What 5 Master Primes would most people choose?

[Vladimir Eugene]

If you could buy five, which would you feel could cover most needs. I'm guessing starting from the bottom and spacing them out equally- 14, 21, 32, 50, and 100. What do you guys think?

vlad

[Shawn Booth]

100. 75. 50. 32. 18

[Adrian T.]

18, 25, 35, 50, 75
would be cool if you could add the 100 too

[Ramesh Jai]

And if you had money to buy just 1 prime lens - which one would it be? I'm in that situation now and I am leaning towards the 50mm. What say all?

[Adrian T.]

And if you had money to buy just 1 prime lens - which one would it be? I'm in that situation now and I am leaning towards the 50mm. What say all?

Now that really depends on what you want to shoot with it and what style you prefer. :wink:

[Joel Kaye]

If you could buy five, which would you feel could cover most needs. I'm guessing starting from the bottom and spacing them out equally- 14, 21, 32, 50, and 100. What do you guys think?

vlad

I kinda like what you've got here. Remember, when you go into 2K for high speed having a really wide angle like that 14 is nice. I'd probably do a 75mm instead of the 100mm for the way I shoot if I couldn't have both.

[KETCH ROSSi]

If you could buy five, which would you feel could cover most needs. I'm guessing starting from the bottom and spacing them out equally- 14, 21, 32, 50, and 100. What do you guys think?

vlad

Hi Vlad, glad to see that you are jumping in the MP Wagon!

It is very subjective as to what is/are the best focal length lenses to buy when limited to a # of them.


For me it is easy as I intend not to rent, but then again not even open uficially here at my new place in Vegas, and already been offered jobs, so..

In my opinion there are always two lens which are a must have in a set, the "Widest and the Longest" as for a set like the MP the 14 and the 150mm are to be had.

After that you have to see your Shooting needs, and if this is for rental purpouse only, then it becomes triky as every job differs in needs, but I would get the following: 14mm, 35mm, 75mm, 100mm, and 150mm.


EDIT: On the widest side if come in need of something wider I'll go with the UP 8R or the UP 10 or 12mm with no hesitation as they are just as good, just not as fast, but then again I find that on the widest angle I reraly use a lenses at an Aperture below f/2.8.

Good luck


Ciao

[Shawn Booth]

And if you had money to buy just 1 prime lens - which one would it be? I'm in that situation now and I am leaning towards the 50mm. What say all?

Refer to Big Lebowski's post as well -

Without "KNOWING" your details, the 50 is a safe bet, being more like an eye - but the 32 might even be a better choice.

IMHO, if you can only afford one prime, maybe get a nice zoom instead OR use the purchase money to rent a set when needed.

[Johan Pabon]

If I had the money to just buy one prime lens I'd go for a couple of Nikkors and buy these secons hand, borrow them, or buy new ones as cheap as possible.
Style is really important, and also the budget you have on shootings.
With a small budget I'd prefer a 24 or 35 making sure I have enough DOF to work without assistance.
On the other hand: each lens has its advantage. The thing you need is: Choice!
Pretty much my situation...

[Fredrik Harreschou]

And if you had money to buy just 1 prime lens - which one would it be? I'm in that situation now and I am leaning towards the 50mm. What say all?

I'd recommend something wider, you will want to shoot in a lot of situations were the 50 won't be wide enough. But buying a single Master Prime isn't necessarily the first thing I would consider...

Fredrik

[Ernesto Lomeli]

Id get the standard set if its for Rental, this is what is expected
from any rental house:
18-25-35-50-85

if it was my set, or what i rent:
18-25-40-60-85-135

The 135mm is just such a gorgeous lens.By any lens series, wither MKIII's or cooke's. Once you have one you just never stop using it.

As for Wides, you can pick those up later, but your all day every day lenses are going to be the standard 5 +135.

[Ramesh Jai]

If I had the money to just buy one prime lens I'd go for a couple of Nikkors and buy these secons hand, borrow them, or buy new ones as cheap as possible.
Style is really important, and also the budget you have on shootings.
With a small budget I'd prefer a 24 or 35 making sure I have enough DOF to work without assistance.
On the other hand: each lens has its advantage. The thing you need is: Choice!
Pretty much my situation...
Thanks.

Another question. I guess the Nikkors are still camera lenses? Generally how do still camera lenses stack up against the Cine lens in terms of picture quality?

[Charles Angus]

I would go for:

16
25
50
100
150

MP doesn't come longer than 150, I would like a 200, but what can you do...

[Jason Ing]

(14mm) Widest: so I can get as much into the frame for those tight indoor shots or epic landscapes.

(150 or 300) Longest: so I can get some beautiful abstract blurred out backgrounds and compress space as much as possible.

50: so I can shoot a "normal" scene that's considered closest to natural human vision.


And then maybe the 25 and 75. (But if this was a canon prime, I'd get the 85mm)

[Mitch Gross]

Abel Rental's new set of five Master Primes is 18, 25, 40, 75, 100.

[Hans von Sonntag]

If there is a focal length that matches the FOV of the human eye closest then in 35mm cinematography a 32mm or a 35mm would be the lens of choice. IMO, the most versatile one.

Robby Mueller shot Jim Jarmusch's Down By Law in BW entirely with a 35mm lens, AFAIK.

If I would build up a prime-set and could not afford the whole set at once I would start with a 35mm, then a 25mm, after that a 18mm, then a 85 and to make the set complete a 50mm.

Hans

[Zakaree Sandberg]

16, 32, 40, 65, 100

[Johan Lindgren]

27, 32, 35, 40, 50

Ok that is not what Most people would choose. I admit to that.

Johlan

[Adrian T.]

Id get the standard set if its for Rental, this is what is expected
from any rental house:
18-25-35-50-85

if it was my set, or what i rent:
18-25-40-60-85-135

The 135mm is just such a gorgeous lens.By any lens series, wither MKIII's or cooke's. Once you have one you just never stop using it.

As for Wides, you can pick those up later, but your all day every day lenses are going to be the standard 5 +135.


If I would build up a prime-set and could not afford the whole set at once I would start with a 35mm, then a 25mm, after that a 18mm, then a 85 and to make the set complete a 50mm.

There is no 60 mm, 85 mm, and 135 mm Master Prime!
There is a 85 mm and 135 mm Ultra Prime. Maybe that's what you thought of?

[Jorge Díaz-Amador]

You can have even spacing within the set by going with 1.4x focal length steps (just like f-stops):

14, 21, 27, 40mm

Then above that you have to make a choice:

50 and 75 or, 65 and 100 (I would prefer),
The exact continuation of the above sequence would be 57 and 80mm

And of course that lovely 150mm.

So an example: 14, 21, 28, 40, 65, 100, 150mm
Another sequence: 18, 25, 35, 50, 75, 100, 150mm

The steps are about the same.

[Johan Pabon]

Thanks.
Another question. I guess the Nikkors are still camera lenses? Generally how do still camera lenses stack up against the Cine lens in terms of picture quality?

They are still cameralenses indeed. I'm not an expert, but you can find very nice results with Nikkors on this website. If you need to compromise because of the money I'd choose for more lenses over one perfect lens.

[Esteban Sosnitsky]

16,25,35,50,75
Very nice set.

[Zk2007]

I would go with the 32mm or 35mm if I could only have one 35mm prime lens. But before buying a single MP I would rather go with a small used set. With the price of a single MP you can find a nice small set if you buy used.



The 135mm is just such a gorgeous lens.By any lens series, wither MKIII's or cooke's. Once you have one you just never stop using it.
I guess you mean for close ups as I can't really see it being used as a single lens or not that much at all in normal production, besides for close ups of course.

[Charles Angus]

I would go with the 32mm or 35mm if I could only have one 35mm prime lens. But before buying a single MP I would rather go with a small used set. With the price of a single MP you can find a nice small set if you buy used.


I guess you mean for close ups as I can't really see it being used as a single lens or not that much at all in normal production, besides for close ups of course.

Just shot a short - we shot 80mm, 135mm, 200mm. That's about it. Looked pretty cool. That's a "look" though.

[Zk2007]

Just shot a short - we shot 80mm, 135mm, 200mm. That's about it. Looked pretty cool.

Yeah, but it was either all exteriors , sets with movable walls or really large locations. Not really practical as an all around basic set, which is the discussion here.


That's a "look" though. Oh yeah, very few projects would really benefit from a constant paparazzi feel.

[Pawel Achtel]

I would go with the 32mm or 35mm if I could only have one 35mm prime lens. But before buying a single MP I would rather go with a small used set. With the price of a single MP you can find a nice small set if you buy used.

I don't think there are used MPs around.
I got set of three: 14mm, 35mm and 75mm; love 'em.

[Zk2007]

I don't think there are used MPs around.
I got set of three: 14mm, 35mm and 75mm; love 'em.

I naturally did not mean used MPs, but other used 35mm lenses. I would rather have 3 or 4 of them than a single MP.

[Hans von Sonntag]

There is a 85 mm and 135 mm Ultra Prime. Maybe that's what you thought of?

I assumed that Arri did not drop one of the mentioned focal lengths when they introduced the Master Primes as the successor of the Super Speeds. My bad, which outs me of using old fashioned glass.:)

Hans

[Alexis Vanier]

16, 32, 40, 65, 100

I really love that selection of lenses. Makes you wonder if the 50 is "overrated" as a standard lens. I much prefer something 35-40ish as a standard for S35.

[Evin Grant]

If only one 40mm no question my favorite FL on the Red.

My preference for a five lens set...
16, 27, 40, 65, 100.

But for rental 16/18 25, 35, 50, 75 is probably more appropriate.

I own a set of standars speed Zeiss lenses 16, 24, 32, 40, 50, 85 and 100mm. They rock! but I find the 16, 24 40 and 100 my most used focal lengths.

[A. Bastaki]

14, 25, 35, 50, 75.
ARRI Master Primes.

I wonder how much this would cost me... how much are these lenses anyway?

[Pawel Achtel]

14, 25, 35, 50, 75.
ARRI Master Primes.

I wonder how much this would cost me... how much are these lenses anyway?

Ask Arri or Abel for a deal quote, but roughly $35k per lens.

I dropped the 25mm and 50mm and just have a set of three: 14mm, 35mm and 75mm, but these were my choices exactly. Beautiful glass!

[albert rudnicki]

Ask Arri or Abel for a deal quote, but roughly $35k per lens.

I dropped the 25mm and 50mm and just have a set of three: 14mm, 35mm and 75mm, but these were my choices exactly. Beautiful glass!

Wow that is almost double then for the S4

[Vladimir Eugene]

more like 25k per lens- except for the 14, and 150 roughly 30k

[Alexander Christ]

16, 25, 40, 65, 100.