Building a Lens Set

[HeroWorship]

I am looking to build a lens set for my BMCC MFT that has the following characteristics;
High contrast
Lots of color saturation

I have tried some lens like;
Canon FD - beautiful creamy look
Sigma Art Lens 18-35mm - great low light and sharp but sort of sterile
Some Rokinons - I am sort of leaning back towards these
SLR Magic 12mm - great lens I use it for low light and wide angle but I am not sure what its characteristics really are.

I am really going for a warm skin tone, high contrast, HDR look, lots of color saturation almost to a comic book level, very much like from this fight scene www.anyclip.com/movies/doa-dead-or-alive/women-fighting-in-rain/

I know most the heavy lifting would be done in post but I need to commit in general to a lens set.

What about Angenieux and certainly these looks tempting https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/665053329/veydra-m4-3-cinema-lenses-for-gh4-and-bmpcc

The trouble I am having is that people seem to love the desaturated look so it has been very hard to make a decision from other peoples footage. I know renting the lens would also be a good idea.

I own the Sigma 18-35 and the SLR Magic 12mm so it would be great to stay within those but since I am posting this I guess that means I am not entirely sold.

Thanks in advance for your input!

[Inazuma]

The native m43 lenses are generally more contrasty than other lenses, including modern ones like the Sigma 18-35

[andy lee]

warm saturated colours and high contrast ----- get the best get Carl Zeiss Distagons in C/Y Mount - exacty what you are looking for ...

 

or if they are a bit pricey get the Yashica ML range - practically identical optically (made in the same factory)

Ive posted alot about the Yashica ML prines so do a seach for the thread on them

[HeroWorship]

Thanks Andy! I have been checking out the Distadons and the Yashica. Wish you still had that second set to sell!

[stephen]

Andy, your posts about lenses, look, how they are used in movies were eye opening for me ! Lots of useful info.  Thanks a lot for sharing. Ordered New Cinematographers book too :)

 

Following you recommendations about Yashica lenses, got locally a set of 28mm f/2.8, 50mm f/2 and 135mm f/2.8 + 35mm f/2.8 +  50mm f/1.7 from other sellers. Total price for the 5 lenses - 200 Euro. They were hanging for months and nobody wanted them even for low price. Except  me :)

 

To complete the set would need 24mm f/2.8 and something in the 80ths range where Yashica has no prime lenses. The only option seems to be Carl Zeiss Plannar 85mm f2.8 in same Contax / Yashica mount or Rollei mount (cheaper). Would go for C/Y version, just to be sure that colors and look would match.  85mm is not prohibitively expensive despite costing more than all other 5 lenses currently in the set.  Yashica ML 24mm f/2.8 is expensive too and goes for something like 350$ on ebay. Don't know why. 28mm is cheap and optically 24mm should not be better but goes for 5-6 times more money.

 

Can buy the 42-75mm also locally for something like 20 Euro but it's f/4.5 at the long end. You have this zoom. 35mm and 50mm primes are covering most of the focal range and have bright f-stops (2-2.8).  What good is 42-75mm for at f/3.5-4.5 ?

[Tim Naylor]

I have the Rokinons 24,35,50, and 85. They're a great bargain. Geared and perfectly smooth rings. Add a step up ring to the 85mm (72-77) and you have standardized fronts. The 50 is outstanding. Sharp wide open. The 24, I wouldn't take below a 2.0 (if anything 2.8). 85 is excellent as well. app 180 degrees of focus draw which is great if you're pulling off the barrel but short for more precision work. Super light and small as well. I'm also a big fan of Nikon AIS glass my favorites being (50 1.8, 85 1.4, 105 2.8 macro, 135 2.0 and 180 2.8). They're built like tanks and look gorgeous. Also worth looking into are Leica R glass. Great for portrait and interviews. Just gorgeous. If you're really on a budget but want something special check out Super Takamurs. Cheap and look amazing. Screw mount.

[andy lee]

get a carl zeiss 80mm f2.8 biometar in pentacon 6 mount to go with your Yashicas

 

or get the Volna 80mm f2.8 Russian KMZ lens its cheaper and just as good( its a biometar copy ) keiv 60 /pentacon 6 mount

 

The Yashica 42-75 is good just a but slower - worth having if you get a cheap one

 

24mm - well get a Miranda 24mm f2.8 , it goes well with the Yashicas (its made by Cosina) and its just as good but soooooo much cheaper than the Yasshica 24mm -(which is an Ok lens but not worth £240 they go for on ebay for that money you can get a Zeiss Distagon C/Y 24mm !!

[Dave Wang]

I am looking to build a lens set for my BMCC MFT that has the following characteristics;
High contrast
Lots of color saturation

I have tried some lens like;
Canon FD - beautiful creamy look
Sigma Art Lens 18-35mm - great low light and sharp but sort of sterile
Some Rokinons - I am sort of leaning back towards these
SLR Magic 12mm - great lens I use it for low light and wide angle but I am not sure what its characteristics really are.

I am really going for a warm skin tone, high contrast, HDR look, lots of color saturation almost to a comic book level, very much like from this fight scene www.anyclip.com/movies/doa-dead-or-alive/women-fighting-in-rain/

I know most the heavy lifting would be done in post but I need to commit in general to a lens set.

What about Angenieux and certainly these looks tempting https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/665053329/veydra-m4-3-cinema-lenses-for-gh4-and-bmpcc

The trouble I am having is that people seem to love the desaturated look so it has been very hard to make a decision from other peoples footage. I know renting the lens would also be a good idea.

I own the Sigma 18-35 and the SLR Magic 12mm so it would be great to stay within those but since I am posting this I guess that means I am not entirely sold.

Thanks in advance for your input!

Why don't you try Veydra lenses? it's better than Rokinon and SLR Magic's. You shall check it out​