Chris Langer put a slew of lenses up against each other for a test. Each lens had to have a focal length of 50mm.
"Nifty Fifty" Under $5K Cinema Lens Test – XEEN, Canon CN-E, Tokina Cinema, Zeiss ZF2, Leica R, and Sony FE Zoom from Chris Langer on Vimeo.
Over the last few months, I have been extensively using the Sony FS7 to shoot a wide variety of work ranging from weddings to commercials to independent films. This camera truly has it all and I couldn't be happier with it. My biggest problem at the moment is, which lens do I choose for the camera? Using the magic $5,000 price tag from the last test, I gathered up seven different lenses for this test. I tested them in a variety of situations using them wide open to really push their limits. I only had these lenses for a weekend so my tests are quick and to the point. Let's jump right into the lenses I tested in this video, in order of use on the video.
Fall 2015 Pricing
1. Rokinon Xeen 50mm T1.5 Lens for Canon EF Mount – $2500
2. Canon CN-E 50mm T1.3 L F Cine Lens – $4950
3. Tokina Cinema 50-135mm T3.0 with Canon EF Mount – $4500
4. Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens – $1899
5. Zeiss Planar T* 50mm F/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Cameras – $625
6. Leica Summicron-R 50/2 – $500-700
7. Sony FE PZ 28-135mm f/4 G OSS Lens – $2500
Shot on:
Sony FS7
Metabones EF to NEX Mark IV Lens Adapter
Sony XDCA Extension Unit – RAW OUT
Odyssey 7Q+ – FS RAW > 4K ProRes 422 HQ
Overall, this video shows all of the lenses are very capable of creating great images. There is one blatant difference between the higher priced cinema lens compared to the still glass – the mechanical operation of the lens. The higher end lenses all have gears which makes focusing easy and their are built to be robust on professional productions. Regarding the images, there are some slight differences between how each lens renders color and tones in the image. I don't want to spoil all the fun for you in this description of the video but I think you will be pleasantly surprised.