Recommended Sony Lenses for the FS5 at DVinfo.net

Kevin Langdon · September 11th, 2016, 09:19 AM

I currently have the kit lens that came with the FS5 which I use for general gvs and a Zeiss 55mm 1.8 prime for interviews.

As I also have a Sony A7s with the 28-70mm kit lens, it makes sense for me to keep with Sony lenses as I can interchange them between the two cameras and I don't have to buy additional adapters, etc.

With this in mind, I'm looking to buy another prime which is a bit wider than the 55mm which is a great lens, but also has to take into account the 1.5 crop factor on the FS5.

I'm toying between:

SEL3518 with OSS
SEL20F28
SEL35F28Z
SEL28F20

Anyone have experience of any of these lenses for video, as the online reviews I've seen are mainly from photographers.

Sony's website says the SEL3518 is fully compatible with the FS5, though I'm not entirely sure what this means compared to other E mount lenses. The OSS would also be a bonus for any handheld work, so this could be the one to consider?

Nigel Davey · September 11th, 2016, 10:53 AM

I picked up the SEL35F18 a few months back. This was the first piece of test footage I took with it using 200fps but no grading:

Nigel Davey · September 11th, 2016, 10:58 AM

If you do a lot of outdoor run-n-gun and want to stay in the Sony camp, the SELP18200 PZ is worth a look. For outdoor stuff I use it more than anything else since it is so versatile across that range.

Kevin Langdon · September 11th, 2016, 12:14 PM

I'm not really looking for a zoom. How do you find the 35mm with OSS on a day to day basis - is it wide enough for Gvs and good enough for interviews?

Nigel Davey · September 11th, 2016, 01:15 PM

Personally I really like the Sony 35mm. For my style of shooting it's great.

I think it's about right as a prime for GV's. 50mm is too close and much less than 30mm is too wide if you are trying to isolate something.

The OSS is ok, but 35mm on a 1.5 crop still puts you fairly close, so some of it will be down to how steady you are handheld. My problem is I came to the FS5 from a Canon XF300, where the overall steadishot feature is better than Sony's in lens version. So it kind of depends what you are used to as to whether you'll think the OSS in good on this lens. You'll definitely see the difference if you turn it off though.

I think it's a good lens for interviews. Going down to f2 or f2.8 gives you a reasonably nice shallow DOF even if the background 1-2 metres away. Also the bokeh seems good to me. Finally f1.8 is nice for those emergency low light scenarios/interviews.

Kevin Langdon · September 11th, 2016, 02:21 PM

Thanks for the info.

September 11th, 2016, 09:19 AM	#1
Kevin Langdon Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Somerset, England Posts: 120	Recommended Sony Lenses for the FS5 I currently have the kit lens that came with the FS5 which I use for general gvs and a Zeiss 55mm 1.8 prime for interviews. As I also have a Sony A7s with the 28-70mm kit lens, it makes sense for me to keep with Sony lenses as I can interchange them between the two cameras and I don't have to buy additional adapters, etc. With this in mind, I'm looking to buy another prime which is a bit wider than the 55mm which is a great lens, but also has to take into account the 1.5 crop factor on the FS5. I'm toying between: SEL3518 with OSS SEL20F28 SEL35F28Z SEL28F20 Anyone have experience of any of these lenses for video, as the online reviews I've seen are mainly from photographers. Sony's website says the SEL3518 is fully compatible with the FS5, though I'm not entirely sure what this means compared to other E mount lenses. The OSS would also be a bonus for any handheld work, so this could be the one to consider?

September 11th, 2016, 10:53 AM	#2
Nigel Davey Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: London Posts: 241	Re: Recommended Sony Lenses for the FS5 I picked up the SEL35F18 a few months back. This was the first piece of test footage I took with it using 200fps but no grading: Slomo 35mm f1.8 test on Vimeo __________________ www.ndavey.co.uk

September 11th, 2016, 10:58 AM	#3
Nigel Davey Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: London Posts: 241	Re: Recommended Sony Lenses for the FS5 If you do a lot of outdoor run-n-gun and want to stay in the Sony camp, the SELP18200 PZ is worth a look. For outdoor stuff I use it more than anything else since it is so versatile across that range. __________________ www.ndavey.co.uk

September 11th, 2016, 12:14 PM	#4
Kevin Langdon Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Somerset, England Posts: 120	Re: Recommended Sony Lenses for the FS5 I'm not really looking for a zoom. How do you find the 35mm with OSS on a day to day basis - is it wide enough for Gvs and good enough for interviews?

September 11th, 2016, 01:15 PM	#5
Nigel Davey Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: London Posts: 241	Re: Recommended Sony Lenses for the FS5 Personally I really like the Sony 35mm. For my style of shooting it's great. I think it's about right as a prime for GV's. 50mm is too close and much less than 30mm is too wide if you are trying to isolate something. The OSS is ok, but 35mm on a 1.5 crop still puts you fairly close, so some of it will be down to how steady you are handheld. My problem is I came to the FS5 from a Canon XF300, where the overall steadishot feature is better than Sony's in lens version. So it kind of depends what you are used to as to whether you'll think the OSS in good on this lens. You'll definitely see the difference if you turn it off though. I think it's a good lens for interviews. Going down to f2 or f2.8 gives you a reasonably nice shallow DOF even if the background 1-2 metres away. Also the bokeh seems good to me. Finally f1.8 is nice for those emergency low light scenarios/interviews. __________________ www.ndavey.co.uk

September 11th, 2016, 02:21 PM	#6
Kevin Langdon Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Somerset, England Posts: 120	Re: Recommended Sony Lenses for the FS5 Thanks for the info.