Which lens for the vg-20?

Jos Svendsen · September 27th, 2011, 10:41 AM

@gabe

Nice video and nice music - unfortunately I can not identify it. Can you help?

And just to be on topic. A standard 28-300 mm in full frame terms is indeed a very nice thing to have as a cover-the-lot optic. Useful, but slow. I like my Panasonic 14-140, as it ensures that I do not get caught with the wrong lens for a job. It stays in my bag no matter what.

I sort of wonder if a lens of that type with a T2.8 or a T3.5 aperture would be extremely expensive. On the other hand the amount of other lenses you would need would be limited for a lot of people.

Cheers

Gabe Strong · September 27th, 2011, 12:49 PM

Jeff,

Yeah, I didn't hold my breath, but I was trying to move slow, and
avoiding any 'jiggling' moves. Obviously, the better/smoother
you can move, the better it will work. I didn't really succeed,
but the OIS smoothed out my mess ups quite a bit. It can make
handheld stuff look pretty decent.

Jos,

Stock 20 is a royalty free music provider. They sell stuff by the song
which is nice when you have a specific project....you can demo the music
and then just add in the price of the music for your client (usually
about $20 a song or less.) Quite often they have sales, where they
will sell entire volumes of music (like 5 DVD's worth......over 1000
songs) for $70-$100. I bought one of those volumes, and just
started listening to music until I found something that seemed to
work. I think the track was called 'Perfect moment'.....it may
have been one of the alternates. Each track comes with like 10
versions, a full length cut (around 3-5 minutes) a 1 minute version
a :30 version, a :15 version, and a :10 version as well as 1-3
alternate full versions, where it is close to the same, but a couple
instruments are removed, or added, or there may be vocal elements
or something else.

As for lenses, I doubt you are going to see any still lenses with that
range (18-200), that are fast, say F2.8. You can find cinema lenses
like that, but you are talking over 50 grand for the lens easy. So having
a lens with that kind of range is useful, then you fill in around it
with other lenses, in my opinion. But for all it's shortcomings, it still
can produce very nice images, it's not like the lens is a 'dog' or
anything. Which I guess makes sense as it is kind of a hybrid 'still'
lens and still lenses have to worry about MUCH higher resolution than
HD video.

Jeff Hinson · September 28th, 2011, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John McCully

...and with the NEX 5n and the NEX 7 perhaps, do you think Gabe? Not apples to apples but the same codec and bit rate, I believe. (Pardon me if I veered off-topic slightly but it surely is an interesting unfolding)

Great video, Most enjoyable. Well done. Much more than a camera and lens choice...

__________________________________________________________________________________

John...........and others,
Regarding your mention of the NEX 5...
Id like to have a DSLR cam, but cant afford anything near a 5dmkii or equiv. The nex5 is in my price range. I see you have one. Will you tell me what you think of the Nex5, as to video capture, and would it match up with VG 20 video? I know I could use the e series lenses with it.
Since I have a XH-A1, soon a VG-20, do you feel the Nex 5 would be a good addition for high rez stills and video clips?

Thanks,
Jeff

Gabe Strong · September 28th, 2011, 11:07 AM

Jeff,

You should take a look at Mike Kobal's blog post here:

Sony Nex 5n compared vs. Sony Nex FS100: ungraded/graded clips 1080/60i Mike Kobal

To me, it looks like the NEX-5N would be great for exactly what you
are looking for. Furthermore, anyone who owns a FS 100, or a VG 10,
or is planning on purchasing a VG 20, you will have the benefits
of being able to share lenses.

Jeff Hinson · September 28th, 2011, 11:30 AM

GABE...thanks so much.

Amazing how good the 5n performs! ...and at $600 would be a great addition for video B and still use.
I love the way he had it mounted on the shoe mount of the 100..ha

Who would have thought that so small a cam could produce that quality.

You've been a great help to me. Keep the advice coming. :?)

Jeff

John McCully · September 28th, 2011, 02:04 PM

Oh, no, sorry, I don’t have one. My comment about ‘great video’ was in reference to the vid posted by Gabe. But I certainly am looking very closely at that camera, along with the NEX 7 and the VG 20. I have the Sony HX100v and the Sony CX100v and the video quality continues to astound me. Footage shot at 60p works well on the time line with footage shot with my EX1. As Steve Mullen suggested quality of the footage shot with the new Sony cameras is all good so it’s down to ergonomics and functionality, and if you want DoF, as I now do, then a larger sensor seems to be required. I would pick up a NEX 5n in a flash were it not for the imminent arrival of the NEX 7 which is one step up again and includes a mic input. Yes, more money but the mic input is handy and the photographic capabilities are said to be right up there with the best DSLR’s, more or less, so that camera has my attention.

I’m not in a hurry and so I’ll wait and see how things unfold with the NEX 7 and the VG 20 but if the budget was really tight and I needed a cam today I would grab a NEX 5n, for sure. Everything we hear about the NEX 5n (other than the clicking thing which no doubt Sony will fix) is positive and video quality nothing short of remarkable. If you search at Vimeo you will find footage shot with the NEX 5n which should be helpful however a lot of it suffers from macro-blocking due, I imagine, to the very low bit rate used.

Jeff Hinson · September 28th, 2011, 04:25 PM

John,
Sorry I misunderstood you...but no matter..you sent me down the right path I believe. I think the nex5 will be a great poor boys dslr. I like the idea of being able to swap the e series lenses between the vg20 and nex5. Im impressed with the nex5 video Ive seen so far, and hopefully the VG20 will be as good or better.

Since I always record audio on a separate recorder, Im not worried about the audio problems on the nex5.
I want to shoot mainly music videos, short films, and docs. The nex5 clips Ive seen look great and adequate for my needs. I still have my XHA1, which has good audio for run and gun shoots.

Thanks for your input, please keep it coming.

Jeff

Gabe Strong · September 29th, 2011, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Hinson

GABE...thanks so much.

Amazing how good the 5n performs! ...and at $600 would be a great addition for video B and still use.
I love the way he had it mounted on the shoe mount of the 100..ha

Who would have thought that so small a cam could produce that quality.

You've been a great help to me. Keep the advice coming. :?)

Jeff

I don't have a 5N myself, so I am going off what I have seen from it.
And it looks pretty good, especially when you consider the price.
That's the crazy part, it cost about 1/10th of what I paid for my
FS100. Talk about a good price/performance ratio :-)
I think your idea of a VG20 and a 5N is something that will work
great for you. And sharing lenses is always good, buy one lens
and be able to use it with either camera! I have to say, I was
a little skeptical of the whole 'E-mount' system, but it seems that
Sony is going to actually develop it, and not just abandon it.

September 27th, 2011, 10:41 AM	#16
Jos Svendsen Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Posts: 221	Re: Which lens for the vg-20? @gabe Nice video and nice music - unfortunately I can not identify it. Can you help? And just to be on topic. A standard 28-300 mm in full frame terms is indeed a very nice thing to have as a cover-the-lot optic. Useful, but slow. I like my Panasonic 14-140, as it ensures that I do not get caught with the wrong lens for a job. It stays in my bag no matter what. I sort of wonder if a lens of that type with a T2.8 or a T3.5 aperture would be extremely expensive. On the other hand the amount of other lenses you would need would be limited for a lot of people. Cheers __________________ ---------------------------- 12c41 JOS. Svendsen

September 27th, 2011, 12:49 PM	#17
Gabe Strong Major Player Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Juneau, AK Posts: 814	Re: Which lens for the vg-20? Jeff, Yeah, I didn't hold my breath, but I was trying to move slow, and avoiding any 'jiggling' moves. Obviously, the better/smoother you can move, the better it will work. I didn't really succeed, but the OIS smoothed out my mess ups quite a bit. It can make handheld stuff look pretty decent. Jos, Stock 20 is a royalty free music provider. They sell stuff by the song which is nice when you have a specific project....you can demo the music and then just add in the price of the music for your client (usually about $20 a song or less.) Quite often they have sales, where they will sell entire volumes of music (like 5 DVD's worth......over 1000 songs) for $70-$100. I bought one of those volumes, and just started listening to music until I found something that seemed to work. I think the track was called 'Perfect moment'.....it may have been one of the alternates. Each track comes with like 10 versions, a full length cut (around 3-5 minutes) a 1 minute version a :30 version, a :15 version, and a :10 version as well as 1-3 alternate full versions, where it is close to the same, but a couple instruments are removed, or added, or there may be vocal elements or something else. As for lenses, I doubt you are going to see any still lenses with that range (18-200), that are fast, say F2.8. You can find cinema lenses like that, but you are talking over 50 grand for the lens easy. So having a lens with that kind of range is useful, then you fill in around it with other lenses, in my opinion. But for all it's shortcomings, it still can produce very nice images, it's not like the lens is a 'dog' or anything. Which I guess makes sense as it is kind of a hybrid 'still' lens and still lenses have to worry about MUCH higher resolution than HD video.

September 28th, 2011, 11:07 AM	#19
Gabe Strong Major Player Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Juneau, AK Posts: 814	Re: Which lens for the vg-20? Jeff, You should take a look at Mike Kobal's blog post here: Sony Nex 5n compared vs. Sony Nex FS100: ungraded/graded clips 1080/60i Mike Kobal To me, it looks like the NEX-5N would be great for exactly what you are looking for. Furthermore, anyone who owns a FS 100, or a VG 10, or is planning on purchasing a VG 20, you will have the benefits of being able to share lenses.

September 28th, 2011, 11:30 AM	#20
Jeff Hinson Major Player Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Down South, IN Posts: 422	Re: Which lens for the vg-20? GABE...thanks so much. Amazing how good the 5n performs! ...and at $600 would be a great addition for video B and still use. I love the way he had it mounted on the shoe mount of the 100..ha Who would have thought that so small a cam could produce that quality. You've been a great help to me. Keep the advice coming. :?) Jeff

September 28th, 2011, 02:04 PM	#21
John McCully Major Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: South Island, New Zealand Posts: 609 Images: 2	Re: Which lens for the vg-20? Oh, no, sorry, I don’t have one. My comment about ‘great video’ was in reference to the vid posted by Gabe. But I certainly am looking very closely at that camera, along with the NEX 7 and the VG 20. I have the Sony HX100v and the Sony CX100v and the video quality continues to astound me. Footage shot at 60p works well on the time line with footage shot with my EX1. As Steve Mullen suggested quality of the footage shot with the new Sony cameras is all good so it’s down to ergonomics and functionality, and if you want DoF, as I now do, then a larger sensor seems to be required. I would pick up a NEX 5n in a flash were it not for the imminent arrival of the NEX 7 which is one step up again and includes a mic input. Yes, more money but the mic input is handy and the photographic capabilities are said to be right up there with the best DSLR’s, more or less, so that camera has my attention. I’m not in a hurry and so I’ll wait and see how things unfold with the NEX 7 and the VG 20 but if the budget was really tight and I needed a cam today I would grab a NEX 5n, for sure. Everything we hear about the NEX 5n (other than the clicking thing which no doubt Sony will fix) is positive and video quality nothing short of remarkable. If you search at Vimeo you will find footage shot with the NEX 5n which should be helpful however a lot of it suffers from macro-blocking due, I imagine, to the very low bit rate used.

September 28th, 2011, 04:25 PM	#22
Jeff Hinson Major Player Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Down South, IN Posts: 422	Re: Which lens for the vg-20? John, Sorry I misunderstood you...but no matter..you sent me down the right path I believe. I think the nex5 will be a great poor boys dslr. I like the idea of being able to swap the e series lenses between the vg20 and nex5. Im impressed with the nex5 video Ive seen so far, and hopefully the VG20 will be as good or better. Since I always record audio on a separate recorder, Im not worried about the audio problems on the nex5. I want to shoot mainly music videos, short films, and docs. The nex5 clips Ive seen look great and adequate for my needs. I still have my XHA1, which has good audio for run and gun shoots. Thanks for your input, please keep it coming. Jeff