Im about to make the jump....HELP!

[Matthew Stokes]

So, I have made the decision, a C100 is the new camera for me. I currently own a Panasonic HMC150, which has done me proud, but now I'm looking for something that's going to give me a nicer image and some good DOF for interviews.

I do corporate work pretty much all of the time. Most of it is run and gun-type shoots, one of the reasons this camera is my new purchase-of-choice. Mainly interviews at trade shows, in offices etc (fairly close proximity) plus event coverage of seminars. My question is....WHAT LENSES?! I'm a complete noob, starting from scratch. I appreciate there are many considerations, and budgets. I need to keep costs to a fair-minimum - and I guess I probably need 2 alternatives. I really like the out of focus background look, and I will most likely need IS for some of my location shooting.

I may also invest in a Glidecam, in which case I understand I am better off with a wide angle?

I really hope someone would be kind enough to help a noob out! :) Thanks

[Matthew Stokes]

Here is an example of the kind of thing I would be filming with the C100

Why Make A Trade Show Video? - Captive8 Media Video Production on Vimeo

[Al Bergstein]

Matthew, having come from the 150 as well, I think you are making the right decision. I really like my C100, it's the best camera I've ever used. It has irritations, as do all of them, but a few thoughts.

I find the 24-105 a great choice as the first lens. F4 is fine, given the ISO range you have to work with. It will give you some range and a bit of wide angle. For trade shows, you might want to invest in the canon 14mm f2.8l rectilinear. It's a superb lens but pricey, it will give you that wide range you need to 'get it all in'. I also have a 16-35mm which is really the second lens behind the 24-105. If I'm working run and gun wide I use it, if I am shooting interviews I use the 24-105. Occassionally I use the 70-200mm for interviews, when I want to get farther back and really drop out the background. Between those three (or four) you will be covered. My personal take is 24-105 about 70% of the time, 16-35 20% of the time, and the others as needed.

You likely will need a Zacuto finder, or maybe, in lieu of that, either an external monitor, or one of the newer monitor/422 recorders. Those are critical for me as it's very hard to focus in bright sunlight. My pet peeve with this camera. Have fun.

[Docea Marius]

17-55 canon 2,8 -:) is,tokina 11-16 2,8

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Matthew Stokes

I need to keep costs to a fair-minimum - and I guess I probably need 2 alternatives. I really like the out of focus background look, and I will most likely need IS for some of my location shooting.

You may be already aware that Canon are now shipping C100s with the Dual Pixel AF 'factory enabled'.

If, like me, you're shooting lots of B-Roll as well as interviews at trade shows, two lenses I use regularly are the Canon 18-135 STM and the Sigma 50mm 1.4.

The Canon 18-135 STM took me a long time to learn its odd ways, but the AF and the IS is great. It's light, and it's cheap too. Surprisingly for me, it's kind of taken over from the 24-105.

However, I'd be lost without my Sigma 50mm f1.4, the 'go-to' interview lens. Used at f2 or 2.8 rather than 1.4, it still outperformed the Canon 50mm 1.4 - after 2.8, the Canon wins but that's not the point. LOL

BTW, the Sigma's AF is absolutely awful, unusable. However, as a manual lens used almost wide open, it's great. I'd also recommend the Samyang 35mm 1.4 and especially the 85mm 1.4, which is simply gorgeous - but they're tripod-only lenses.

[Danny O'Neill]

Im with Matt on the sigma but we use the 35mm and its crazy sharp. Dont forget, the C100 has a crop factor of just under 1.6x. So any lens you stick on the front times that by 1.6. So the 35mm becomes a 50mm lens.

We've just written a blog post listing our entire kit bag for MintySlippers (which uses C100) and A Hint of Mint (which uses DSLR).

THE MINTYSLIPPERS KIT BAG | Minty Slippers

[Bob Drummond]

Great article, Danny. Can you share your settings for matching C100's to a 6D?

[Matthew Stokes]

Thank you so much for the advise! Really appreciate it. However, just in these few replies I have so many options to consider!

So, to get myself set up Im thinking of following Matt's advice with a CANON EF-S 18-135MM F/3.5-5.6 IS STM
Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM (Non-original packaging) - Only £299.00 - Park Cameras Online

and

Is the Sigma 50mm f1.4 really much better than the Canon 50mm f1.4? There doesn't seem to be much price difference. The Canon 14mm f2.8l rectilinear is VERY expensive- is there a cheaper alternative? Or will these other 2 lenses suffice? Matt...you are local - where in Berkshire are you? Im in Fleet, Hampshire. There might be the opportunity for a second C100 on certain shoots so we should probably talk!

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Danny O'Neill

Im with Matt on the sigma but we use the 35mm and its crazy sharp. Dont forget, the C100 has a crop factor of just under 1.6x. So any lens you stick on the front times that by 1.6. So the 35mm becomes a 50mm lens.

I wish people would stop repeating this. It's not quite true the way you have phrased it. The field of view changes, not the focal length. A 35mm lens on the C100 is still a 35mm lens, only the field of view is different. The focal length is still 35mm. (and the C100 crop factor is actually more like 1.5).

And this is only compared to Full Frame, so if you're not a Full Frame photographer, then you won't be thinking in terms of the field of view when picturing what your shot will look like on each lens.

[Danny O'Neill]

Originally Posted by Gary Huff

I wish people would stop repeating this. It's not quite true the way you have phrased it. The field of view changes, not the focal length. A 35mm lens on the C100 is still a 35mm lens, only the field of view is different. The focal length is still 35mm. (and the C100 crop factor is actually more like 1.5).

And this is only compared to Full Frame, so if you're not a Full Frame photographer, then you won't be thinking in terms of the field of view when picturing what your shot will look like on each lens.

1.56 to be exact so just under 1.6 which is what I said.

So everything I said isn't true and people should ignore me?

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Matthew Stokes

to get myself set up Im thinking of following Matt's advice with a CANON EF-S 18-135MM F/3.5-5.6 IS STM

There is an alternative:

Canon CN7x17 KAS S E1/P1 - Cine Lenses - Canon UK

It's a little faster - f3-f4, you lose a little on reach - it's 17-120 rather than 18-135 - but gain a little on the wide I suppose. The best bit is that it's a motorised zoom, ENG style. I think the optics are a little more refined here - it's described as a 4K lens (even though the 18-135 is a photo lens that exceeds 4K). The price? Oh, £22,500 + VAT - a bargain, really.

Originally Posted by Matthew Stokes

Is the Sigma 50mm f1.4 really much better than the Canon 50mm f1.4?

Only when it's wide-open and then down to between f2.8 and f4. I borrwed a Canon 50mm 1.4 and didn't get on with it as a video lens. As a photographic lens, it's an absolute corker. Quite the reverse of the Sigma. The Sigma has, IMHO, a cleaner prettier bokeh and that's what we want from such a lens. As has been mentioned, it's a little 'tele' on the C100's S35 sensor which again is very flattering for portraiture, bringing the nose tip and ears together in perspective. the Samyang 35mm 1.4 is more of a neutral angle.

There is a Sigma 18-35 1.8 which everyone raves about. You lose half a stop, but may not lose bite and crispness if you're ending up at f2.0 - as a general rule, no lens is at its best wide open. Nipping in by a stop or two improves things tremendously.

Originally Posted by Matthew Stokes

Matt...you are local - where in Berkshire are you? Im in Fleet, Hampshire. There might be the opportunity for a second C100 on certain shoots so we should probably talk!

Yes we should! I'm based in Sunny Slough.

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Danny O'Neill

So everything I said isn't true and people should ignore me?

That's not what I said. You give the impression that a 35mm on the C100 turns into a 50mm with the way you phrased it. And that's not true. It's still a 35mm.

First, you come from the point that the individual in question has experience with a Full Frame stills camera. That may not be the case, so in the situation of thinking about what lens to use, the whole crop factor may not even come into play. So why do people keep mentioning it on any form factor that is not full frame? It's ridiculous to keep bringing it up unless someone starts out by saying that their lenses seem more zoomed in on the C100 than on the 5D that they were using.

Second, saying, "So the 35mm becomes a 50mm lens." doesn't really paint an accurate picture and can be confusing for people who may not have a solid foundation in what the crop factor deal is. You're just tossing it out like it's a negative in the way you phrase it, when in reality, everything from APS-C to m4/3 is not problematic in this regard at all in general practice. I routinely use a 50mm on my C100 and am actively looking into even getting an 85mm, and I will know the look of both lenses on my C100, and not give a single thought to how the crop factor comes into play vs Full Frame.

[Matthew Stokes]

Originally Posted by Matt Davis

There is an alternative:

Canon CN7x17 KAS S E1/P1 - Cine Lenses - Canon UK

It's a little faster - f3-f4, you lose a little on reach - it's 17-120 rather than 18-135 - but gain a little on the wide I suppose. The best bit is that it's a motorised zoom, ENG style. I think the optics are a little more refined here - it's described as a 4K lens (even though the 18-135 is a photo lens that exceeds 4K). The price? Oh, £22,500 + VAT - a bargain, really.

Yes we should! I'm based in Sunny Slough.

Well, why didn't you say?! I'll get 2 so I have a spare...!

Glorious Slough! Pretty close then. Well, could I buy you a beer/lunch, in exchange for maybe taking a look at a couple of your lens suggestions and a bit of networking for potential future collaboration?!

[Josh Dahlberg]

If you can afford it you can't go wrong with the 17-55 f2.8 IS and 70-200 f4 IS combo - these cover off most situations for corporate / run & gun / seminar shoots.

Another option would be the 24-105 f4 as a versatile all rounder, and a moderately priced prime (the 85mm f1.8 is great value) for low light / tight DOF.

And to throw in something from left field, of the many lenses I've used with the C300/100 the one I most enjoy is the little Voigtlander 40mm f2. It's tiny (near pancake size), all metal, has a beautiful focus ring for video, is wide enough to shoot hand-held, is near macro, and has lovely image quality. Makes the C100 incredibly compact.

[Matthew Stokes]

Josh, are you suggesting those as 2 different potential pairings of lenses?

This is part of the problem I have had....there are SOOO many options, on this thread alone, and no clear answer. I basically want to get 2 lenses which should serve me well to start with...