Help me decide between this lenses for video work. (open to recommendations)

[afiguesal]

HI

I'm a filmmaker using a BMPCC4K with Contax Zeiss lenses: a 28mm 2.8 Distagon, Jena 50mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.4 Planar. I want to sell my Planar and buy a PARFOCAL zoom, manual,with a rotating focus ring for usd300-700 as I find myself not using it too much and want a parfocal lense to create those beautiful zoom ins and outs of the older days. I would use it attached to my Viltrox Speedbooster. My ideal range is 20-90mm.

Considered:

Leica Leitz Vario Elmar-R 35-70mm 3.5  Not sure if it's parfocal or the same quality of my Contax Zeiss.

Angenieux 35-70mm F2.5-3.3   My favourite so far, only haven't decided on it yet waiting for a cheaper alternative. it's truly parfocal and the image quality is superb, on par with my CZ.

Any other I should consider?

 

DIscarded

Contax Zeiss Vario-Sonnar  24-85mm 3.5-4.5  I would buy it if it were parfocal and not push/pull. Everything else about this lens is perfect.

Tokina 28mm-70mm f/2.6-2.8  Has this lens because it was said to be the poor man's Angeniuex 28-70mm but it never stood up to that claim and I sold it. It wasn't parfocal or the same quality and very very heavy. Plus I don't want to play for electronic mechanisms.

 

I'm open to new posibilities.

Thank you!

 

[bjohn]

On 5/2/2021 at 8:08 PM, afiguesal said:

Leica Leitz Vario Elmar-R 35-70mm 3.5  Not sure if it's parfocal or the same quality of my Contax Zeiss.

Minolta made the first version of this lens (Minolta Rokkor 35-70mm f/3.5) and according to the cinematograrpher Uli Plank, it's parfocal. The Minolta version is much more affordable than the Leica version; you would need a Minolta SR to MFT adapter or a speedbooster but the combination would likely still be cheaper than the Leica version. There's a good review (from a stills photographer) here: https://fourbillionyears.org/minolta-md-35-70mm-f-3-5-an-outstanding-lens/. Uli Plank talks about it here: https://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?92246-Minolta-Rokkor-Survival-Guide/page2