# Which lenses to buy for filming



## Salah Yousef (Aug 14, 2013)

Hey everyone. This is my second thread in this amazing forum. I am a newbie to the world of films and I just bought me a Canon 600D/T3i camera which came with 18-55mm lens which are pretty blind for filming. I asked people around here and they suggested to buy Tiffen 77mm Variable ND-Filter http://www.amazon.com/Tiffen-77VND-VARIABLE-FILTER-Camera/dp/B004Z55VP0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1376463889&sr=1-1&keywords=Tiffen+77mm+Variable+ND-Filter is this it ?

Plus, what lenses do you guys recommend me to buy. My budget for the lenses is 100-150 USD. I will also buy an external microphone.

EDIT: My budget is 350 USD.


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## BrandonKing96 (Aug 14, 2013)

The only reason you'd buy a 77mm Variable ND-Filter is if you have a lens which has a 77mm filter thread, and the 18-55 does not have that (the 18-55 has a 58mm filter thread). 
For filming on such a small budget (microphone not included in the budget), I'd suggest getting a 40mm f/2.8 lens (meaning it does not zoom). If you want a mix of 2 focal lengths, I might suggest that you buy an FD mount to EF mount, and try using the 50mm f/1.8 FD and 28 f/2.8 FD (the crop factor of the camera and adapter would increase the focal length though. Bare in mind that these lenses are only manual focus.
However, if you wanted something that is cheap for a 100% new and 100% sharp lens- the 40mm f/2.8 is your best bet. 
It's hard to really improve upon the 18-55 with such a small budget. And check the filter thread of the lenses to see which sized filter you should buy.


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## Salah Yousef (Aug 14, 2013)

I edited my budget. I meant 150 KWD which is about 350 USD. Thank's for your reply.


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## sandymandy (Aug 14, 2013)

http://www.samyang-lens.co.uk/samyang-lenses.html

Scroll to the bottom. Fixed aperture thought, but the 35mm 1.5 is really nice. And i dont think u can find any other lenses made for videos in the Samyang price range. Otherwise the photography lenses sure work too from Samyang and are a bit cheaper. Cinema 35mm 1.5 is like 550$ and photography 35mm 1.4 is about 430. A bit over your budget but its really cheap for what u get in quality.

Also in making movies u rarely zoom or pan the scene. It requires some experience to make these actions look good and not amateurish.

Cheapest way for a good lens is get the EF 50mm 1.8II. Its about 100$. But on ur APS-C camera its a bit close...not so versatile. Next option would be EF 35mm f2.0 about 250$. its kinda like 50mm on FF sensor and somewhat like the normal field of view we humans have.

And if u really need wide angle sometimes, just use the 18mm of your kit lens.

The last reaaalllyy cheap way is to get an m42 Adapter on ebay and a lens (or more lenses) with m42 mount.
They work like normal on ur DSLR only problem is there is no autofocus. But in filming u dont use autofocus anyway and always manual focus  So there really is not disavantage. Ok..apertures are mostly 1.8 - 2.8 and not wider.

Lenses just cost like ~50 bucks often. Not too rare there are way cheaper lenses. Good brands are Yashica, Takumar, vivitar, zeiss etc. 

FD lenses work too but then u can just get an adapter. u need to really modify the lens mount with screws n stuff til u can use it.

m42---- add adapter = ready for shooting ^^ adpater like..10$. make sure u get one made of metal. with chip not needed unless u also wanna manual focus using the optical viewfinder sometimes.


For example with flektogon 35mm 2.4 and 600D:

Zeiss Flektogon 35mm 2.4

I got the 35mm flektogon 2.8 and two other lenses for 100$ from some guy in my town  But the flektogon is usually more expensive than other lenses cuz its just....a Zeiss lens.


But the ability to macro with it is really cool too  as u can see in the video. 
After all i think u dont need super modern ultra sharp lenses since 1080 HD is not even 3 megapixels. And even old lenses sure can perform that resolution well  You will never reach the point even closely where ur sensor outperforms the lens in DSLR filming


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## verysimplejason (Aug 14, 2013)

BrandonKing96 said:


> The only reason you'd buy a 77mm Variable ND-Filter is if you have a lens which has a 77mm filter thread, and the 18-55 does not have that (the 18-55 has a 58mm filter thread).
> For filming on such a small budget (microphone not included in the budget), I'd suggest getting a 40mm f/2.8 lens (meaning it does not zoom). If you want a mix of 2 focal lengths, I might suggest that you buy an FD mount to EF mount, and try using the 50mm f/1.8 FD and 28 f/2.8 FD (the crop factor of the camera and adapter would increase the focal length though. Bare in mind that these lenses are only manual focus.
> However, if you wanted something that is cheap for a 100% new and 100% sharp lens- the 40mm f/2.8 is your best bet.
> It's hard to really improve upon the 18-55 with such a small budget. And check the filter thread of the lenses to see which sized filter you should buy.



You can put a step ring to your 77mm filter. One reason you'll buy a large filter even if you're using a lens with small filter is so that you'll never have to change filter even you get a lens with larger filter.

For the OP, +1 to some Samyang lens (full manual) if you're on budget. They're something like this:

http://shashinki.com/shop/samyang-14mm-cine-vdslr-lens-canon-p-11323.html


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## thgmuffin (Aug 14, 2013)

I'd say get a 50mm F1.8 and get yourself a tripod and high speed SD cards. Also spend some of your time learning how exposure and how manual video works.


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## Salah Yousef (Aug 14, 2013)

http://www.amazon.com/Rode-Videomic-Shotgun-Microphone-Rycote/dp/B00CAE8PM4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1376488069&sr=8-3&keywords=dslr+external+microphone

Am getting these. What do you think ?

Plus, could you post Amazon links to the lenses please ?


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## dgatwood (Aug 15, 2013)

verysimplejason said:


> You can put a step ring to your 77mm filter. One reason you'll buy a large filter even if you're using a lens with small filter is so that you'll never have to change filter even you get a lens with larger filter.



Disadvantage: Your lens cap won't fit.


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## Salah Yousef (Aug 15, 2013)

Guys which lenses should I pick ? These are the lenses that you guys recommended. Remember am a newbie in the world of photography and films.

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-Standard-AutoFocus-Lens/dp/B00005K47X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376567139&sr=8-1&keywords=Canon+50+1. for 100 Bucks

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1376567139&sr=8-2&keywords=Canon+50+1. for 130 Bucks

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011NVMO8/sr=8-1/qid=1376376976/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1376376976&seller=&sr=8-1 300 bucks though it's expensive


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## dgatwood (Aug 15, 2013)

For TV/movie work, unless you're trying to shoot sport footage from a press box, you're probably not going to have much call for a long zoom.

Most of the time, you're going to want either:


Medium shots and/or close-ups, which are doable with a portrait-length lens (50–100 mm on full frame, 30-60 on a crop body like yours)
Long shots, for which (unless you have a very large room) you're going to want something closer to 24–28mm on a full frame or 15–18 on a crop body

I don't have a strong opinion on any particular lenses—when I do video work, I typically use dedicated video gear (e.g. my XH-A1), so I haven't used any Canon photo lenses for any significant amount of video recording yet. Ideally, you'd look for a lens that doesn't breathe too much when you change the focus. You'd also probably want something with IS because a little bit of vibration is hard to avoid if you're focusing manually. Finally, you'll want something with a manageable level of distortion and vignetting, because you're not going to be able to usefully fix it in post.

For example, if you shoot with a shorty forty, you're going to need to have enough light that you can stop the lens way down to avoid vignetting at wide apertures (though the vignetting isn't nearly as bad on crop bodies like yours).

You can typically find lens reviews that provide all of that information. In particular, read the reviews on Ken Rockwell's site.

Beyond that, my only advice would be this: Be sure to budget for a good tripod and decent lighting. Nothing screams amateur like a shaky, poorly lit image with lots of noise.


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## verysimplejason (Aug 16, 2013)

dgatwood said:


> verysimplejason said:
> 
> 
> > You can put a step ring to your 77mm filter. One reason you'll buy a large filter even if you're using a lens with small filter is so that you'll never have to change filter even you get a lens with larger filter.
> ...



You can remove the step ring together with your filter? Now, lens cap will fit or you can use the appropriate lens cap with the same filter size.


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## gferdinandsen (Aug 16, 2013)

verysimplejason said:


> dgatwood said:
> 
> 
> > verysimplejason said:
> ...




Or you just buy a new lens cap of that diameter. I have a step up ring (72 --> 77) on my 50, I purchased an extra 77mm lens cap for the fifty.


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## Salah Yousef (Aug 16, 2013)

Is this the filter that some people recommended ? http://www.amazon.com/Tiffen-77VND-VARIABLE-FILTER-Camera/dp/B004Z55VP0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376375073&sr=8-1&keywords=Tiffen+77mm+variable+ND+filter

Plus, will it fit on these ? http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU?tag=crf-20

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011NVMO8/sr=8-1/qid=1376376976/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1376376976&seller=&sr=8-1&tag=crf-20


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## BrandonKing96 (Aug 16, 2013)

Salah Yousef said:


> Is this the filter that some people recommended ? http://www.amazon.com/Tiffen-77VND-VARIABLE-FILTER-Camera/dp/B004Z55VP0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376375073&sr=8-1&keywords=Tiffen+77mm+variable+ND+filter
> 
> Plus, will it fit on these ? http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU?tag=crf-20
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011NVMO8/sr=8-1/qid=1376376976/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1376376976&seller=&sr=8-1&tag=crf-20


I think you are misunderstanding some of what has already been posted. 

i) no one has even recommended the 55-250mm f/4-5.6, and no one in their right mind would. There are many more lenses that will perform better. 

ii) it's not hard to notice that a 55-250 for $300 US is such a rip off. That is way too expensive for a lens with such a limited capacity. 

iii) the 50mm f/1.8 prime lens is decent for low light, and a lot of bokeh (out of focus area), but if you want good quality for around the same price (just a little more), then the 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens is the better.

iv) Unless you plan to buy a *step-up ring*. The filter you are constantly saying people have suggested is a *77mm* filter thread. Both the (rather terrible) 55-250 f/4-5.6 and the 50mm f/1.8 II do not fit that. the 55-250mm f/4-5.6 is a *58mm* filter thread, and the 50mm f/1.8 II is a *52mm* filter thread. If you do want to buy a 77mm variable ND filter (which you appear so persistent on for some reason), you will need to buy a 52-77mm step-up ring and a 58-77mm step up ring, both which you can get for 5-6 USD each.

v) I'd suggest actually taking Sandymandy's comment into account. It's a good suggestion.

So overall, my suggestion:
Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 - 180 USD
A decent tripod worth at least 90
You could get a decent filter for around 90

Good luck.


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## leGreve (Aug 16, 2013)

dgatwood said:


> verysimplejason said:
> 
> 
> > You can put a step ring to your 77mm filter. One reason you'll buy a large filter even if you're using a lens with small filter is so that you'll never have to change filter even you get a lens with larger filter.
> ...



Then you buy the right size lens cap......


The lowdown on lenses:

Still lenses, while in great quality ( I have the 16-35 2.8L II, the 24-70 2.8L II, the 70-200 2.8L IS USM II and the 100mm 2.8L macro IS USM ), are no where near being adequate for filming.

Yes, the quality is great, maybe even a bit too sharp for many people's taste, but they can deliver a great image.

However once we get past this small part of filming we are down to handling while in action. This is why people will turn to lenses like the Cinema Samyangs.

You get:

- Stepless aperture
- A bit more rotation on the focus (pretty damn important if you want to make decent focus pulls.
- Hard focal stops... once you get to infinity, the focus stops, on Canons you can keep going forever in both directions.
- T-stops instead of F-stops. Yes, there's a difference. While you can't be sure to get the exact same exposure with, say F4 on a long zoom as a wide prime, you can be pretty sure to get the same exposure when going from one t-stop lens to another. That's been a big deal for a long time and one of the reasons why cinematographers are using Arri primes and not Canon Ls.

The samyangs are very very good for their price. You can get a whole set for the price of one Canon zoom lens.

To be honest, my next purchase will be a complete Samyang set to use instead of my Ls for filming.

But yes, money always comes into play, and for that price range OP has listed, the choices are few.
I would almost say that I would rather have the Samyang 35mm only than any Canon / Sigma / Nikon zoom at that price range. Quality and functionality is simply not on par.....


LENS CAPS AND STEP RINGS....

*Don't make this a bigger issue than it has to be.*

My biggest lens is 82mm.... so I bought a 82mm variable ND filter from Genus (the Eclipse), then I bought step rings for all the other lenses not 82mm from Ebay and I bought lens caps for all those lenses... on Ebay.

Don't throw money after Canon caps.


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## Salah Yousef (Aug 16, 2013)

Thank's for your replies everyone. I really appreciate it. You really are helpful.

I guess I will buy the EF 40mm f/2.8 for my 600D/T3i for 200 USD. http://www.amazon.com/Canon-40mm-2-8-STM-Lens/dp/B00894YP00/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376672979&sr=8-1&keywords=EF+40mm+f%2F2.8

Used for 160 USD.

Now for filters  which ones will fit the EF 40mm f/2.8 ?

So sorry for asking too many questions, am a newbie in the world of cameras.


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## thgmuffin (Aug 16, 2013)

Salah Yousef said:


> Thank's for your replies everyone. I really appreciate it. You really are helpful.
> 
> I guess I will buy the EF 40mm f/2.8 for my 600D/T3i for 200 USD. http://www.amazon.com/Canon-40mm-2-8-STM-Lens/dp/B00894YP00/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376672979&sr=8-1&keywords=EF+40mm+f%2F2.8
> 
> ...



Don't even bother sticking a filter on the 40mm. It is one of those lenses that deserves to be shot without any obstructions. Plus you'd be getting rid of the compact design.


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## Salah Yousef (Aug 16, 2013)

thgmuffin said:


> Salah Yousef said:
> 
> 
> > Thank's for your replies everyone. I really appreciate it. You really are helpful.
> ...



Thank's for your fast reply thgmuffin.

My gear will be:
Canon 600D/T3i
Canon EF40mm f/2.8 STM Pancake Lens Kit
Rode Videomic Shotgun Microphone with Rycote Lyre Mount
Tripod
Manfrotto 595B Fig Rig
Bigger bag 8)


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## Drizzt321 (Aug 16, 2013)

++ to what leGreve has said, some of the Samyang lenses are a very good value for the money and aren't super expensive either.

I will also second the suggestion of getting an m42 or FD adapter. There are some pretty decent vintage lenses (do some research) and they tend not to be too expensive. Plus there are some wacky ones, like I just have a MD screw-on fisheye adapter to a 28mm MD lens on my EOS-M that I shot one little bit for a short film I just was doing. Great affect for that little bit, and cost very little. I wouldn't recommend it for everything, but those niche uses you can find some older equipment that will perform just fine on a limited budget.

And if you are doing anything where you are recording sound, definitely get a decent mic. Nearly anything is better than the built-in, and even going for a $50-60 one will prove to be a major boost in quality. Sound is one of the most overlooked parts of film making.


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## Vossie (Aug 16, 2013)

thgmuffin said:


> Salah Yousef said:
> 
> 
> > Thank's for your replies everyone. I really appreciate it. You really are helpful.
> ...



I agree for not sticking a UV or clear filter on; However, for video, you may want to use a vari-ND filter (to be able to work wide open without going into very fast shutter speeds. I am not sure if I would recommend a step-up/down filter on this lense as the 600 will be manual focus only during video and the focus ring of the 40 will probably be very difficult to access with a larger filter on a step-ring atteched.


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## sjschall (Aug 16, 2013)

> My gear will be:
> Canon 600D/T3i
> Canon EF40mm f/2.8 STM Pancake Lens Kit
> Rode Videomic Shotgun Microphone with Rycote Lyre Mount
> ...



Looks like a great kit to start out with. Might I recommend learningdslrvideo.com and dslrvideoshooter.com, which are two awesome, free resources that will help you get started.


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## thgmuffin (Aug 17, 2013)

Remember that the 40mm does not have stablization so keeping things without shake handheld is going to be difficult.

The manual focusing is done electronically. Basically you can only physically focus the lens by adjusting the focus ring when the camera is turned on. You can also get full time manual focus by holding the focus button half way down and turning the focus ring.


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## Salah Yousef (Aug 17, 2013)

thgmuffin said:


> Remember that the 40mm does not have stablization so keeping things without shake handheld is going to be difficult.
> 
> The manual focusing is done electronically. Basically you can only physically focus the lens by adjusting the focus ring when the camera is turned on. You can also get full time manual focus by holding the focus button half way down and turning the focus ring.



My 18-55mm has a stabilizer but I didn't know what was it's purpose what does it suppose to do. Could you explain it please ?


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## DFM (Aug 17, 2013)

Optical stabilization (OS) in a lens uses motors to shift the position of one of the inner elements, in response to signals from accelerometers (the same as the sensors in your cellphone that know which way to rotate the screen) and tries to keep the image projected onto the sensor as still as possible, even if the camera itself is wobbling about a bit - such as when you're hand-holding it. It's designed for _still photography_ at slow shutter speeds. In video work it creates a whole other set of problems, as you will have two possible scenarios:

[list type=decimal]
[*]The camera is on a tripod - OS must be turned off or it will tend to start adding motion where there isn't any.
[*]You're shooting handheld or on a stabilizer rig, and you will pan the camera. Now the OS has a problem because it will start off trying to keep the image still, but will rapidly hit the limits of adjustment and suddenly snap back into the center. Instead of a natural 'handheld' feel to the shot, it will be still...still.. still.. BOINGGGGG.... still... still.... and it looks terrible.
[/list]

A lot of good advice already about lens choices, but so far nobody's actually asked what you will be shooting, and how. A fast EF-S 50mm (or full-frame EF 35mm on your crop body) will give a field of view roughly the same as your eyeball, so for example you can shoot a full-length scene from about 20 feet away. If you're capturing wide landscapes, home interiors, or working in small venues (e.g. filming a local band in a bar) then it's much too narrow a field of view, and you'd be looking at something around 16mm to 20mm. As a general-purpose lens on my crop bodies I use a Sigma 17-50 2.8 DC (outside of your budget but worth scouting for a second-hand one). It has OS for stills and a constant aperture. Some people get addicted to vintage glass (I have a growing collection, on a 5dIII an old Pentax 50/1.4 is hard to beat) but I wouldn't suggest it for a newcomer as there's a lot of dud glass on the used market, you really need to know how to service them yourself to get rid of the dust and fungus.

Bear in mind as well that normal Canon 'stills' lenses never have a mechanical aperture ring, so you must always change it using the command dial on the body. That's necessary for shooting in Tv or P mode, a little fiddly for video but not terribly so. Dedicated video lenses, on the other hand, _only_ have a mechanical aperture - you cannot set it from the body, so you can only shoot in Av or M. Most also have a 'declicked' aperture ring that allows you to choose any position, not just the numbered f-stops. That's useful for video as people like varying the aperture as they shoot to adapt for lighting changes, but it's assumed you would be fitting a set of rails and a follow-focus system to keep it under control. It's _possible_ to shoot stills with a video lens but it's a hassle.

The T3i/600D has a very important feature for video which can drastically affect lens choice. Normal video will have a lot of moire and aliasing (jaggy lines and color patterns on diagonals and finely-textured objects); that's just the price you pay for shooting video on a Canon DSLR - but the T3i can switch to 3x 'crop video' mode - it zooms in by 3x but the moire goes away completely. This gives a huge improvement in quality and still shoots in full-HD, but the extremely narrow field of view means you have to work with an ultra-wide-angle lens so the cropped region from the center isn't just showing someone's left nostril. If you install Magic Lantern to shoot raw video on the T3i (not in HD but decent enough) that will also crop the sensor. All this means with video it's easier to start with an ultra-wide and make it into a longer lens "electronically", than fit a standard 50 prime and have to stand half a block away.

My best suggestion - if you're not sure which lenses will suit you best, don't buy anything. _Rent_ one for a weekend or borrow one from a friend, see how it feels, try something else next time. If (with respect) you don't have any friends with a shelf groaning with L glass, check out things like photowalks where you can spend an afternoon with a bunch of like-minded people and their backpacks


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## Don Haines (Aug 17, 2013)

If it were me, I'd get a good tripod with a decent video head. There is nothing worse than video which is bouncing around... Image stability on a lens will actually make things worse and change things from bouncing and shaky to bouncing and shaky with tiny jerks... You really need a tripod for stable video, or some kind of steady-cam rig, and ones that work are not cheap!


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## tcmatthews (Aug 17, 2013)

First I do not do video very often but I would defiantly suggest against the EF 50 1.8 or Fd lens. The 50 1.8 is a pain to manually focus with its short pull and very small focus ring. 

Fd lens can be used on current canon but the converter require a optical correction to correct for the flange distance. I would suggest against this. I bought one and it has major problems with wide angle lens. It was only really worth it with longer lens. Some of the Fd lens can be converted but this is usual reserved for expensive lenses. Fd lens are a fantastic idea with mirror-less where the flange distance is not an issue and they are cheep.

+1 for M42 and other old manual focus lens.


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## Salah Yousef (Aug 17, 2013)

I couldn't find the 40mm in my country :'(

I'll get EF 50mm f/1.8 II nifty fifty for 40 KWD which is about 143 USD.

What do you guys think ?


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## verysimplejason (Aug 18, 2013)

Salah Yousef said:


> I couldn't find the 40mm in my country :'(
> 
> I'll get EF 50mm f/1.8 II nifty fifty for 40 KWD which is about 143 USD.
> 
> What do you guys think ?



Unless you're shooting mainly interviews, 50mm may be too tight. I'd still say that you invest in a proper lens and a variable ND filter first (+ step rings because you may want to use the same VND for other lenses). If you want that NTSC or PAL look, you need to set your shutter speed to 1/30 or 1/25 respectively. Too fast and your movie will appear too jerky. Meanwhile, too slow and your movie will be blurred.

http://www.mediacollege.com/video/camera/shutter/


A Samyang 24mm T1.5 Cine VDSLR Lens is around $600 but at least you know you're investing in a lens you can still use even when you step up the ladder. It's a wide for a FF but normal lens for an APS-C.


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## dgatwood (Aug 18, 2013)

DFM said:


> You're shooting handheld or on a stabilizer rig, and you will pan the camera. Now the OS has a problem because it will start off trying to keep the image still, but will rapidly hit the limits of adjustment and suddenly snap back into the center. Instead of a natural 'handheld' feel to the shot, it will be still...still.. still.. BOINGGGGG.... still... still.... and it looks terrible.



That's seriously lame. Canon's image stabilization in their camcorders is just amazing. If their still lenses really behave that badly with IS on, then that means Canon doesn't take video even slightly seriously in their still cameras. All it would take is a fairly simple firmware change to the lens coupled with a special message from the body to tell the updated firmware to change into a newly added mode that smooths the drift rate instead of locking the lens to a fixed position.

Maybe the Magic Lantern folks could start hacking on lens firmware next.


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## dgatwood (Aug 18, 2013)

DFM said:


> A lot of good advice already about lens choices, but so far nobody's actually asked what you will be shooting, and how. A fast EF-S 50mm (or full-frame EF 35mm on your crop body)



Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're trying to say, but it sounds like you're saying that an EF-S 50mm on a crop body produces the same field of view as an EF 35mm on the same body. If that's what you mean, that's not correct. EF-S lenses are not compensated for the 1.6x crop. A 50mm lens is a 50mm lens, whether it is built for EF or EF-S. Using either one on a crop body is like using an 80mm lens on a full frame camera.

A single human eye has about a 95 degree field of view. 50mm on a crop body (or 80mm on a full-frame body) produces approximately a 25 degree field of view. That's not remotely the same field of view as your eyeball unless you have rather severe peripheral vision loss. 

I can't imagine trying to function with a 50mm lens as your only lens on a crop body, video or not. A 20mm lens, maybe, but not 50. A 40mm lens works decently as a single lens on a full-frame body. Even 40mm is just way too narrow for a crop body, IMO, unless you have another lens to use for anything that isn't a closeup....


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## Salah Yousef (Aug 18, 2013)

verysimplejason said:


> Salah Yousef said:
> 
> 
> > I couldn't find the 40mm in my country :'(
> ...



http://www.amazon.com/Samyang-SYCV85M-C-85mm-Canon-VDSLR/dp/B00AGS8QPW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1376811653&sr=8-2&keywords=Samyang+24mm+T1.5+Cine+VDSLR

Is this what you're talking about ?


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## verysimplejason (Aug 18, 2013)

Salah Yousef said:


> verysimplejason said:
> 
> 
> > Salah Yousef said:
> ...



That's an 85mm. I'm talking about the 24mm. Samyang may be branded as Bower, Rokinon, etc...

http://www.amazon.com/Rokinon-CV24M-C-De-Clicked-Compatibility-Wide-Angle/dp/B0094AYSPU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1376821878&sr=8-2&keywords=samyang+24mm


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## Salah Yousef (Aug 18, 2013)

verysimplejason said:


> Salah Yousef said:
> 
> 
> > verysimplejason said:
> ...



That's expensive. Am looking for something simple and at 350 USD. The 50mm looks promising.


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## Artifex (Aug 18, 2013)

verysimplejason said:


> Salah Yousef said:
> 
> 
> > I couldn't find the 40mm in my country :'(
> ...



24mm on FF is super-wide, and wide on APS-C (38,4mm equivalent). The 35mm would be a better choice for normal on APS-C (56mm equivalent).


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## sjschall (Aug 19, 2013)

The 50 1.8 is a great starter video lens for the price. Great optics, and it'll get you used to setting your exposure and manual focus. Sure, it's a little tight on a crop body but there's nothing like it for the price. I say buy the 50 and start shooting, upgrade later!


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