Best lenses for 700? at DVinfo.net

Kent Beeson · October 8th, 2012, 03:35 PM

About to rent the FS700 for the first time - I'm used to shooting with the EX1R, and its lens...

If I want to be able to shoot extreme CU, ie, a bee on flower, etc (macro), as well as very wide, landscapes, then have a fish-eye option as well, and good lens for an interview with nice SDOF - what lenses to rent would be best - prefer not to use an adapter if possible...thanks

K

Will Salley · October 8th, 2012, 06:56 PM

Why no adapter? You are limiting your lens choices to a few dozen if you don't use an adapter and there is no f-stop or frame penalty like on a depth-of-field adapter. With just a single Nikon f-mount adapter, you then have hundreds of more choices.

That being said, your comment about a macro lens is correct for the ECU. A fish-eye might get within an inch or so.
14 to 24mm would work for landscapes.
Rockinon have an inexpensive but good 8mm fish-eye, as well as a 35mm/1.5 that will be an excellent interview lens on the wide side. A standard 50mm will work for tighter, or farther away single headshots.

If you really want a totally soft interview BG, use an 85mm with the camera way back (15 feet maybe).

TIP: If you're using non-professional talent on the interview, placing the camera back that far, as well as your interviewer, will force them to speak louder. That could help with background noise but it might help their nerves as well.

Kent Beeson · October 8th, 2012, 07:12 PM

Thanks very much for the helpful info - never used a changeable lens camera before and just thought with an adapter might be problematic re: camera talking to lens..,

but is there a great adapter to rent as well? One that'll work with very sharp lenses, probably canon (but what models)?

K
www.effective-video.com

Will Salley · October 8th, 2012, 08:17 PM

I use a Novoflex adapter, but there are quite a few, both less expensive and costlier.

As far as the lens talking to the camera, I think only the Sony Alpha series mounted on their LA-EA2 adapter is capable of transferring lens metadata. The other adapters are more limited in transferring info but I think a few will transfer AE and AF info. I use them completely manually so I've never had any experience using the "smart" adapters.

The one disadvantage using Canon lenses is they have no aperture ring. It's a servo-controlled iris. That makes it tricky to use an adapter that doesn't have a built-in iris. There is one that does though:

Metabones - Metabones Updates EF to E Mount Smart Adapter

Kent Beeson · October 8th, 2012, 08:37 PM

Thanks again for all the good info

Mark Bolding · October 9th, 2012, 07:00 AM

I use the Metabones with my Canon lenses in manual mode and I get focus and aperture info in the viewfinder while adjusting and good iris control from the iris wheel on the camera body. I'm not sure if the focus info is the lens metadata that Will refers to but it is quite helpful to me.

mb

October 8th, 2012, 03:35 PM	#1
Kent Beeson Major Player Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: West Texas Posts: 266	Best lenses for 700? About to rent the FS700 for the first time - I'm used to shooting with the EX1R, and its lens... If I want to be able to shoot extreme CU, ie, a bee on flower, etc (macro), as well as very wide, landscapes, then have a fish-eye option as well, and good lens for an interview with nice SDOF - what lenses to rent would be best - prefer not to use an adapter if possible...thanks K

October 8th, 2012, 06:56 PM	#2
Will Salley Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Forest Acres, SC Posts: 48	Re: Best lenses for 700? Why no adapter? You are limiting your lens choices to a few dozen if you don't use an adapter and there is no f-stop or frame penalty like on a depth-of-field adapter. With just a single Nikon f-mount adapter, you then have hundreds of more choices. That being said, your comment about a macro lens is correct for the ECU. A fish-eye might get within an inch or so. 14 to 24mm would work for landscapes. Rockinon have an inexpensive but good 8mm fish-eye, as well as a 35mm/1.5 that will be an excellent interview lens on the wide side. A standard 50mm will work for tighter, or farther away single headshots. If you really want a totally soft interview BG, use an 85mm with the camera way back (15 feet maybe). TIP: If you're using non-professional talent on the interview, placing the camera back that far, as well as your interviewer, will force them to speak louder. That could help with background noise but it might help their nerves as well.

October 8th, 2012, 07:12 PM	#3
Kent Beeson Major Player Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: West Texas Posts: 266	Re: Best lenses for 700? Thanks very much for the helpful info - never used a changeable lens camera before and just thought with an adapter might be problematic re: camera talking to lens.., but is there a great adapter to rent as well? One that'll work with very sharp lenses, probably canon (but what models)? K www.effective-video.com

October 8th, 2012, 08:17 PM	#4
Will Salley Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Forest Acres, SC Posts: 48	Re: Best lenses for 700? I use a Novoflex adapter, but there are quite a few, both less expensive and costlier. As far as the lens talking to the camera, I think only the Sony Alpha series mounted on their LA-EA2 adapter is capable of transferring lens metadata. The other adapters are more limited in transferring info but I think a few will transfer AE and AF info. I use them completely manually so I've never had any experience using the "smart" adapters. The one disadvantage using Canon lenses is they have no aperture ring. It's a servo-controlled iris. That makes it tricky to use an adapter that doesn't have a built-in iris. There is one that does though: Metabones - Metabones Updates EF to E Mount Smart Adapter

October 8th, 2012, 08:37 PM	#5
Kent Beeson Major Player Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: West Texas Posts: 266	Re: Best lenses for 700? Thanks again for all the good info

October 9th, 2012, 07:00 AM	#6
Mark Bolding Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Pembroke Pines, Florida Posts: 109	Re: Best lenses for 700? I use the Metabones with my Canon lenses in manual mode and I get focus and aperture info in the viewfinder while adjusting and good iris control from the iris wheel on the camera body. I'm not sure if the focus info is the lens metadata that Will refers to but it is quite helpful to me. mb