Reviews « YAER Productions

CANON 14mm f2.8 Version 1/2

The 14mm… This on a full frame(FF) camera is like watching those super wide shots on Top Gear!

This on a glide cam or tripod is the ultimate wide angle. It, in my opinion, looks more professional and crisp than a fisheye… and with the age of late 90′s skate videos dying out, so does the legacy of the Darth Vader 4″ fish on the Pani(sonic).

This lens lets an amazing amount of light in to the sensor, which also means the color is amazing. It’s very crisp at all the f stops.. and has a high contrasty feel.. Keep in mind while color correcting in post, other lenses will look desaturated compared to this.

While shooting video, I’ve noticed that hand holding this lens, if done somewhat smoothly, is not too bad. The shake factor isn’t what I thought it would be, in fact most of the shooting I do with this lens is hand held.

It seems to work well for any application: from interviews to far-away, pulled-back track shots; time-lapses morning to night.

When shooting photos, the images are amazing! Again on FF is out of this world wide, and the amount of light that is pulled in, extreme grading can be done in post smoothly. Ive used this in wedding’s to get the ceiling structures and expansive crowds, up close group shots and pulled back scenes for time-lapse. With just this lens and a 70-200 you can kill an event! Allowing for a great range of focal distances and DOF.

With so many pros, the con is simple:

The Version 1 Lens cap doesn’t stay on as well as it could, and with a lens so exposed, a snug fit would be ideal. They changed the cap and fixed this problem since in the Version 2, with a locking feature. I put a small piece of gaffer tape on the inside of the cap to snug my V1 up a bit – works great!

Other than the extremely exposed lens glass (which essentially is necessary to have a full frame shot) then this lens is very reliable, and very durable.

Two thumbs up, YAER Approved

Shot with a Canon 5DMK2 14mm f2.8 v1 @15th of a second ALMS Road Atlanta 2011.

CANON 16-35mm f2.8 Version 1/2

The 16-35 is a great lens. This is one of the first L series I got, and have used it a considerable amount. It has been to weddings, it has been bolted on to a roll cage in a drift car, and it wakes up early for morning time-lapses. It has served me well.

It feels solid; it is water resistant to the fullest! I have had this in pouring rain shooting time-lapse and never had a problem. I have a variable ND filter for it, a CPL and a few mismatched ND’s.. more for this than any of my others.

A great photo application for this lens, plus the variable ND is the morning time-lapse. I’ve done time-lapse shots that while the sun came up, I adjusted the variable ND to a darker setting as the sun floated up from the horizon, allowing the traffic lights and the sky to mesh very nicely.

I’ve also put this on a t2i and used it mounted to Ryan Tuerck’s roll cage in 2011. So the versatility is there..

It works great to shoot track side shots with for photos.. pans and wide follow shots look great, all in all a very good lens. I do use it a little less since I got the 14mm f2.8 but there are only so many hours in a day, and I can only use each lens so much. The more lenses you have, the more you have to split your time!

YAER Approved

Shot with a Canon 5DMK2 16-35mm f2.8 @24mm f11 for 30 seconds above the beautiful Portland Oregon.

Canon 24mm f1.4 version 1/2

The first time I used a 24mm f1.4 I was like what the f@ck.. Why didn’t I buy this before?!

I was shooting video of a small introduction of Rhys Millen being accepted into Drift Alliance, a car crew gone pro that leads the Formula D Series. I borrowed it from Connor Surdi and started shooting right away with it still at f1.4. The look was unlike what I was used to with the 50mm, this was much much wider and personal in a sense. Like you were standing there with the guys.. Focusing while hand holding was a bit difficult(even harder since Canon lenses focus the opposite way my brain works rotationally speaking) but non the less the image was fantastic.

Since then I have used the lens in several other video situations. A favorite was during the interviews of NITTO sponsored BMW team Bullet Performance during a 25 hour endurance race at Thunderhill Raceway in California. The only semi quiet place to go was the trailer, so I set up with the depth of the hauler in the back ground allowing for text to be inserted in post and shot away. Later in post with a little sharpening, the clips came out great.

-Note, for video, always sharpen in post, not in the camera in my opinion. I have done side by sides and the image is clearer every time hands down when done in post. I have however, on purpose shot with high sharpness and low DOF out of the camera on purpose, a few stops dark, and lightened in post with a really cool crisp look.

This lens is to me is ideal for photo and video, it has a great up close hanging out with friends or a group feel, and also gets great pans of cars flying by on track. In video since it’s pretty side all things considered, it lacks a lot of the rolling shutter that is a huge issue with DSLR’s.

I am going to buy one of these I think, after looking back at some stuff I’ve used it for, and the impression it left on me. It’s cool to walk around with hand held for photo and video, as well as get on a glide cam or tripod for video to get a floating or stable feel. Super versatile, but I guess I think all Canon glass is!

YAER Approved

Shot on with a Canon 5DMK3 24mm f1.4

Canon 50mm f1.2

50.. 50.. 50.. and yes I’m talking about G-Unit.

What would the gangster rap game be like with out 50cent? Probably something like the photography game with out f1.2

That said, this is the most used lens in my bag and in the studio. If I could only have one lens it would be this one. For event coverage to intimate settings, this lens seems to do it all. I love the feel on FF, it really pulls out the depth of the lens and the sensor ability. Also by having an extremely large lens channel, the amount of light available to the sensor equates for some amazing color! I generally shoot pretty flat and then pull out the color in post weather it’s photo or video. But this is only lately, I used to get more from in the camera. But working with more professionals and having the pleasure of being friends with some has got me shooting more conservatively when referring to color.

This lens is perfect for weddings! Portraits, small events, creative work.. everything. Having the f stop adjustable to f1.2 makes shooting in low light even easier. With the digital sensors getting better too, adjusting the ISO up to 3500 and higher can be done and cleaned up in post to look completely usable for professional applications.

So, do I recommend this lens.. yes. Over other lenses, similar mm or fstop? Yes, and the reason is because this lens is so great for photography and video. The autofocus is out of this world, and for many photo applications that is super handy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m down to manuel focus old russian lenses with adapters and free lens to your hearts desire, but a solid auto focus lens that also works great on manuel for video is hard to find.

YAER Approved

Shot on with a Canon 5DMK2 50mm f1.2