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Andrew Reid
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Is anyone here using the Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 ASPH Power OIS Lens from Panasonic? I'm mighty tempted from the images I see and with the IS as a big plus. The price however is NOT a big plus.

Plan to use it on the GH4 4K and music videos. I can get several other good lenses for less the price of one of these.

 

Tempted also by Andy's recommendation of the Nikkor 28-70mm.

 

Is the Nocticron worth it I wonder? Anyone? Cheers.

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Andy's the expert, but I believe most music videos require quite a bit of creativity (read variation in focal lengths).  For those shots where you need 1.2 use a focal-reducer.  IS can do strange things (like jumpy pans).  You might be better off with a physical stabilizer.  

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I have a few questions about using modern zooms such as the sigma 18-35 on one of the lens turbo focal reducers. Given that the cheaper focal reducers don't have electronic contacts like the metabones, presumably you can't change aperture, autofocus, or use ois? Would I be better off with a manual zoom (ai-s) or at least one with an aperture ring (nikon d series)? I have no experience with putting zooms on focal reducers, so far I've been using primes on dumb adaptors (mostly Nikkor Ai-s).

Got my RJ Turbo EF- M43 today and tried it on my Sigma 18 -35mm and Pancolar 50mm on my BMPCC and WOW, works great, can't fault it really sharp!! So glad I didn't go down the Nikon mount Sigma 18 -35mm and Nikon Metabones route!!



Can I ask why you're glad you didn't do the Nikon mount route? I was thinking of picking up an f-mount lens turbo (I know that nikon mount is less adaptable than others because of the longer flange distance, but my thinking was, most of my lenses are ai-s, and I can't be bothered to add little nikon-to-ef rings to all of them). I was wondering if you were just talking about the greater adaptability of the EF mount, or are there other advantages to the lens turbo EF mount version?
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I think my previous post was a little incoherent, I'll have another go.

 

So far, almost all my lenses are manual primes, Nikkor, and some M-mount stuff. I like having the aperture ring, lovely direct-drive focus rings (ie not fly-by-wire), as well as the slight softness, funky rendering/ bokeh etc of older glass. Also, I have both m43 and e-mount (APSC) bodies, so being able to use the same lenses on different cameras (using only dumb adaptors so far) is great. I like not being tied in to one system.

 

However, it's difficult and expensive to go wider than 24mm, which isn't particularly wide on either crop sensor. So, I'm thinking:

 

a. get a cheap focal reducer, probably the Lens Turbo. Metabones is out of my budget unfortunately (of course this won't work for the M mount stuff)

 

b. get a zoom. I don't have a zoom currently. I'm zoom curious. 

 

The question is, is it a good idea to combine these two purchasing impulses? ie put a zoom onto a lens turbo? As I was trying to get at in my previous post, there must be ergonomic issues with doing this, given the lack of electronic contacts on the lens turbo? (eg would you need, say, a canon body to change the aperture on a canon zoom? would it be best to stick with something that has an aperture ring, like the Nikon D series?) It'd be really helpful if people could comment on this from an ergonomic/ practical perspective.

 

Or, with zooms, is it better to forgo interoperability with different mounts and bodies, and get a system zoom?

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I have a few questions about using modern zooms such as the sigma 18-35 on one of the lens turbo focal reducers. Given that the cheaper focal reducers don't have electronic contacts like the metabones, presumably you can't change aperture, autofocus, or use ois? Would I be better off with a manual zoom (ai-s) or at least one with an aperture ring (nikon d series)? I have no experience with putting zooms on focal reducers, so far I've been using primes on dumb adaptors (mostly Nikkor Ai-s).



Can I ask why you're glad you didn't do the Nikon mount route? I was thinking of picking up an f-mount lens turbo (I know that nikon mount is less adaptable than others because of the longer flange distance, but my thinking was, most of my lenses are ai-s, and I can't be bothered to add little nikon-to-ef rings to all of them). I was wondering if you were just talking about the greater adaptability of the EF mount, or are there other advantages to the lens turbo EF mount version?

 

Oh yes, I have no nikon lenses and lots of Canon and Vintage Lenses adapted to Canon EF. I didn't want to buy a Metabones and Nikon 18 -35mm because it would mean nothing for my Canon gear, plus I get to use the 18 -35 on both my 600D and BMPCC.

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Oh yes, I have no nikon lenses and lots of Canon and Vintage Lenses adapted to Canon EF. I didn't want to buy a Metabones and Nikon 18 -35mm because it would mean nothing for my Canon gear, plus I get to use the 18 -35 on both my 600D and BMPCC.

How do you change aperture? Do you temporarily put the lens on  a canon body before you put it on the lens turbo?

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How do you change aperture? Do you temporarily put the lens on  a canon body before you put it on the lens turbo?

Yes, you have to set it on the Canon, but in reality most of my shooting will be at 1.8f whenever I can, unless I need a establishing shot with this Lens for some reason? But I have a Panasonic 12mm for that anyway.

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Yes, you have to set it on the Canon, but in reality most of my shooting will be at 1.8f whenever I can, unless I need a establishing shot with this Lens for some reason? But I have a Panasonic 12mm for that anyway.

Wow, 1.8 plus a speed booster. Presumably with a variable nd filter for exposure?

 

I wouldn't be prepared to give up aperture control or carry an extra body around, personally speaking. I guess that's partly why the metabones ef speed booster, or the smart adaptor (the one that isn't a focal reducer, but has the electronic contacts) is worth the extra money.

 

The situation is worse with e-mount than m43, as there are no fast zooms for e-mount. What would the best bet be, for a fast wide-ish zoom on apsc (ie 18-35 or thereabouts) e-mount? $400 smart adapter (aperture, af, OIS, EXIF) plus apsc zoom like the Sigma 18-35 1.8? Or cheaper lens turbo focal reducer ($160 or less) and something with an aperture ring?

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I don't think the speedbooster offers aperture control? And who knows when the EF will appear and RJ is plenty sharp so I'm happy. The only time I want to stop down outdoors is when you want your wide nice and sharp, I wouldn't stop down for light, I'd use the ND. I just set the Sigma to whatever and swap it out, takes 5 seconds.

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I don't think the speedbooster offers aperture control? And who knows when the EF will appear and RJ is plenty sharp so I'm happy. The only time I want to stop down outdoors is when you want your wide nice and sharp, I wouldn't stop down for light, I'd use the ND. I just set the Sigma to whatever and swap it out, takes 5 seconds.

Thank you for taking the time to explain your set-up, that answers a lot of my questions.
 
I think e-mount is heaven for adapting manual primes (and some of the system primes are really nice too), but I've come to the conclusion that trying to get a fast zoom on e-mount is too much hassle, for me anyway.
 
edit: just found an interesting solution in a different thread:
 
>
 

Solution is simple: buy a cheap Canon EOS focal reducer, a Sigma 18-35mm with Nikon mount and a Nikon F to Canon EOS adapter with aperture control. Voila.

 
 

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Here's a question for this thread:
Looking for a good mid range zoom for doc work on a budget. I bought the 35-105 3.5 fd zoom after reading about its legendary performance, and while the range is nice, I'm not so impressed with the color, and sharpness is just Ok imo.

I have a Tamron 17-50 2.8 which has excellent color, but needs to be stopped down a lot to get sharp on the 50mm end.

The lumix 35-100 2.8 would be wonderful but outside my price range.

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Here's a question for this thread:
Looking for a good mid range zoom for doc work on a budget. I bought the 35-105 3.5 fd zoom after reading about its legendary performance, and while the range is nice, I'm not so impressed with the color, and sharpness is just Ok imo.

I have a Tamron 17-50 2.8 which has excellent color, but needs to be stopped down a lot to get sharp on the 50mm end.

The lumix 35-100 2.8 would be wonderful but outside my price range.

 

The I find the Tamron has a very difficult focus ring to work with, up to F5.6. You need to move it in nanometres to adjust it... What camera are you using it with?

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Dische a great all round lens for doc is the Tokina AX-T PRO 28-70mm series 1 (Angenieux designed) f2.6-2.8.

Shoot wide open with a set of Tiffen NDs 16, 8, 4. 2 covers all eventualities , stack them to get your exposure for a truely cinematic look (yes this lens has a fully manual apperture too), legendary Angenieux designed lens has a superb look to it.

with a Nikon to m4/3 speedbooster it becomes 1 stop fater and approx 20-50mm -

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Nice!

Also just brought to my attention is the flagship nikkor zoom from the 90s in approximately the same range as that.
It has full manual control of focus and aperture despite being more recent, and has the qualities and sharpness of modern flagship nikkors from what I've seen so far. They are relatively affordable too! Wonder how it compares to the one you are talking about...

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