Which would be better to rent to try for video on 5D3: 50L or 85L f/1.2??

[cayenne]

I've got a video shoot coming up in about 2x weeks.

Some of the footage is going to be at night, in some bars here in the New Orleans area.

I was thinking that one of these fast lenses might be good to try out and use.

I've never tried either of them before for stills or video.

I was looking at lensrental come....4x day rental is comparable in rate between the two.

Since this is video primarily, I'll be doing manual focus.

But the shoot is only one day/night, and I'll be playing with it for stills too before I send it back, but I was wondering which might be best to try to video in a dark room and why?

Would the 85L be a little too long for small bars?

Since it is manual focus, I'd not have a problem with the 50L with any backfocus, right?

Also, is lensrental one of the good places to rent? Other suggestions?

This will be my first time to rent a lens.

Thanks in advance,

cayenne

 

[AE-1Burnham]

Totally subjective, but: Do you have something to cover environmental shots (wider lenses to get the N'Orleans feel and flavor)? If so, get the 85 for tight intimate shots with swaths of colors for back/foregrounds. If no wide option, use the 50 or better yet the 24 1.4 to really feel the spaces/environments. (Yes 50mm focusing "challenges" wont be problematic -- though both lenses have razor thin DOF wide open).
Best of luck and you cant really go wrong on those lenses.

 

[drjlo]

Would the 85L be a little too long for small bars?

Since it is manual focus, I'd not have a problem with the 50L with any backfocus, right?

cayenne

In addition to being too long for small bars, 85L has focus-by-wire which feels vague and requires way-long throws of focus ring to change focus. It's also very heavy and without IS, simply not a good video lens.

50L is better, with good focus ring, but if I were you, I'd check out Canon 35mm f/2 IS, which is wider for better environmental video with very useful IS for video hand-holding.

 

[sjschall]

Both 50 and 85 would give you awesome shots but I agree, thin DOF wide open. Beautiful lenses for video though. I'd suggest 85 for the 5D, to give you a nice tight feel. I've used the 85 on a crop in tight spaces and it was fine.

Other rental suggestions: lensprotogo and borrowlenses, good rates and availability.

 

[cayenne]

Would the 85L be a little too long for small bars?

Since it is manual focus, I'd not have a problem with the 50L with any backfocus, right?

cayenne

In addition to being too long for small bars, 85L has focus-by-wire which feels vague and requires way-long throws of focus ring to change focus. It's also very heavy and without IS, simply not a good video lens.

50L is better, with good focus ring, but if I were you, I'd check out Canon 35mm f/2 IS, which is wider for better environmental video with very useful IS for video hand-holding.

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions and info so far!!

Hmm....I'd forgotten about the 85L focus by wire thing, that might rule it out. And I do have the 85 f/1.8 I could use, so, maybe the 50L.

The 35L is a good suggestion I'd not thought of.....hmm.

I have the 17-40L lens, but it is only f/4, so I was thinking it might not be fast enough, but then again, being wide angle, that does seem to let in a bit more light, no?

So, maybe with what I have...the 50L makes sense to rent for video, and frankly, I've been drooling over it to buy at some point, but this would be a good chance to see how it does for stills and if I have problems with the backfocus on it for stills, etc.

I'd likely rent it for 7 days so as to have plenty of time with it....

Does this seem like a good way to think about it?

K

 

[7enderbender]

I've got a video shoot coming up in about 2x weeks.

Some of the footage is going to be at night, in some bars here in the New Orleans area.

I was thinking that one of these fast lenses might be good to try out and use.

I've never tried either of them before for stills or video.

I was looking at lensrental come....4x day rental is comparable in rate between the two.

Since this is video primarily, I'll be doing manual focus.

But the shoot is only one day/night, and I'll be playing with it for stills too before I send it back, but I was wondering which might be best to try to video in a dark room and why?

Would the 85L be a little too long for small bars?

Since it is manual focus, I'd not have a problem with the 50L with any backfocus, right?

Also, is lensrental one of the good places to rent? Other suggestions?

This will be my first time to rent a lens.

Thanks in advance,

cayenne

I know next to nothing about video and hopefully never have to but from all I've heard you are likely better of with something that has manual focus and manual control of the aperture.