28mm f2 is the only valuable lens in your old Contax set. The other three are secondary. You may want to get 35mm f1.4. But since you move to Milvus set, enjoy new 35mm 1.4.
Congratulations for the leces Justin, that footage looks great! Classic gear it´s now, snoob territory... not poor man's opportunity. Best regards from Madrid
Yo! Totally understand your outro segment. I'm more in the camp of going the Milvus route but I considered going prop cine lens style, just a bit too much an expense right now. But I'm sure you know of the DZO Film lenses, they're a craze right now, but a dark horse are the Schneider Xenons! I love their build because all lenses from 18mm and 100mm are the same diameter and length in body size, and the 25-100m options are all within .1 lbs of each other; only the 18mm is significantly heavier.
yea! Im not a fan of the DZOs, the schneider’s ive seen as well. The biggest thing for me was image quality, the Milvus’ really are like Mini Master Primes, but yea, the inconsistency in size is a bummer, and no iris gears 😟 Maybe one day CP.3s!
For the last 2 years I have been running a full Milvus set as well, same as yours, plus the 100mm f2 macro, and the 135mm F2. (and thankfully my 35/1.4 is intact!). I run lightweight clip on matteboxes, locked to the rails for the 35mm down, and clipped on the 50mm and up, because those all have extending barrels (and the 100mm macro, whew boy, I call that one "the grower" lol). Anyway, my point in posting is to let you know that the aperture lock can be disabled. I don't know whether it's a DIY job, as Duclos did mine. But, yeah, you can disable it, AND install a narrow ring, if you want to pull the iris. Wait until you get them on a FF (or even speedboosted S35). Bloody MAGIC.
I dont know if it has more contrast, but the colors definitely pop more and the rendering of the out of focus areas is much more pleasing and "painterly", and as always with Zeiss, it gives little more 3-D dimensionality, the good ole "zeiss pop".
@@JustinPhillip Awesome, I appreciate the speedy reply. Keep up the amazing work! I am using the DZO Film Vespids right now which I really like but something like the Milvus would be a nice change.
Very informative! Thanks for this. I think the look of the Contax zeiss lens are the best but I’m conflicted between reliability and look. I’m looking at the dzo film cine lens, any thoughts why you went with the stills milvus lens vs a dzo film cine lens?
Im just not impressed by the DZO look, also…DZO as a brand name, to me doesnt look impressive on a gear list. Zeiss has a reputation for a reason, some people call the Milvus’ “Mini Master Primes”, the image quality IMO blows the DZO’s out of the water. I think a better option than DZOs are the little SLR Magic APO MicroPrimes. But again…not a well known brand that clients will want to jump on.
@@JustinPhillip I agree. The dzo brand is new and the look is ok. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of selection for cine lens within budget range under $2K. When u look at the cine lens for sigma, tokina, canon, zeiss they already cost as much as a camera.
Personally i'm not a fan of the CP.2s (same glass as the Zeiss ZE/ZF stills lenses), however, the CP.3s are a great option (same glass as the Milvus). But this video is quite old and I ended up going with Schnedier Kreuznach cine lenses. ua-cam.com/video/-cL6-VoNS3o/v-deo.html
Why is your b angle extremely pink….? It’s like that in a couple other videos I’ve watched of yours. I’d think that’d be an easy fix in post 😅 or is that something that was done on purpose? It was super jarring while watching the video… I usually don’t comment on videos either, but here I am! 🤦🏽♂️😂
Big mistake selling the Zeiss Contax, mate. These have only gotten more expensive. You're not going to get lenses with the same micro contrast, ergonomics and image quality.
@@JustinPhillip I respect that. I guess I find it interesting that you only had issues with these lenses the moment you upped the resolution whereas before it sounds like everything was fine?
@@bluefilmsltd No, i always had issues with the build quality. But the softness was something that was revealed later on. Like i said, twice the resolution, larger sensor, showing more of that image circle.
Fun fact: your 25mm f1.4 is actually designed by the guy who designed the Hollywood, and the famous 50mm f0.7 for NASA - Erhard Glatzel. When he died, Glatzels grandson was gifted his grandfathers "prototype" lenses which never made it to market. Among them? 25mm f1.4, and 18mm f2.8. Look up the designs. They're clearly using his blueprints.
I have the same set of Milvus for video and they are so good for the money. On the C70 with speedbooster having them FF is wild. Also agree its great to have sharpness in the lens and then diffuse when you want with BPM/GLimmerglass, etc. Thanks for the review.
Thanks for doing this video, Justin. This is the most insightful and honest review of Milvus lenses for cinema I’ve seen. There is a huge jump in quality from Contax to ZE/ZF Classic/Milvus. The thing I liked the most is when you said you like controlling the look, not having the lens do it. AMEN!!! Yes, it’s fun to grab an old Contax and make a movie with it and say, hey, I just made a movie with an old stills lens. And, kudos to those who have done it. I applaud the creativity. But, to put bread on the table, you need something reliable and easy. That’s a modern Zeiss lens. A set of CP.3’s might be your next purchase. It pairs well with the Komodo. I’m working on a promo for Zeiss cine lenses and will send that link to you when it’s done. And, all this hard lens search work you’ve done will pay off. It’s part of becoming a true pro. It’s mandatory for understanding your craft.
Thank you i appreciate that. That sounds like a killer gig. Yeah CP.3s would be ideal, but i think i may for now only be able to afford some second hand CP2s
@@JustinPhillip I would stay with the Milvus over the CP.2 because they are fairly heavy. You can always rent or borrow a CP.2 or 3 and see what you think. Also, the Irix cine lenses are interesting. Their 30mm is a “from the ground up” cine lens. They are still working on their prime set. They need a couple more to complete it. Again, rent or borrow one first. For an “inexpensive” prime the CP.3 or possibly the Irix are the best possibilities for a proper cine lens that cover S35 and FF. Milvus is a great place to be in the meantime. The optics are beautiful and plenty to shoot even high end content.
actually to bring bread on your table it is not related to glass you put in front of your camera, it is the final material you want to deliver. vintage lens is not good option when it comes to sharpness. get sigma lenses and done. all viltrox and sigmas are far more sharp and accurate and great compare to old vintage lenses but they also have delivwe digital photo studioesh video.
It does depend a bit on the lens, all of them have more modern coatings but some of them(the 15mm 2,8, 21mm F.2.8, 35mm F/2, 50mm F/2 and 135mm F/2 APO) are the same optical designs as the ZE/ZF classic era. That said of course those lenses were generally the best regarded of the line-up, Zeiss mostly focused on replacing the less well performing lenses in the line-up, and on giving the 25mm(which was quite well regarded) an extra stop.
Great insights, Justin! So helpful. The narrative stuff looks great, especially that scene with the cop at the table! I got 3 contax zeiss lenses now. The Milvus look really tempting, but are out of my reach right now. Maybe in the future!
I own the Red Komodo and a set of Otus Lenses. Even though I have multiple RF prime lenses , the otus are the one that I always keep on my camera. I will be getting the Zeiss milvus 135 and either milvus 18 or 21mm to round up my set. I have otus 28,55 and 85 and they are a dream come true. I just need a wider focal length, lost likely the 18mm and the 135mm and I should Complete my set!! Great video !
Great video Justin! I did sort of the same move...But I moved from the Contax Zeiss to the Zeiss Classic & Leica R. The Zeiss Classic for a clean and punchy look, the Leica R for vintage and punchy look. Maybe one day I'll jump directly to the Otus, if I need absolute perfection... Anyway I seriously miss my old kit of Contax Zeiss...I kept only the 80-200 F4, because that lens can't be sold, it's too good for what I've paid for it.
Curious .. why sell instead if renting. Seems like wasted time and energy to accumulate all these lenses only to sell them and possibly experience some remorse later done the line with a lot more refined and detailed narrative work. I get why it didn’t work for you as it seems like you don’t a lot of commercial or run and gun so you need that clinical look but I’m sure the creative projects can call for these lenses from time to time .. just curious. Great work on everything you do either way .. it’s all subjective at the end of the day some peeps will tell you that Contax Zeiss are the crem de la crem but others will say that’s just cause you haven’t experienced a proper set of nice high end glass which most productions would be rent and not buy.
Yupp. Rental market here in LA is overly saturated, and dominated by the rental houses. So wouldnt get much rentals on em, and even if i did, the price would have to be so low that IMO not even worth it. Vintage lenses to me are not ideal for renting out
I can't find any comparison of the two milvus 35mm... F2 vs F1.4, when your F1.4 will come back, it could be a very helpful video... at least for me ! ;-)
Watching you for the second time, I must admit that loving lenses was something one shouldn't mention! Back in the 60's the latest zeiss jena was the 25mm f4, no doubt now you would not like it but I still have my Exakta fit and it's unused now cos I left film some time ago, but it's loved must be cos I got rid of my 35 f1. 4 contax 2 years ago now
I bought the Milvus 25 f1.4 and the 35 f1.4 ZF and converted them to EF mount. I also de-clicked the aperture by removing the ball bearing locking the ring…
I'm leaning towards the Irix cine set with it's 15mm, 30mm, 45mm and then supplementing the missing focal lengths with Milvus such as the 21mm. Unfortunately there's not a whole lot of reviews and data concerning the Irix lenses hence I'm still waiting.
I actually sold all my Zeiss Contax primes (and a couple of zooms) to buy two stunning Sony PZ 18-110 G servo zooms. (better for my work) I next bought a set of 7Artisans T1.05 Vision cinema primes - same if not better look than the Contax but way faster and they are a set of geared, matched proper cinema lenses.
Thanks Justin for this great insight. I’m a Komodo owner and Contax owner myself. I love the Contax look but I agree they’re not suited for a clean look. I never had an issue with softness and focusing. But you made me hitting the trigger for the Milvus lenses 🙂
Hi, I have a question, might sound strange but please help me out :) so I participated in a cinema contest and won one zeiss milvus lens (mount and focal range of my choice). Now I cant really decide which one to go for... and also not the mount but I think that doesnt really matter since I would adapt them to sony and panasonic s5 mirrorless bodys anyway. So... if you had the chance to pick one lens for free, which would it be? I thought of the 35mm for best use or the 15mm for best price.. idk. Thanks so much!!
Hey!... I know you’re over vintage lenses but maybe give Leica R lenses a try... Obviously I haven’t tried em but as much as I have searched about it... it's quite contrasty if that makes sense!
Hey so I was wondering how does your angie hold up to the komodo? Do you have the same problems with it in terms of sharpness as you did with your contax?
Good video BUT… Frankly the first part on the limits of old optics, Contax is very interesting. The rest of the video is less interesting. The UA-camr friend turns into a real Commercial. It is obvious that a lens at 2500 € will be much better than one bought second-hand at 200 € … in my opinion, when you reach this level of requirement, it is better to go and shoot in Hollywood than to stay doing commercials for the local doctor
Hey man! Really love your videos, I find myself watching them 3-4 times a week these days. Not sure if you answer questions on old videos, but what would you recommend between the slr magic apo microprimes or the Zeiss milvus? Thanks brother!
I love Zeiss lenses. I only do portrait photography on film. They are gorgeous. In my arsenal are the classic 2/25, Milvus 2/35, Milvus 2/50 and Milvus 1.4/85.
@@Milan-cf1xe sorry, that I did not reply earlier. Yes, both lenses are still in my case. The 2/25 used to be my favorite lens on aps-c. It is insanly sharp, no CA, edges are softer but not an issue in real world. The Zeiss 2/35 is sharp. some CA. The lens is not perfect. In fact the 2/35 has not gotten much camera time. The Milvus is not an upgrade. The Milvus upgrade only makes sense if your plan to purchase an entire lens line up. The colours are near equal to each other. There is no straight answer. Comparing the 2/25 and 2/35 is comparing apples to pears.
If you were to sell your Milvus set, what would you buy instead? Because the cine lenses in that price range aren't of the same optical quality, you'd be giving up that quality for convenience on set. Is this worth it to you?
Hi Justin! Maybe you saved me some money- I was planning on purchasing the Otus 28mm and 55mm for Red Komodo, but the Milvus look amazing too. Though I might sound a bit elitist , but the Otus is still regarded the best photography lens- do you think the Otus might still give a sharper image ? Thanks Ron
While I appreciate what you’re saying about the Contax Zeiss lenses, they are old technology and the criticism about their quality when used with new technology is a tad bit unfair. These still lenses were made when consumer level videographers were using film and they weren’t using 35mm lenses like these to shoot. I’m stating the obvious here, so I apologize. I own a set of Contax Zeiss lenses myself, I know their capabilities, and I use them for that effect. The lenses you are promoting are good, but also cost as much as 10x the Contax Zeiss which is a stumbling point for many people. So, why not just keep both?
yes, i agree. The Contax Zeiss are quite nice for the glass alone. Perhaps should have kept for rehousing purposes...I sold the Milvus some time ago. I've been using Schneider Kreuznach cine lenses for quite some time at this point.
@@JustinPhillip you definitely should have kept them for rehousing. Why not have more in your arsenal? One day, you’ll be shooting something and think, “a 28mm f2 Zeiss Distagon” would be perfect here!”
It's actually possible to take off and put back the hood on the classic 15mm. It is (or it was) a service provided by Zeiss. Meaning that it will only take about a week to send it to a Zeiss service center and get it back 😆
well the 18 is the same formula as the super speeds so it’ll match better. But if you wanna go as wide as you possibly can that 15mm is one of the best of its focal length.
I just seen some comparisons of the milvus 50mm 1.4 and sigma art 1.4 and it looked extremely close imo? Have you ever tried putting some of the art series lenses against the milvus lenses? I feel like maybe some rehoused art series lenses might satisfy you??
@@JustinPhillip always ♥️. Do you have an overall favorite filter that is your main goto? Obviously different scenes call for different styles but if you had to choose 1 or 2 filters (ND and polarizing aside)
In terms of ROI, are you able to rent out the Zeiss Milvus often? Rewatched this with a more open mind towards my wallet and may pull the trigger on two of them to start. Probably a 18mm and the 35mm 1.4!
I have gotten them onto jobs thus increasing the rate. But i dont rent my camera bodies or lenses to strangers. But for most stuff here in the heart of LA, its VERY saturated. Meaning, most people here are renting the big boy toys because its so accessible.
*Also, i might add, unless you absolutely need the 1.4 for low light, i much prefer the f/2 35 milvus, its a perfect companion to the 18mm and 28mm Classic. Those three are my gimbal trio 🤙🏼
@@JustinPhillip good to know! I am from Vancouver BC and just breaking into the smaller budget commerical projects, going to be using the 35 for that classic commercial dolly portrait and I may want the 1.4 look! I have a buddy that has success renting the budget Meike lenses so maybe I'll have some success :p
Also follow up question .. Im guessing the A can is Red but what’s the B cam ? Pocket or gh5 ? It’s crazy how good the Komodo looks in comparison .. I’m assuming of course
@@JustinPhillip dude i was just thinking that .. been using z cams cause cost is lower for add ons and pretty decent image quality but boy are those reds callin my name 🤦🏽♂️
Yeah, they seem okay for the price, but not 100% sold on either of them. Still have a bit of color fringing and CA. I do like how small the Vespids are tho. What i dont like mainly about both of those options, is theres no ultra wide in either sets
@@JustinPhillip both sets will have lenses wider then 25 probably by next summer. I agree w/ you abuut the CA (on the vespids), but I kind of like the vintage performace at higher F-stops. I'm still researching if they can give a clean sharper look at tighter T-stops tho. Good bang-for-buck though :)
Thanks, enjoyed the video. Totally agree on your take on Contax lenses. Regarding Contax 28/2, I had one of those long time ago, it was horrible, and many seem to have gone out of spec over the decades, although the MTF chart was always horrible from a modern perspective. Also agree some Milvuses are best value for money. Would like to see more footage of 18 and 25. These are two lenses I consider buying but I feel they render a bit flat due to overcorrection of field curvature, compared to the latest classic versions 25/2 and 15/2.8. The 25/2 is a fairly new and very underrated Zeiss lens. 35/1.4 is an interesting case, I chose last classic version (which has evolved from the Contax) because bokeh is smoother and I can always stop down to F2. I chose Milvus 50/2 macro for versatility, it is the same, fairly recent design as the classic and extremely 3D. For my type of shooting, I chose and love EF versions, they communicate with S1H which makes use of IBIS much easier. This is sth. rarely mentioned. Also makes remote aperture control easier. Regarding CP3s, I think the 25/2 is the latest design, and the 100/2 is fairly modern (10,15 years?), the rest are Contax evolutions to my knowledge. The 85/2 is probably a stopped down 1.4 Classic, same for 50/2.
I had bought into the Contax hype 6 years ago and had a full set modded. But then after using them for a while like you I had a lot of frustration, they give muddy images with brown skin tones. After a year of using them I was done. Roger Deakins says that he likes no filtration in front of a lens he likes a nice clean lens and doesn't like to use vintage. You can give the vintage look with filters or in post. When you go into Contax you're already stuck with that look. You are smart to go with the Milvus line. The old zf2 line was riddled with chromatic aberration and purple fringing. I hated those lenses too. Great video!!
@@bluefilmsltd I guess you really love your hipster lenses. Dude if you love them so much man then get naked and put all your lenses on your bed and roll around with them. I'm glad you love those lenses. Hope you didn't get ripped off too much for the 28 mm Hollywood lens. Haha. Realistically though, they are good decent lenses, but they're not worth the high prices that people are asking for. They're not magical. And they have a lot of drawbacks. I suffered a lot with them, so now I moved on. I used to use them on my Alexa and my black magic cameras, but I sold all that and I moved to Sony FX 6 now. I only use Sony lenses cuz of the auto focus and they're very pristine. But everything is different for each person. That's what works for me. Cheers
@@willvazquez3218 Mr Vazquez if only you knew me you'd know I wasn't into 'hipster lenses'. I actually don't like vintage lenses myself. I prefer modernish lenses from the 90s and onward...the zeiss are an exception though and I would bet money that if I put up a late serial 50mm f1.7 against the Sony 55mm f1.8 you'd struggle to tell the difference. These aren't you usual vintage glass, they've got a lot in common with modern lenses, ESPECIALLY stopped down from f4 onwards. For the record, I never brought the 28mm f2, i've got the standard speeds and they look great even on corporate jobs.
You do know what a vlog is, right? 😂 Also, misleading is a poor choice of words. Plenty of people love and prefer the Contax Zeiss. I’m allowed to have opinions that change. C’mon man
I owned and regret (a little) selling them, and I just wanna say that they look great wide open at 1.4. they mysteriously stay mostly sharp at that aperture and i was amazed. Did get some MK fujinon zooms instead.
that's a big level up tho! Yea, same tho, not too long after i release this video, i've since moved on to Schneider Kreuznach Xenon cine lenses. I love the way they look, just kinda hefty.
My Gear List: kit.co/jpOnFilm
Next video in six months... Why i've sold my Milvus lenses and went with DZO (or Irix)... ;-)
😂
18 & 135 are my next purchases to complete my set! I love these lenses, they are buttery goodness!
28mm f2 is the only valuable lens in your old Contax set. The other three are secondary. You may want to get 35mm f1.4. But since you move to Milvus set, enjoy new 35mm 1.4.
I have Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 25mm f/2.8 ZF.2 & Carl Zeiss Planar T* 85 mm f 1.4 ZF.2, both are my knife of my movie maker journey.
Congratulations for the leces Justin, that footage looks great! Classic gear it´s now, snoob territory... not poor man's opportunity. Best regards from Madrid
Yo! Totally understand your outro segment. I'm more in the camp of going the Milvus route but I considered going prop cine lens style, just a bit too much an expense right now. But I'm sure you know of the DZO Film lenses, they're a craze right now, but a dark horse are the Schneider Xenons! I love their build because all lenses from 18mm and 100mm are the same diameter and length in body size, and the 25-100m options are all within .1 lbs of each other; only the 18mm is significantly heavier.
yea! Im not a fan of the DZOs, the schneider’s ive seen as well. The biggest thing for me was image quality, the Milvus’ really are like Mini Master Primes, but yea, the inconsistency in size is a bummer, and no iris gears 😟 Maybe one day CP.3s!
@@JustinPhillip That's the goal!
For the last 2 years I have been running a full Milvus set as well, same as yours, plus the 100mm f2 macro, and the 135mm F2. (and thankfully my 35/1.4 is intact!). I run lightweight clip on matteboxes, locked to the rails for the 35mm down, and clipped on the 50mm and up, because those all have extending barrels (and the 100mm macro, whew boy, I call that one "the grower" lol). Anyway, my point in posting is to let you know that the aperture lock can be disabled. I don't know whether it's a DIY job, as Duclos did mine. But, yeah, you can disable it, AND install a narrow ring, if you want to pull the iris.
Wait until you get them on a FF (or even speedboosted S35). Bloody MAGIC.
Love this video my friend! How would you compare these Zeiss Milvus vs Sigma Art lenses? Would you say the Milvus has more color and contrast?
I dont know if it has more contrast, but the colors definitely pop more and the rendering of the out of focus areas is much more pleasing and "painterly", and as always with Zeiss, it gives little more 3-D dimensionality, the good ole "zeiss pop".
@@JustinPhillip Awesome, I appreciate the speedy reply. Keep up the amazing work! I am using the DZO Film Vespids right now which I really like but something like the Milvus would be a nice change.
Very informative! Thanks for this. I think the look of the Contax zeiss lens are the best but I’m conflicted between reliability and look. I’m looking at the dzo film cine lens, any thoughts why you went with the stills milvus lens vs a dzo film cine lens?
Im just not impressed by the DZO look, also…DZO as a brand name, to me doesnt look impressive on a gear list. Zeiss has a reputation for a reason, some people call the Milvus’ “Mini Master Primes”, the image quality IMO blows the DZO’s out of the water. I think a better option than DZOs are the little SLR Magic APO MicroPrimes. But again…not a well known brand that clients will want to jump on.
@@JustinPhillip I agree. The dzo brand is new and the look is ok. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of selection for cine lens within budget range under $2K. When u look at the cine lens for sigma, tokina, canon, zeiss they already cost as much as a camera.
Why not zeiss Compact premium for film?
Personally i'm not a fan of the CP.2s (same glass as the Zeiss ZE/ZF stills lenses), however, the CP.3s are a great option (same glass as the Milvus). But this video is quite old and I ended up going with Schnedier Kreuznach cine lenses. ua-cam.com/video/-cL6-VoNS3o/v-deo.html
Why is your b angle extremely pink….?
It’s like that in a couple other videos I’ve watched of yours. I’d think that’d be an easy fix in post 😅 or is that something that was done on purpose?
It was super jarring while watching the video… I usually don’t comment on videos either, but here I am! 🤦🏽♂️😂
Do you ever use a speed booster with the Milvus lenses?
Havent seen a good one for the Komodo yet
I am Jack's sweating credit card.
😅
Big mistake selling the Zeiss Contax, mate. These have only gotten more expensive. You're not going to get lenses with the same micro contrast, ergonomics and image quality.
build quality not worth it imo, but to each their own. I wasnt in love with the look tbh
@@JustinPhillip I respect that. I guess I find it interesting that you only had issues with these lenses the moment you upped the resolution whereas before it sounds like everything was fine?
@@bluefilmsltd No, i always had issues with the build quality. But the softness was something that was revealed later on. Like i said, twice the resolution, larger sensor, showing more of that image circle.
@@JustinPhillip Fair enough. I respect your decision to use filtration to dial in a 'look' though. Still think you are seeing the Contax's short.
I don't understand why focus breathing is considered as a bad thing
some is way bad than others. Certainly a lot of high end cine lenses breathe as well. But my contax were quite bad
adjust it in post... easy@@JustinPhillip
How is the lens breathing on the 25mm?
What about Zeiss C.P.3s? Oh, wait, rehoused milv...? 🤔Better rehousing and C.P.3 are higher in price?
rehoused Milvus, or so the rumor goes…
@@JustinPhillip I should say though, that C.P.3 are expensive but have you done a review on them? 😁👍
@@JustinPhillip According to this channel the C.P.3s are rehoused C.P.2! ua-cam.com/video/2eA_lRik7v4/v-deo.html
@@bryanbarajasBB No that’s not true at all. CP.3’s are definitely newer optics.
@@JustinPhillip Well he makes such statements 🤣
Fun fact: your 25mm f1.4 is actually designed by the guy who designed the Hollywood, and the famous 50mm f0.7 for NASA - Erhard Glatzel. When he died, Glatzels grandson was gifted his grandfathers "prototype" lenses which never made it to market. Among them? 25mm f1.4, and 18mm f2.8. Look up the designs. They're clearly using his blueprints.
I have the same set of Milvus for video and they are so good for the money. On the C70 with speedbooster having them FF is wild. Also agree its great to have sharpness in the lens and then diffuse when you want with BPM/GLimmerglass, etc. Thanks for the review.
I believe cp.3's are the same distagon optics as the cp.2's just with a different coating or something like that.
They also feed the camera body metadata now.
Thanks for doing this video, Justin. This is the most insightful and honest review of Milvus lenses for cinema I’ve seen. There is a huge jump in quality from Contax to ZE/ZF Classic/Milvus. The thing I liked the most is when you said you like controlling the look, not having the lens do it. AMEN!!! Yes, it’s fun to grab an old Contax and make a movie with it and say, hey, I just made a movie with an old stills lens. And, kudos to those who have done it. I applaud the creativity. But, to put bread on the table, you need something reliable and easy. That’s a modern Zeiss lens. A set of CP.3’s might be your next purchase. It pairs well with the Komodo. I’m working on a promo for Zeiss cine lenses and will send that link to you when it’s done. And, all this hard lens search work you’ve done will pay off. It’s part of becoming a true pro. It’s mandatory for understanding your craft.
Thank you i appreciate that. That sounds like a killer gig. Yeah CP.3s would be ideal, but i think i may for now only be able to afford some second hand CP2s
@@JustinPhillip I would stay with the Milvus over the CP.2 because they are fairly heavy. You can always rent or borrow a CP.2 or 3 and see what you think. Also, the Irix cine lenses are interesting. Their 30mm is a “from the ground up” cine lens. They are still working on their prime set. They need a couple more to complete it. Again, rent or borrow one first. For an “inexpensive” prime the CP.3 or possibly the Irix are the best possibilities for a proper cine lens that cover S35 and FF. Milvus is a great place to be in the meantime. The optics are beautiful and plenty to shoot even high end content.
actually to bring bread on your table it is not related to glass you put in front of your camera, it is the final material you want to deliver. vintage lens is not good option when it comes to sharpness. get sigma lenses and done. all viltrox and sigmas are far more sharp and accurate and great compare to old vintage lenses but they also have delivwe digital photo studioesh video.
It does depend a bit on the lens, all of them have more modern coatings but some of them(the 15mm 2,8, 21mm F.2.8, 35mm F/2, 50mm F/2 and 135mm F/2 APO) are the same optical designs as the ZE/ZF classic era. That said of course those lenses were generally the best regarded of the line-up, Zeiss mostly focused on replacing the less well performing lenses in the line-up, and on giving the 25mm(which was quite well regarded) an extra stop.
Great insights, Justin! So helpful. The narrative stuff looks great, especially that scene with the cop at the table! I got 3 contax zeiss lenses now. The Milvus look really tempting, but are out of my reach right now. Maybe in the future!
Thanks! On the used market, the Milvus’ are the same price as the Contax super speeds, nowadays.
I own the Red Komodo and a set of Otus Lenses. Even though I have multiple RF prime lenses , the otus are the one that I always keep on my camera. I will be getting the Zeiss milvus 135 and either milvus 18 or 21mm to round up my set. I have otus 28,55 and 85 and they are a dream come true. I just need a wider focal length, lost likely the 18mm and the 135mm and I should
Complete my set!! Great video !
Yeah i have considered this…almost pulled the trigger on the 28 Otus a couple weeks back
Damn, now I feel like throwing my contax lenses in the trash. Thank you. My life just got a bit worse.
Still good lenses!
Have you seen the new NISI Athenas? Those look pretty promising. Id love to hear your thoughts on them once we have some more information! haha
Great video Justin! I did sort of the same move...But I moved from the Contax Zeiss to the Zeiss Classic & Leica R. The Zeiss Classic for a clean and punchy look, the Leica R for vintage and punchy look. Maybe one day I'll jump directly to the Otus, if I need absolute perfection...
Anyway I seriously miss my old kit of Contax Zeiss...I kept only the 80-200 F4, because that lens can't be sold, it's too good for what I've paid for it.
what’s in your Leica R set?
What differences have you noticed between contax and classic. people cut between them all the time.
@@ericcoen8894 24/60mm f2.8 and 35/50/90mm f2
@@isaacbedford3644 the Zeiss Classic F2 lineup is pretty incredible 😉
@@LucaBono.Studio no 28/2.8?
I watched your past videos praising those lenses and almost pulled the trigger
😆 gotta be careful of the ever evolving DP 😆
the diameter "problem" is solved easily by getting fitting 3D printed lens gears with the same outer diameter. Thats what i did ;-)
My favorite is the 35mm 1.4 Milvus! The most cinematic of the bunch, I'd say.
Great looking lenses! And you know what... use what gear you want and what helps you in your work! But if you sell them, let me know! Haha! :))
Curious .. why sell instead if renting. Seems like wasted time and energy to accumulate all these lenses only to sell them and possibly experience some remorse later done the line with a lot more refined and detailed narrative work. I get why it didn’t work for you as it seems like you don’t a lot of commercial or run and gun so you need that clinical look but I’m sure the creative projects can call for these lenses from time to time .. just curious. Great work on everything you do either way .. it’s all subjective at the end of the day some peeps will tell you that Contax Zeiss are the crem de la crem but others will say that’s just cause you haven’t experienced a proper set of nice high end glass which most productions would be rent and not buy.
Yupp. Rental market here in LA is overly saturated, and dominated by the rental houses. So wouldnt get much rentals on em, and even if i did, the price would have to be so low that IMO not even worth it. Vintage lenses to me are not ideal for renting out
@@JustinPhillip got yah didn’t even think about the over saturation in that area. Makes sense apprecaite you broddie
I can't find any comparison of the two milvus 35mm... F2 vs F1.4, when your F1.4 will come back, it could be a very helpful video... at least for me !
;-)
Watching you for the second time, I must admit that loving lenses was something one shouldn't mention! Back in the 60's the latest zeiss jena was the 25mm f4, no doubt now you would not like it but I still have my Exakta fit and it's unused now cos I left film some time ago, but it's loved must be cos I got rid of my 35 f1. 4 contax 2 years ago now
I bought the Milvus 25 f1.4 and the 35 f1.4 ZF and converted them to EF mount. I also de-clicked the aperture by removing the ball bearing locking the ring…
I'm leaning towards the Irix cine set with it's 15mm, 30mm, 45mm and then supplementing the missing focal lengths with Milvus such as the 21mm. Unfortunately there's not a whole lot of reviews and data concerning the Irix lenses hence I'm still waiting.
I actually sold all my Zeiss Contax primes (and a couple of zooms) to buy two stunning Sony PZ 18-110 G servo zooms. (better for my work) I next bought a set of 7Artisans T1.05 Vision cinema primes - same if not better look than the Contax but way faster and they are a set of geared, matched proper cinema lenses.
Thanks Justin for this great insight. I’m a Komodo owner and Contax owner myself.
I love the Contax look but I agree they’re not suited for a clean look. I never had an issue with softness and focusing.
But you made me hitting the trigger for the Milvus lenses 🙂
Welche Zeiss Milvus hast du denn jetzt gekauft?
My 25mm zeiss distagon f2.8 is sharper than my sigma 18-35. 28mm and wider are the sharpest that's why they're more expensive
Hi, I have a question, might sound strange but please help me out :) so I participated in a cinema contest and won one zeiss milvus lens (mount and focal range of my choice). Now I cant really decide which one to go for... and also not the mount but I think that doesnt really matter since I would adapt them to sony and panasonic s5 mirrorless bodys anyway. So... if you had the chance to pick one lens for free, which would it be? I thought of the 35mm for best use or the 15mm for best price.. idk. Thanks so much!!
People whining about you selling contax haven't used contax with mattebox + wireless focus... Shits a nightmare for rigging and efficiency
💯
Remember, the Metabones C/Y Speed Booster has a back focus adjustment - essential to set up so Infinity is perfect.
Hey!... I know you’re over vintage lenses but maybe give Leica R lenses a try... Obviously I haven’t tried em but as much as I have searched about it... it's quite contrasty if that makes sense!
oh yea in a perfect world i would have a properly re-housed matching set of those and it would be case closed 💯
Hey so I was wondering how does your angie hold up to the komodo? Do you have the same problems with it in terms of sharpness as you did with your contax?
No! Actually the parfocal got better! I used it to film all the B roll of the actual lenses.
it was long and I loved all of it!
😆 Thank you!
Good video BUT… Frankly the first part on the limits of old optics, Contax is very interesting. The rest of the video is less interesting. The UA-camr friend turns into a real Commercial. It is obvious that a lens at 2500 € will be much better than one bought second-hand at 200 € … in my opinion, when you reach this level of requirement, it is better to go and shoot in Hollywood than to stay doing commercials for the local doctor
CP.2 is good enough as your cine set
Hey man! Really love your videos, I find myself watching them 3-4 times a week these days.
Not sure if you answer questions on old videos, but what would you recommend between the slr magic apo microprimes or the Zeiss milvus?
Thanks brother!
Peace. What is your opinion on the Tokina ATX Cinemas 11-20 and 50-135? Performance and quality in general and when used with the Komodo.
the 11-20 is awesome for what it is. Kinda been the standard for a while. Im not familiar with the 50-135
Comparing a Milvus to a Contax isn't a real comparison. I can practically buy a full Contax kit for the price of 2 Milvus.
I love Zeiss lenses. I only do portrait photography on film. They are gorgeous. In my arsenal are the classic 2/25, Milvus 2/35, Milvus 2/50 and Milvus 1.4/85.
@iliver Lison Oh please tell me how the Classic 25mm and Milvus 35mm compare. Do you think the Milvus are worth the price upgrade?
@@Milan-cf1xe sorry, that I did not reply earlier. Yes, both lenses are still in my case. The 2/25 used to be my favorite lens on aps-c.
It is insanly sharp, no CA, edges are softer but not an issue in real world. The Zeiss 2/35 is sharp. some CA. The lens is not perfect. In fact the 2/35 has not gotten much camera time. The Milvus is not an upgrade. The Milvus upgrade only makes sense if your plan to purchase an entire lens line up. The colours are near equal to each other.
There is no straight answer. Comparing the 2/25 and 2/35 is comparing apples to pears.
In the meantime i got a 21mm F2.8, 25mm F2, 35mm F2 and 50mm F1.4. All classic ZE lenses.
Bro this is affordable with better quality housing, thanks for this video!
Lol, I am in the same boat. I don’t have the patience for these and modern lenses are generally better
If you were to sell your Milvus set, what would you buy instead? Because the cine lenses in that price range aren't of the same optical quality, you'd be giving up that quality for convenience on set. Is this worth it to you?
Hi Justin! Maybe you saved me some money- I was planning on purchasing the Otus 28mm and 55mm for Red Komodo, but the Milvus look amazing too. Though I might sound a bit elitist , but the Otus is still regarded the best photography lens- do you think the Otus might still give a sharper image ?
Thanks
Ron
oh, without a doubt
While I appreciate what you’re saying about the Contax Zeiss lenses, they are old technology and the criticism about their quality when used with new technology is a tad bit unfair. These still lenses were made when consumer level videographers were using film and they weren’t using 35mm lenses like these to shoot. I’m stating the obvious here, so I apologize.
I own a set of Contax Zeiss lenses myself, I know their capabilities, and I use them for that effect. The lenses you are promoting are good, but also cost as much as 10x the Contax Zeiss which is a stumbling point for many people.
So, why not just keep both?
yes, i agree. The Contax Zeiss are quite nice for the glass alone. Perhaps should have kept for rehousing purposes...I sold the Milvus some time ago. I've been using Schneider Kreuznach cine lenses for quite some time at this point.
@@JustinPhillip you definitely should have kept them for rehousing. Why not have more in your arsenal? One day, you’ll be shooting something and think, “a 28mm f2 Zeiss Distagon” would be perfect here!”
It's actually possible to take off and put back the hood on the classic 15mm. It is (or it was) a service provided by Zeiss. Meaning that it will only take about a week to send it to a Zeiss service center and get it back 😆
Oh yea. I heard people doing this
Hi Justin. I have 25 1.4. I am trying to get a wider milvus. 15mm and 18mm which one you recommend.
well the 18 is the same formula as the super speeds so it’ll match better. But if you wanna go as wide as you possibly can that 15mm is one of the best of its focal length.
I just seen some comparisons of the milvus 50mm 1.4 and sigma art 1.4 and it looked extremely close imo? Have you ever tried putting some of the art series lenses against the milvus lenses? I feel like maybe some rehoused art series lenses might satisfy you??
😆 a little too clinical. However, i recently acquired the Sigma Art 24-70 f/2.8 with O.S. and i do love it, with some diffusion in the front tho!
@@JustinPhillip always ♥️. Do you have an overall favorite filter that is your main goto? Obviously different scenes call for different styles but if you had to choose 1 or 2 filters (ND and polarizing aside)
I'm stuck between these and the Sigma Cine Primes 😅
Great Vid, thnaks. Do Milvus have fly by wire focus ? or mechanical ? do they have hard stops?
they are all manual lenses. No fly by wire. and yes, hard stops
Nice to see Flight Of The Conchords in your collection 👍
In terms of ROI, are you able to rent out the Zeiss Milvus often? Rewatched this with a more open mind towards my wallet and may pull the trigger on two of them to start. Probably a 18mm and the 35mm 1.4!
I have gotten them onto jobs thus increasing the rate. But i dont rent my camera bodies or lenses to strangers. But for most stuff here in the heart of LA, its VERY saturated. Meaning, most people here are renting the big boy toys because its so accessible.
*Also, i might add, unless you absolutely need the 1.4 for low light, i much prefer the f/2 35 milvus, its a perfect companion to the 18mm and 28mm Classic. Those three are my gimbal trio 🤙🏼
@@JustinPhillip good to know! I am from Vancouver BC and just breaking into the smaller budget commerical projects, going to be using the 35 for that classic commercial dolly portrait and I may want the 1.4 look! I have a buddy that has success renting the budget Meike lenses so maybe I'll have some success :p
@@kmshairstay probably will! I know guys just outside of LA that do very well renting gear!
So, now that you've experienced the Milvus lenses, what "true" cine lens set would you buy when you sell the Milvus'?
That is the question…still hunting & pondering
Also follow up question .. Im guessing the A can is Red but what’s the B cam ? Pocket or gh5 ? It’s crazy how good the Komodo looks in comparison .. I’m assuming of course
GH5 B cam, also explains the shitty auto focus! 🤣🤣 But how about that Komodo’s Beta AF?!
@@JustinPhillip dude i was just thinking that .. been using z cams cause cost is lower for add ons and pretty decent image quality but boy are those reds callin my name 🤦🏽♂️
what cine lenses will you be aiming for next?
wish i knew! 😅
can you suggest me some mattebox for milvus pls?
kit.co/jpOnFilm/matte-box-kit
Awesome video! Not sure about the title tho haha
Me neither
Have you heard about the DZO Vespid Primes or Meike’s new FF lenses?
Yeah, they seem okay for the price, but not 100% sold on either of them. Still have a bit of color fringing and CA. I do like how small the Vespids are tho. What i dont like mainly about both of those options, is theres no ultra wide in either sets
@@JustinPhillip both sets will have lenses wider then 25 probably by next summer. I agree w/ you abuut the CA (on the vespids), but I kind of like the vintage performace at higher F-stops. I'm still researching if they can give a clean sharper look at tighter T-stops tho. Good bang-for-buck though :)
Don’t waste money on China-made lens
Thanks, enjoyed the video. Totally agree on your take on Contax lenses. Regarding Contax 28/2, I had one of those long time ago, it was horrible, and many seem to have gone out of spec over the decades, although the MTF chart was always horrible from a modern perspective. Also agree some Milvuses are best value for money.
Would like to see more footage of 18 and 25. These are two lenses I consider buying but I feel they render a bit flat due to overcorrection of field curvature, compared to the latest classic versions 25/2 and 15/2.8. The 25/2 is a fairly new and very underrated Zeiss lens. 35/1.4 is an interesting case, I chose last classic version (which has evolved from the Contax) because bokeh is smoother and I can always stop down to F2. I chose Milvus 50/2 macro for versatility, it is the same, fairly recent design as the classic and extremely 3D.
For my type of shooting, I chose and love EF versions, they communicate with S1H which makes use of IBIS much easier. This is sth. rarely mentioned. Also makes remote aperture control easier.
Regarding CP3s, I think the 25/2 is the latest design, and the 100/2 is fairly modern (10,15 years?), the rest are Contax evolutions to my knowledge. The 85/2 is probably a stopped down 1.4 Classic, same for 50/2.
Duclos seems to think they are re-housed Milvus (re: CP.3s)
I had bought into the Contax hype 6 years ago and had a full set modded. But then after using them for a while like you I had a lot of frustration, they give muddy images with brown skin tones. After a year of using them I was done. Roger Deakins says that he likes no filtration in front of a lens he likes a nice clean lens and doesn't like to use vintage. You can give the vintage look with filters or in post. When you go into Contax you're already stuck with that look. You are smart to go with the Milvus line. The old zf2 line was riddled with chromatic aberration and purple fringing. I hated those lenses too. Great video!!
So what lenses do you think are good for brown skin tones? I never noticed an issue with brown skin with the Contax lenses..
@@bluefilmsltd I guess you really love your hipster lenses. Dude if you love them so much man then get naked and put all your lenses on your bed and roll around with them. I'm glad you love those lenses. Hope you didn't get ripped off too much for the 28 mm Hollywood lens. Haha. Realistically though, they are good decent lenses, but they're not worth the high prices that people are asking for. They're not magical. And they have a lot of drawbacks. I suffered a lot with them, so now I moved on. I used to use them on my Alexa and my black magic cameras, but I sold all that and I moved to Sony FX 6 now. I only use Sony lenses cuz of the auto focus and they're very pristine. But everything is different for each person. That's what works for me. Cheers
@@willvazquez3218 Mr Vazquez if only you knew me you'd know I wasn't into 'hipster lenses'. I actually don't like vintage lenses myself. I prefer modernish lenses from the 90s and onward...the zeiss are an exception though and I would bet money that if I put up a late serial 50mm f1.7 against the Sony 55mm f1.8 you'd struggle to tell the difference.
These aren't you usual vintage glass, they've got a lot in common with modern lenses, ESPECIALLY stopped down from f4 onwards. For the record, I never brought the 28mm f2, i've got the standard speeds and they look great even on corporate jobs.
Seems pointless criticising old photography lenses in a cinematography context.
I assume you are taking down those misleading contax vids then, right?
You do know what a vlog is, right? 😂 Also, misleading is a poor choice of words. Plenty of people love and prefer the Contax Zeiss. I’m allowed to have opinions that change. C’mon man
I owned and regret (a little) selling them, and I just wanna say that they look great wide open at 1.4. they mysteriously stay mostly sharp at that aperture and i was amazed. Did get some MK fujinon zooms instead.
that's a big level up tho! Yea, same tho, not too long after i release this video, i've since moved on to Schneider Kreuznach Xenon cine lenses. I love the way they look, just kinda hefty.