12mm f/1.6 Noktor

allenswrench

@slrmagic It has been mentioned endlessly in this very thread what this lens (especially on GH2) is good at, and every fault has been brought up a million times. I can not believe that (hold that) I am surprised that people do not read and are living in dreams. I have actually spoken to someone who wants to build a "set" out of Panasonic 7-14, Olympus 9-18 and an SLR M 12! Come on! A set for what? Showing your wife? These lenses couldn't be more different. For serious users, on the other hand, I think there have been many, many stories and advices given on this thread. I have stated, and will stste again that this lens was a God-sent to me as the color matches my nFD set and completes it with a very wide and fast lens. It is a bit sharper, but that is just a ridiculous thing to complain about. Yes, it is SHIT for FF and a headache, but it is worth every cent as a half of your set, if you use it as much as I do. It is also crazy unique, with it's flares and close-up shots you can get as long as you can pull focus. Probably not so good for shooting bushes, or maybe the pincushion distortion makes your baby look fat!

fosterchen

I used this lens on GH2 as a 5th camera at our concert in the Sydney Opera House this past June. Check out the trailer and guess all the shots with it:

Notice how the color completely matches the other 4 Sony HXC100 broadcast cameras...we did no grading! And No Hack!

vicharris

Even though I have been critical of certain aspects surrounding this lens, it does produce some great, less video images on the GH2 when you tweak it. Here's some screen grabs from another little project. I shrunk them down to save room on the server so they might be a little rough when you expand them. Just a touch of post done.

slrmagic

We have recently received many emails on how our lens will work on the BMCC. Here is a simple demonstration of what to expect. Included is the crop lines for regular mFT camera such as OM-D, crop lines for the multi aspect sensor of the GH2, and the BMCC.

A short note to add. Some say it seems the lens almost cannot cover the sensor area. Actually the crops are suppose to be lower positioned. Helge from 3D-Kraft.de bought an adapter online to try our mFT lens on his NEX-7. The problem you see is due to adapter alignment and the opening is not perfectly centered.

RRRR

@slrmagic, it looks like the corners will "improve" quite a bit on the bmcc!

I will have to go and get another copy, I think. :) (I sold the last one)

slrmagic

The image shows crops from the NEX-7 but it is quite representable. It should look fabulous on the BMCC. Just a quick note to add, some users are not using the GH2 multi aspect sensor and when using 16:9 it is a smaller crop from the 4:3 lines in the image attached in the previous post. The end result will be similar to the BMCC crop lines. GH2 users who own the 12mm 1.6 will feel the narrower angle of view but GF2 or regular 4:3 camera users who own the 12mm 1.6 and normally shoot in 16:9 will feel like home in terms of angle of view from our lens if they have plans for the BMCC.

RRRR

@slrmagic: since the gh2 16:9 gives a roughly 1.86x crop (horizontally) which in turn makes the 12 on the wider side (than the much sought after 24mm equivalent) I think the bmc will bring the best out of this lens.

Vitaliy_Kiselev

@slrmagic

Please, keep a line here.

No pushing and advertising.

vicharris

@RRRR Well, with a larger crop, brings better edges. The downside is that it starts turning the SLR12mm from a wide to a not so wide lens, cutting off the soft edges. So yes, the lens will in theory look sharper but you're also losing the wide angle it's supposed to provide.

RRRR

@vicharris: If you have the lens, you can just turn your gh2 to 4:3 and see how wide it will be on the bmc.

vicharris

@RRRR Thanks, I'll give it a go.

allenswrench

@slrmagic That looks like a significant crop compared to the GH2. A shame the BMCC has a smaller sensor, especially since it will have a passive m43 mount. The Tokina and Sigma do not really work for me and I don't expect you wil design a new wide just for this one product with it's new sensor. Thanks for that comparison though, wish Black Magic put something like that out as well. Actually, as so many people have preordered, they could have put out an FF image with a comparison with some of the most common FF lenghts. I am really happy with my 12mm and will be keeping it, but for the BMCC probably the whole new (matching) set would be better, which I do not know of yet, unless Samyang releases something fast and wide around 8mm non-fisheye in their new cine set. As those are all FF lenses, I highly doubt it.

RRRR

@allenswrench: as a ff equivalent of 24mm, it´s not too bad IMO. Of course it wouldn´t solve a potential need for even wider lenses.

nomad

Even the 17.5mm Voigtländer has a curved focus plane at infinity, and it's not as wide and more expensive (see the discussion in it's own thread).

Daspenberg

Just for anyone who's interested, here's a quick video I made of me and my girl camping. I went a little overboard with the color grading, so take it with a grain of salt. I'm a big fan of this lens. The faults mentioned are true, but I always like the look that comes out of it. It has personality. Also, somebody mentioned that shallow depth of field isn't important for a wide angle lens, to me that couldn't be less true. I love the look of a wide angle lens with shallow depth of field.
Anyway, I use this with a voigtlander 25mm. I think the two really compliment each other well with their little quirks. Does anybody have any recommendations for an even wider lens?

Daspenberg

slrmagic

@allenswrench

I don't expect you wil design a new wide just for this one product with it's new sensor.

That would not be possible. We contacted them and they will not share any specifications or development plans about their camera. It is always hard to work with manufactures that are not willing to cooperate. For example, if we make a lens for their camera and when we release it in 1-2 years time there is always a chance the new model will have a different image sensor. For example, NEX had APS-C sensor needing compact APS-C lenses all along and then here comes the new FF model and the new camera needs new lenses.

nomad

IMHO it's not really needed, the difference is not that massive. Plus, if it's a success the next thing they may put in is a bigger sensor…

sid

i just got mine....it has some play movement in its parts... is this normal?

the mount is good and secure to the camera but the main part of lens wobbles abit from its mount

is this the issue people have already commented on or just the way they all are?

vicharris

Yep, mine was the same and I didn't feel like sending the darn thing back to Korea and paying postage. It didn't seem to leak light and it's still the same so I just chucked it up to craftsmanship.

sid

i got mine new off ebay but the seller has not got back to me after trying to explain the issue.

i might be stuck with it

vicharris

@sid Yeah, a few of us experienced the same thing. That's why I wished I bought mine from a business in the US but like I said, I haven't noticed any problems and it doesn't seem to be worse. Did you get yours from a seller in the US?

sid

@vicharris i'am in the UK it came from a UK seller who has hong kong supplies, they have now agreed for me to return it to them to have a look for themselves.

I thought this problem had been corrected and it was only the earlier releases that had this problem

there is still lenses being sold sub standard quality

sid

@vicharris the performance of the lense does seem to be good visually, just when you put this on the camera after a nokton it feels broken.

vicharris

It's not sharp till you stop it down. I don't have any experience with the Nokton and not sure how they look at 1.6 or wide open. I thought they fixed the issues to, or at least we were told they did. I wonder how many peoples lenses have this little bit of wobble?

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

Tags in Topic

Top Posters