Max Field Posted February 11 Posted February 11 (edited) Hello all it has been a while, I've been out of the shooting game for a few years because other creative ventures have been leading to far more profit however I would like to get a live action department back into my company operations. Digital Cine Cameras are a lovely depreciating asset that I have my pick of the litter on but I really want to get a premium lens set to buffer the looks of what I'm shooting on. A few options I have seen around are: Zeiss Ultra Prime Zeiss Super Speed Zeiss Master Prime Cooke Panchro Cooke S4i Leica Summircron-C ...Over the years I have heard of all of these from various members here but I wanted to know which set should be my Moby Dick? Alternatively, has the desire for super pristine glass decreased over the last 5 years? Some of these cheap Chinese and Korean PL cine lenses have looked quite nice in some regards but lack some of that feel of depth to me (going off of tests shot by others). I know we should always pick the best tool for the job, but all of these set above feel like they do a relatively similar job. Would love to hear from any of you! Thanks! Edited February 11 by Max Field typo
Premium Member Dom Jaeger Posted February 12 Premium Member Posted February 12 You need to decide on a few things: Will you need full frame coverage, do you plan to use large format cameras? Is high speed/shallow depth of field something you will want to utilise? Is weight and size a factor? Are you planning handheld/gimbal shots or documentary style shoots? Do you have a budget for maintenance? Some of these sets are much more durable or service friendly than others. Personally I think Zeiss Super Speeds have kept their value for decades for a reason, they are always desirable. But either get a well maintained set or think about re-housed sets, as they are getting old and some sets will have worn helicoids. Otherwise Cooke S4s are easily the most durable and service friendly, and look fabulous. They are a bit out of fashion at the moment, but that makes them quite affordable. Both are fairly small and lightweight, but only provide S35 coverage.
Max Field Posted February 19 Author Posted February 19 On 2/11/2025 at 10:45 PM, Dom Jaeger said: Will you need full frame coverage, do you plan to use large format cameras? I think I would need just Super35 coverage. Anything north of a 6K super35 sensor feels like overkill to me. On 2/11/2025 at 10:45 PM, Dom Jaeger said: Is high speed/shallow depth of field something you will want to utilise? Yes, I think having the ability to crank it wide open is a lovely convenience. Also a short close-focus distance proves to be quite handy as well. On 2/11/2025 at 10:45 PM, Dom Jaeger said: Is weight and size a factor? Are you planning handheld/gimbal shots or documentary style shoots? For sure, I do not want something too heavy or cumbersome. Currently I own a set of Zeiss CP2s which feel like a lovely weight, however I could go slightly heavier if it means stunning quality. On 2/11/2025 at 10:45 PM, Dom Jaeger said: Do you have a budget for maintenance? Some of these sets are much more durable or service friendly than others. Typically my philosophy is paying more for something up front that leads to less expenses down the line. So service friendly lenses would be nice however in my decade of shooting I have never once found myself in significant need of servicing a lens. On 2/11/2025 at 10:45 PM, Dom Jaeger said: Otherwise Cooke S4s are easily the most durable and service friendly, and look fabulous. They are a bit out of fashion at the moment, but that makes them quite affordable. Both are fairly small and lightweight, but only provide S35 coverage. During the majority of my time learning I would always hear about the "Cooke look" and they do look amazing. How could they have gone "out of fashion"? Has lack of full frame coverage really thrown these to the wayside that much?
Albion Hockney Posted February 19 Posted February 19 (edited) Cooke lenses are just less popular right now. Super 35 coverage is part of it, but they have full frame lenses now too. The Cooke i5's just never took off and nothing has really hit since the S4's. I donno exactly why. they do look good. just happens that way sometimes. Ultra primes are also out of style the Tokina vista primes are very affordable and very sharp. great value —just bigger. Masters are heavy and big The Leica's are like crazy expensive. Very sharp honestly....they all look pretty good and most spherical movies on modern lenses ...viewers would be hard pressed to notice any major differences. Edited February 19 by Albion Hockney
Max Field Posted February 19 Author Posted February 19 Would someone be so kind as to explain the difference between Cooke S4 and Cooke mini S4/i? Are the differences solely size without image quality changes? Thanks.
Premium Member Uli Meyer Posted February 19 Premium Member Posted February 19 Zeiss Standard Speeds are terrific lenses, small and extremely lightweight. Famously used by Deakins on 'Fargo'.
Max Field Posted February 19 Author Posted February 19 12 minutes ago, Uli Meyer said: Zeiss Standard Speeds are terrific lenses, small and extremely lightweight. Famously used by Deakins on 'Fargo'. Is there anything I lose (other than money) by opting for the Zeiss Super Speeds?
Premium Member Uli Meyer Posted February 19 Premium Member Posted February 19 Just now, Max Field said: Is there anything I lose (other than money) by opting for the Zeiss Super Speeds? The Standard Speeds are not as fast but the look is identical. You wouldn't be able to see any difference. Additionally the Standard Speed focal lengths go from 10mm to 180mm.
Albion Hockney Posted February 19 Posted February 19 (edited) 6 hours ago, Max Field said: Would someone be so kind as to explain the difference between Cooke S4 and Cooke mini S4/i? Are the differences solely size without image quality changes? Thanks. S4's are T2 and Mini are smaller and T2.8 —I'd reco doing in depth research on your own. lots of info and tests out there to compare. the "i" versions in mini and standard designate lens data pins that communicate with the camera Edited February 19 by Albion Hockney
Premium Member Dom Jaeger Posted February 19 Premium Member Posted February 19 7 hours ago, Max Field said: Is there anything I lose (other than money) by opting for the Zeiss Super Speeds? Super Speeds are funkier wide open, and at more than a stop faster will give you a shallower depth of field. Otherwise a similar look as Uli said. They are also a little larger. If you're thinking of sub-hiring, Super Speeds are more in demand. People often fill out a Super Speed set with Standards if they need to go wider or longer. 8 hours ago, Max Field said: Would someone be so kind as to explain the difference between Cooke S4 and Cooke mini S4/i? Are the differences solely size without image quality changes? Thanks. Mini S4s are virtually identical to S4s, only with a one stop reduced aperture and smaller optics. So they are smaller and slower, but look very similar. I think T2.8 is a little slow for modern tastes, which is why they were never very popular, but they are often around half the price of S4s. As Albion mentioned, the /i means they have lens data electronics that interface with cameras , which is good to have these days. Only fairly old S4 sets don't have it, it's been standard for Cooke PL lenses for some years now. They actually pioneered the idea.
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