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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Fastest Primes
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Showing posts 1 - 14 of 14, (reverse)
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03/30/2009 05:35:47 AM · #1
I've been working with film lenses and digital cinema cameras for over a year now and am just starting to look into stills lenses for when I get an slr. I've noticed though that in the standard shops the fastest fixed focal length lenses still seem to be 2.8 or so which is the same as the smaller zooms at their widest. In film you really pay a premium for really fast primes but zooms are much rarer. I also imagine fast primes aren't as necessary for stills but useful for the tightest dof.

Anyone got any say, f1.3 lenses? Or faster?
03/30/2009 05:50:23 AM · #2
Canon have at least two 1.2 prime lens.

03/30/2009 05:55:18 AM · #3
i once had the oppurtunity to play with a nikkor 1.2/50 AIS for two days, really an amazing lens, even though it looses some of its magic on a non-fullframe digital body.

but you asked for the fastest prime, so here it is:

Carl Zeiss Planar T* 0.7/50
03/30/2009 05:59:17 AM · #4
Wow... I'm not surprised it's zeiss. So am I right in uunderstandong that when wide open the depth of field would be incredibly shallow?

A closer look at that picture and I can see it's right next to an arri/zeiss masterprime. Those lenses are incredible.

Message edited by author 2009-03-30 06:01:18.
03/30/2009 06:24:25 AM · #5
yes, dof would be VERY shallow on these lenses (guessing a few cm's only, but trying to find info on a specific number).

found another neat lens:
Nikkor 35mm F0.9

Here's a thread that lists quite a few...

Message edited by author 2009-03-30 06:31:55.
03/30/2009 10:12:25 AM · #6
Originally posted by Rankles:

am I right in understanding that when wide open the depth of field would be incredibly shallow?


The short answer is "yes", but FWIW the f/stop itself isn't the determining factor, but rather the physical size of the aperture. F/stop is a ratio between the focal length of the lens and the physical diameter of the aperture. So a 25mm aperture in a 50mm lens is f/2, whilst a 25mm aperture in a 200mm lens is f/8, and they both have the same DOF — to reiterate, when focused at the same distance, a 50mm lens at f/2 and a 200mm lens at f/8 have essentially the same DOF. There *are* other factors, but the diameter of the aperture is by far the key one.

What this means, in practical terms, is that an f/2.8 WA lens is nowhere NEAR as shallow wide open as is an f/2.8 telephoto, for example.

Even so, the f/0.7 50mm will have razor-thin DOF when focused close, for sure :-)

R.
03/30/2009 10:16:59 AM · #7
Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by Rankles:

am I right in understanding that when wide open the depth of field would be incredibly shallow?


The short answer is "yes", but FWIW the f/stop itself isn't the determining factor, but rather the physical size of the aperture. F/stop is a ratio between the focal length of the lens and the physical diameter of the aperture. So a 25mm aperture in a 50mm lens is f/2, whilst a 25mm aperture in a 200mm lens is f/8, and they both have the same DOF — to reiterate, when focused at the same distance, a 50mm lens at f/2 and a 200mm lens at f/8 have essentially the same DOF. There *are* other factors, but the diameter of the aperture is by far the key one.

R.


Now this I did not know. Learn something new everyday, thanks Bear!
03/30/2009 11:39:02 AM · #8
Originally posted by Mephisto:

Here's a thread that lists quite a few...


That thread mentions the old Canon 50/0.95 rangefinder lens. Here's some photos of a copy of that lens that I sold for a family member:



This was the television version of the lens, optically identical to the rangefinder version, and mechanically interchangeable with one small mod. This particular copy came from a piece of medical imaging equipment.
03/30/2009 01:10:59 PM · #9
I know you asked for f1.3 of faster, but there are some great primes available in the f1.4 - f2.0 range that are faster than the lenses you will find in most shops these days but not as expensive as some of the exotic lens at f1.2 and faster. A few examples would be the Canon 50mm f1.4, 85mm f1.8, 35mm f1.4L and 135mm f2.0L. Of course I skipped the 85mm f/1.2 which is amazing in both image quality and price. Not that I don't like the exotic stuff, but these days any really good prime seems to be exotic when compared to the popularity of consumer grade zoom lenses.
03/30/2009 01:50:13 PM · #10
If you are shooting Nikon, you can find a 50mm f1.2 S Ai manual on line for around $250 US. Make sure that the lens is Ai, or has been "Ai'd" so that it will work with the current Nikon or Fuji bodies. I use a 50mm f1.4 S Ai, with my Fuji S3, and like it a lot. Be aware that some of the newer Nikon bodies do not work with Ai lenses, but I think that they will work with all of the film bodies.
03/30/2009 02:57:23 PM · #11
The fastest lens I have is a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

Have never personally needed anything faster.

Message edited by author 2009-03-30 14:59:35.
03/30/2009 03:28:24 PM · #12
My wedding assistant has a Canon 50mm f1 - its huge, heavy and the contacts on the rear element are actually ON the element - I'll get a picture of it next time I see him. I have said if he ever sells it to give me first refusal - however it seems they are now collectors items and sell for almost twice their original retail price. Its a real beast of a lens.
03/30/2009 04:35:21 PM · #13
On the "relatively practical" side, Canon does have a number of fast primes that are currently in production, including the 24/1.4, 35/1.4, 50/1.2 and 50/1.4, the 85/1.2, the 100/2, the 135/2 (this one is legendary) and finally the 200/2.
03/30/2009 04:51:27 PM · #14
i ownz the 55mm f/1.2
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