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

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.

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!)

Matt, your thread (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5421&highlight=nikon+mini) 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.

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.

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?

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

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.

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>.

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

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...!

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

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/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/35mmnikkor/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

thanks! that's a great site.

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 ?

Everyone talking about Nikons on P+S adapter...
Why are they better than Canon EFs?

I use EFs on my mini and I get great results. The EFs are AF lenses(Automatic Focusi) so there's absolutely no manual control except for focus and zoom...your stuck with the default aperture setting the lens come with. Since the EF lenses are used with the Canon EOS Digital Camera, the aperture setting changes are made in camera. The Nikons, expect for the AFs lenses, are manual thus giving you aperture control on the lens.....I haven't used the Nikons so I couldn't give you a side by side comparo but I've heard that there equal in image quality......Good thing for us EF users the mini has the relay to help with exposure issues.

Thanks Damon!

These days I'm finishing my homemade optical adapter on XL1S and I used old Praktica/pentacon (screwmount) lenses. I didn't expected nothing special, but it turned that footage was REALLY GOOD! Whats your experience, wich lenses are best for groundglass optical adapters?
I'm also buying p+s, PLs are out of my budget, so whats the best solution?

Hi
(I've briefly done a search for this but could't see anything relevant)
Is there a qualitative difference between using a fixed focus Nikon lens with the Mini35 compared to a zoom lens Nikon? I notice that most folks here seem to stock up on a range of focal length lenses instead of using a zoom that would cover all the focal lengths. Also, is there a recommended minimum lens F number for lenses used with the Mini35?

I think Neil Young said it best:
" 'Prime lenses are better' bumper stickers should be issued"

I can't tell if John Benton is joking, but I'll bite.

I just took delivery of a RedRock M2 with a Nikon F mount and have quite a few Nikon lenses in my collection. I don't really see the shipped assembly being adequate for mounting anything the size of a Nikon 70-200mm VR zoom, let alone a 200mm f2 , 300mm f/2.8 or 400mm f/2.8 prime.

I think the short answer to your question is that many people are buying old but "fast" primes due to their value at a low price point. The adage is that f/1.4 or f/2 primes are sharper at f/2.8 than an f/2.8 zoom would be. I would totally agree. My 28mm, 50mm or 85mm f/1.4 are MUCH sharper at f/2.8 than my 28-70mm or 70-200mm. At the tele end, my 200mm f/2 is WAY sharper than the 70-200mm. If you plan to use a teleconverter and stop down for additional sharpness, you're really losing out on wider apertures with a zoom. Also, if you bought the 35mm adapter for a narrow DOF, you should be using a lens that can deliver narrow DOF.

Of Nikon's f/2.8 zooms, the 17-55mm DX is the sharper than the 28-70mm wide open, but the DX is designed for a smaller image circle.

Check out the Nikon SLR forum at dpreview.com, or nikonians.org.

Gints, thanks very much for the detailed info, sounds like I need to consider a fixed focal length solution.

Greg,

I would definitly reccomend picking up your Nikon lenses via ebay or the used section on Bhphoto.com can have some. Breating is always said to be an issue with these still photo lenses, but I have never had a big problem with any of the super speed Nikon primes.

-David Frank

Gints, thanks very much for the detailed info, sounds like I need to consider a fixed focal length solution.

You're on your way. Though, I have to say that the very fast Nikon lenses aren't particularly cheap, with a 28mm f/1.4 around $2000 , the 85mm f/1.4 around $900 , the 105mm f/2 DC ~$1000, the 135mm f/2 DC ~ $1000 . The less expensive options are the 50mm f/1.8 ~$100, 50mm f/1.4 ~$200, 35mm f/2 ~$300, 85mm f/1.8 $300 . If you're willing to go for f/2.8 primes that aren't particularly sharp wide open, then you can save some serious dough unless you are going for lenses 300mm or longer.

Why not use a zoom lens with the Mini35? I was thinking of getting one for obvious reasons that I can't get with prime, such as zooming and push and pull shots.

Why not use a zoom lens with the Mini35?
Zoom lenses aren't very fast... and those that are fast are expensive and heavy.

So true. My Nikkor 17-35 2.8 ED lens cost close to $2000 and weighs a ton. I've never seen a sharper lens though, not even in a fixed length. Many people share my observations about this particular lens. Otherwise, I would get a set of primes for this application, especially in the longer focal lengths.

So true. My Nikkor 17-35 2.8 ED lens cost close to $2000 and weighs a ton. I've never seen a sharper lens though, not even in a fixed length. Many people share my observations about this particular lens. Otherwise, I would get a set of primes for this application, especially in the longer focal lengths.

Any other suggestions? I am trying to getg a zoom that can range more range, such as 24-85 etc. I am doing soe push and pull shots and I want as much range and flexibility and also not lose too muchb light, especially sinc eI am alreayd losing 2 stops with thie Mini35.

For people who are interested I made a page with some info on Nikon Lenses and the Mini 35 - just a few lens tests and some basic info for the newbies on how the whole thing works. I may cross post it.

Hope it's helpful:

http://www.pixelmill.com.au/Mini35

Thanks a lot, great info, you've put together some nice lenses, have you shot them wide open? Regareds, Oleg

Sorry - a while to get back there.

Yes - a lot of shooting wide open - they are *very* shallow - but it works great.

there are a few sample shots on www.pixelmill.com.au in the news / news archive.

I also like the SIGMA 24-70mm EX zoom - f2.8 constant - not too much breathing - and sharp! i got mine for AUD$500 *NEW* from Hong Kong on eBay.

I look at the RED lens - everyone is really excited - but Sigma have a good 2.8 constant zoom for 400US!

Anyway - everyone can do a longwinded tech analysis - but it is better [IMO] than the zoom an a Z1.....