Big Lens, Big Problem... Why Smaller is Smarter!

[@GeorgeHolden]

Check out MPB here and grab a used camera deal! MPB UK: prf.hn/l/QLBLRLl MPB US: prf.hn/l/y8b8X8w MPB EU: prf.hn/l/BJ1JqJo

[@nekitkat]

Ah yes they're trying to convince us that it's okay to have a small one

[@nekitkat]

We already know it is, lads

[@GeorgeHolden]

All creatures big and small

[@badgerfoot]

Once you accept your limited small size, you'll truly be free.

[@GeorgeHolden]

@@badgerfoot embrace the shrink

[@leisurelypaice]

What is happening with camera companies? Full Frame: "lets make it smaller". MFT: "lets see how big we can make stuff". Bonkers 😆

[@GeorgeHolden]

Literally 😂

[@ExperienceYT]

Lmao

[@MaybeTiberius]

this right there is making me quite depressed right now. i absolutely love the basic concept of what m43 was. affordable, small and lightweight and good enough for most things. what else could an hobbyist or amateur ask for? i dont want or need FF really and the cost. but right now i just dont know. atm i can still buy a lot of older used gear thats still quite small but there is no new small stuff on the horizon so what if i want to upgrade my body in a couple years? run around with a huge bulky m43 camera while FF is like half the size? it makes zero sense... as for now i keep using my m43 camera but i can not bring myself to actually commit and invest into them and i rely on cheap kitlenses or cheap plastic fantastic stuff thats ''usable enough'' just because they keep pushing larger and larger bodies and ff getting smaller and smaller.

[@leisurelypaice]

@@GeorgeHolden 🤣

[@leisurelypaice]

@@MaybeTiberius It is an unfortunate moment, but I'm hoping to see new M43 cameras catch up particularly on the video spec side, but we were are in this limbo stage where I'm debating between sticking out M43 and hoping for some new compact cameras or switching to Sony A7C which is a decent compact size for full frame and there are some decent small lens options but far more expensive.

[@juliette-mansour]

OMG I started laughing the second the video started... brilliant George - and I SO loved the cheeky ending! As you said, "the power of a pancake" is why I have a 14mm 2.5 on my GM5 as an EDC. Great video!

[@BadSloucher]

I’m all about prioritizing a comfortable physical user experience, so I’d go with the Samyang unless I really had a specific look I was going for. That’s my diagnosis as your camera doctor

[@GeorgeHolden]

I concur with this assessment, ease of use over fast aperture any day

[@charmerci]

I can't say for sure about the 35mm Samyang but I wasn't impressed with their other wider angle lens, though this was a few years ago. I much preferred the compact sony G lenses made for the A7c series.

[@elwick_photo]

Wonder why Zeiss never made a separate full frame version of the RX1r lens, seems like it wouldve been a really good quality pancake lens sony couldve marketed with things like the a7c and a7cr cameras

[@GeorgeHolden]

I don't have any exact information on this but apparently, the Sony x Zeiss lenses had a fairly short run of development, so if we were ever to see a newer RX1 it likely would be a Sony lens rather than Zeiss

[@boundaryscience]

Pretty sure the RX1r lens has a leaf shutter. Not sure if removing that would change the optics.

[@GeorgeHolden]

@@boundaryscience Also true!

[@rechsteinerreto]

there is a Sony Zeiss 2.8 35 lens

[@mko7680]

I love the Samyang 35mm f2.8. But I sold it and ordered today the new Remaster Slim series 😍

[@Heart0rHead]

Currently I'm testing a7iii with 40 f2.5 plus Sigma 24 f3.5. Almost same size, both with aperture rings . Build and handling is superb. I think they are 1-2 cm longer than that Samyang. This setup would fit into the same bag. Add a Sigma 90 f2.8 and you have a lot of focal length covered.

[@GeorgeHolden]

Very good!

[@NDakota79]

My Fuji 27mm f2.8 WR pancake is my best lens for street photography. It's the best lens in the whole system.

[@GeorgeHolden]

I often hear that's a Fuji favourite!

[@jamesmlodynia8757]

While the 2.8 Fujifilm works for street photography what happens if you are not in to street photography. I have many different cameras and glass from different manufacturers including Fujifilm Nikon Sony, Olympus, Panasonic and Pentax, they all serve a purpose, my lens range from ultra wide to a 100'- 400mm Fujifilm because no one lens can do everything.

[@JessDemant]

Sony's own small trio from their G series, or all the very small ones from Sigma's Contemporary series are also good choices together with Samyang's Tiny series 👍

[@GeorgeHolden]

Agreed! I had their 40mm a while ago, it's a little chunky in reality but super enjoyable to use

[@ti_musi9784]

Have you tested the Sony 40mm 2.5 and can you say whether it is worth the extra cost over the Samyang?

[@GeorgeHolden]

I have! Very different lenses but yes it's very nice, costs a lot more so that's the largest factor in my opinion

[@imchuckmiller]

Great video. Nothing beats a pancake lens for portability; it's my number-one choice unless what I'm shooting demands more. By the way, what make and model is that bag you're using?

[@GeorgeHolden]

True! And it's just a sling bag from Uniqlo, not sure the exact model but they have a few worth checking out and super affordable

[@thelocalfilmpro231]

What bag was that u out the camera in? Looked perfect for travel

[@GeorgeHolden]

That's a Uniqlo sling bag, they have a few different options!

[@ChrisBrogan]

I will never get enough of your lens eating jokes. Pancakes are delicious. Very useful review!

[@GeorgeHolden]

Glad you enjoyed it! And many more to come I'm sure 😅

[@martingreenberg870]

Smaller may be smarter. It all matters what you are doing. Use the right tool for the right job. I primarily do street photography. Small and lightweight is what I strive for. I want to be unobtrusive. I want the gear not to hurt my body when schlepping it all day. As a street photographer I don’t use fast lenses. I live in the f5.6-8 range. I also appreciate autofocus as my eyesight isn’t very good. Inexpensive lenses are appreciated by my wallet. In conclusion, I seek small & lightweight gear. My lenses can be slow. I want the lens to autofocus. These criteria are critical for me. They also make choosing a lens relatively easy. Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)

[@stkuj]

The biggest thing I absolutely hate about Samyang/Rokinon lenses is that they make you buy their docking station in order to update the lens. TBH, Vitrox, Yonguo, and 7Artisans are coming out with better built and higher quality (most of the time less $) lenses. BTW, what VND are you using or recommend?

[@GeorgeHolden]

Yeah agreed Viltrox etc include the USB C port on their lenses for updates too. And this one is just a k&f concept vnd + cpl, it's okay but nothing special

[@MartinV.]

Great Video!!

[@GeorgeHolden]

Cheers!

[@molybdnum]

I can't seem to find that Smallrig A7C grip/baseplate - I think they discontinued it to make a A7CII one. Any ideas?

[@GeorgeHolden]

I bought mine on Amazon in the last few weeks so it's definitely out there!

[@dewildedame13]

I have the same manual focus system on my old bolex, I think it makes for a great fidget toy because of the small size

[@GeorgeHolden]

Oh very nice!

[@Soundwave857]

You should taste the 40 2.5 G, very delicious and craaaaazy sharp!

[@hermanzhang6494]

I would highly recommmend the replica of the leica summicron 35mm f2(v1, or sometimes nicknamed '8 element') by light lens lab. That lens is very sharp, and has a unique look

[@GeorgeHolden]

Oh very nice!

[@KNURKonesur]

That 35/2.8 is my only AF lens I actually use, love it as a walkaround lens on my A7II. Btw what is that grip you've got on the A7C?

[@GeorgeHolden]

Oh nice! And that's a small rig baseplate, I usually have one on any camera as they have a magnetic tripod screw in the bottom which is very handy. Plus this one looks awesome with the the two Tone a7c!

[@loko141]

@@GeorgeHolden is that compatible with the original a7c?

[@GeorgeHolden]

@@loko141 I think they have one specifically for the A7C as well, they have a different grip size so definitely check out the specific model

[@vadimratobylskiy]

Love 55/1.8 zeiss sony and 28/2.0 sony - perfect compact lens kit

[@GeorgeHolden]

Yeah the 28mm f/2 is a beaut!

[@TheOffertonhatter]

Once upon a time all primes were pretty small, and then brands wanted the ultimate in IQ which made them huge and heavy. Personally I prefer small fast primes which is probably why I have stuck with Pentax for so long. Sure their FA50 1.4 is soft wide open, but stopped down a little, and it is wonderful. The 35mm F2 is superb, as is my 28 F2.8. Same goes for the dedicated Crop primes they make such as the 21mm, 40mm and 70mm Limiteds. Even their FF Limiteds are small and superb. Then look at Leica lenses. They are not exactly big in any way but beautiful to use. Thank goodness the likes of Samyang are bringing out little wonderful primes for mirrorless.

[@GeorgeHolden]

More small primes please!

[@davidatkinson1413]

@@GeorgeHoldenlook at the Voigtlander 21mm f4 for a very small prime, even with the m-mount to e-mount adaptor.

[@raksh9]

In the 90s, a man presented himself to the emergency rooms, saying he 'fell on his daughter's Barbie doll in the bath'. Only Barbie's legs were visible from his orifice. The problem was that Barbie's arms were down, her hands jamming any attempts by him to pull her out. 😬😂

[@GeorgeHolden]

That man was me

[@raksh9]

@@GeorgeHolden 🤣

[@recreationalplutonium]

I'm on Nikon Z and I would murder for such a compact 35mm. Yeah, I got the 40mm but it's 40mm and not 35mm :(

[@theronwolf3296]

The problem for me is 35mm.... I might as well be using a phone. For me, things only start to get interesting over about 150. I do a lot of shooting at 720 or higher.

[@dongee1664]

Life changing information here.....

[@GeorgeHolden]

Big bad small nice

[@StephenStrangways]

The DoF scale was copied from Kern lenses.

[@GeorgeHolden]

Oh really? This was my first time seeing that design!

[@StephenStrangways]

@@GeorgeHolden it's quite old, and their lenses were for obscure cameras like Alpa, and Bolex 8mm and 16mm movie cameras.

[@shaneweightman]

Just bought a 500mm

[@GeorgeHolden]

😂

[@Markchristiankc]

Bruh what are you putting in yourself 😂

[@GeorgeHolden]

Camera gear and food look the same when you're hungry 😅

[@jamesmlodynia8757]

While smaller glass on compact cameras is a better fit,it poses two problems and that's why i have cameras like the Nikon ZF and Z6II and Fujifilm XH2 and XT5. the smaller glass limits focal lengths and second smaller glass means apertures that might not be suitable for low light photography unless you use a tripod or higher ISO IT also limits depth of field control.

[@GeorgeHolden]

This is all true so things to consider

[@dongee1664]

Looking down the comments I see there are about 49 different lenses that are 'the best', that I should get. Can't we just say I'll use what I want to and you use what you want to, and stop telling others what to do. Make a nice change.

[@GeorgeHolden]

Isn't that what every video is? We show and tell, so you have something to watch!

[@dongee1664]

@@GeorgeHolden It certainly is George, but hopefully feedback is useful.

[@daemon1143]

I don't think those foreign objects reached their intestinal resting place via the oral cavity and oesophagus...

[@GeorgeHolden]

I was walking a bit funny the next day

[@daemon1143]

@@GeorgeHolden You'll be dreading their return ticket then :)

[@musa7606]

But I can also put that Thypoch on my Leica...

[@GeorgeHolden]

You can!

[@NickBarang]

I used to agree with you. Until I bought bigger ,but better, lenses. I had the Fuji 16mm F2.8, 23mm F2,0, 27mm F2.8, 35mm F2.0 and 50mm F2.0. All of which take perfectly acceptable images. They are all worse than the Fuji 16mm F1.4, Fuji 23mm F1.4 WR, Viltrox 27mm F1.2, Fuji 33mm F1.4 WR, and 56mm F1.4 WR. And it really shows. Fortunately, when I shoot street (which isn't often as my job doesn't let me get out as much as I'd like to), I'm in Asia and nobody cares what size lens I have. So, for now, at least, I am sticking to large but exceptional primes. Though the Viltrox tends to stay at home as it's too heavy for what it is.

[@GeorgeHolden]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[@chriscard6544]

I choose a lens for its bokeh

[@GeorgeHolden]

The true measure of quality!

[@KNURKonesur]

I usually do as well, and this (Sonnar) 35/2.8 is actually quite nice and bubbly when shot up close

[@MikeRinz]

@@GeorgeHolden These bokeh freaks! I'm convinced that bokeh is the number one priority for people with bad eyesight because it's relatable, it's what they see without their glasses.

[@chriscard6544]

@@KNURKonesur thx

[@GeorgeHolden]

@@MikeRinz 😂 out of focus, out of mind!