Cheap, fast Nikon-fit lenses for video...

Messages
8,193
Name
Pat MacInnes
Edit My Images
Yes
I shoot a lot of video and so far, a 17-55mm/70-200mm/35mm f/1.8 and 60mm macro have been doing a grand job.

But I'm liking the idea of fast primes (f/1.2 - f/1.8) for more 'creative' DOF. Obviously the f-mount allows a whole host of older, manual focus lenses to be considered, not a problem because I only ever manually focus anyway.

Stuff like the new 24mm f/1.4 is way out of my range and TBH, for still works I'm quite happy with what i have already. Any primes I buy will predominantly be used for video.

Body is a D7000 so obviously the wider the lens the better because of the crop factor.

Anyone got any suggestions? It could be Nikon classics or real oddities and exotica.... just a few pointers will be helpful, as I'm not really up on what's out there.

I rarely get to car boots due to weird work hours between me and the misses, and often it seems used dealers on the web want decent money.

Anyway, over to you :)
 
50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.8 should be quite obvious. Or Samyang 85mm T1.5. There are new and older designs to choose from. 24mm is probably Samyang if you are desperate for f/1.4. They do video version too. Anything else cheap is likely to be somewhere around f/2.8 or 3.5.
And 20mm is getting difficult. There is old nikkor 20/2.8 or Zeiss 21mm :)
There is a lot of Zeiss Jenna and OM stuff knocking about, but they might not fit the slim F mount. So yeah Nikkor or Samyang video primes

That's your lens shopping sorted :)
 
The 28mm f/1.8 might not be wide enough for you on the D7000, but it seems sharp to me and it focuses close.
 
If you shop around Sigma do some nice af/mf prime lens at good prices 15mm 2.8,14mm 2.8,20mm1.8,24mm1.8,28mm 1.8 all full frame and can be picked up at bargain prices the 20,24,28mm all have a good mfd offering shallow dof at closer focussing distances.
Another option visit some of the camera fairs around various venues in the uk.
You could always pick up a mount adaptor to fit cheap M42 thread lens to your Nikon.
 
i think nikon > m42 needs a optic for infinity focus, and they are often a teleconverter type, so you can end up with double the effective focal length
and theres the old tamron adaptalls too..
i have a 28 to something adaptall zoom, would be amusingly busy to have apature, zoom, focus and vari nd on the lens :D

but sub 28mm is expensive on the older lenses :(
 
Look at older AI-S manual Nikkor lenses. With video, it's all about focusing. Absolute sharpness is not really relevant. If you don't have a camera rig with proper means to pull focus, then you really want a proper manual lens with "feel" in the focusing. AF lenses just don't cut it. You really don't want to us Auto focus anyway for video... looks terrible.

50mm f1.2 Nikkor AI-S lenses go for around £200-300 on Ebay when they come up. 50mm 1.4 AI-S is another good one.

Nikkor 35mm f1.4 AI-S... but pricey though usually. The 35mm f2 AI-S is cheaper, and worth a look.

The 50s are cheaper though... but that's not very wide on your camera.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top