"The full uncut footage of the flare will be available on our Vimeo page" Still waiting! It would be really great to show this, as it's a major factor for many of us.
The Dulens are made to mimic a vintage look to the lens, with intentional low contrast. They also deliberately coated the lenses to produce rainbow flares - all of this is on their website. Maybe should be something worth mentioning when comparing to lenses made for more modern looks.
@@brettalexander.studio no the Dulens lenses are all original APO optics, not rehoused stills lenses. They have simply been designed to have some of the characteristics older lenses have.
Consistently the most thorough and useful information in the cinema world. Between you guys and Gerald Undone, it’s hard to be uninformed. Loved this review and I’m looking to DZO as I shift from mirrorless to dedicated cinema work. I’ve been loving these comparisons you’ve been doing between different cameras and price points and now lenses. I’d be curious to see one with the zoom counterparts, particularly mixing in the T4.4 options from Canon as they sit right above the price point! But produce as you wish, I’ll watch it all
Oh I don't know, I think a 10 minuet intro with logos and load of pointless waffle with three mentions of square space could possibly improve these videos a little. 🙃
I will always be grateful to those companies who work so hard in order to create affordable filmmaking tools. The rest is vision and inspiration. No guaranty a $25.000 lens will make an award winning film.
I own 3 of the Meike and I love it. Maybe not the sharpest lens, but they give a warm tone, the bokeh is sweet and they are heavy. As Boris the Blade said: Heavy is good, heavy is reliable.
Wtf the Meike was my favorite it really gave me 1980's scifi vibes or even stranger things and I thought it was a 20k or something like that lens, that really blew my mind
Thank you for this comparison. I have been looking at the Dulens and the SLR magic APO's as a sort of useable vintage lens style set. I realize that you don't sell the SLR Magic and the Dulens are very backordered, so I shouldn't expect that comparison. One thing I would like in these tests is a description of the build quality, if the image has tendency to shift in frame while focusing, and whether the color cast remains consistent.
Excellent Video as always. I would have loved to see one or two higher „tier“ used options in this comparison as they might well be a worthwhile alternative. Or they might have underlined just how good „entry level“ glass has become.
I do not know how many vintage lenses are Apo designed. I like clean looks. But people who look for vintage lens might want character out of compromised design and lack of technology of the past.
Thanks to the team CVP for their videos. I had DZOFilm sponsored my documentary-drama "Devils on Horses" with their Catta Ace Zoom Lenses FF. I reached out to them, and they responded positively to my request. We used the Panasonic S1 camera with the Atomos Ninja V, capturing 4K DCI at 50p in ProRes RAW (as well as 5.9K 25p). We will be grading in Resolve and have just completed the trailer editing in FCP. I can explain the post-production workflow for this. This project involved recreating reenactments with horses for the Sinai-Palestine campaign in the First World War about the New Zealand Mountain Rifle regiment and the relationship between soldier and horse. Using cinema lenses significantly improved the picture quality, which is evident on the screen. I was using the Panasonic L mount lenses. Although I haven't been able to use prime lenses, technological advancements have enabled us to achieve fantastic images at a reasonable price. Ultimately, as filmmakers, we aim to capture the best picture possible, though we have no control over the devices on which they are viewed. While there's a debate between using an Arri versus a mirrorless camera, it ultimately comes down to one word: "Story." We are currently in post-production on the documentary and were very happy with the image from DZOfilm lenses. What does this mean? The budget lenses produce a very good image, and, honestly, does the audience notice a difference between 30K and a 2K Lens?
I am curious how the Dulens + Komodo might work out on cinelifter drones. Lighter weight.. no need for focus ring motor.. seems like they would be great for that use.
Awesome vid, purchased a set of Vespids from CVP last year and absolutely love them, really love having the macro in the set as well. Wish I'd had this vid to help choose at the time!
Great video! I bought the Meike's first, which are quite good for the price. Recently I bought a Vespid set, which I'm much happier with. The Meike's were way too warm and inconsistent across the set, making color correction a pain. I often have an AC, but there are no markings on the assistant side. The flares were too much for my taste. I don't need clinically clean images, but a more character. The Vespids are a full set (including the awesome macro), which is what I needed. They have markings on both sides and the flare is more controlled. One thing not discussed in this video is perspective. The Meike's are better than the Xeens, which produce a flat image, but I find the Vespids to have good perspective that separates the subject the background. Vespids will be my go-to lens set for anytime I can't afford to rent Supremes or Master Primes (and sometimes I'll still use the Vespids if that's the look I'm going for).
@@CP-CINEMA These are probably the best two budget options right now. It really will come down to a few questions: Do you want a more neutral look (e.g. Meike) or one with bit more character (e.g. Vespid)? Do you want interchangeable lens mounts? Which focal lengths do you need? Do you need macro? What is your budget? If I were doing corporate or commercials I might go with the Meike's because they're neutral, affordable, and the lengths they offer cover me. If I'm doing more varied work, especially with narrative or even music videos, then the Vespids give a more filmic look with better separation and lots of options of lengths and types.
@@toddpeterson5904 To me the DZO’s seem more modern television, modern cinema, it has a sharp glossy look that’s popular today, the Meikes seem more 3D and the subject pops more from the background, I love both lenses honestly, for starters I was looking for a spherical lens to pair with my Vazen anamorphic on my Komodo for situations where the space is tighter, darker and I need to get closer to the subject. It’s still a very tough decision. DZO’s feel darker for dramas and thrillers and Meikes seem brighter and have a different mood. I suppose Meikes could also be good for narratives and documentary work as well. Ugh! Such a tough decision, your thoughts?
@@CP-CINEMA Interesting. Because I have both sets, I should do a comparison. For me, I see better separation with the Vespids, but there certainly is a degree of subjectivity. What looks good to my eye is not the same as what others will see. You might be interested in this video: ruclips.net/video/4DOHk6CKxUk/видео.html He does a comparison among CP2's (which look like crap), the Vespids, and the Supremes (my top 3 lenses right now). He doesn't include the Meike's, but it shows how well the Vespids hold up against the $30k/lens Supremes, and it's shot on a Komodo. I mainly shoot on Arri, which has more natural digital "grain" than a Red, which might be why they look more filmic to me. I would still recommend the Vespids. The Meike's are the same speed, size/weight. Unless you specifically like the look of the Meike's or need to save on your budget, I do think you get better images from the Vespids. Why don't you rent them? Lensrentals should have both. Rent a couple of the primes from each set that you're most likely to use and give them a try for a week. Good luck!
Which set is the best without budget limit ? Curious to see breakdown of differences between Zeiss Supreme , Arri signature , Leitz prime , and Cooke S8 if you are willing to do a video :-) Thanks Ron
The Vespids are the best in my opinion. They have the most characteristics, they aren't the fastest, but the build quality and the character is hard to beat vs it's competition.
I have a full set of the Meike FFs and I love them, the 35 in particular which I think is a fantastic lens, however as is obvious with your test the 85mm is definitely the black sheep of the set. I've had no issue matching the 24, 35 and 50. I do wish they were a little smaller and lighter though. I think the Xeens are very much showing their age, I used the old aluminium versions of them a lot and there was always something about the image I didn't like. The Dulens options might be my pick if I were buying new, but unfortunately they don't have a full set available.
Are you able to match the 85? Picked up these lenses and only have the 24 so far, 50 and 85 will come next. Can you just make an adjument node in resolve to account for the warmth or is it really bad?
@@fatheadmediapro of course you can grade out the difference in Resolve, it's just a bit of extra work to do so. I shoot wide almost all the time through so I only touch my 85 very rarely. At some stage I'll create a correction pre-set for the 85
In several CVP reviews, they always refer to DZO as being on the “Arty side of the spectrum.” Is this a reference to its imperfections? What does this mean exactly?
I hope there will be more these considering how many budget sets there are. No mention of SLR Magic, Irix, 7Artisans, Rokinon DSX, mitakon Cine, Schneider Xenon, Laowa Nanomorph anamorphic, Sirui Anamorphic? So many more options in this space now.
Yeah, I don't know man. Just posted a review of the Irix 30 mil cine on my channel and I have to say it's one of the most impressive cinema lenses I've seen for the price.
The onion ringing on those Xeen's is unreal. I couldn't use them for that alone. I've got almost a full set of Meike's and the 85 is definitely the odd one out but one node on DaVinci and its sorted. No drama.
Thank you for this very informative video! I noticed in your description that you have a set of Otus primes in the studio. I wondered if you could write a word about how you think these compare to the cine lenses you have reviewed, when it comes purely to image quality? I am deciding between the DZO Vespins and the Otus, and I don't need the cine housing, wondering which to go for. Many thanks!
Love the Dulens look and performance but 43,58,85 just isn't useable. I was originally on the batch 2 list but had to abandon them because even now, two or three years later they're still not a workable set. I bought the xeen cfs and have been very pleased with them. I like the bokeh but wide open the fringing isn't great - which is why I'd love some dulens. One thing with smaller lenses is that they're a pain to use with evf's and matteboxes. Often the mattebox is so close to the camera body there's not a lot of room for ff and the evf will hit the mattebox in a shoulder set up
I'm still considering the Vespids as my prime set in addition to the Pictor zooms I already own. Maybe even more so after seeing the breathing on the other lenses!
I do on the fly cooking videos so don't have time to mess around with lens swaps, do you think the Pictors would be an upgrade from a Canon 24-70 L? I feel like I really don't need the features of a cine lens but the IQ might be worth it
@@Tamajyn69 The Canon 24-70 is a very sharp lens, very easy to use. So if you don't really need the features of a cine lens, you might as well stay with the Canon. But of course, you can rent the Pictors and try them out and see for yourself, if they fit your personal use case.
@@AdamLangdon oh yeah for sure, a nice 12mm / 14mm would be great. Pretty sure they are ment to release a 16mm tho, at least J Brawley on BM forums mentioned something along the lines.
Something to test with these cheaper cinema lenses(and that's really important) is light transmission. Are their T-Stops really accurate and on a professional level? If not, that would be a big minus...
Its great to have so many budget cinema lenses to choose from. Although I lean towards the Vespids, if Meike could fix the color shift in the 85mm I could be happy with a set of their lenses.
Thank you J for the video, I was at the expo and I saw the lenses there, my favorite so far are DZOFilm and APO Muni and I am surprised that you didn't include the ISCO spherical lenses in the video.
Love the Dulens the best but ended up buying a set of Meike's ... Why ? Lack of focal lengths in the Dulens set and availability. Love my Meike's totally tho. The are much softer then the DZO and seem to have a bit more clarity .... Shot something recently side by side with DZO's on 3 Komodo's and the image clarity difference was stark to me .
@@k.kovalev985 by clarity don't mean Sharpness. I'm not sure if tis the coatings on the DZO's or what but the similar focal lengths looked VERY different. The DZO's seem muddy to me. It's almost like there was a film on the lenses. was quite interesting
Hi, I am curious regarding the Dulens and the usage of mounts. I wonder if the aperture ring is too close to the mounts you put them on? It seems odd that it seems too close? Or it's just me. I plan getting these. I just don't know which mount is good for these Dulenses.
Look forward to seeing the longer comparisons on Vimeo when you post it. Unless you have a particular distaste for their warmer colour and flare characteristics, in terms of value for money, the Meikie’s appear to be clear winners for me. Money aside though, based on your tests, I’d get the Vespids.
The question i still have is how much more important is CA control vs breathing and color consistency across the set? The DZOFilm just has an annoying amount of Chromatic Aberration, but pluses in so many other categories. GAH! which to use?!?!?!?!!?
True, this my be missleading. But that's the case of laboratory test vs. real life usage. If you don't know what is the most important, I would prefer the real life tests. The thing is that in chart test, there are tons of high end lenses that will be much worse than all 4 shown here. And cinematographers around the wolr fight to get them on their project. I would say breathing and color consistency are more important (second one for sure, first one - it depends. Some search for it to make it "arty". CA usually leads to interesting results and often is a good thing. But only if you can manage your scene and prevent harsh overexposures.
Excellent aesthetic evaluation. i.e. replied to the comment of ca vs non ca. I sometimes wonder if the breathing can be used as a mild zoom aesthetically at times. However, for most professionals. It seems to be an annoyance.
Hello, I’m a stills hobbyist that’d like to get into making footage for travel stuff and to make short documentaries. Currently my only camera is an OMD EM5 III. Do you have any recommendations for cine glass on the MFT mount? Given that MFT doubles the focal length of a lens, I’m finding it difficult to find a set that’d equate to a 20mm, 50mm, and 90mm on full frame. Any advice? I like the footage I’ve seen from mitakon, but again, I haven’t been able to find focal ranges for MFT.
As an aspiring cinematographer, I have a personal lean towards producing realistic imagery -- Clean and sharp, color-accurate and with very little distortion and well-controlled flares. A very human-eye-like perspective, rich in detail. From what I've seen here on this video, the budget lens which seems to do the trick well is the DZO Vespid set. On top of their sharpness and color reproduction, their comparatively absent focal breathing certainly gives them a step-up here. But please, whoever you are, let me know of other options that are likely to do the trick. On a larger budget, I'm most probable to choose the Zeiss Master Primes or Supreme Primes, depending on the image sensor I'm working with.
Some great advice I got from Robert Yeoman ASC a few months ago; lean, but don't fall. It's just as important to have an open mind to different visual and textural styles (mostly dictated by lens) as it is to understand what you like/what your own unique visual style is.
This is the first time I have seen a lens review without a women walking in slow motion and acting like not aware of the camera . So thank you for doing this. Congratulations!
Damn if the Dulens didn't have as much focus breathing it would be totally killer! I quite prefer the softer look and lower sharpness compared to the Vespids. Super affordable and super lightweight!
hey Jake it's Jake Stone here!!! Thanks for this video. . I'm in the market for my next step up in lenses and this video was very helpful. I appreciate you.
Completely unrelated but I'm about to buy a used Blackmagic Production Camera 4k and I'm thinking of buying the Dulens one at a time depending of needs with a PL mount and adapting it. I'm a photographer and am starting to enter the filmmaking world now. Does this work? Or am I crazy?
Awesome video and so thorough, thank you Jake and CVP! Any chance we could get a similar comparison video between Super 35 budget cine primes? I recently picked up the 10mm and 65mm Meike mini primes for my Komodo and C70, and I'm quite impressed with the results so far. You can't beat the price and size on those suckers. Less than $450/each! (except for the 10mm which is $600, but still a steal). Also, side bar question. Are there any budget cine primes which have perfectly round bokeh throughout the entire frame wide open? Or is that something that only higher end expensive glass can achieve?
The optics are identical between the original Xeen and the CF versions. Weird choice that they used these, but the comparison should be the same at least
Hello there, I've watched this video about 3 times today and researched all day about which cine lens to buy as my first one. What do you think about SLR magic microprimes and 7artisans spectrum vision lines? How would they compare again the brands you mentioned in the video? Thanks again for such great video, keep it up! ✌️
Although both SLR magic and Dulens are produced in Hong Kong, watch out for restriction placed in the equipment use agreement in SLR magic, prohibiting use of their equipment against Communists and anything Communist.
The Meikes have a 90mm front diameter which is very non-standard. Not many matte boxes have a 90mm clamp option. It's a very limiting aspect of those lenses. edit: apparently the 16mm is the only 90mm front. The rest of the lenses are 85mm fronts. That is still a non standard size so matte box options are still limited.
That's inaccurate- they're 85mm front not 90mm, the only one that is 90 is the 16mm lens. Source: I own the full set and run a matte box system with them.
The minuscule aesthetic differences between lenses of the same focal length and aperture will have virtually no effect on the drastic difference between how they are used from one shooter to the next. It’s personal style weighted comparatively to lens manufacturer differences that is the true measure. Personal style likely around 98 and brand differences at likely 2, out of 100. One is negligible and not worth spending time on the other paramount.
I will second the general observation regarding the Meike’s: 1) Optically too warm, not the most neutral set of lens, nor does it provide a ‘magic look’ character to the image. The color rendition is not consistent across the set. 2) Flaring - Has definable flare characteristic which could not necessarily be defined as artistic. The flare can occasionally prove to be disappointing. Easily reinforces that the optic formula is a stills photographic DNA with a CINE housing. 3) Mechanical Build. Generally, consistently acceptable, but have come across the occasional stiff iris & focus ring. I have returned 2 lenses due to concerns about adding extra torque to the focus motors. 4) The lenses meet the general need of cost, availability, and functionality for the owner/operator market. 5) I feel the lenses are a bit soft. I don’t hate the lens or love them. On the positive side of things, they are helping fund my next purchase tier for pro lenses. Thank you for the content. Keep up the good work.
Dulens have lower contrast like the single coating lenses of the past. So, it fits the title of "vintage look". May be the manufacturer of Dulens will produce a modern set with modern look, high contrast, in the far future.
Let me start off by saying I really appreciate your channel and how you are trying to improve the base level of quality of people making some form of technical content on RUclips. But I also have to be a little critical with you, because you had an opportunity to contribute to the greater technical understanding of viewers and instead made a lazy choice, or a choice that perhaps unintentionally revealed the limits of your knowledge and experience. Case in point, the comments about the color shift of Meike. Perhaps the most expensive and prized cinema lenses in the world, the Canon K35, along with many other popular and vintage lenses, such as Zeiss Super Speed (all versions Mk I-III), Zeiss Standard Speed (T2.1 Gen 1 and 2) and Panavision Speed Primes- HAVE color shift. These amazing lenses used to shoot many $100M movies, major TV series all over the world, often will have 3 (or more) shifts in neutrality across a set. Most of those lenses have set prices $80,000 - $250,000 and potentially color shift from one focal length to another significantly more egregious than the rather tame example shown from the sub $1000 Meike lens! Next time, instead of calling out Meike, offer context. Rather than implying Meike has a problem- expand your vision to other focal lengths in that same series and try to determine if you got a bunk lens, or not. If you don't understand the problem, I'd rather you just explain this limit in your knowledge, rather than harming the reputation of Meike needlessly. We all want you to make the best content possible! When you phone in it any person or company you'd consider a peer (basically every genuine professional,, along with all the legitimate experts watching) realize it, even if the vast majority of your viewers do not. There are plenty of examples of inaccuracies across CVP content, and while it's to a lesser degree than typical RUclipsrs, in this case I felt the negligent omission was major enough to warrant a comment, here's hoping CVP will do better next time.
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We forgot to mention the DZO VESPID all feature a 16 blade iris! Thanks for watching and any questions let us know. Jake
"The full uncut footage of the flare will be available on our Vimeo page" Still waiting! It would be really great to show this, as it's a major factor for many of us.
The Dulens are made to mimic a vintage look to the lens, with intentional low contrast. They also deliberately coated the lenses to produce rainbow flares - all of this is on their website. Maybe should be something worth mentioning when comparing to lenses made for more modern looks.
they remind me of the K35's
I was wondering 🤔 I was thinking maybe these are rehoused vintage glass? They have the same focal lengths?
@@brettalexander.studio no the Dulens lenses are all original APO optics, not rehoused stills lenses. They have simply been designed to have some of the characteristics older lenses have.
Contrast drops further and flare increase quickly as you turn towards the sun or a bright light source.
Consistently the most thorough and useful information in the cinema world. Between you guys and Gerald Undone, it’s hard to be uninformed. Loved this review and I’m looking to DZO as I shift from mirrorless to dedicated cinema work. I’ve been loving these comparisons you’ve been doing between different cameras and price points and now lenses. I’d be curious to see one with the zoom counterparts, particularly mixing in the T4.4 options from Canon as they sit right above the price point! But produce as you wish, I’ll watch it all
Steven I agree, man after my own heart. This channel and Gerald Undone - cuts through the bullshit like butter.
except they’re not mentioned the I IRIX I lensset however… The content anyway is great!
Oh I don't know, I think a 10 minuet intro with logos and load of pointless waffle with three mentions of square space could possibly improve these videos a little. 🙃
CVP is much better than this wannabe Undone.
I like Undone but it seems he’s unaware Cinema DNG even exists. His channel seems very pro compression.
I was missing the irix lenses in this test. Maybe there are some other brands for a round two.
They are not a viable set until they have a lens in the 65-90 mm range.
I will always be grateful to those companies who work so hard in order to create affordable filmmaking tools. The rest is vision and inspiration. No guaranty a $25.000 lens will make an award winning film.
The Dulens lenses are really impressive!
💪
I own 3 of the Meike and I love it. Maybe not the sharpest lens, but they give a warm tone, the bokeh is sweet and they are heavy. As Boris the Blade said: Heavy is good, heavy is reliable.
lol, good pull
When are we gonna see a dedicated video review for the Dulens set?
Dulens are the standout for me! focus breathing is the only real tradeoff
Wtf the Meike was my favorite it really gave me 1980's scifi vibes or even stranger things and I thought it was a 20k or something like that lens, that really blew my mind
Thank you for this comparison. I have been looking at the Dulens and the SLR magic APO's as a sort of useable vintage lens style set. I realize that you don't sell the SLR Magic and the Dulens are very backordered, so I shouldn't expect that comparison. One thing I would like in these tests is a description of the build quality, if the image has tendency to shift in frame while focusing, and whether the color cast remains consistent.
Meike S35 cine lenses all the way, the price and quality can't be beat. The 75mm doesn't have the issues the 85mm FF has.
i love the Meike set on my FX6, the price / performance is pretty good for my needs right now, gotta save the money to invest in others gears too :D
I feel like Xeens have the best color and contrast to them. The outdoor scenes stood out to me and the mixed lighting test.
Also the most expensive 😭
Yea. The xeens looked the best imo.
Excellent Video as always. I would have loved to see one or two higher „tier“ used options in this comparison as they might well be a worthwhile alternative.
Or they might have underlined just how good „entry level“ glass has become.
The chromatic abberation performance of the Dulens is phenomenal!
I do not know how many vintage lenses are Apo designed. I like clean looks. But people who look for vintage lens might want character out of compromised design and lack of technology of the past.
Thanks to the team CVP for their videos. I had DZOFilm sponsored my documentary-drama "Devils on Horses" with their Catta Ace Zoom Lenses FF. I reached out to them, and they responded positively to my request. We used the Panasonic S1 camera with the Atomos Ninja V, capturing 4K DCI at 50p in ProRes RAW (as well as 5.9K 25p). We will be grading in Resolve and have just completed the trailer editing in FCP. I can explain the post-production workflow for this. This project involved recreating reenactments with horses for the Sinai-Palestine campaign in the First World War about the New Zealand Mountain Rifle regiment and the relationship between soldier and horse. Using cinema lenses significantly improved the picture quality, which is evident on the screen. I was using the Panasonic L mount lenses. Although I haven't been able to use prime lenses, technological advancements have enabled us to achieve fantastic images at a reasonable price. Ultimately, as filmmakers, we aim to capture the best picture possible, though we have no control over the devices on which they are viewed. While there's a debate between using an Arri versus a mirrorless camera, it ultimately comes down to one word: "Story." We are currently in post-production on the documentary and were very happy with the image from DZOfilm lenses. What does this mean? The budget lenses produce a very good image, and, honestly, does the audience notice a difference between 30K and a 2K Lens?
I am curious how the Dulens + Komodo might work out on cinelifter drones. Lighter weight.. no need for focus ring motor.. seems like they would be great for that use.
Awesome vid, purchased a set of Vespids from CVP last year and absolutely love them, really love having the macro in the set as well.
Wish I'd had this vid to help choose at the time!
Great video! I bought the Meike's first, which are quite good for the price. Recently I bought a Vespid set, which I'm much happier with. The Meike's were way too warm and inconsistent across the set, making color correction a pain. I often have an AC, but there are no markings on the assistant side. The flares were too much for my taste. I don't need clinically clean images, but a more character. The Vespids are a full set (including the awesome macro), which is what I needed. They have markings on both sides and the flare is more controlled. One thing not discussed in this video is perspective. The Meike's are better than the Xeens, which produce a flat image, but I find the Vespids to have good perspective that separates the subject the background. Vespids will be my go-to lens set for anytime I can't afford to rent Supremes or Master Primes (and sometimes I'll still use the Vespids if that's the look I'm going for).
Guess I lucked out ... what focal length is the color issue? I dont see a color shift in my 5 lenses... ?
I’ve been having a tough time choosing between the Vespids and Meike FF, anything else you noticed that could help me make a decision?
@@CP-CINEMA These are probably the best two budget options right now. It really will come down to a few questions: Do you want a more neutral look (e.g. Meike) or one with bit more character (e.g. Vespid)? Do you want interchangeable lens mounts? Which focal lengths do you need? Do you need macro? What is your budget? If I were doing corporate or commercials I might go with the Meike's because they're neutral, affordable, and the lengths they offer cover me. If I'm doing more varied work, especially with narrative or even music videos, then the Vespids give a more filmic look with better separation and lots of options of lengths and types.
@@toddpeterson5904 To me the DZO’s seem more modern television, modern cinema, it has a sharp glossy look that’s popular today, the Meikes seem more 3D and the subject pops more from the background, I love both lenses honestly, for starters I was looking for a spherical lens to pair with my Vazen anamorphic on my Komodo for situations where the space is tighter, darker and I need to get closer to the subject. It’s still a very tough decision. DZO’s feel darker for dramas and thrillers and Meikes seem brighter and have a different mood. I suppose Meikes could also be good for narratives and documentary work as well. Ugh! Such a tough decision, your thoughts?
@@CP-CINEMA Interesting. Because I have both sets, I should do a comparison. For me, I see better separation with the Vespids, but there certainly is a degree of subjectivity. What looks good to my eye is not the same as what others will see. You might be interested in this video: ruclips.net/video/4DOHk6CKxUk/видео.html He does a comparison among CP2's (which look like crap), the Vespids, and the Supremes (my top 3 lenses right now). He doesn't include the Meike's, but it shows how well the Vespids hold up against the $30k/lens Supremes, and it's shot on a Komodo. I mainly shoot on Arri, which has more natural digital "grain" than a Red, which might be why they look more filmic to me. I would still recommend the Vespids. The Meike's are the same speed, size/weight. Unless you specifically like the look of the Meike's or need to save on your budget, I do think you get better images from the Vespids. Why don't you rent them? Lensrentals should have both. Rent a couple of the primes from each set that you're most likely to use and give them a try for a week. Good luck!
Yup why I chose vespids over meikes as did nearly everybody I showed my blind tests to
Which set is the best without budget limit ?
Curious to see breakdown of differences between Zeiss Supreme , Arri signature , Leitz prime , and Cooke S8 if you are willing to do a video :-)
Thanks
Ron
The Vespids are the best in my opinion. They have the most characteristics, they aren't the fastest, but the build quality and the character is hard to beat vs it's competition.
Xeen has the most character
I LOVE MY MEIKE FF set ---full stop LOVE them I havent see this color issue but I still dont have the 16mm so idk ?
I have a full set of the Meike FFs and I love them, the 35 in particular which I think is a fantastic lens, however as is obvious with your test the 85mm is definitely the black sheep of the set. I've had no issue matching the 24, 35 and 50. I do wish they were a little smaller and lighter though. I think the Xeens are very much showing their age, I used the old aluminium versions of them a lot and there was always something about the image I didn't like. The Dulens options might be my pick if I were buying new, but unfortunately they don't have a full set available.
Are you able to match the 85? Picked up these lenses and only have the 24 so far, 50 and 85 will come next. Can you just make an adjument node in resolve to account for the warmth or is it really bad?
@@fatheadmediapro of course you can grade out the difference in Resolve, it's just a bit of extra work to do so. I shoot wide almost all the time through so I only touch my 85 very rarely. At some stage I'll create a correction pre-set for the 85
In several CVP reviews, they always refer to DZO as being on the “Arty side of the spectrum.” Is this a reference to its imperfections? What does this mean exactly?
I love the IRIX shame it didn't get a mention here for comparison
What do you think about Irix lenses?
Clinical
I hope there will be more these considering how many budget sets there are. No mention of SLR Magic, Irix, 7Artisans, Rokinon DSX, mitakon Cine, Schneider Xenon, Laowa Nanomorph anamorphic, Sirui Anamorphic? So many more options in this space now.
From my point of view the DZO are superior... personal taste !
But how do they compare to Milvus lenses ?
Yeah, I don't know man. Just posted a review of the Irix 30 mil cine on my channel and I have to say it's one of the most impressive cinema lenses I've seen for the price.
This video is helpful... really shows that image quality matters more than the number listed on the lense.
The onion ringing on those Xeen's is unreal. I couldn't use them for that alone. I've got almost a full set of Meike's and the 85 is definitely the odd one out but one node on DaVinci and its sorted. No drama.
Thank you for this very informative video! I noticed in your description that you have a set of Otus primes in the studio. I wondered if you could write a word about how you think these compare to the cine lenses you have reviewed, when it comes purely to image quality? I am deciding between the DZO Vespins and the Otus, and I don't need the cine housing, wondering which to go for. Many thanks!
Love the Dulens look and performance but 43,58,85 just isn't useable. I was originally on the batch 2 list but had to abandon them because even now, two or three years later they're still not a workable set. I bought the xeen cfs and have been very pleased with them. I like the bokeh but wide open the fringing isn't great - which is why I'd love some dulens. One thing with smaller lenses is that they're a pain to use with evf's and matteboxes. Often the mattebox is so close to the camera body there's not a lot of room for ff and the evf will hit the mattebox in a shoulder set up
Great comparison! Recently got a set of Vespids and couldn't recommend them more! Amazing set.
xeens look best to me. however the same glass is available in much more affordable plastic versions from samyang if you want to save some dollars!
different coating and different color. the purple shade prevails where it is not needed. they are not quite the same.
I'm still considering the Vespids as my prime set in addition to the Pictor zooms I already own. Maybe even more so after seeing the breathing on the other lenses!
I do on the fly cooking videos so don't have time to mess around with lens swaps, do you think the Pictors would be an upgrade from a Canon 24-70 L? I feel like I really don't need the features of a cine lens but the IQ might be worth it
@@Tamajyn69 The Canon 24-70 is a very sharp lens, very easy to use. So if you don't really need the features of a cine lens, you might as well stay with the Canon. But of course, you can rent the Pictors and try them out and see for yourself, if they fit your personal use case.
Would you please make a video on (extra) budget lenses in the 300-500$ range if you havent already?
SLR Magic APO Microprimes are the most slept on primes period.
I agree I own all 4 and they are fantastic
i just wish they had a wider-angle lens to complete the set for us s35 sensor users!
@@AdamLangdon oh yeah for sure, a nice 12mm / 14mm would be great. Pretty sure they are ment to release a 16mm tho, at least J Brawley on BM forums mentioned something along the lines.
Dulens focal length seems like they are rehoused vintage glasses. for my personal taste and cost and focal length i will prefer meike>dzo>xeen>dulens
Something to test with these cheaper cinema lenses(and that's really important) is light transmission.
Are their T-Stops really accurate and on a professional level? If not, that would be a big minus...
Wow! Fantastic job! Plus it is very well shot! Great job!
Wish u tested the wider focal length for distortion. I think its so important
Its great to have so many budget cinema lenses to choose from. Although I lean towards the Vespids, if Meike could fix the color shift in the 85mm I could be happy with a set of their lenses.
I love the meike FF prime the best, as DZO has too much CA and least resolution!
The Xeen CF’s will get a 6th addition to its set with a beautiful 135mm lens, T2.2 :)
It’s coming out this year, I’m so excited :O
Hey jake, waiting for your extensive Fujifilm xh2s review!
what about the Irix Cine lenses? I think they would compare really good with all the other cine lenses.
I also saw the line-up of all budget lenses in their vid and thought, were the heck are the irix-lenses!?
I’m looking for just one. A full frame E mount 135mm (or something close) for between $800 and $1500
Have you guys considered the SLR magic micro primes in this comparison ?
Thank you J for the video, I was at the expo and I saw the lenses there, my favorite so far are DZOFilm and APO Muni and I am surprised that you didn't include the ISCO spherical lenses in the video.
The Iscos are basically the same as the APOs, the only difference being different (amber) flares
best video centric technical channel in youtube.
Love the Dulens the best but ended up buying a set of Meike's ... Why ? Lack of focal lengths in the Dulens set and availability. Love my Meike's totally tho. The are much softer then the DZO and seem to have a bit more clarity .... Shot something recently side by side with DZO's on 3 Komodo's and the image clarity difference was stark to me .
Aren’t softer and clarity total opposites? Don’t understand how a softer image results in more clarity. Would you mind expanding? Thanks!
@@k.kovalev985 by clarity don't mean Sharpness. I'm not sure if tis the coatings on the DZO's or what but the similar focal lengths looked VERY different. The DZO's seem muddy to me. It's almost like there was a film on the lenses. was quite interesting
I wonder where is irix in this comparison!!
I’ve been waiting for this video thank you!
YOU GUYS NAIL IT EVERY TIME.
Hi, I am curious regarding the Dulens and the usage of mounts. I wonder if the aperture ring is too close to the mounts you put them on? It seems odd that it seems too close? Or it's just me. I plan getting these. I just don't know which mount is good for these Dulenses.
Look forward to seeing the longer comparisons on Vimeo when you post it. Unless you have a particular distaste for their warmer colour and flare characteristics, in terms of value for money, the Meikie’s appear to be clear winners for me. Money aside though, based on your tests, I’d get the Vespids.
The question i still have is how much more important is CA control vs breathing and color consistency across the set? The DZOFilm just has an annoying amount of Chromatic Aberration, but pluses in so many other categories. GAH! which to use?!?!?!?!!?
True, this my be missleading. But that's the case of laboratory test vs. real life usage. If you don't know what is the most important, I would prefer the real life tests. The thing is that in chart test, there are tons of high end lenses that will be much worse than all 4 shown here. And cinematographers around the wolr fight to get them on their project. I would say breathing and color consistency are more important (second one for sure, first one - it depends. Some search for it to make it "arty". CA usually leads to interesting results and often is a good thing. But only if you can manage your scene and prevent harsh overexposures.
Excellent aesthetic evaluation. i.e. replied to the comment of ca vs non ca.
I sometimes wonder if the breathing can be used as a mild zoom aesthetically at times. However, for most professionals. It seems to be an annoyance.
DZO Vespids Primes were the KINGS in this test.
At 6:00 it says on Meike’s website that the PL mount can replace the EF/E/RF/L mounts. Is that true?
Great video once again! Which camera did you use for the test ? Was it the red Komodo ?
they say in the video... Sony Venice
Hello, I’m a stills hobbyist that’d like to get into making footage for travel stuff and to make short documentaries.
Currently my only camera is an OMD EM5 III. Do you have any recommendations for cine glass on the MFT mount? Given that MFT doubles the focal length of a lens, I’m finding it difficult to find a set that’d equate to a 20mm, 50mm, and 90mm on full frame. Any advice?
I like the footage I’ve seen from mitakon, but again, I haven’t been able to find focal ranges for MFT.
Nice comparison! Can you review those cinema lenses on GH6 via Speedbooster XL with the EF mount?
Great thorough presentation!
Thank you! I like the image i get out of meike glass. I'm currently using the S35 T2.1 cine lenses on the pocket 6k.
Definitely should have Irix in here. They're pretty impressive for the money
Great video! Have you looked at the SLR magic line? Specially the APO microprime/hyperprime?
As an aspiring cinematographer, I have a personal lean towards producing realistic imagery -- Clean and sharp, color-accurate and with very little distortion and well-controlled flares. A very human-eye-like perspective, rich in detail.
From what I've seen here on this video, the budget lens which seems to do the trick well is the DZO Vespid set. On top of their sharpness and color reproduction, their comparatively absent focal breathing certainly gives them a step-up here. But please, whoever you are, let me know of other options that are likely to do the trick. On a larger budget, I'm most probable to choose the Zeiss Master Primes or Supreme Primes, depending on the image sensor I'm working with.
Some great advice I got from Robert Yeoman ASC a few months ago; lean, but don't fall. It's just as important to have an open mind to different visual and textural styles (mostly dictated by lens) as it is to understand what you like/what your own unique visual style is.
Vespids do suffer from CA. Apo Microprimes imho are much better if you looking for clean glass.
@@kolecava I'll look into them, thank you!
Did the longer video ever get uploaded to your vimeo page? Checked a couple of times but never found it.
Good video the only bit of info you guys got wrong was the the DZO have a 16 blade iris.
Ahhh good spot, I've trimmed that bit out of the vid, added a note and pinned a top comment about that! Thanks, Jake
I'm in the process of upgrading from a DSLR to a proper cinema camera and choosing a lens set thus this video came very useful.
Glad to hear it! Thanks for watching, Jake
Hey, I'm not finding the video on the your Vimeo account?
I cant find you guys on vimeo
I liked how looks the picture on Samyang, but then you show the focus breathing, and now I have no favorite :)
This is the first time I have seen a lens review without a women walking in slow motion and acting like not aware of the camera . So thank you for doing this. Congratulations!
which lens are good for build 3D camera ?
Damn if the Dulens didn't have as much focus breathing it would be totally killer! I quite prefer the softer look and lower sharpness compared to the Vespids. Super affordable and super lightweight!
@@jacksonchan3053 as long as you dont rack focus, you wont even see it, Dulens is moderate breathing, there are much worse lenses :)
hey Jake it's Jake Stone here!!! Thanks for this video. . I'm in the market for my next step up in lenses and this video was very helpful. I appreciate you.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching, Jake
mate can you make a review about slr magic microprime cine lensm, thankyou in advance
Which has the better image quality, the DZO or the Meike?
Completely unrelated but I'm about to buy a used Blackmagic Production Camera 4k and I'm thinking of buying the Dulens one at a time depending of needs with a PL mount and adapting it. I'm a photographer and am starting to enter the filmmaking world now. Does this work? Or am I crazy?
Get them and you can speedboost them on the 4K. Only issue you might have is they dont go very wide.
Great vid as always! Are these Dulenses the same to the ones come with Schneider's anamorphic adapter?
Slightly different coatings, but yes, pretty much the same otherwise! Jake
@@CVPTV Great, it seems that’s a smashing adapter (so far I only saw it in your vid 😎). I guess it only comes with the lenses.
Awesome video and so thorough, thank you Jake and CVP! Any chance we could get a similar comparison video between Super 35 budget cine primes? I recently picked up the 10mm and 65mm Meike mini primes for my Komodo and C70, and I'm quite impressed with the results so far. You can't beat the price and size on those suckers. Less than $450/each! (except for the 10mm which is $600, but still a steal). Also, side bar question. Are there any budget cine primes which have perfectly round bokeh throughout the entire frame wide open? Or is that something that only higher end expensive glass can achieve?
What adapter were you using to mount the Dulens on the e-mount?
PL an EF
Why not original Xeen?
The optics are identical between the original Xeen and the CF versions. Weird choice that they used these, but the comparison should be the same at least
Hello there, I've watched this video about 3 times today and researched all day about which cine lens to buy as my first one. What do you think about SLR magic microprimes and 7artisans spectrum vision lines? How would they compare again the brands you mentioned in the video?
Thanks again for such great video, keep it up! ✌️
Although both SLR magic and Dulens are produced in Hong Kong, watch out for restriction placed in the equipment use agreement in SLR magic, prohibiting use of their equipment against Communists and anything Communist.
The Meikes have a 90mm front diameter which is very non-standard. Not many matte boxes have a 90mm clamp option. It's a very limiting aspect of those lenses.
edit: apparently the 16mm is the only 90mm front. The rest of the lenses are 85mm fronts. That is still a non standard size so matte box options are still limited.
That's inaccurate- they're 85mm front not 90mm, the only one that is 90 is the 16mm lens. Source: I own the full set and run a matte box system with them.
its 85 not 90 ==== I use the Tiltaing matte box with an adapter or just use a NUNS knickers on a bigger MB ----
@@maximilliannewcombe1719 I can verify this although I dont have the 16 yet
@@NoSuRReNDeR001 You guys should be more specific, you are talking about the FF Meike, not the S35.
DZO has a 16 bladed iris.
DZO FTW!
Thanks! Well done!
The minuscule aesthetic differences between lenses of the same focal length and aperture will have virtually no effect on the drastic difference between how they are used from one shooter to the next. It’s personal style weighted comparatively to lens manufacturer differences that is the true measure. Personal style likely around 98 and brand differences at likely 2, out of 100. One is negligible and not worth spending time on the other paramount.
💯
SLR Magic!
I will second the general observation regarding the Meike’s:
1) Optically too warm, not the most neutral set of lens, nor does it provide a ‘magic look’ character to the image. The color rendition is not consistent across the set.
2) Flaring - Has definable flare characteristic which could not necessarily be defined as artistic. The flare can occasionally prove to be disappointing. Easily reinforces that the optic formula is a stills photographic DNA with a CINE housing.
3) Mechanical Build. Generally, consistently acceptable, but have come across the occasional stiff iris & focus ring. I have returned 2 lenses due to concerns about adding extra torque to the focus motors.
4) The lenses meet the general need of cost, availability, and functionality for the owner/operator market. 5) I feel the lenses are a bit soft. I don’t hate the lens or love them. On the positive side of things, they are helping fund my next purchase tier for pro lenses.
Thank you for the content. Keep up the good work.
I had big hopes for the dulens, flare is a big let down. Love rainbow flair, but damn the vespid are nicer...
Dulens have lower contrast like the single coating lenses of the past. So, it fits the title of "vintage look". May be the manufacturer of Dulens will produce a modern set with modern look, high contrast, in the far future.
Update this video please!! There’s so many other options now that punch so far above their weight and price!!
Watching a video captured thru 1 lens for a few shots is different than watching a full video or movie for 1-3 hours
Sony cine Alta’s are crazy underrated
thanks for the video!
Let me start off by saying I really appreciate your channel and how you are trying to improve the base level of quality of people making some form of technical content on RUclips. But I also have to be a little critical with you, because you had an opportunity to contribute to the greater technical understanding of viewers and instead made a lazy choice, or a choice that perhaps unintentionally revealed the limits of your knowledge and experience. Case in point, the comments about the color shift of Meike. Perhaps the most expensive and prized cinema lenses in the world, the Canon K35, along with many other popular and vintage lenses, such as Zeiss Super Speed (all versions Mk I-III), Zeiss Standard Speed (T2.1 Gen 1 and 2) and Panavision Speed Primes- HAVE color shift. These amazing lenses used to shoot many $100M movies, major TV series all over the world, often will have 3 (or more) shifts in neutrality across a set. Most of those lenses have set prices $80,000 - $250,000 and potentially color shift from one focal length to another significantly more egregious than the rather tame example shown from the sub $1000 Meike lens! Next time, instead of calling out Meike, offer context. Rather than implying Meike has a problem- expand your vision to other focal lengths in that same series and try to determine if you got a bunk lens, or not. If you don't understand the problem, I'd rather you just explain this limit in your knowledge, rather than harming the reputation of Meike needlessly. We all want you to make the best content possible! When you phone in it any person or company you'd consider a peer (basically every genuine professional,, along with all the legitimate experts watching) realize it, even if the vast majority of your viewers do not. There are plenty of examples of inaccuracies across CVP content, and while it's to a lesser degree than typical RUclipsrs, in this case I felt the negligent omission was major enough to warrant a comment, here's hoping CVP will do better next time.