E mount Lens for VG-30

[RyanKhoo]

Hi there,

I wanted a low F stop E-mount lens (with F stop of 1.8 or lower) for my Sony VG-30 so that it can:

1) take video in low light and
2) create a video with some depth of field by bluring the background

I wanted to buy this: SEL24F18Z
SEL24F18Z : Carl Zeiss Lens : NEX Lens (E-mount) : Sony Singapore

but at SGD 1,699 it is quite expensive


but have to settle for this: SEL35F18 which is cheaper at SGD 629
SEL35F18 : Fixed Focal Length : NEX Lens (E-mount) : Sony Singapore

Is the SEL35F18 good enough or am I gonna regret later for not buying the SEL24F18Z ?

Why is the SEL24F18Z so much more expensive than the SEL35F18 ?

These are my options because I do not want to buy any adapter & what not just to use lens of other makes.

Thanks

 

[kandinsky]

Why is the SEL24F18Z so much more expensive than the SEL35F18 ?

The 'Zeiss' in the name indicates that it's Sony's premium line.

Carl Zeiss Sonnar Optics - This is the first Carl Zeiss lens to be released in the Sony E-mount lineup, employing the legendary "Sonnar" optical design for standout image dimensionality and presence. Aspherical lenses located on either side of the aperture effectively compensate for distortion, while an ED element suppresses chromatic aberration. The overall result is excellent corner-to-corner sharpness even with the aperture wide open, for impressive overall resolution.

Sony SEL24F18Z 24mm f/1.8 E-Mount Carl Zeiss Sonnar Lens

 

[Bamboopictures]

How about this e mount 35mm f0.95? USD$680
MXcamera
Guaranteed DOF so shallow, nothing is sharp!

 

[silvermoon1407]

Hi there,

I wanted a low F stop E-mount lens (with F stop of 1.8 or lower) for my Sony VG-30 so that it can:

1) take video in low light and
2) create a video with some depth of field by bluring the background

I wanted to buy this: SEL24F18Z
SEL24F18Z : Carl Zeiss Lens : NEX Lens (E-mount) : Sony Singapore

but at SGD 1,699 it is quite expensive

but have to settle for this: SEL35F18 which is cheaper at SGD 629
SEL35F18 : Fixed Focal Length : NEX Lens (E-mount) : Sony Singapore

Is the SEL35F18 good enough or am I gonna regret later for not buying the SEL24F18Z ?

Why is the SEL24F18Z so much more expensive than the SEL35F18 ?

These are my options because I do not want to buy any adapter & what not just to use lens of other makes.

Thanks

For video, I highly suggest u go with adapters n MF lenses. You can get 50/1.4s with adapter for less than $200. Focus peaking helps a lot when focusing.

But of course, u need to identify your focal length needs for your video. I've seen interesting videos shot with fisheye lenses.

 

[RyanKhoo]

The 'Zeiss' in the name indicates that it's Sony's premium line.

Thanks for responding.

Can I know, in your personal opinion, it is worth to pay the extra $$$ for the premium lens ?

Thanks again

 

[RyanKhoo]

For video, I highly suggest u go with adapters n MF lenses. You can get 50/1.4s with adapter for less than $200. Focus peaking helps a lot when focusing.

Any recommendation in particular ?

Thanks

 

[RyanKhoo]

How about this e mount 35mm f0.95? USD$680
MXcamera
Guaranteed DOF so shallow, nothing is sharp!

The price looks attractive but pardon my ignorance, is MX an established brand ?

I am worried when you said nothing is sharp because I want the subject to be sharp with only the background being blur.

Thanks

 

[Bamboopictures]

Just joking bro.This is a made in China lens but don't expect to get anything tack sharp with any lens at 0.95 - no matter what brand. It is also a manual focus lens. On that account, it's not a fabulous bargain. What will be a "bargain" is if you buy a few cheap FD or AIS MF lenses and add a few stops with mitakon lens turbo or a metabones speedbooster! Cameras come and go, good MF lenses (full frame especially) can last generations.

 

[silvermoon1407]

Any recommendation in particular ?

Thanks

Canon FD, Minolta MC/MD, they are all relatively inexpensive and u might find them in B&S from time to time. But 50mm on crop is quite tight and may or may not b suitable for your video.

U can also get the cheapo 35/1.7 CCTV lens, or the more premium SLRmagic equivalent. Do Google for pros and cons of this lens. I actually have one set to let go, u may PM me...

 

[kandinsky]

Thanks for responding.

Can I know, in your personal opinion, it is worth to pay the extra $$$ for the premium lens ?

Thanks again

Hmm... If you're talking about the inherent value/worth of this lens — whether you're getting what you pay for — I'm not familiar enough with Sony/Zeiss lenses to comment.
If you're talking about the worth to a user, it depends. Aspects like a high quality build may not improve your image, but maybe improves user experience/feel — only you can decide what that is worth to you. It may be worth it if your work/production can benefit from it. I'm not terribly familiar with Sony's lens offerings, so I'm not sure if you can get equally good alternatives for cheaper, or is this lens is really the only choice you have if you specifically want an E-mount 24/1.8 AF lens.

The speedbooster route definitely sounds like something worth exploring.

 

[RyanKhoo]

The speedbooster route definitely sounds like something worth exploring.

Thanks, I will check out what exactly is a speedbooster. cheers

 

[RyanKhoo]

Hi all experts out there,

Comparing this 2 E-mount lens:

50mm F/1.8 at sgd 449
SEL50F18 : Fixed Focal Length : NEX Lens (E-mount) : Sony Singapore

with

35mm F/1.8 sgd 629
SEL35F18 : Fixed Focal Length : NEX Lens (E-mount) : Sony Singapore

which is better, if I wanted to take video on my VG30 for bokeh effects ?

Thanks

 

[Bamboopictures]

Quality of bokeh is subjective. Things to look out for is the blade count, 'roundness' of the blobs, patterns inside blob etc. As a rule, the longer the focal length, the shorter the depth of field. If you enjoy rack focusing, selective blurring in your video, you should buy a lensbaby. It gives you much more control over the shape of your bokeh, DOF, areas of blur/sharpness. You can even shift the focused spot from one point to another on the same equidistant plane. The composer kit comes with different aperture shapes to create bokehs with heart shape, diamond shape etc.
The only thing, you will need to pair the NEX lensbaby with a nikon F mount lens.

Unless you are printing your own money, it is much more economical to invest in manual focus lenses that you can use with both the GH3 and the VG30. They will be outlast these cameras and whatever body you may wish to upgrade to. Buy the native mount lens only for the shortest focal length eg 8mm-14mm. And for still and flash photography, the fast native zoom lenses. For video, MF is still the best choice, why do you think there is no autofocus cine range?

 

[RyanKhoo]

Quality of bokeh is subjective. Things to look out for is the blade count, 'roundness' of the blobs, patterns inside blob etc. As a rule, the longer the focal length, the shorter the depth of field. If you enjoy rack focusing, selective blurring in your video, you should buy a lensbaby. It gives you much more control over the shape of your bokeh, DOF, areas of blur/sharpness. You can even shift the focused spot from one point to another on the same equidistant plane. The composer kit comes with different aperture shapes to create bokehs with heart shape, diamond shape etc.
The only thing, you will need to pair the NEX lensbaby with a nikon F mount lens.

Unless you are printing your own money, it is much more economical to invest in manual focus lenses that you can use with both the GH3 and the VG30. They will be outlast these cameras and whatever body you may wish to upgrade to. Buy the native mount lens only for the shortest focal length eg 8mm-14mm. And for still and flash photography, the fast native zoom lenses. For video, MF is still the best choice, why do you think there is no autofocus cine range?

Thanks Bamboo, care to share what is a lensbaby & composer kit ?

FYI, I just bought the Sony E-mount 35mm F/1.8 lens (on impulse i should say).

But how do I do manual focus on the VG30 ? I want to create a bokeh of the background lights to make it look out of focus before it actually gets clearer.

Also how do I change to focus point from point A to focus on point B in the VG30 ?

Any tips ?

Thanks

 

[Bamboopictures]

Lensbaby info:
Lensbaby Composer Pro - Professional Creative Lens for Canon, Nikon and other SLR Cameras
Bokeh effect movies:
Lensbaby Movie Gallery | Creative Effects from Video and Motion Picture Cameras

Flip the switch on your lens to manual, turn on focus peaking and pull focus. Mark points with a follow focus or tie a friendship silicone band around your lens and clip 2 paper clips on the band to mark focus/

 

[RyanKhoo]

Mark points with a follow focus or tie a friendship silicone band around your lens and clip 2 paper clips on the band to mark focus/

Can I know where to buy this silicone band ? And how much does it cost ?

Thanks

 

[Bamboopictures]

Can I know where to buy this silicone band ? And how much does it cost ?

Thanks

I'm referring to the silicone bracelet kids wear. Popularized by Lance Armstrong. You can buy the kid sized ones for $1 at mini-toons. Some times you can find them in toy capsule machines.

 

[kandinsky]

Yeah, here's an example of a guy using silicone wristbands on his lenses (ignore the follow focus): GH2 Follow Focus for Small Primes » CheesyCam

An off the shelf solution might be something like the Varavon Sling - :::: Welcome to VARAVON ::::

 

[RyanKhoo]

An off the shelf solution might be something like the Varavon Sling - :::: Welcome to VARAVON ::::

Thanks kandinsky,

This is exactly what I am looking for, bcos it is difficult to rotate the focus ring on the VG30 leh

Any idea where I can buy this in Singapore ? And how much roughly is this ?

Thanks a lot

 

[kandinsky]

Vediamod Singapore Online Camera & Video Equipment Store | SLING Follow Focus
Video Equipments - Varavon Sling Focus - Sgcamerastore.com :: Professional Photography Accessories / Videography Equipments / Studio Lightings / Studio Kits / Studio Equipments - (Powered by CubeCart)