Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 Practical Lens Review and Video Test

The convergence of still photo DSLR's and video camcorders brought a game changing dynamic to the world of image making. The introduction of the Nikon D90 and the revolutionary Canon 5D Mark II in 2008 made affordable HD video capture with that "bokeh" film style. With any emerging technology there are drawbacks, especially with using still photography lenses for video. The Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 Aspherical Wide Angle Lens solves many of those problems at a great price.



At a street price of $500, the Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 Aspherical Wide Angle Lens is a filmmaker's dream. A fast lens with an aperture of f/1.4, a focal length equivalent of a standard 50mm lens on a crop sensor and a price that will not break the bank makes this fast prime lens great for HD video capture. The magic is in the design of the lens with controls for easy focus and aperture. The focus barrel is nice and wide with a long throw to slowly manipulate critical focus. This is a must when shooting at a fast f/1.4 aperture.



The optics give great color especially when compared to the "L" equivalent of the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L lens. Superb color, contrast and sharpness describe this Korean made Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 lens under many brand names such as Samyang and Bower. I picked up my Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 Wide Angle Lens from my friends at North Tampa Photography. As a Rokinon lens dealer, they now carry the full line of Rokinon prime lenses.



Now for the drawbacks. Still photographers will be disappointed because of the lack of automatic focus. This above average in size prime lens comes fully manual out of the box. No focus confirmation light or chirp on this prime lens, you just have a sharp, fast and manual piece of glass catered to DSLR cinematography. I suggest the Canon EF 35mm f/2 for a street price of $330 for a fully automatic still photography lens.



The next drawback is the ratcheted aperture ring. It is not smooth like the focus control because it has clicks for every f-stop. Not ideal for a smooth change of exposure. I suggest using a variable neutral density filter such as the Fader ND Mark II Filter on the Rokinon 77mm sized filter thread to reduce the incoming light.



Strawberry fields forever as far as my Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 wide angle lens can see. The annual Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, Florida is the perfect backdrop for a video test of this fast prime lens. A 1080p video shot with the Canon Rebel T3i/600D paired with the Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 lens at 29.97fps. Edited with Apple Final Cut Pro 6.0.6 and transcoded to AppleProRes422 using the Canon E-1 Movie Plugin.



Strawberry season in Plant City, Florida was captured with the help of my affordable HD DSLR rig. For stability, I used the Manfrotto 701 HDV head paired with Benro 3580 tripod legs. For audio capture, I used the AZDEN ECZ-990 shotgun microphone. For critical focus, I used the Zacuto Z-Finder Pro 2.5x magnification with a Blue Star large chamois eyecup protector. For a reduction of incoming light, I also used a FADER ND Mark II filter.



The Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 wide angle lens review verdict? This fast affordable prime lens catered to HD DSLR cinematography has the color,contrast and sharpness comparable to Canon "L" glass. The lens ergonomics are worthy of Broadcast Television ENG cameras with a long focus throw for precise control. The Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 wide angle lens compatible with Canon full frame EF and crop EF-S mounts makes this prime lens an excellent value for any DSLR filmmaker. As sweet as Plant City, Florida strawberries, your cinematic heart will not be disappointed.



You can view more pictures and videos in my Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 Lens Review and Plant City, Florida Strawberry Festival Gallery shot with the Canon Rebel T3i/600D and the Canon 1D Mark IV.



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SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Practical Review

The stigma of SIGMA wanes with every photograph through this amazing prime lens dedicated to APS-C crop sensors. The SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM lens satisfies the "fast aperture" and standard focal length crowd for APS-C DSLR's. As for the "stigma", SIGMA manufactures SLR camera lenses under the name of "Quantaray" which is sold by Ritz and Wolf Camera stores. I am not a big fan of Ritz Camera or the budget priced "Quantaray" in house brand they retail. With much doubt and skepticism, I picked up my SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM from my friends at North Tampa Photography for a street price under $500 for a practical lens review.



"Practical" means real time use out in the world. My world consists of capturing the true to life moments of my family of five, which includes a 3 month old newborn. No complicated wavelength and focus charts here. I go out and shoot pictures. Lots of pictures and even video to be exact.



Paired with my compact Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D, the SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM has definitely the "L" pop in color, sharpness and contrast. The EX designation denotes a sturdy build, while the DC means digital crop. The HSM is an acronym for Hyper Sonic Motor for auto focus. The lens body feels sturdy and chunky but not heavy. Mated to the T3i/600D, this lightweight combination provides a "Rangefinder" camera like feel such as the new Fuji X100 or even the ultra expensive Leica M9.



The SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM is categorized as a wide angle prime lens. On a crop camera, 30mm focal length has the focal equivalent of 48mm. It is more like a standard prime lens. Imagine a standard focal length with a fast f/1.4 aperture. A definite "bokeh" producing lens machine.



SIGMA has come a long way since Quantaray in my opinion. Their recent marketing push of their professional grade lenses has gotten much attention in the DSLR world. SIGMA quality control couple years ago has gotten some criticism such as grossly front and back focusing lenses coming out of the Japanese factory. This SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 lens gives me renewed faith, but wait! This cannot be the only choice for a budget priced and fast standard prime lens for crop sensor DSLR's ? Let me make a quick lens comparison just to be sure.



I chose two fast wide angle prime lenses priced under $600 to compare to the SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM. Of course, when I mean wide angle on a crop camera I mean standard focal length close to 50mm. So the lowest priced in the group (street price around $300) and one of my favorites is the Canon EF 35mm f/2. The smallest and lightest also means slower focus due to the lack of any Ultra Sonic Motor AF system. 5mm of longer focal length means a 56mm crop equivalent. The last contender in this brief lens comparison is the Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM lens. Wider and faster than the EF 35mm f/2 but more expensive (street price around $530). The 28mm Canon gives almost a 45mm focal length equivalent on crop. I guess the added expense justifies the fast USM AF. The lens comparison verdict? Here are my observations.



Here is an excellent example above of the Canon EF 35mm f/2 in action. Great bokeh and the colors just pop for this value priced prime lens. Now for the bad part. No Ultra Sonic Motor auto focus means slow and gear grinding AF noises. Also, the optics are showing their 1990's age when ISO is pushed around 3200. Compared to my "L" lenses in the same ISO range, the resolution of the lens pushes it limits with high megapixel cameras such as the T3i. For the price, who can beat this quality? Well, the Canon EF 35mm f/2 lens is showing it's age but still is a favorite in my camera bag.



The widest of the group is the Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 and the most expensive. I was very disappointed with this USM lens. Although the picture above is really cute but there is no "L" pop like the other lens in the comparison. It looks flat like a kit lens. The AF is faster but that does not make up the horrible chromatic aberration in high contrast areas wide open at f/1.8. I even tried to correct the excessive purple fringing with Canon Digital Photo Professional for raw processing and correction, but no luck. Not a good choice for my camera bag, definitely.



All paths in the jungle lead to my SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 verdict. This lens is a complete dream for crop cameras. The fast aperture combined with the unique focal length makes great bokeh for still pictures and for video capture. The Hyper Sonic Motor is a close second in speed compared to the Ultra Sonic Motor of Canon's AF. The price makes the SIGMA a great value when you look at the features. SIGMA even includes a lens hood. What a deal!



Now for the SIGMA negatives. The wonderful SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM is designed only for crop sensor cameras. It is the Canon EF-S equivalent for lens mounts. You can mount the SIGMA lens to a Canon 1D APS-H sensor but you will get slight vignetting. I solved that with a slight crop of the picture or the peripheral illumination correction in Adobe Lightroom. A little time consuming but manageable. Full frame cameras such as the 5D Mark II is definitely not an option with this lens.



The second negative maybe part user error and the extremely tight focal plane of f/1.4 when it comes to AF accuracy. I had my share of OOF shots at f/1.4. Although soft focus images are expected when shooting handheld, it seems a little more prevalent with the SIGMA in my unscientific opinion.



Now for the SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Video Test. Armed with various helpful DSLR cinematic tools, I captured some 1080p video with this dreamy lens. The 30mm focal length makes composition a snap complemented by the fast aperture to give great bokeh. F/1.4 is challenging when it comes to focusing the shot. Even with my trusty Zacuto Z-Finder Pro 2.5x viewfinder, achieving correct focus can test your eyesight and patience.



A 1080p video shot with the Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D at 29.97fps. Edited with iMovie'11 and used Quicktime to compress a 700mb H264 video file. I mainly used the SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM, Canon EF-S 17-55mm f.2.8 IS and the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS Lenses. For audio, I used a Sennheiser MKE400 shotgun microphone. I also used a Manfrotto 701 HDV fluid video head with Benro 3580 tripod legs. For focus, I used a Zacuto Z-Finder Pro 2.5x viewfinder.



A 1080p video shot with the Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D at 29.97 fps. Edited with Apple iMovie'11 and used Apple Quicktime to compress a 980mb H264 video file. Equipment used: Sennheiser MKE400 shotgun microphone, Benro 3580 and Manfrotto 3221wn tripod legs, Manfrotto 701 and 501 HDV fluid video heads, Fader ND Mark II Variable Neutral Density Filter and the Zacuto Z-Finder Pro 2.5x viewfinder.



The SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM is a mighty contender in the budget priced wide angle fast prime category. The recent surge in Canon lens prices due to the recent tragic earthquake and Tsunami in Japan makes other third party brands a viable choice in today's DSLR lens market. Until supply of Canon glass outweighs worldwide consumer demand, the SIGMA brand will lead and shine as an overall best value for fast lenses.

You can view more pictures and videos in my SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Lens Review Gallery.

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Happy Easter !

The Ides of March have come and gone. From Supermoon to Spring Jubilee, Easter arrives to the delight of many including my chocolate bunny craving kids. You can thank the Pennsylvania Dutch settlers of early America for their egg carrying bunnies bringing egg decorating and hunting antics to children all over.



The Resurrection of Christ and the Exodus of Israelites from Egyptian slavery are a tough sell to everything chocolate and colored eggs for my kids in this festive time of Easter. Bring out the white vinegar and food coloring and let us make a colorful hard boiled egg mess.



My idea of Spring has nothing to do with bunnies or eggs. Warmer days bring beach filled sunsets and the sound of crashing waves. Easter weekend kicks off with a trip to Fort De Soto Beach. Serena's first trip to the ocean began with hesitation but with a few dips in the warm sea changed her newborn mind.



Who can resist the lure of the warm Gulf encapsulated with the orange glow of the setting sun? The "Golden Hour" as photographers call this natural and appealing ambient light blessed this photographic moment. I definitely took advantage of this special time with my handy Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D paired with the EF 35mm f/2 lens.



Yes, I am in the salt water with a DSLR. Anything for the shot, right? Wide open at f/2 and a noise free ISO 100 gives me that dreamy bokeh that everyone desires. The sunset menagerie has only begun on the sandy shores and continues with glistening crests of ocean waves. You will be hard pressed for a bad image in this glorious beach. The sun behind you gives a warm pleasing light. The sun in front of you offers a nice backlit silhouette of your subject with a great setting sun in the background. What could go wrong?



My idea of Easter is a scrambled egg topped with cheese and crispy bacon on toasted Cuban bread with butter. Of course, accompanied by a large Cafe con Leche with heaps of table sugar. This is a perfect Easter Sunday breakfast of Champions.



You can view more eggs, hard boiled and scrambled, in my Easter 2011 Gallery.



11 months or less and counting until Serena can fully participate in my Canon HD DSLR Video tests and reviews. I cannot wait. By then, we will have the Apple iPhone 5 and iPad 3, the Canon 5D Mark III and 1Ds Mark IV and finally the much anticipated Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L wide angle zoom lens. Serena has much to look forward too in her Full HD future.

Babies "R" Us

I would like to welcome Kyle Aviles to the world. No, the new arrival is not mine but a close friend of my family. The stork landed on Saturday at 11:30am with a cute round face and pointy head.



Kyle is number 3 for their family. I can only imagine their kickstart back into infant preparedness. Formula, diapers, burping, and the never ending poop. All I can remember from my kids at this age was the constant flowing vanilla and chocolate swirl soft serve. Just like the machine at The Golden Corral Buffet with the sticky handle.



Kyle will appreciate his legacy lives on the internet. All I got at my birth was a Kodak Pocket Instamatic with the dynamic range of 110 film. This was followed by prints archived in a degrading glue contact sheet page. Oh, the memories!



I photographed Kyle's arrival with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV with the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 L lens. There is something dreamy about the 35mm lens. Maybe it is the ability to compose the shot with a wide angle of view with little depth of field. All I know is the pictures have dreamy bokeh.



You can view more in The Kyle Aviles Photo Gallery shot with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 L lens.