Motion Studies
Vintage lenses are well-suited for videography. With (usually) smooth manual focusing and excellent mechanical construction, they offer better handling than many modern lenses. While most can't quite match the contrast and resolution of modern glass, they can produce more 'interesting' results, full of vintage 'character' caused by one or more of the following: vignetting, reduced contrast, wide-open glow, wild bokeh, etc.
Below you'll find some short sample footage shot with lenses I have already reviewed. The videos were mostly filmed with the Sony A7s using the Movie Picture Profile with little (if any) colour correction in post.
Below you'll find some short sample footage shot with lenses I have already reviewed. The videos were mostly filmed with the Sony A7s using the Movie Picture Profile with little (if any) colour correction in post.
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Canon FL 55 f1.2 A heavy beast with an excellent mechanical construction and a uniquely 'messy' bokeh. Capable of very thin dof with good sharpness wide open; very sharp stopped down. Produces interesting results. |
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Canon FD 100 f2 Smooth focusing and excellent image quality; great sharpness and contrast wide open. Creamy bokeh, too. The 100mm focal length can really isolate the subject and give a cinematic look to footage. |
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Konica AR 40 f1.8 A great fit for the A7s, this lens is a very good performer during the day with good sharpness, short focus throw, and excellent handling. Not a good choice for night shooting with purple fringing, ghosting, and coma showing their ugly heads. |
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Canon FD 24 f2.8 Affordable wide angle with pretty good image quality and good handling on the A7s. Some slight moustache distortion. |
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Canon FD 50 f1.4 SSC Lots of character wide open with heavy vignetting and sometimes harsh bokeh but good contrast and sharpness. A little front heavy on the camera but good mechanically. |
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Nikkor 50 f1.2 AI-S Excellent mechanical construction and operation. Dreamy wide open with decent bokeh. Very sharp stopped down. |
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Canon FD 135 f2
Big and heavy and rather well put together. Smooth and long focus throw is great for video shooting. Image quality, subject isolation potential, and bokeh are all outstanding! |
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Carl Zeiss 50mm f1.7
Build quality may not be as good as all-metal vintage lenses, but it does make the lens light and easy to handle on the A7s. Excellent image quality - sharp and contrasty. |
