Modern vs. Vintage Lenses: Which is Better for Filmmaking?

Vintage lenses have taken the filmmaking world by storm, and their popularity continues to rise. From personal projects to high-profile Hollywood films like the latest Batman movie and Dune 2, vintage lenses are making their mark. But do these lenses truly offer a superior look, and are they worth sacrificing modern features like autofocus and stabilization?

In this video, I compare the Canon RF lenses with the Contax Zeiss lenses to see if the vintage hype holds up for video production. This isn't a scientific test but rather a real-world comparison to show you practical use cases and scenarios.

🔍 What You'll Discover:

1. Color Rendering:
Both lens types deliver fantastic color rendering, with Canon RF lenses offering pleasing and clean results.
Contax Zeiss lenses provide a natural and authentic look, with richer blacks and softer highlights.

2. Sharpness:
Modern RF lenses are plenty sharp, offering a clean canvas for post-production.
Vintage Contax Zeiss lenses are softer wide open but become sharp when stopped down, adding a unique character to your footage.

3. Chromatic Aberration:
Contax Zeiss lenses exhibit strong chromatic aberration wide open, which can be artistically appealing but sometimes distracting.
Canon RF lenses perform nearly perfectly in this regard, minimizing chromatic aberration.

4. Flaring:
Contax Zeiss lenses win with their pleasing and even flaring, enhancing the cinematic feel.
Canon RF lenses can produce distracting green flares.

5. Manual Focusing:
Contax Zeiss lenses excel with smooth and precise manual focusing.
Canon RF lenses offer great focusing performance on compatible cameras.

6. Build Quality:
Both lenses are well-built, but Canon RF lenses provide better weather sealing.
Contax Zeiss lenses are compact and lightweight, ideal for travel, though they may cause micro jitters due to their light weight.

7. Price:
For the cost of one Canon RF lens, you can often purchase a set of Contax Zeiss primes, making vintage lenses a budget-friendly option.

Conclusion:
While I love my Contax Zeiss lenses for their unique character and compact size, I rely on Canon RF lenses for jobs requiring a fast workflow, autofocus, and stabilization. The choice ultimately depends on your shooting style and project needs.

Whether you prefer the artistic flair of vintage lenses or the precision of modern optics, each has its place in a filmmaker's toolkit. Watch the video to see real-world examples and decide which lens suits your video production needs!

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Thanks for watching and happy filming!

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