What kind of a lens should I get?

shockimpulse

shockimpulse

I own a CANON XL1s. I'm going to be getting a Jag35 Pro real soon at a very VERY low price.

Unfortunately the Canon XL1s isn't an HD camcorder so I'm hoping the Jag35 and lens will make up for that. But I'm still relatively new into the lens portion and I'm still studying up. But let's say with a budget of about $300~$600, what's a good lens to buy for my Jag35 and XL1s? On e-bay of course.
 
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You're gonna want to get 2-3 primes (not zoom lenses). The first one you'll want is a 50mm f/1.8 at least. A 50mm f/1.4, which is a big step up from the 1.8, will run you around 350 (maybe less on ebay, def less for a manual lens, which is probably what you want)

The next important one is going to be you wide angle lens. So pick up a 28mm f/2.8. They start around 250, I think.

The brand you buy will depend on the type of lens mount that the Jag has.

Hope this helps!
 
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yes with 300 to 600, get a 50mm f/1.4 and shoot away.

aim to get something around a 24mm and and 85 mm when u have the money. look online to see images of wide angel and telephoto lens so u have an idea of how wide u want ur wide etc.
 
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$600 you can get a lot of good glass.
50mm f1.4 should be less than $60. Steeping up (hey that's both literal AND metaphoric) to a f1.2 puts you in the $300 range..

Zoom lenses work fine. Its just that they tend to not be very fast, and get slower as you zoom in, fast means how much light they let through, f.stop..
 
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Ernest, I don't believe you can use "new" lenses on 35mm adapters, so anything with AF features etc is just wasted money, sure you can get an EOS connecting ring, but that doesn't mean you can use ANY of the advanced features of that lens. You need 100% manual lenses on a 35mm adapter. Ebay is where I got my Canon FD 50mm f1.4 for $40. Also, on another board that specializes in the hv20 camera I see lenses in their form for sale right now that are near $60. To be fair I think the used canon FD lenses run cheaper, as I check ebay I see a Nikon mount 50mm f1.4 are listing Buy It Now at $100 - $150..

for $90 hit keh.com http://www.keh.com/camera/Nikon-Manual-Focus-Fixed-Focal-Length-Lenses/1/sku-NK0601020069906?r=FE

YMMV
 
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Ernest Worthing said:
I dont know about finding a 50mm f/1.4 for less than 300 bucks if its new and a reputable brand like Canon or Nikkor.

Which 50mm's were you talking about wheat? Im just curious.
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You can get an e-series Nikon which is perfectly good lens on ebay for $60 (28mm or 50mm). Why in the world would you buy new glass when there is good used glass being dumped all over the place as people sell their old film cameras after going digital. 85mm and 135mm are a bit more expensive as they (especially the 85mm) tended to be owned by pros for portraits.
 
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Gonzo_Entertainment said:
You can get an e-series Nikon which is perfectly good lens on ebay for $60 (28mm or 50mm). Why in the world would you buy new glass when there is good used glass being dumped all over the place as people sell their old film cameras after going digital. 85mm and 135mm are a bit more expensive as they (especially the 85mm) tended to be owned by pros for portraits.
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Im always afraid to use ebay for buying such things as lens. Like New is anything but objective. And it doesnt help that the better the deal seems the more suspicious i get :lol:
 
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Ernest Worthing said:
Im always afraid to use ebay for buying such things as lens. Like New is anything but objective. And it doesnt help that the better the deal seems the more suspicious i get :lol:
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I'll buy a lemon one of these days I'm sure, but I have bought 6 lenses off ebay (for me and my girlfriend), and yet to get one in less than good condition (maybe a tad rough on outside, but blades fine, no scratches, no fungus).

Nikon E-series 28mm $60
Nikon E-Series 50mm $45
Pentax-M 28mm $40
Pentax M42 Takumar 55mm $35
Vivitar 135mm (for Pentax K mount) $20
Pentax-M 40mm $60
 
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Gonzo! Your a pentax fan! I was at my goodwill yesterday a HALF DOZEN thats right at least 6 Pentax lenses for a $5 - $10 each.. most primes and some 400mm etc.. you want I should go pick them up for you?
 
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Sorry, too late :( But Ill keep my eyes open.. There was this one HUGE Sears 400mm that looked good, but I couldn't quite ID the mount. I'm not that familiar with anything but the canon FD mount..
 
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wheatgrinder said:
Sorry, too late :( But Ill keep my eyes open.. There was this one HUGE Sears 400mm that looked good, but I couldn't quite ID the mount. I'm not that familiar with anything but the canon FD mount..
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I appreciate the effort man. The Pentax are either K mount (bayonet type) or M-42 which is the old screw mount. I have an adapter for those old M-42 lenses. If you see anything that says SMC Pentax or Takumar, and it's under $20 with no scratches on the glass I want it.
 
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Dreadylocks said:
Just curious, do you just use that for still photography? I'm only asking because I have an old K1000 and it'd be cool to know how you rigged it to shoot film/vid (if that's what you meant :P).

Either way I love using it to frame shots when I'm bored lol
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No, I use it to shoot stills. I picked it back up for composition practice. It's 100% manual as you know, auto nothing. It really helps imprint my brain with the kind of framing, DOF, exposure, color, etc... decisions I want to become more intuitive with.
 
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