Using Nikon Lenses for 5Dii - please help

[Silas Barker]

Hello everyone, I am the proud owner of a 5D markii camera, using it to shoot video.

Unfortunately I know almost nothing about the different types of lenses and brands and how to get good ones at the best price and know what to get. I have the 24-105mm kit lens.


I already know I want a 50mm 1.4 and a 70-300mm ~f4 lens.

I am told that I can buy some used nikons and get an adaptor for less then buying these new from canon.
What exact models do i look for and where should i buy them? Ebay, Amazon? etc
Thanks in advance!




Here is a question too:

Would this adaptor:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...N.html#reviews

Work with this lens on the 5D:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...m.html#reviews

[Nigel Barker]

Most people using Nikon lenses on the 5DII buy a cheap adaptor from Ebay along with used old Nikon manual lenses. If you are buying new then buy Canon EF.

[Silas Barker]

Also is the
Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III lens with 5d camera
ok for video for the 5d?

or is it terrible compared to the 70-300mm?

The price is quite a bit different and no IS

[Olof Ekbergh]

Now that the 5DmkII can be manually controlled, there is no reason to buy Nikon glass.

There are many Canon, Tamron and Sigma etc. lenses available, new and used. Check B&H and other reputable dealers.

If you already have Nikon glass then the adapters work well.

I use the Canon 50mm f1.4 and it is fine for low light etc. A very sharp and light lens.

I like the better L lenses, both because they are faster and they have much nicer Boketh (out of focus) qualities. The build quality, flair and contrast etc. etc. is also superior in the L's.

Personally I use the L 17-40 f4, L 24-70 f2.8, L 70-200 f2.8 IS, and the L 100-400 f 4-5.6 IS. I also have the 50 I mentioned and the 100mm f2.8 Canon Macro. The L 24-105 f4 is also a great general purpose lens, I use when traveling light. The other great thing about most of the L's is they all have 77mm filter threads, so you don't need to duplicate filters.

I think the 75-300 would be OK, and it can be purchased very inexpensively $100.00 or so. But as with anything you basically get what you pay for. A $100.00 lens can't compare with a $1,500.00 lens, but if it does what you need it to do great.

Expensive Canon lenses keep their value, you may very well be able to sell them for more than new price in a few years.

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Olof Ekbergh

Now that the 5DmkII can be manually controlled, there is no reason to buy Nikon glass.

I'm sorry, I just cannot agree with this at all.

Nikon SLR glass in the 70s and 80s was king for a reason. A lot of it is EXCELLENT glass. While it is true that a lot of newer Canon glass is excellent optically, if you intend to use this camera with a focus puller, the VERY short throw of the AF lenses is a huge detriment.

Additionally, many people seem to want the new sharp and contrast optics. Frankly, with the problems these cameras have, I am much more interested in the slightly softer, warmer glass from the vintage lenses. I bought an early 70s 300mm prime that is absolutely GORGEOUS on my T2i. And I will be buying a series of fast primes over the rest of the year. I'll probably pick up some nice Canon zoom lenses too, but that won't be for narrative work.

None of this is to say that you NEED to buy Nikon glass, but to assert there is no reason or place for it is a mistake in my opinion.

[Peer Landa]

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

While it is true that a lot of newer Canon glass is excellent optically, if you intend to use this camera with a focus puller, the VERY short throw of the AF lenses is a huge detriment.

In addition to lacking focus ring-stops, this is also the problem I'm having with Canon AF's. But on the other hand the Nikkor glass have a backwards focus pull -- can't stand it! (as I said in a different post, to work a follow focus on a Nikkor is like suddenly being forced to drive on the left side of the road).

-- peer

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Peer Landa

In addition to lacking focus ring-stops, this is also the problem I'm having with Canon AF's. But on the other hand the Nikkor glass have a backwards focus pull -- can't stand it! (as I said in a different post, to work a follow focus on a Nikkor is like suddenly being forced to drive on the left side of the road).

-- peer

LOL!!! Some of the follow focus units are reversible. But yes, it can be unsettling. Our current production is using a mix of Canon and Nikon glass so I know the 1st AC is having a devil of a time!

[Paul Cook]

Id be interested to know what old lenses have a longer throw for pulling focus - Id just assumed to get this you would have to step up to cine lenses. So instead of mortgaging your house and buying a zeiss kit with EF mounts - just look for older model Nikon glass?

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Paul Cook

Id be interested to know what old lenses have a longer throw for pulling focus - Id just assumed to get this you would have to step up to cine lenses. So instead of mortgaging your house and buying a zeiss kit with EF mounts - just look for older model Nikon glass?

Well, for instance... my T2i kit lens (18-55mm) has a focus throw of about 70 degrees to go from full close to full wide. My Nikkor H 300mm prime is about 170 degrees to go from 13ft to infinity. That piece of glass is from about 1972 or thereabouts. Autofocus would take a week trying to move that far. In fact, it's 70 degree throw is 13ft to about 35ft.

[Edit]

For grins, I mounted the Nikkor onto my T2i, and took a shot. Then I mounted a more modern Sigma zoom (both say they are 300mm glass but....) and took a similar photo. The difference is striking. But exactly what I'd expect, and exactly what I wanted.

[Peer Landa]

Originally Posted by Paul Cook

Id be interested to know what old lenses have a longer throw for pulling focus - Id just assumed to get this you would have to step up to cine lenses. So instead of mortgaging your house and buying a zeiss kit with EF mounts - just look for older model Nikon glass?

My old classic Carl Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 has a very long & smooth throw (that isn't backwards either), and its DOF & bouquet is just beautiful. Other fast and long-throwing lenses worth looking into are the f/1.1 Voigtlanders.

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

For grins, I mounted the Nikkor onto my T2i, and took a shot. Then I mounted a more modern Sigma zoom (both say they are 300mm glass but....) and took a similar photo. The difference is striking. But exactly what I'd expect, and exactly what I wanted.

Yea, your Canon DOF is definitely shallower, and it also seems like there's a focal length difference (unless you were standing on different spots while shooting). Would be nice if there were some colors in there, to see the bouquet differences.

-- peer

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Peer Landa

Yea, your Canon DOF is definitely shallower, and it also seems like there's a focal length difference (unless you were standing on different spots while shooting). Would be nice if there were some colors in there, to see the bouquet differences.

-- peer

There is a focal length difference. The tripod never moved. So either the Nikon is longer than 300mm or the Canon is shorter. There is some halatation in the single coated Nikon but that's expected and desired. If I wanted razor sharp glass I'd be buying new L lenses or ED glass.

As for colors, see the attached images. These are from the same porch, slightly different subject. Believe it or not, the saturation in this image was not TOUCHED. I corrected the luma range, added a slight curve, adjusted the white balance a bit cooler, and there we were... And that is the Nikon by the way.

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Olof Ekbergh

Now that the 5DmkII can be manually controlled, there is no reason to buy Nikon glass.

Except that you can buy old but very good Nikon lenses at low prices so if you are on a tight budget you can assemble a collection of good Nikon primes for the price of one Canon L lens.

[Peer Landa]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

Except that you can buy old but very good Nikon lenses at low prices so if you are on a tight budget you can assemble a collection of good Nikon primes for the price of one Canon L lens.

Well, if you are looking for Nikkor glass, I might have some for you.

-- peer

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Peer Landa

Well, if you are looking for Nikkor glass, I might have some for you.

-- peer

I already have my own collection that I was just about to put on eBay. When I first got the 5DII I needed manual lenses to defeat the auto-aperture & also wasn't sure which lenses would really suit my shooting style & subject matter. I therefore took the opportunity to buy a variety of cheap but good Nikkor lenses to play with. I now never use them as I get manual control with the new firmware & prefer the EF lenses for auto-focus & have mostly replaced all the Nikkors with a Canon equivalent. One exception where I don't yet have an EF replacement is a really lovely 180mm F2.8 ED which is a super lens but I don't carry it in my bag any more & so rarely use it.

[Olof Ekbergh]

When I first got my mkII I got a Nikon 50 f1.4, very nice lens, with an adapter from B&H, that adapter worked very well.

I got adapters to use some old Canons as well, those adapters have optics in them and really soften the image.

I tried the partial unscrew lens to keep the setting. All these adapters and methods worked, but they were a PITA.

I shoot a lot of stills as well as video, I have a 7D as well and a few older Canons. So I really like to use the auto focus and aperture/shutter priority modes. I often use the auto focus to set up the shot in still mode using the viewfinder, and then switch to video mode. Something I never do with my video cams. Mostly because the monitoring pretty much sucks on these DSLR's. This way I can nail focus very quickly.

For follow focus I simply use the same method I use on my EXcams. A zip-tie around the focus ring, with the end sticking out anywhere from 1/2" to 3", this works very well, focusing myself or have an assistant pull focus. And it costs about 10 cents.

So for me it makes the most sense to use Canon specific lenses. That is not to say that anyone is wrong in using Nikon glass, for whatever reason this works for you, economic or esthetic.

There are even adapters for using real cine primes on the 7D, AbelCineTech sells those. I would love to have one of those, and a few of those lenses. But I personally can't justify it until Canon improves the codec or enables full quality HDMI or HD-SDI out, so you can record to a NanoFlash or AJA.