Post: #1

So I'm looking to upgrade my 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens after a year of use. Based on my shooting style, I have these two needs:

-Stronger zoom to catch faces of people in my travel videos
-Wider aperture for street video scenes at night (low light situations)

I've been looking at this lens to cover just about all my needs:

Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G



New price: $600

But since the aperture is the same as my kit lens, I know I will have some issues at night, so I was thinking of also this fixed lens:

Nikon 105mm f/2.8D



New price: $800

I usually need to be zoomed in at night so that's why I think 105mm will work best. Nikon also has a very nice 135mm f/2, but the depth of field will be so small that I know I'll have focus problems shooting video on moving targets.

Since these lenses are expensive, I was thinking of buying used on Keh.com. There is also a site I found called Lumoid.com that lets you rent lenses for a reasonable price.

I'll be using these lens for video, not pictures. Any thoughts?

Post: #2

KEH has a real good reputation. So you can't go wrong with them for used.

The second lens you mentioned was a prime lens. I know I am stating the obvious but that means you will be zooming with your feet. Just something to keep in mind. In my limited experiences I have used a prime and run out of space or been in a tight situation where I couldn't fit everything I wanted into the frame. Also, I am not sure how fast you are at switching lenses but if you are on the go and shooting and moving that might be a pain.

You may want to consider other brands such as sigma or tamron to bring down the cost.

Post: #3

Your first lens is a solid choice for video.

Your second lens choice is rather odd. First of all, 105mm 2.8D lens in the picture has been out of production for several years so I'm not sure they even sell them new anymore. The updated version of this lens is the 105mm 2.8G (not D), is around $800 new, and importantly comes with VR (vibration reduction), so it would be much easier to get a steady hand-held shot, which gets trickier the longer the focal length. However, the primary purpose of this lens is to be a macro lens (close-up photography) - it has the ability to focus while being very close to a subject. It's also a sharp FX lens so while it would work fine on a DX body, you'll be overpaying for these things you don't need for DX video.

Also -- the f2.8 max aperture is not that much better for low-light work than the f3.5. It's less than 1 stop. In other words you can get the same sensitivity to light by increasing your ISO by less than 1 stop (= double). Makes no sense to shell out $800 for such a small difference. If you want an additional prime lens for low-light work, consider the Nikon 85mm f1.8G (about $500 new), or the Rokinon 85mm f1.4 (just $280 new, as long as you're OK with manual focusing). Remember, you don't have to use these lenses at f1.4 or f1.8, that's just the max aperture so if you're having trouble with getting adequate depth of field, just stop down by one or two stops. But the advantage is, you'll be able to go as low as 1.8 or 1.4, and get great low light preformance (in situations where depth of field isn't a big issue if you're focusing rather far, like a panorama city shot), or blow out the background so much more than before when focusing up close, in situations where you want to do that - e.g. night shots with a sharp subject and blown out background with lights can look great.

The Nikon 135mm f2 D is very expensive and doesn't have VR. It's designed to be a portrait photography lens primarily, and doesn't seem like it's worth it for your purposes.

Post: #4

I only do manual focusing, so the Rokinon could work. VR is nice but I do have a monopod.

Also, I rarely shoot in the 18-30mm range. Is there an advantage for getting a zoom lens in the 50-200 range?

Post: #5

A good friend who is a filmmaker:

-don't buy prime lenses as you will always want to have a zoom for that kind of shooting

-nikon is shit for video

-Tell him this lens is great, you can buy it second hand for $600-$700 depending on if he lives in a big city. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/39...S_USM.html

-It'll need this adapter http://www.amazon.ca/Fotodiox-Mount-Adap...001G4QXLE]

-In terms of having a bright picture in low light situations, he needs to upgrade his camera

Post: #6

(06-17-2015 02:28 PM)Atlantic Wrote:  A good friend who is a filmmaker:

-don't buy prime lenses as you will always want to have a zoom for that kind of shooting

-nikon is shit for video

-Tell him this lens is great, you can buy it second hand for $600-$700 depending on if he lives in a big city. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/39...S_USM.html

-It'll need this adapter http://www.amazon.ca/Fotodiox-Mount-Adap...001G4QXLE]

-In terms of having a bright picture in low light situations, he needs to upgrade his camera

Ironic I am just about to buy a full Nikon 5500 kit (No GPS but I have my smart phone for that and I really don't like GPS embedded in the pics - Google and NSA already track us too much via smart phones and if I find a nice natrual setting - why show all the other photo interlopers where on earth it is... Especially when selling your better shots to buyers.

So what dual single shot and HD 60FPS Video would you prefer - not quite ready for a red dragon ... this however seems like a great package with all of the extras....

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UAYSRYC

by 47th Street Photo
(They always put together full packages at real hard to beat prices... )
Be the first to review this item
List Price: $1,325.99
Price: $1,029.99 & FREE Shipping
You Save: $296.00 (22%)

Post: #7

Also this pkg deal seems to have everything for indoor and outdoor work - stills and video:

http://www.amazon.com/Aspherical-650-260...B00UAYWRUW

by 47th Street Photo
Be the first to review this item
List Price: $2,105.99
Price: $1,448.99 & FREE Shipping. Details
You Save: $657.00 (31%)

Post: #8

I started photography 9 years ago with a D40 and 18-200. Purchased primes, pro zooms, 3 more bodies, 3 flashes. It was fun for a time, but eventually I sold it all off and and am now left with only a D5300 and the same 18-200 from way back when. It seems no matter what I always come back to it.

Post: #9

If I was shooting apsc and had your requirements I'd want this http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controll...&A=details and jump on any one of the 70-200 2.8 lenses depending on your budget.

Generally, you want to stay away from kit lenses or lenses with variable aperture, especially for video, because as you zoom the iris will adjust which isnt ideal, you want it to stay constant.

Post: #10

(06-17-2015 01:27 PM)Espresso Wrote:  Your first lens is a solid choice for video.

Your second lens choice is rather odd. First of all, 105mm 2.8D lens in the picture has been out of production for several years so I'm not sure they even sell them new anymore. The updated version of this lens is the 105mm 2.8G (not D), is around $800 new, and importantly comes with VR (vibration reduction), so it would be much easier to get a steady hand-held shot, which gets trickier the longer the focal length. However, the primary purpose of this lens is to be a macro lens (close-up photography) - it has the ability to focus while being very close to a subject. It's also a sharp FX lens so while it would work fine on a DX body, you'll be overpaying for these things you don't need for DX video.

Also -- the f2.8 max aperture is not that much better for low-light work than the f3.5. It's less than 1 stop. In other words you can get the same sensitivity to light by increasing your ISO by less than 1 stop (= double). Makes no sense to shell out $800 for such a small difference. If you want an additional prime lens for low-light work, consider the Nikon 85mm f1.8G (about $500 new), or the Rokinon 85mm f1.4 (just $280 new, as long as you're OK with manual focusing). Remember, you don't have to use these lenses at f1.4 or f1.8, that's just the max aperture so if you're having trouble with getting adequate depth of field, just stop down by one or two stops. But the advantage is, you'll be able to go as low as 1.8 or 1.4, and get great low light preformance (in situations where depth of field isn't a big issue if you're focusing rather far, like a panorama city shot), or blow out the background so much more than before when focusing up close, in situations where you want to do that - e.g. night shots with a sharp subject and blown out background with lights can look great.

The Nikon 135mm f2 D is very expensive and doesn't have VR. It's designed to be a portrait photography lens primarily, and doesn't seem like it's worth it for your purposes.

Solid advice. Rokinon do good budget fast prime lenses. I own 2 of them. However, I think 85mm is too long for general low light work. I'd go with a 35mm or 50mm instead. The Nikkor AIS 50mm 1.2 or 1.4 would be a good choice.

If you want to splash out, get the Sigma 18-35mm 1.8 ...it's supposedly the world's fastest zoom lens.

Post: #11

If I recall you had the D5200 which can be modded for video. DXOMARK has a bunch of tested lenses you can look at.

The Nikon Hack will remove the video time limit and can help you tweak the aperture in live mode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dCOaQYdL5Q

Post: #12

If you can handle the 12 min recording issue (I think Magic Lantern may have fixed this), Canon is generally considered the better camera for video.

Post: #13

Those lenses you posted are not zooms. They are prime lenses (fixed focal length)

What you might do is keep your current zoom as it's a good all around lens and then get another. Like 55-105 or 35-105 (something like that).
Or, maybe there's an 18-105 you could replace yours with.

You also might try to find one with image-stabilzation (I.S.).

Post: #14

Under $1100 these should be the top two (ignore the 1st) zooms. The rest are below.

The camera is an APS-C so each focal length is 1.5X. In other words a 50mm is equal to a 75mm and so on. If you use the Nikon hack, be careful of some of the tweaks as they have a remote possibility of bricking the camera.

Post: #15

(06-17-2015 01:49 PM)Roosh Wrote:  I only do manual focusing, so the Rokinon could work. VR is nice but I do have a monopod.

Also, I rarely shoot in the 18-30mm range. Is there an advantage for getting a zoom lens in the 50-200 range?

If you are confident you only need the 50-200mm focal range, you could go for the Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G. Slightly smaller max aperture at the short end (f4 compared to f3.5) but it will be lighter, and significantly cheaper than the 18-200mm. There are two versions, the recently released VRII version ($350 new), and the older VR version (just $230 new).

If you want a larger max aperture, and also a constant aperture throughout the zoom range (so the aperture will not suddenly change as you zoom in), consider the tamron 70-200mm f2.8, which also comes with VR (or VC as Tamron calls it), but it's an FX lens and as such, it's a big and expensive option.

Since you only do manual focusing, then you'd probably love using a manual focus prime lens too....since lenses that are designed to be manual focus will generally have a nice smooth focusing ring with a large angle of rotation compared to auto-focus lenses, making it easier to focus.

(06-17-2015 02:28 PM)Atlantic Wrote:  -In terms of having a bright picture in low light situations, he needs to upgrade his camera

I think Roosh is looking for a relatively cheap way to significantly upgrade his current set-up, which is indeed possible for just a few hundred dollars. Of course, something like the Sony a7s, will be an absolutely superb low-light performer for video, but it's a $3000 camera, body only.

(06-17-2015 07:14 PM)crudeloyalist Wrote:  If you want to splash out, get the Sigma 18-35mm 1.8 ...it's supposedly the world's fastest zoom lens.

Indeed, supposed to be one of the very best DX lenses around, but not the focal length that Roosh is looking for.

Post: #16

Based on what I really want to do with video, from what you guys have said, I would likely need multiple expensive lens, but since I'm not there yet, I think the best compromise is this lens:

NIKON 18-140MM F/3.5-5.6 G ED DX AF-S VR



Since I have a Nikon DX camera, effective zoom is at 210mm. The lens is relatively light (compared to the huge 18-200mm), is not too expensive ($300 used at KEH), I can use it for all my shooting, and it would be a big upgrade from my current lens that should keep me challenged for at least a year of use.

Post: #17

^^^^
That seems good and comparable to the 18-105 lens that comes with some of the Canon's in their "Kit", and many people are happy with only that lens, especially for video.

It also looks like that Nikon lens has image stabilization which will help for night/low-light shooting.

Post: #18

Roosh, if I were you, I would strongly consider selling your Nikon and just buying a video camera/camcorder. If you're not shooting stills, I don't see a point in trying to use a stills camera for video.

Especially if you only have the budget for variable aperture zoom lenses. Shooting at 140mm @f/5.6 at night is going to be miserable and will give very poor results.

I shoot video on dSLR's, but I am using a fleet of cameras, lenses, audio gear, lighting equipment, etc., and it's all because I am going for a very particular result.

Most importantly though, I am using those same cameras and lenses for still photography, so from an investment standpoint, it makes sense for me.

Otherwise, shooting video on a dSLR is a pain in the ass and largely an exercise in frustration.

---

In your case, it sounds like you are doing a lot of run and gun type shooting, which necessitates a compact, portable kit. I know you are also doing some locked-off interview type shoots.

For both cases, I think you'd be much happier with something like a Sony Handycam or one of the offerings from Panasonic or Canon. You'll still be happy with such a camera in a year or two, and you'll be able to spend more time focusing on your skills as a filmmaker, rather than wondering if your equipment is holding you back.

In the $400-$600 range you're going to be getting a video camera with a strong optical zoom, 1080p recording, built in mic, built in image stabilizer, etc. In the $600-$800 range, you'll see an even bigger jump in quality and features.

If you have cash to upgrade after that, then you can get into audio & lighting equipment, fluid head tripods, etc., which are all going to make a noticeable increase in the quality of your videos.

Post: #19

The nikon 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 G is only a little heavier than the nikon 18-140mm f3.5-5.6 G. The 18-140mm is probably a bit sharper but it's not going to matter for 1080p video. The extra reach, however, could definitely come in handy.

Either one is a solid option though in my opinion. I'd pick up an inexpensive manual focus fast (=large max aperture) prime later on too, and you've got yourself a good set-up to experiment and produce results with.

Post: #20

Clearly some stills and video experts here...

I will be doing half product and portrait stills and half HD demo videos and some smart phone type hd vlog video for "street" effect...

These are the kit lenses and stuff in the two 47th Street Photo pkgs via Amazon...

1st $1,029.99 kit:
Nikon D5500 Touch Screen 24.2MP DSLR Digital Camera with AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II DX Lens (1546) + 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens + UV Protective Filter + 128GB Memory + (2) Extra EN-EL14 Battery Packs + Dual Home/Car/European Charger + LED Video Light + 67" Monopod + Travel Backpack + Padded Carrying Case + 3 Piece Filter Kit + 2.2x Telephoto + 0.43x Wide Angle + Opteka X-Grip Action Handle + Wrist Strap + Dust Cleaning Kit + $50 Gift Card + More!

2nd $1,448.99 kit
Nikon D5500 Touch Screen 24.2MP DSLR Digital Camera with AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II DX Lens (1546) + Opteka 6.5mm f/3.5 HD Aspherical Fisheye Lens + 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens + Opteka 650-2600mm HD Telephoto Zoom Lens + 2.2x Telephoto + 0.43x Wide Angle + 3 Piece Filter Set + 128GB Memory + X-Grip Action Stabilizer + Super i-TTL Autofocus Flash + Travel Backpack + Padded Carrying Case + 70" Tripod + 67" Monopod + Cleaning Kit + More!

I appreciated the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art Lens for Nikon B&H # SI183518DCN MFR # 210-306 reccommendation but the $799.00 price seems a bit rich compared to the full kits above...

Question is do any of the lenses compare to the Sigma lens and general opinion of these packaged kits?

To be totally honest I am looking at combining my web content biz with some Vid-Tog game to mix a bit of biz and pleasure... I saved quite a bit off of my last 2 contracts and this is all a big biz deduction including "models" (priceline hotels) "shoot" expenses and am leaning towards PKG two to experiment with the various lenses and the camera for both Close Up Product and Head Shot/Full length body shots "TFP" and 60fps 1080p + video.

I have an old 35MM Canon EOS SLR still in perfect shape but eats film like wolf.

and a Fujifilm FinePix Digital Cam 2650 3x Optical Zoom with flash and red eye reduction that takes great auto focused snaps in most any light - fine for std web 75bpi pics but an antique by new Nikon stds...

So not a complete foto-noob but no expert so any feed back on the above two D5500 pkgs and lenses greatly appreciated...

Post: #21

Deepdiver, if you are not in a total hurry I'd check out reddit. Check out the photography section and the specific camera and also check filmmakers. Though I rarely see nikon mentioned in the filmmakers subreddit.

I searched real quick for you on reddit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/photography/sea...rict_sr=on

noisy autofocus caught on audio - D5500
https://www.reddit.com/r/photography/com...kon_d5500/

This google search should help you with understanding the lens comparisons better.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=ch...e%20lenses

Post: #22

(06-18-2015 02:54 PM)samsamsam Wrote:  Deepdiver, if you are not in a total hurry I'd check out reddit. Check out the photography section and the specific camera and also check filmmakers. Though I rarely see nikon mentioned in the filmmakers subreddit.

I searched real quick for you on reddit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/photography/sea...rict_sr=on

noisy autofocus caught on audio - D5500
https://www.reddit.com/r/photography/com...kon_d5500/

This google search should help you with understanding the lens comparisons better.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=ch...e%20lenses

Thank you!

Post: #23

Looks like an external Rhode mic is the way to go for video - not doing movies yet so no budget for Red Dragon level gear just YouTube/Vimeo Product, Services and Local Biz demo/testimonial/tutorial vids and want something more pro quality than the latest smart phones which are getting pretty amazing in and of themselves - even external lenses for them...

per https://www.reddit.com/r/photography/com...kon_d5500/
Event filming camera op here! I learned a while back when filming a short horror film external mics are the place to go! Get a good Rhodes mic and, if you can, an external audio recorder like the Tascam DR40 and just use a slate to lock them together in post. Trust me....it will save you some serious headaches!!
permalinkparent
[–]tswiftvibes[S] 1 point 3 days ago
It's just because I'm filming candidly, I want to be discreet, and mics are awfully intrusive
permalinkparent
[–]isanx777 1 point 3 days ago
It's just because I'm filming candidly, I want to be discreet, and mics are awfully intrusive
Totally understand. There are smaller mics that you can mount up top of the camera. Check amazon.com for those. That should still allow you to shoot discreetly. Your on camera mic will get handling noise, your breathing, focus motors etc...
If you do go on camera mic get the noise reduction software for post production from Izotope. It will clean it up pretty well.
Source: filmmaker for 11 years

Also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB4ZELHExP0

Post: #24

DD,

Another great resource for video is DVXUSER.com

I have pasted below a link specificially for Nikon.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/forumdisplay.p...a2582fdef2

Here someone is asking about any Nikons that are good for video
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php...y-in-video

Keep in mind I think Roosh's video quality is perfect for what he is doing. I am not sure what video quality you are trying to achieve.

If you go to youtube or vimeo and search on the camera and lens, sometimes you can find videos shot on the combo you are looking at. You can see what can be achieved but having equipment is just one aspect of a nice video, lighting etc all matters. And honestly, a guy with 10 years experience is gonna do better than a guy with one year.

And one last resource https://pixelpeeper.com/
You can see photo images made from a combination of camera and lens. So you get an idea of what you can achieve.

Sadly, I only found one pic with your combo https://pixelpeeper.com/adv/?lens=179&ca...none&res=3

Here are some pics with the nikon lens - some are shot on the d5300 which is the predecessor to the 5500
http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/review...ii-samples


Flickr also has groups showing photos with each type of camera. Sometimes in the details it will show camera, lens and even focal length if it was a zoom. Exposure, etc. Pretty interesting info if you want to get into the detail.

With all this, I hope it can help you make an informed decision.

If you are not turning pro and not a perfectionist or a guy that needs the latest and greatest every time, I thin we are in an age that any DSLR can get you good results, just takes a little practice.

Best of luck.

Post: #25

(06-18-2015 03:32 PM)Deepdiver Wrote:  Looks like an external Rhode mic is the way to go for video - not doing movies yet so no budget for Red Dragon level gear just YouTube/Vimeo Product, Services and Local Biz demo/testimonial/tutorial vids and want something more pro quality than the latest smart phones which are getting pretty amazing in and of themselves - even external lenses for them...

What exactly do you want to do? Rode mic is pretty decent. It fails the one test which is getting the mic as close to the talent as you can. Some do take the rode mic and rig it to a boom and place it closer to the talent. If you are just doing youtube videos, you might be better off with clip on lav with a long cord (20 feet).

This one isn't bad, I one. I have not used it yet but did test it for quality. The reviews are great.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/94...l_lav.html