My friend and I recently got a Canon T3i for filming. Does anyone have any lens recommendations for it? I plan on shooting a short film for my towns annual film festival this September and I want to get the best out of the camera we have
Camera lens recommendations?
- Thread starter AlexJamesM
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Yeah, there are 3 or 4 mount types that require a lens in the adapter... these are often much lower quality than the glass you're attaching to it, so the image quality suffers greatly just from the adapter... Fujica X and MD mount lenses specifically haven't worked well for me. If you're just shooting macro with them, you can get an adapter that doesn't have a lens in it, but you won't e focussing more than a foot or two away from your camera.
What part of "I use this" is so confusing that you'd risk calling me a liar?
The FD and FL 1.2 55mm can be adapted to EF without optics and retain infinity focus despite the longer register distance. On a full frame you have to use live view to avoid mirror strikes, but that won't harm either. I use it on my 7D and 5D3.
Google edmika.
Edit here ya go: http://r.ebay.com/dp5wcE
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That's a pretty slick (if spendy for my budget) solution. It's not technically an adapter, it's a replacement mount kit. The adaptors that need the lenses need them to change the optical distance between the back lens and the capture plane of the camera as the differences between the EOS and the FD don't play nicely together. Also Fujica X an a couple others that I can't think of off the top of my head.
Your solution gets around the adaptor distance problem by removing the mount and it's set distance and replacing with another that make the distance between them correct. I'm certain your setup works... and much better than any of the lensed solutions.
Your solution gets around the adaptor distance problem by removing the mount and it's set distance and replacing with another that make the distance between them correct. I'm certain your setup works... and much better than any of the lensed solutions.
Aye. It works perfect on any crop camera, and works just fine on a 5D2 or 5D3 in live view mode or under about 20 feet.
You can often find old 55 1.2 lenses for around $200-250 (with the camera even), and where else can you get a working 1.2 lens for under $500?
I rarely use it for film at f/1.2, but it also handles really nicely. Very smooth, dampened focus. Nothing unexpected at all except for one possible thing: I found some very subtle hitching in the video periodically (every few seconds), and I'm not sure if it was because of issues with the dandelion chip or what. I'm not sure how to solve this, but it doesn't always happen either.
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I want to toss in a suggestion for a couple of nice primes.
One that I love for my 550D is the Soviet Helios 44M.
It can be had on ebay for under $50 and is built like a tank. Since it's a spin-on M42 mount you just need a cheap adaptor that you can find on ebay as well.
The other is the Zenitar 50mm which is an M42 as well and brand new examples can be had for around $50
The Zenitar has a plastic focus ring but I've never had any trouble with it slipping or any signs of damage from rough use.
Both the Helios and the Zenitar are F2 lenses.
I've heard horror stories about the low end Canon 50 1.8 getting stuck on camera bodies or just self destructing with very little sympathy from Canon about it.
If I had to choose just one of the Soviet jobs, I'd get the Helios first.
As for the adaptors, I opted for the chipped model, but I find for shooting video I don't need the focus confirm, so you can save a couple bucks that way.
And if you haven't done so yet, get Magic Lantern, it transforms your camera into a film making monster!
Hope that helps!
Neil
One that I love for my 550D is the Soviet Helios 44M.
It can be had on ebay for under $50 and is built like a tank. Since it's a spin-on M42 mount you just need a cheap adaptor that you can find on ebay as well.
The other is the Zenitar 50mm which is an M42 as well and brand new examples can be had for around $50
The Zenitar has a plastic focus ring but I've never had any trouble with it slipping or any signs of damage from rough use.
Both the Helios and the Zenitar are F2 lenses.
I've heard horror stories about the low end Canon 50 1.8 getting stuck on camera bodies or just self destructing with very little sympathy from Canon about it.
If I had to choose just one of the Soviet jobs, I'd get the Helios first.
As for the adaptors, I opted for the chipped model, but I find for shooting video I don't need the focus confirm, so you can save a couple bucks that way.
And if you haven't done so yet, get Magic Lantern, it transforms your camera into a film making monster!
Hope that helps!
Neil
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Dont be so testy stef... my comment was to cover the broadest application of the terms "adapter" and "lenses" and was certainly not meant to call you out as a liar, I'm truly sorry about that.
My advice still stands. If your new to cameras and filmmaking, and if you have a T3i, dont buy FD glass.
Please note that I love FD glass, that's all I really use on my GH2.
In retrospect, that did sound a bit testy... I wasn't as annoyed as I sounded. But I would say that if you like the 50mm range and can drop $150 for the new mount, you certainly do want this lens for a t3i.
I was very careful to state exactly which lens this worked for. I think you took that to be a generality, which would normally require optics. As far as FD/FL glass in general, no, you don't want that for a t3i. As far as this lens in particular, it works great on a canon crop camera. I'm using this on an FL I bought later (which requires a different mount design) ... my FD is still attached to my Canon F1. I have bought several 50 1.2 lenses (2xFL, 1xFD) just for the purpose of filming, with the mount changed using this adapter. It's really slick.
Most people who've looked know the register distance is shorter on FD than EF, which means optics are normally required. That's why I made it a point to say that there's a solution for that specific lens where optics aren't required.
I was very careful to state exactly which lens this worked for. I think you took that to be a generality, which would normally require optics. As far as FD/FL glass in general, no, you don't want that for a t3i. As far as this lens in particular, it works great on a canon crop camera. I'm using this on an FL I bought later (which requires a different mount design) ... my FD is still attached to my Canon F1. I have bought several 50 1.2 lenses (2xFL, 1xFD) just for the purpose of filming, with the mount changed using this adapter. It's really slick.
Most people who've looked know the register distance is shorter on FD than EF, which means optics are normally required. That's why I made it a point to say that there's a solution for that specific lens where optics aren't required.