything where people have given any specifics as far as which lenses they've used, how they've worked for them, etc, so I'm posting hoping that I can get some specific feedback from the people who do have them (or have used them!)

Jeff Donald · May 10th, 2003, 05:40 PM

Matt, your thread from back in December and Jim Giberti reply is probably as good as it gets. I've read Jim's post on other forums and i would say he's the expert with regard to Nikon lenses on the mini 35. You might try talking to the folks at ZGC and see if they know of any other customers (other than Jim) that are using Nikon lenses.

Matt Pope · May 10th, 2003, 09:32 PM

Thanks. I emailed Jim as well to see if he could give me some more info on the specific lenses he's using. I'll definitely let y'all know if/when I take the plunge.

Jason Chang · October 15th, 2003, 01:40 PM

Has any of you used a Nikon photo lense on the Canon XL1? Does the adaptor (made by xl1solutions) actually produce a 2x focal-length conversion effect?

Mizell Wilson · October 15th, 2003, 02:05 PM

Hello Jason,

This topic has come through many times actually.

The first answer is no, compared to the AoV of a Nikon lens when used on a 35mm frame to the AoV when utilised on a 1/3" CCD there is an approx. 7.2x effective change. This is an immutable law of physics without using optics in the adapter to compensate.

Optex has been making this same adapter since the inception of the XL1 series and has a long history of making quality lens mounts. I would consider that version before others.

The results you will get are fantastic. You do receive an increase in the lines/mm resolution of the XL1s. The lenses are shifted towards the telephoto as far as their AoV is concerned so it is not a good solution for shots where you want to be close to the subject.

mizell

Jim Giberti · January 20th, 2004, 09:17 PM

Hey y'all. Been on the run for quite a while and haven't stopped by. How's it going Mizell?

I remember seeing a post a while ago from Charles P. regarding useing still primes with the P&S...something about their being more of a novelty, and I wanted to post a quick response.

I have nothing but respect for Charles and his experience and work, but I do differ in my opinion in this regard. Of course I'm assuming that he's referring to use in more professional environments and situations like the ones he's used the system.

However, having started with Zeiss primes with a rental system for some commercial work, and then getting the Nikon adapter as well as the PL adapter with my own system, I can say, from an optical standpoint at least, that they are equal in my comparison.

Of course they don't have distance markings, nor do they accomodate a follow focus system. You can get custom follow focus gears made for you primes however.

More to the point, if you are going to own this system, it's crazy, given the negligeble cost of shooting miniDV, not to have lenses avaiable to shoot and grow with the system as much as possible.

The difference between a set of the best Nikons and a equivalent set of say Zeiss SS (Cookes would be that much more prohibitive) is tens of thousands.

To me at least, still primes are what make this system viable, and you can always rent cine primes as bigger budget work allows.

Jim Giberti · January 20th, 2004, 09:24 PM

Oh, I remember why I was posting <g>. I meant to mention that I'm back in town and hoping to edit a short promo piece this week that I shot this Fall using the Nikons.

I'll post a link to it as soon as I finish it. I mention this particular shoot because it was a real "run and gun" situation...a last shot to get the perfect fall colors in the setting sun, moving subjects, about 10 quick scenes in about an hour and a half...all hand held. I think I just grabbed the 50mm and 85mm for all of it.

I haven't seen the footage since I shot it, so hopefully it will be a good example and not prove Charle's point <g>.

Mizell Wilson · January 21st, 2004, 09:48 AM

Happy New Year Jim

Good to hear that things are busy :)

I'm sure we all look forward to seeing the footage. Ahhh, fall in Vermont...to bad it has to become winter.

mizell

Charles Papert · January 22nd, 2004, 02:23 AM

Hi Jim, looking forward to seeing your results also.

I should clarify that I don't see the use of still lenses as being a novelty--I do agree that optically they are more than worthy. It has more to do with the issues presented by obtaining the shallow focus that is so desired by DV filmmakers, in that working with a lens longer than 50mm at a T2 requires really skilled focus pulling, and that becomes even more challenging with a still lens. Certainly having the ability to attach gearing to the lens will help, if you also have a follow focus. But there is also the issue of breathing during focus racks and the question of appropriate zoom lenses from a mechanical standpoint.

When the DVX100 came out, quite a few people posted about the strobing issues with 24p--"how do I keep this from happening?". Now that the attention has turned to shallow focus, I wonder if some of those who have put together a system and set out to shoot their masterpiece find themselves in the edit with a lot of soft footage. I'm a little surprised we haven't seen too many posts along the lines of "how do I keep someone in focus if they are walking towards the camera?"

I think that the application of still lenses will be an interesting one, and there is no question that it is possible to make lovely images with this sort of setup--I'm just suggesting that it is making an already tough task that much tougher. I spent the last few days on a Panavision 24-275mm zoom, mostly shooting closeups on a dolly between 200mm and 275mm at around a T4, and even with a skilled camera assistant we had our share of focus problems. If that same guy had to manage those same shots with a Tamron 28-200 still lens and his hand on the barrel, I think he might have disappeared at lunch...!

Josh Brusin · March 4th, 2004, 11:57 AM

Hey,
any suggestions for odd nikon lenses that might parlay into neato mini35 lens-kit additions? that anamorphic lens see other thread prompted my question... also for primes which fast lenses are recommended other than the faster the better... looking forward to messing around!

Josh

John Jay · March 4th, 2004, 03:43 PM

this is a great Nikkor resource

other links to primes and zooms can be found at the bottom of its page

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography...kor/35mm14.htm

the basic thing according to Guy Genin is to make sure the rear element of the lens you choose is large - see my post on this

the mir site shows lens specs so you can judge the rear element size for yourself

also remember that more aperture blades mean better bokeh

Josh Brusin · March 4th, 2004, 11:00 PM

thanks! that's a great site.

Daniel Limoges · March 9th, 2004, 05:45 PM

Hi !
Somebody tested the mini35 with a Nikon micro-lenses ?
The 55mm f/2.8 Micro Nikkor lens ?
Its for the mini35 !
& also a long focal range like +-135/200mm, but I do not know if that will work well ?

I would like to film very near and by far ?

May 10th, 2003, 01:00 PM	#1
Matt Pope Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: ATL Posts: 83	Which Nikon primes to buy for the mini35 For anyone who has had experience with a mini35 / Nikon combination setup, can you give me any advice on which Nikon lenses to be looking for? Does anyone actually sell "sets" of Nikon primes, or do I just need to look for them individually? Also, how much should I expect to pay? It seems like the 1.2s - 1.8s are significantly more expensive than the 2.8s from what I can tell, but I'm afraid those would require too much light when combined with the mini35... Another question - can I substitute brands (Sigma, etc.) as long as they've got a Nikon mount? And finally... what size mattebox should I be looking at for this setup (4x4?) and what are the different ring-sizes I might need. This may depend on which Nikon lenses I get, but if you've got any hints... Thanks! Matt

May 10th, 2003, 01:40 PM	#2
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	Nikon lenses are sold individually, not in sets. Remember, they are made for 35mm still photography and though they can physically fit video and cine equipment, they have different characteristics. If you search this topic you'll find the posts of several people using Nikon lenses with the mini 35. I would not substitute other brands, optical quality will suffer. If you are looking for shallow depth of field, opt for the lowest F-number you can afford. DOF is directly related to F-number (diameter). A 3X3 matte box will fit most lenses, large telephotos and some zooms may require a 4X4. Depending on the lenses, the front element may rotate, so you may need a matte box with rails. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

May 10th, 2003, 05:40 PM	#4
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	Matt, your thread from back in December and Jim Giberti reply is probably as good as it gets. I've read Jim's post on other forums and i would say he's the expert with regard to Nikon lenses on the mini 35. You might try talking to the folks at ZGC and see if they know of any other customers (other than Jim) that are using Nikon lenses. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

October 15th, 2003, 01:40 PM	#6
Jason Chang Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: San Diego, CA USA Posts: 163	Nikon To XL1 Adaptor Has any of you used a Nikon photo lense on the Canon XL1? Does the adaptor (made by xl1solutions) actually produce a 2x focal-length conversion effect?

October 15th, 2003, 02:05 PM	#7
Mizell Wilson Sales: Reflecmedia Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Linden, NJ Posts: 147	Hello Jason, This topic has come through many times actually. The first answer is no, compared to the AoV of a Nikon lens when used on a 35mm frame to the AoV when utilised on a 1/3" CCD there is an approx. 7.2x effective change. This is an immutable law of physics without using optics in the adapter to compensate. Optex has been making this same adapter since the inception of the XL1 series and has a long history of making quality lens mounts. I would consider that version before others. The results you will get are fantastic. You do receive an increase in the lines/mm resolution of the XL1s. The lenses are shifted towards the telephoto as far as their AoV is concerned so it is not a good solution for shots where you want to be close to the subject. mizell __________________ Posts before Feb 2004 were on behalf of ZGC, afterwards they're all mine!

May 10th, 2003, 05:12 PM	#3
Matt Pope Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: ATL Posts: 83	I've found a few posts where people have referred to using the Nikons, but haven't seen anything where people have given any specifics as far as which lenses they've used, how they've worked for them, etc, so I'm posting hoping that I can get some specific feedback from the people who do have them (or have used them!)

May 10th, 2003, 09:32 PM	#5
Matt Pope Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: ATL Posts: 83	Thanks. I emailed Jim as well to see if he could give me some more info on the specific lenses he's using. I'll definitely let y'all know if/when I take the plunge.

January 20th, 2004, 09:17 PM	#8
Jim Giberti Major Player Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Bethel, VT Posts: 824	Nikon Primes Hey y'all. Been on the run for quite a while and haven't stopped by. How's it going Mizell? I remember seeing a post a while ago from Charles P. regarding useing still primes with the P&S...something about their being more of a novelty, and I wanted to post a quick response. I have nothing but respect for Charles and his experience and work, but I do differ in my opinion in this regard. Of course I'm assuming that he's referring to use in more professional environments and situations like the ones he's used the system. However, having started with Zeiss primes with a rental system for some commercial work, and then getting the Nikon adapter as well as the PL adapter with my own system, I can say, from an optical standpoint at least, that they are equal in my comparison. Of course they don't have distance markings, nor do they accomodate a follow focus system. You can get custom follow focus gears made for you primes however. More to the point, if you are going to own this system, it's crazy, given the negligeble cost of shooting miniDV, not to have lenses avaiable to shoot and grow with the system as much as possible. The difference between a set of the best Nikons and a equivalent set of say Zeiss SS (Cookes would be that much more prohibitive) is tens of thousands. To me at least, still primes are what make this system viable, and you can always rent cine primes as bigger budget work allows.

January 20th, 2004, 09:24 PM	#9
Jim Giberti Major Player Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Bethel, VT Posts: 824	Oh, I remember why I was posting <g>. I meant to mention that I'm back in town and hoping to edit a short promo piece this week that I shot this Fall using the Nikons. I'll post a link to it as soon as I finish it. I mention this particular shoot because it was a real "run and gun" situation...a last shot to get the perfect fall colors in the setting sun, moving subjects, about 10 quick scenes in about an hour and a half...all hand held. I think I just grabbed the 50mm and 85mm for all of it. I haven't seen the footage since I shot it, so hopefully it will be a good example and not prove Charle's point <g>.

January 21st, 2004, 09:48 AM	#10
Mizell Wilson Sales: Reflecmedia Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Linden, NJ Posts: 147	Happy New Year Jim Good to hear that things are busy :) I'm sure we all look forward to seeing the footage. Ahhh, fall in Vermont...to bad it has to become winter. mizell __________________ Posts before Feb 2004 were on behalf of ZGC, afterwards they're all mine!

January 22nd, 2004, 02:23 AM	#11
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Hi Jim, looking forward to seeing your results also. I should clarify that I don't see the use of still lenses as being a novelty--I do agree that optically they are more than worthy. It has more to do with the issues presented by obtaining the shallow focus that is so desired by DV filmmakers, in that working with a lens longer than 50mm at a T2 requires really skilled focus pulling, and that becomes even more challenging with a still lens. Certainly having the ability to attach gearing to the lens will help, if you also have a follow focus. But there is also the issue of breathing during focus racks and the question of appropriate zoom lenses from a mechanical standpoint. When the DVX100 came out, quite a few people posted about the strobing issues with 24p--"how do I keep this from happening?". Now that the attention has turned to shallow focus, I wonder if some of those who have put together a system and set out to shoot their masterpiece find themselves in the edit with a lot of soft footage. I'm a little surprised we haven't seen too many posts along the lines of "how do I keep someone in focus if they are walking towards the camera?" I think that the application of still lenses will be an interesting one, and there is no question that it is possible to make lovely images with this sort of setup--I'm just suggesting that it is making an already tough task that much tougher. I spent the last few days on a Panavision 24-275mm zoom, mostly shooting closeups on a dolly between 200mm and 275mm at around a T4, and even with a skilled camera assistant we had our share of focus problems. If that same guy had to manage those same shots with a Tamron 28-200 still lens and his hand on the barrel, I think he might have disappeared at lunch...! __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

March 4th, 2004, 11:57 AM	#12
Josh Brusin Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 439	Nikon lens ideas? Hey, any suggestions for odd nikon lenses that might parlay into neato mini35 lens-kit additions? that anamorphic lens see other thread prompted my question... also for primes which fast lenses are recommended other than the faster the better... looking forward to messing around! Josh

March 4th, 2004, 03:43 PM	#13
John Jay Major Player Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: US & THEM Posts: 827	this is a great Nikkor resource other links to primes and zooms can be found at the bottom of its page http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography...kor/35mm14.htm the basic thing according to Guy Genin is to make sure the rear element of the lens you choose is large - see my post on this the mir site shows lens specs so you can judge the rear element size for yourself also remember that more aperture blades mean better bokeh __________________ John Jay Beware *PLUGGER-BYTES*

March 4th, 2004, 11:00 PM	#14
Josh Brusin Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 439	thanks! that's a great site.

March 9th, 2004, 05:45 PM	#15
Daniel Limoges Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: quebec canada Posts: 52	The 55mm f/2.8 Micro Nikkor lens are good ? Hi ! Somebody tested the mini35 with a Nikon micro-lenses ? The 55mm f/2.8 Micro Nikkor lens ? Its for the mini35 ! & also a long focal range like +-135/200mm, but I do not know if that will work well ? I would like to film very near and by far ?