Cine lenses

[RML]

In the past there's been some discussion of cine lenses, and now I'm interested too. 🙂 I want to learn. So, who can help me on my way? Links, websites, explanations, etc. are what I need.

 

[x-ray]

Look on the Zeiss website and pick up a cinematographers handbook. You can probably order ot from amazon. I've shot and directed many commercials for television since 1973. Most of my work has been with Arriflex 35mm and 16mm. Lenses for cine 35mm will not cover full frame 35mm film. the normal frame in 35 cine is 1/2 the still frame size. Zeiss, Schneider, Kinoptic, Cooke, and Angenieux have been some of the major players in the motion picture lens business. You might notice the super speed Zeiss lenses and marvel at the speed of these but check the prices. A set of six primes might run $60,000 up depending on the lenses, mount and speed. They are excellet motion picture lenses but fall short on performance for still imagery even if used on half frame still cameras. I've attempted to enlarge 35mm motion picture frames from color neg. a number of times and they results are very poor. There heve been a number of companies that have adapted still camera lenses to cine mounts. I've seen a few of the 300 F2 Nikkors (yes F2), 8mm 2.8 Nikkors and Canon long Zooms and 200 F1.8. These lenses are exceptional in performance on still cameras and fetch a very high price in Cine mount. For example the 300 F2 Nikkor, I believe there were only a little over 100 of these lenses made and it came with a matching 1.4x extender. The lens weighs 41 pounds and the last one I saw sold for nearly $28,000. Nikon had one in the loaner program for NPS but took it out of the program after a press photog. dropped it on the ice during the olympics a few years ago. I was going to borrow one from Nikon for a shoot but they required special insurance coverage for that lens and my insurance company would not write a policy for a short term loan. I own one of the 200 F1.8 canon lenses. It's truly the finest long lens I've ever owned and seen. Even at F1.8 it will cut you with sharpness and contrast. I've seen these reaching the $6,000 price lately. they haven't been made for a number of years and are in high demand.