My goal over the next year is to put enough money aside to be able to afford this set. I actually rely a lot on autofocus right now but I’d like to get away from that and start incorporating more manual focus in my work. Additionally, with the new LiDAR systems coming out, you can essentially make these autofocus. I’m using a Canon C70 and R5c and the ability to have their lenses matched and use the drop-in ND for the R5c with the internal ND on the C70 would be so great. I already use their Swift variable ND system and I find it VERY easy to match the colors between their ND and the C70’s internal ND when shooting with both cameras. This would be a dream set for me, personally. But… as budget friendly as it is, it’s still almost $6,000 so I’ll need to do some serious saving.
I received my PL set a couple of weeks ago with the aim of adapting them to my full frame BMCC…and the size, weight, build quality, and consistent image quality seem about perfect for the pairing. I’ve also done some testing with them adapted to an FX6. If you want in-built character then there are other (more expensive) options, but then you need another set for clean corporate work. Where with these you can dirty the look in many different ways as needed, while also having a basic look for bread and butter jobs. Highly recommended.
Hi waveland. Indeed. The same observation as ours. Those lenses are extremely "clean" and for getting a "look", filters or a front lens adapter is recommended.
I've tested a set and was disappointed that it's not color matched. It easily corrects in post but I expected it to be color matched at least. Not sure if it's just the sample piece that I tried. Another thing I also noticed as someone who uses the DZO Vespid a lot is that, the "vintage" type look gave me a visual confirmation of the "look" in camera while shooting, while the NiSi felt like I'm shooting with a photography lens and have to "imagine" how it looks like after post production. Tested with Tiffen Black Satin filter, and it's not bad, but like I said, it's feel more like a photography lens, I much rather shoot with a G-Master that has autofocus. Lastly, the "micro-contrast", I would like to call out NiSi for their bullshit. There's not much microcontrast in this lens versus similar lens at the same price point. I think they over-marketed it. It's decent, but nothing that particularly stands out like the way they marketed it. Initially, I thought this lens will be better than the Cooke SP3 (I know there's a huge price difference), but after trying them side by side, I understand why the Cooke is charging more and why they are renowned. In conclusion, for my next upgrade, I'm probably going with the Cooke SP3 even though I can only buy them 1 lens at a time instead of the whole set of NiSi. However, I feel the Cooke SP3 is a more "worth it" lens to add to your collection. As with everything in life, YMMV.
I have seen tons of videos of the NISI Athena's and not a single one of them show any of the flattering characteristics of Micro-Contrast! What they do show is Sharpness and good contrast but (in my opinion) absolutely zero micro-contrast? Color quality is also very muted, stale. Can someone do a side by side of the NISI's with simpler optical ZEIS/LEICA lenses? Everyone will then be able to see that NISI will look flat and 2-dimensional. Basically NISI looks like Sigma but a little less sharp. Please NISI, remove the word "micro-contrast" from your marketing. Do you even know what it means?
I’m looking to get a set for my classroom. The drop in filter is the major buy in for me. I want to keep my students “focused” on the creation processes, not the gears. 😁👍
If it’s for educational purposes then get them the PL version. It’s better to give your students a wider set of skills than teach them to use niche products. PL is by far the most popular mount in cinema and these lenses have such a long rear element that your students will quickly learn that you can’t use any lens with any mount (such as the Red eVND mount). Also RIP to your students futures. Rough time to be getting into the industry with all this AI nonsense and the market already beyond saturated 😢🙏
