The Problem with the Probe Lens...

[@tombuck]

I love the option to rent lenses. Sometimes I’ll make a list of “probe lens” shots over the course of several weeks/months and then rent one to get all the shots at once to create a library of stuff that can be used later. 👍

[@roxtank8180]

That is brilliant. Thanks for sharing

[@ianhil]

Where do you rent these from?!?

[@felipeleal6861]

Its cool when you have this option .. In my country, theres no gear renting

[@superemesean5907]

@@felipeleal6861where you live? Africa?! 😂

[@Oridore_]

@@superemesean5907So first off, isn’t the “haha Africa poor lol” a little cringe? Secondly Africa’s a continent not a country, and lastly you have plenty of those services in African countries anyway.

[@CinematicCaptures]

Wish I had this video before I bought mine. It's a really awesome lens, but the drawbacks discussed really stop me from ever wanting to go shoot with it.

[@EliRezik]

yup! same with edelkrone slider... pretty bad

[@STONJAUS_FILMS]

are you planning to sell it at a heavy discount?

[@ZdenkaDarula]

I like the way explained your feeling about the lens…. Limitations but also praised lots… well done

[@NoMoreLeaks]

Appreciate the honesty and reminder to think through buying ultra specialized equipment. Proper setup is 90% of the time. Thanks for educating us on the hidden costs.

[@EposVox]

This is why I keep all my lenses in one, accessible place, rather than locking them away. ADHD means out of sight out of mind, so if I box it up, I might as well not own it. but if it's front and center in my lens drawer, I'll grab it more often. I still want to - but I've specifically been unable to justify buying it because I know I wouldn't use it that often.

[@hutchdigital7180]

All your points are spot on. However, I have used handheld in a run and gun setting using some some tricks to get around the flaws. 1. Shooting with the Sony a7siii in 12800 native ISO, i'm able to shoot in lower light even with with the slower aperture. 2. in a handheld situation, falling away from your subject and keeping hands close to body help keep it more stable. 3. Shooting in 60 fps and using warp stabilizer in post can help smooth out the pesky shake. Great video and nice shots.

[@TravisNutley]

The Probe lens is amazing for outdoor timelapses in nature. I'm loving it for that.

[@MattKalcik]

Great to see you back Daniel! Thanks for the honesty - at least it reminds me that I am not alone who has been lazy from time to time ! Great vid as always !! 📸🤌

[@RHC_NYC]

I love my probe lens. I wouldn't recommend starting out with just buying it. I imagine at least a semi-pro that already has stuff like a light kit, a slider, etc to then pick up this lens as an additional tool for their kit. It's like someone that wants to get into woodworking and just buying a tablesaw to start with. This lens can do things few others (if any) can, and is well worth the cost if you're looking to diversy your portfolio and get some pretty interesting shots you can't get otherwise.

[@benmooreman]

Being a pedant here... but... As a woodworker, starting with a tablesaw isn't necessarily the wrong tool to start with. If you're just using framing lumber and aren't doing ripping cuts, then no, don't get a tablesaw. If you are, then a tablesaw is the right choice, particularly for making boxes.

[@vincevenom3377]

Agree 100%. I would also add that if your camera sucks at high iso, that's another area of concern as well. Notable mentions: White balance, dirty sensors will show up in your shot.

[@BrianVelez]

And yet you still had to crank the ISO to 2000 😵‍💫 that’s insane. How did you manage to get such milky footage without any digital grain at such a high ISO?

[@YannickFilms]

Shooting with a Sony a7siii🌚Low Light Beast🔥

[@NoRecipes]

I've been thinking about picking one of these up since it was on Kickstarter, but this video made up my mind. Gonna pick up one as soon as I can find a good deal on a used one. Thanks for the motivation😆

[@AykutArgun]

What about if you make the motorized sliding very slow and take long exposure pictures with the internal intervalometer of the camera, like a timelapse? Then one can capture a lot more light? I mean, it will probably take 5-10 minutes of extra shooting time, but might be worth it if you do not need very often.

[@_Diditee_]

that actually sounds pretty smart

[@philruu]

Good idea, but with 25 fps and long-exposure the movement has to be almost non-existant, which hardly any affordable, motorized slider can do. If you can manage 1 picture every cm then you'd have to end up with ~100 pictures put into a 4-second-clip speeding through the whole length. Since the probe lense and the slider already cost a lot then investing 100-200 bucks for lighting is only a tiny portion of the total investment and if you record in RAW settings then you can fix a lot of lighting problems in post production.

[@Michael-dx8qz]

@@philruu or you can shoot S&Q mode at 1 fps, the slide would take only a minute for a 2 second shot, which is more than enough, and not too slow

[@jonahlevine]

That wouldn't work because the motorized slider would have to stop it's movement every time you were taking a long exposure. Since motorized sliders move continuously, your frames would all have unwanted motion blur in them.

[@henrytheturnip]

@@jonahlevine I Have the Dynamic Perception Stage One Plus kit and it's a motorised slider (much more actually) designed for MSM (move shoot move) as well as continuous motion. It would work perfectly for this scenario. MSM means it moves, stops, triggers the camera shutter, then makes the next move in sequence. Designed for timelapse. I also have a Slypod, it's inexpensive and very convenient to use, I believe it also can do MSM but I'm not sure.

[@toddcdavid]

I juuust bought the probe lens based in some of your amazing videos. I bought it to get more from my edelkrone system. It certainly does that but the light! Man, the light needed is crazy for sure! Still, I love the results. I’m leaving mine out exactly so I don’t get lazy! Great episode and right in time for me!

[@plunkstah]

You have an as73, why not shoot in slog3 and switch to the high base iso of 12800. It’s pretty grain free and really helps with the loss of light. I use mine like that with much better success.

[@CuriousCookery]

Been eyeing the probe for awhile now. I get what you mean about having to setup and, more so, because you film outdoors and/or at any given moment. Thank you for sharing your experience, Daniel! 🙏

[@MomentumProductions1992]

Daniel, I’m your biggest fan bro

[@hussainalkhoridh3406]

New information, didn't know I needed sort of motorized slider or something to get a good footage out of it.

[@BasNunnikhoven]

Good to know actually! I knew I needed a slider but thought a cheap mechanical slider would do the work. I might rent a high end slider while using this lens now!

[@RyanMauer]

Absolutely nailed the reality of this lens. I was lucky enough to borrow one from a friend. After using it I was extremely relieved I didn't make the purchase myself. It truly takes an obscene amount of light to use the lens above the minimum aperture. It took every single light I have to get decent shots. Way too much work for a single shot that I can honestly replicate (mostly) with a different lens.

[@JanMinarikCz]

Can you suggest good lens which can replicate as much as possible probe lens? I can not find anything which can focus closer than 20 cm...

[@davetinoco]

I bought this lens 1 year ago and have never used it. I just signed on a social media retainer client, a jeweler. This is going to become my number one lens

[@akshatswarnkar1486]

His song picking though 🥺👌🏻

[@christianisaacjones]

His consistency is unrivaled! Love it brother... hey if you don’t want the lens, I’ll have it! 🤣

[@Greego]

Finally, a video that helps me to finally make a purchasing decision for this lens. Of course, there are other great videos out there that reviews the lens but none of them seem to be as straightforward and frank as yours. I can't help but to wonder if you actually buying the lens yourself vs having Venus Optics "send you one for review" has quite a bit to do with that. Either way, this is a great video.

[@RawloftheDead]

Thanks for the insight on that probe lens. Didn't know the aperture was f14 at its lowest.

[@dodmedia]

Great video Daniel. Curious why you don't use the A7SIII's super clean ISO when you hit ISO12,800? It makes that very slow aperture a lot easier to manage, rather than blasting additional lights and having to settle at ISO2000 like you did in the fridge?

[@Luca-xh7ng]

Filmed with it for a commercial last week and we had one ARRi Skypanel S60 and an Aputure 600D blasted at max power on the table top. Great result though. It is a work lens not a hobby lens that is obvious.

[@MarioSoMedia]

Great video Daniel! The probe lens is such a cool piece of gear but it requires a lot to be able to use to its full potential. Trying to find a place In Toronto to rent it because I don't think buying it might be worth it for me for the reasons you said 😅

[@anlenke]

Thanks for the video, makes sense on its limitation, and the ethos of being ready when inspiration strikes.

[@SandroFelippin]

I bought a Laowa probe 24mm for my Nikon Z6 and one thing that I would ask you was how you deal with f/14 ...lol . In short answer I stumbled here in this video. Thank you so much for the video , as always!! Keep lasy and keep doing

[@andreasoberg2021]

I love this lens but did get very large lights for it. We have thr apeture 1200, 600 and 300. Those shots are fantastic!

[@BoroCinema]

I have used with a GH5 hand held, and oh boy it is a very nice tool, totally stabilized

[@memegod6340]

Just discovered this channel. I was searching for someone whith a high skillset when it clmed to commercials, seems you are the one. I saw your playlists ... Why don't you make a course where you show advanced stuff and do specific education about everything there is to learn and the processes etc.? Make a free basics course on youtube (speficic learning) so that people can decide if they want to persue this work. It seems like you have the intention to educate us but its not really possible in youtube. I am sure a lot of people, including me, would be absolutly ready to pay for that juicy high level advanced education. Would love a response ❤🙌

[@lighthousestudiospt]

0:41 Michael Scott has entered the chat 😂😂😂

[@philruu]

I guess the probe lense could then just be classified as "recommended for professional shootings only", since all other lenses can somehow be used for quick, dirty, cheap and handheld shots. It may be a hassle to set up every time and the result may look similar every time, but damn I still love the crisp and smooth slide. Have you thought about doing sideway shots with it and adding a pan to it? Like doing a small curve around the product rather than moving towards it?

[@philruu]

awesome!! which virus did I win??

[@Salkin_LP]

Nobody: Daniel: puts lights in the fridge

[@marclattoni1959]

Most interesting and great background music.

[@Enzo_nvl]

This Lens is really amazing and seing you using it is way more interresting 👍

[@User_not_found_403]

Daniel, those shots are super sick and only doable with the probe and all the supporting gear. This is why you're a pro, and the average Joe doesn't or can't do what you do with a regular camera and lens. Should be celebrated!

[@AbandonedMiniatures]

It is a very specialized lens for sure. The way I use it is a niche purpose that most people do not do, but because that’s most of what I do I use this lens for just about every shoot. I have done a ton of work to make using the lens more doable but it sure has some real annoying quirks that have to be taken into account every time.

[@heckensteiner4713]

I flippin; love this lens, but I almost never get to (or need to) use it. But boy do I excited when I get the opportunity slap it on the camera! Then I get frustrated spending hours on the setup and trying to get the perfect until I miraculously nail it on only my 50th take! Focus pulling with this thing while it's moving is a doozy.

[@Salkin_LP]

But with needing the expensive lens, light and slider, not much people do these shots and its something to make your videos stand out 🤔

[@MichaelWade186]

The probe lens is one of those things I want because of the unique shots you can get with it, but when looking at the cost of not just the lens it's self but the other costs that go with using it, I could never justify buying it.

[@Rainbow_7]

Great work 👍

[@SimoneZanetti]

thanks for sharing, Daniel.

[@CristinaFilms]

Super fun video! Thank you for making!

[@bahiaproductions125]

It might be a pain to use but those shots are so worth it

[@michaeljohannsen4872]

GREAT Video for newbies!!

[@DomYmc]

This video is so cool i agree

[@totoroutes5389]

As a youtuber burning the midnight oil getting stuff done how did you get to the McD in time for those flapjaks?

[@nestorpool]

I like this video because is sooo true, specially for those who have a camera that can't going all way up without introducing noise into the image, and doesn't haven enough lighting, in case since I now the Sony FX3 I use my second dual base ISO wich is 12,800 and the image looks sharp, but even tho something is not enough. I wish they made a wider aperture option of it, but at the same time I just bough mine 5 days ago...

[@theprojectionist1]

I'll buy it, Daniel

[@stevenkralovec]

That pancake shot was too good. I want pancakes now

[@Throp]

Now I want to buy one

[@victormultanen1981]

thank you for reminde of my probe lens, I also should start using it more often.

[@Roman.the.explorer]

Oh I use laziness and procrastination all the time! Always with me in my camera bag!

[@MoonRabbitCook]

Several years back a lot of people using this probe lens. But today they like get over it.

[@Akidsperspective1]

Cool tech!

[@MadebyYouandI]

I bought one and, like you, it's in my closet most days because it is such a pain to set up. The lighting is the biggest chore for me -- and what is it with that blue color shift? You inspired me to take it out to shoot with this week. 👍🏻

[@danielschiffer]

I find the colour shift kind of green when I use it! Thankfully I've gotten the hang of color correcting the footage haha

[@metasploitstudios2257]

You guys should do a giveaway of the lense please 😂 🥺. My KZbin name is ngole Quintus. My tiny work is found in the channel. This is my second account. Love from Africa, Cameroon.

[@RonnelCuison]

That's true. I have one and I only used it about 5 times.

[@itgeltdash8467]

Actually i do use it handheld. The trick is that you hold it like a billiard cue. Or use it on a tripod with only 2 legs on the ground

[@danielschiffer]

Interesting idea!!! I'll have to give that a try!

[@itgeltdash8467]

@@danielschiffer definitely check out The long shot | Sony alpha universe on youtube. There is this OG guy who’s using the probe lens in the wild handheld at about 01:50.

[@Kosku]

That's a real probe-lem. Hope you can handle it.

[@BadatBoardgames]

Appreciate seeing the downside a lot!

[@PlanetImo]

It did get some amazing shots, though. I'm lazy with my gimbal. I liked the jazz music.

[@dandaan]

Hey Daniel. Can you do a vid about bare minimal photo/vid setup for food photography at a restarurant? minimal light (pocket light) and gears and your settings, particularaly low light env.

[@yamahabeat]

You’re a gentleman and a scholar

[@IvenChaqueco]

I just got mine and I love it! But yes setting it up is more than half the battle! Great lens tho!

[@tianamatson]

I'm challenging you to do a side by side video using a longer focal length. I'm just curious to see what that would look like side by side.

[@prathameshrandhave]

Ngl canva has got the best influencer they can

[@ibrahimx9715]

use iso 12800 on the a7siii for more light :)

[@travelwithgoose]

👍 Ironically was doing dishes when you mentioned it, 📈💥

[@timsoundso5434]

I would love a probe lens street photography challenge 😂😂😂

[@KennethRosenstroem]

Hey Daniel, great info and great clip! Can I ask, what is that motorized slider your using? Looks great with the phone control.

[@voltvisuals]

Have you tried using the dual gain on the a7siii at the setting when it switches on? I wonder if that would help with the light problem

[@daintonlee]

absolutely, I shoot Sony a7siii - 12800 iso - slog3 with this probe at f44

[@chittaranjanart8655]

I wish one day I will shoot my art vlog like you 😇

[@TomFewchuk]

Maximum aperture* You kept saying minimum when you're actually referring to maximum - the largest opening (aperture) the lens can manage

[@IanHylandsPhotography]

Definitely a good rental item. Do you rent your gear out locally? Kitsplit maybe?

[@matthewpaquette]

I feel like my problem with the probe lens is the composition looks off if the subject is only below the lens. It looks best with the subject all around the lens, top and bottom

[@macadish]

Pretty good review. Sure you can make amazing videos with the unique perspective, but there are probably a tonne of hidden cost and labour needed to get it to work. Maybe if you have the budget to hire a team, you can off load a lot of the laborious technical stuff to others and focus on the creative parts, but if you just a solo content creator, every additional step before you can shoot means you use it less.

[@gl1pgl0p]

It just me that really wants to see someone shoot some street photography with it

[@pierretrevidy]

2:53 Hello Ignace ! :D

[@sunilchitolie6771]

Well said. Most people who own this lens normally recommend renting it instead due to its price tag. It definitely can get you some awesome shots that no other lens can, but it can be sometimes taxing on you because of the prep work that goes into using the thing.

[@XXIVCONCEPT]

You're dead on. I used mine a ton but unless I have the energy to get it out or have a product/shot worth using it, it sits in its case :(

[@HopeHenryHD]

Ok, the later part about needing to buy or borrow extra light really bugs because I don't know any videographer who doesn't have like a billion lights. I mean all of us have a huge collection from the years of being able to afford better and better or more specialized lighting. This whole video just kind of starts to feel like a documentary on lazy videography. If you don't want to have to work for your image, just shoot everything on an iPhone with moment lenses and call it a day. Definitely agree on the title change suggested at the end, "laziness and procrastination," you're better than this Daniel.

[@danielschiffer]

This was just supposed to be a fun video about how the probe is a bit more challenging to use than it might look. You might be surprised how many people buy more & more lenses before investing into their lighting equipment. I think you may have read way more deeply into this video than I intended it to be... it's just supposed to be a quick demonstration of the lens and a "what to know before you buy" kind of guide for people who might be interested in it.

[@benmooreman]

You aren't his only audience. Not all people shopping this lens are pros with years and years of experience and tons of equipment. Hobbyists and upcoming content creators might see this lens on another channel and think it'd be a really fun tool to set them apart from other creators, while the other channels aren't highlighting what it takes to adequately utilize this lens. I'm not a pro. I have enough disposable income that I buy nice equipment from time to time. I shoot videos to document my growing child developing. I enjoy creative storytelling. So interesting equipment that allows me to go beyond vanilla A roll is worth a consideration. I have watched other channels use this lens and don't ever remember them mentioning this considerations that were laid out. I'm lazy and procrastinator - largely because I work full time and have a young child. I very much appreciated the candid video.

[@HopeHenryHD]

@@benmooreman I think you're agreeing with me. You say you want to, "go beyond vanilla," so that requires dedication and study. I was an amateur myself at one point just like anyone else. I honestly still consider myself to be an amateur, but I've had opportunities to work with celebrities and large brands because I always took the time to learn as much as possible before choosing equipment. Knowing requirements for lighting based on your camera body's native iso and your lens aperture is just the basics. I don't know of any website that doesn't list those basic statistics. It's simply the fact that if you want a certain look, you're going to have to work for it. There is no way around working for your shot. It's going to take more work and dedication than pulling out your camera, slapping on a lens, putting everything in auto, and hitting the record button if you want something that looks unique. If you want a unique perspective like the one you get from using a specialized lens, then you should expect some trade off in pre-production when it comes to ease of use. The only thing I see in this video are the requirements for how to use a long, light hungry, cumbersome piece of filming equipment. Just the look of the lens alone should give anyone with basic knowledge of what a camera lens is pause before expecting any ease of use. That's like going from a 24mm to using a 200mm and expecting to fit them in the same space. I've been learning and shooting since I was 16 years old (35 now), all while going to school, holding a job, starting a web design business at 16, eventually going to college, getting engaged, saving up to pay for my own wedding/honeymoon, and taking care of my loving wife who happens to be disabled. We all have things to deal with on some level, but you either make things happen or not.

[@benmooreman]

@@HopeHenryHD I think you missed the entirety of my point. What is obvious to you isn't necessarily obvious to everyone else. I know because I can read the comment section on this video. Tons of direct replies to the content indicate a lot of people have looked into this lens and not considered what it would be like to use it. I get your points, but drop the condescension. I worked in commercial photography a decade ago. I don't put my camera in auto but there's a difference in using a lens or camera for video and photo. Photo, you can always put it on a tripod and leave the shutter open for as long as you need to get enough light. I'm also used to strobes. The point is, the video has value for those who it is aimed at. Frankly, I feel more confident now in saying you're not the audience for this particular one. Not every video has to be tailored to you and your experiences and thoughts. Lighten up a bit.

[@HopeHenryHD]

@@benmooreman definitely didn't miss your point, I just don't agree. I just think you're taking my opinion as condescension. By the way, you can't use long exposure for action, so I'm confused as to why you would bring it up in a conversation about videography. The closest equivalent to your argument would be to reduce shutter speed to introduce more light, but then again you still have to watch your frame rate to keep the right amount of natural motion. The point is, there is no, "problem with the Probe Lens." My issue was with the title and early tone of the video when the conclusion literally agrees with me and a few others down in the comments that people who aren't experienced shouldn't invest in lenses until they have the basic understanding of lighting and other fundamentals. By the way, I'm not upset and generally pretty light hearted. Not everyone gives criticism from a place of anger or bad faith. If this is your attitude towards criticism, I don't really see you growing or working well under pressure.

[@Fostit]

Awesome video, thank you for being so honest :) I had no idea about the F stop wow, you need invest about 2k in lights to get the job done. Thank you for sharing :)

[@dgoddard]

Daniel: *Opens fridge* Me: Poor starving artist.

[@potatojz38]

Even though it's incredibly unnecessary and super niche I still really really want one of these lenses lol

[@RandyWesley13]

same haha

[@BDRP7]

Daniel using probe lens are you struggling with shaking image even the camera is on motorised slider? I use syrp system and stability is a real challange and fixing it in post is a real challenge as well.

[@GyanPrakash]

Imagine putting that lens in weird place to film the world inside there 😂😂😂

[@KROMAprd]

First time shooting with one of these and a motorized slider, I was surprised at the steep learning curve that came with it - what was meant to be like a 2 hour shoot ended up being several more. Super fun piece of gear to play around with though once I started getting the hang of it.

[@Brendan-Grant]

The takeaway from this video is if it were easy everyone would do it. But it's not easy, and therefore not everyone uses it, haha. The reality is most professional film gear is exactly the same. I've used this lens twice, on two fully crewed productions shooting with a cinema camera on a dana dolly with a 1-ton lighting package. That's how it was intended to be used, not by one person with a slider and a few aperture mc lights. So good on you, Daniel, for pulling off what most don't or can't. That's really what sets you apart with these types of commercials.

[@OUTTHEMUDVISUAL]

My insta 360 go 2 does all this but with more universal options

[@crinapopescu6600]

Thank you❤

[@taylorjsanford]

😩😩 Those pancakes lookin mighty fine!

[@mavericktarik_1M]

Love from DHAKA 🇧🇩💓🇧🇩

[@piratapro_4kFPV]

Love this lens I’ve been renting it for now but It will be part of my arsenal one day. The amount of times I’ve rented it I believe I’ll use it enough to pay itself off. My opinion is it all depends on what type video you do to make this lens worth it. Good point on the amount of lighting you need for it btw lol. I also purchased the Chronos camera Daniel and I love it! Thx for that review as well.! Keep them rolling 🙏🏽

[@BitArgs]

Hi, nice video. Can you post a Informationen about your slider?

[@nikolasgogstad3142]

ISO 12800 on like the Fx3 helps a lot :)

[@badeybuildsonyoutube7270]

great video

[@joeminnella4154]

Great video! Thanks for the info. Can you let me know what kind of slider/slider set-up you have there? I own a probe lens and am looking for a slider that folds into itself. Thank you!