Veydra Mini Primes vs. SLR Magic Hyperprimes for MFT

[HenryTheGoodman]

I have a GH4, and I was looking into investing in some new lenses. I would really like manual cine lenses, and was looking at the Veydra Mini Primes as well as the SLR Magic Hyperprimes. Does anyone with experience have any advice on the decision? Any help is appreciated.

[cantsin]

The Veydra are optically better and, above all, more consistent in look and handling, but generally have smaller maximum apertures. 

(SLR Magic lenses are rehoused industrial lenses.)

[HenryTheGoodman]

On 12/12/2017 at 3:16 AM, cantsin said:

The Veydra are optically better and, above all, more consistent in look and handling, but generally have smaller maximum apertures. 

(SLR Magic lenses are rehoused industrial lenses.)

Thanks for the reply. I've been rather busy as there is a wildfire in my area. Thanks for the information. I think I'm going to rent one of each and try them for myself. I might post a video comparing the two. I'll let you know if I do.

[Rinad Amir]

@HenryTheGoodman please do id love to see this two optics compared side by side 

[John Brawley]

I own both Veydras and many of the SLR Magic lenses.

They're quite different.  They Veydras are more consistent in terms of their performance and across the board are more uniform to work with if you're trying to work with remote focus units etc..  The SLR Magic have more individual personality and aren't as consistent in terms of their mechanics.

Owning both of them I tend to reach for the SLR Magic first, usually because they're more unique in look.  The 25mm 0.95 has a great look for certain jobs, and I really use the 10mm a great deal.

JB

[DBounce]

Veydras do not breath. If that matters to you.

[HenryTheGoodman]

1 hour ago, DBounce said:

Veydras do not breath. If that matters to you.

And the SLR Magics do? That is rather important in my opinion.

2 hours ago, John Brawley said:

I own both Veydras and many of the SLR Magic lenses.

They're quite different.  They Veydras are more consistent in terms of their performance and across the board are more uniform to work with if you're trying to work with remote focus units etc..  The SLR Magic have more individual personality and aren't as consistent in terms of their mechanics.

Owning both of them I tend to reach for the SLR Magic first, usually because they're more unique in look.  The 25mm 0.95 has a great look for certain jobs, and I really use the 10mm a great deal.

JB

Thanks for the info. That's interesting that you would mostly use the SLR Magics. I think I'm going to rent both and compare them

 

On 12/14/2017 at 2:31 PM, HenryTheGoodman said:

 I think I'm going to rent one of each and try them for myself. I might post a video comparing the two. I'll let you know if I do.

 

[jonpais]

AFAIK, SLR Magic doesn't even have a website, which is pretty sketchy if you ask me. If I'm mistaken about that, please point me in the right direction. A set of cine lenses should ideally have identical filter thread sizes, same size front outer diameter (preferably 80mm) and T stops, little to no breathing, and on and on. As @John Brawley says, their mechanics are all different, which kind of defeats the entire purpose of getting a set of cine lenses in the first place. The SLR Magics are in fact nothing more than photo lenses with two gear rings and different engravings. Might as well purchase a set of Voigtlanders and attach follow focus gears - optically and mechanically, I'm guessing the quality will probably be much better. I don't even know whether SLR Magic actually uses T stops - all I know is that their 50mm had f stops - rather unusual for a cine lens. I'd say the SLR Magics are more of a novelty than anything else. The Veydras were designed as cinema lenses from the ground up. There are several places where you can find thorough tests of all the Veydra lenses online, and Veydra's own website posts the specs of their lenses too. 

[Mattias Burling]

SLR makes many lenses. So they do have a set of PL cine glass with unified filters, T-stops, etc. 
They also have a website but it leaves a lot to be desired, http://www.slrmagic.com
Better to use a retailer site to read up on them,  https://www.ukdigital.co.uk/slr-magic-50mm-t21-apo-cine-lens.html

[jonpais]

Thanks for that. I'm assuming the OP's not considering PL lenses.

[John Brawley]

SLR Magic are legit. I've been buying for them for many years and I have many of their lenses.

They are Hong Kong based and they've never been great at marketing.  But you can order them with confidence and they're now available from big box retailers like B&H.

You can also contact them directly and they'll generally get back to you.

The hyperprimes are indeed their stills lenses "cinevised", so de-clicked etc.

If you want PL, then they make their own VERY nice APO primes.  I recently shot this and am finding few people can pick the SLR Magics from the Panavision Primos and Zeiss CP2's that they're being compared to.

JB