White Balancing with each new lens?
 

ok, i apologize if this topic's already been discussed. I have a little dilemma. I've been trying to add to my Minolta 35mm still lens set. i recently purchased a lens, which is roughly the same generation as my other lenses, on ebay and its coatings are much warmer then my other lenses. i'm not sure if the contrast is any different. this is a nice lens and i got it for a great price, but i'm concerned about the continuity within a scene if i decide to use this lens with my others. Do most of you WB after you switch lenses anyways? what are your thoughts? should i return it for a lens that matches my current lenses?

thanks a lot!!!

-Mike

Why don't you just shoot a scene with the different lenses, cut it together and see for yourself?

i don't have a Letus yet.

I'm not familiar with the coatings of lenses having different color temperatures. I don't really know what that means, though am interested to learn.

I shoot with a Sigma 28, Zeiss 50, and Nikon 85, and haven't noticed any temperature differences among them, so no, I don't re-white balance when changing lenses.

well Rob, I can pretty much guarantee you that there's no continuity between those three lenses you mentioned. 3 different brands will probably produce 3 different looks. Cinematographers use sets of lenses to keep consistency within a scene and/or complete project, ie: Cooke S4, Zeiss Master Primes, Ultra Primes, etc.. Mix matching lenses will definitely give you different results. That's why in my case I'm hesitant to use a lens that has a distinct warmth to its coatings. its not just color temperature shifts. Contrast in conjunction with resistance to flare is also affected.

You don't need a Letus.
Shoot with your Minolta.

i don't think that would be a very accurate test considering film handles differently than chip sensors. i already know the coatings are warm. i can tell by eye. shooting on film would just confirm what i already know.

I understand that, but most of us wouldn't be dealing with a Letus if we were working on projects that could afford lenses like that and the cameras to go with them. So for me at least it's all about getting the film look as cheap as possible, and that includes getting creative with lenses. Thus the need for trial and error. I've been able to make my three mismatched lenses work for the kind of stuff I shoot. Granted, that's not usually shooting coverage of a scene (but I've done a bit of that too). A good recent example are these commercials: Franklin Federal. Most of the shots are Letus (EX1) about half and half the Sigma and Zeiss, with the Nikon once I think.

So I hope you can get your hands on a Letus and try it out! I don't hear much about Minolta lenses, so would be interested to see. Also, could you explain the lens coating thing? Thanks, and good luck.

Hey Rob,
I used S4s and Zeiss lenses as an example. the same rules apply to 35mm still lenses as well. most recently the Zeiss ZF lenses have gained popularity with adapter users. heck, they may have even been made for 35mm adapter shooters. they seem pretty new. although i'm not 100% i think Canon and Nikon still lenses are made in sets. probably the L series for Canon and ED series for Nikon.

as far as the coatings go, I'm not quite savvy enough to explain it correctly. all i know is that Minolta decided to make this one lens (28mm f/2.5 MC Rokkor-X SI) warmer then all of their other Rokkor lenses from the same generations.

I'm currently looking for a Letus adapter with a Minolta mount in the Los Angeles area. so far no one has come forward. does anyone reading this happen to know of one in my area?

thanks,
Mike

Its safest to test when you get the chance. I have a set of Nikons I built out and a couple of them definitely have some temperature differences. They are same series too but the difference between the 20mm and the rest of them for some reason is quite noticeable.