Christopher Campa Posted September 18, 2022 Posted September 18, 2022 Recently bought an Aaton LTR that is PL mount and Super 16, and am currently looking for lenses to use with the camera. I came across a Zeiss 12-120mm on Facebook that I'm keen on buying, but I was also reminded about the Tokina 11-16. Being that this lens can cover a wider field of view on Super 16, what are the potential downsides to using a lens with a far greater image circle than the sensor or film plane in terms of image quality? Does anyone have examples or experience shooting with larger format lenses on Super 16? Thanks!
Heikki Repo Posted September 18, 2022 Posted September 18, 2022 (edited) Larger image circle may cause flares due to light bouncing around within the camera. Bigger issue is, however, that a (consumer) lens made for full frame might not be as sharp as a lens made specifically for S16. Edited September 18, 2022 by Heikki Repo
Premium Member Tyler Purcell Posted September 18, 2022 Premium Member Posted September 18, 2022 I agree with Heikki, the lens may not be as sharp because it doesn't need to be for FF imagers due to using a larger image circle.
Premium Member Dom Jaeger Posted September 19, 2022 Premium Member Posted September 19, 2022 The Tokina 11-16 is not a full frame lens, it was made for APS-C sensors, so S35 size frame. I've checked over a few examples of this lens, including the Cinema version. They are actually pretty good lenses, quite sharp in the centre for a S16 crop. A little bit of chromatic aberration is probably the worst aspect. If you don't need the much greater range of a dedicated S16 zoom, and only want a wide angle option it's not a bad choice. Apart from the issue of stray light bouncing around inside the camera due to a larger image circle (which can be a problem whenever you use 35mm lenses on 16mm cameras - just make sure there are no shiny reflective surfaces in the mirror cavity near the gate aperture) the only other possible issue with this zoom is parfocality. While the Cinema version is better than the stills versions, I have found there is the potential for the zoom mechanism to have internal play that can cause focus drops in one direction of the zoom barrel. You also need to have the back focus very accurately set, which can be a bit hit and miss. Ideally shoot a test or have it checked by a technician before using one on anything important.
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