My biggest filmmaking investment after 2 years - Was it worth it? | Leica R set
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Mateo reflects on his two-year experience with his Leica R set, purchased from Mark Manarella. He discusses the lenses' high cost and their worth, versatility, and the diverse projects he's shot with them. Mateo praises the lenses for their character, sharpness, and 3D pop, comparing them favorably to high-end cinema lenses. Despite acknowledging some cons like chromatic aberration, he highly recommends them for their unique look and emotional impact. He also touches on maintenance issues and suggests alternatives like Canon FD and Nikkor lenses for those seeking vintage glass.
Takeaways
- 📅 Mateo has owned his Leica R set for two years and shares his experience and thoughts on the investment.
- 💰 He considers the lenses a worthwhile investment due to their versatility and consistent use in various types of film projects.
- 🔥 The lenses have significantly increased in value, with Mateo suggesting they might be undervalued when he bought them.
- 🎥 Mateo has used these lenses for 99% of his work, including commercials, documentaries, corporate videos, feature films, and short films.
- 📸 The vintage character of the lenses, including a unique bokeh and 3D pop, is highly valued for its ability to enhance footage.
- 📈 Despite being vintage, the lenses are very usable and have been well-received by clients, often surprising them with their quality.
- 🛠 There are some cons, such as potential chromatic aberration when shooting wide open in high contrast, but this is mitigated by stopping down.
- 🧰 Maintenance is a consideration with vintage lenses, and Mateo had an issue with his 19mm lens that required servicing.
- 👍 Alternatives to Leica R lenses include Canon FD and Nikkor lenses, which Mateo also recommends for their quality and value.
- 💡 If you have the budget and plan to use the lenses, Mateo advises buying them now as they are discontinued and hard to find in good condition.
Q & A
What is the main topic of Mateo's video?
-Mateo's video discusses his experience with his Leica R set, evaluating whether the investment in these lenses was worth it and exploring their versatility over the past two years.
How long ago did Mateo purchase his Leica R set?
-Mateo purchased his Leica R set exactly two years prior to the recording of the video.
What types of projects has Mateo used the Leica R lenses for?
-Mateo has used the Leica R lenses for a variety of projects including commercials, documentaries, corporate videos, feature films, and short films.
What are the focal lengths of the lenses included in Mateo's Leica R set?
-The focal lengths in Mateo's set are 19mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 90mm.
What is special about the 28mm lens from Mateo's set?
-The 28mm lens is praised for being a great focal length to work with on the Pocket 6K and Ursa Mini, making it an ideal travel film lens.
What is the significance of the serial numbers of the lenses in Mateo's set?
-The serial numbers of the lenses are significant because they are all between 30 and 31, indicating that they are very close in production and thus color-matched perfectly.
Why does Mateo consider the Leica R lenses a worthwhile investment?
-Mateo considers the lenses a worthwhile investment because they have been used extensively in his work, clients love the results, and they can be used on any camera to enhance the character of footage.
How does Mateo compare the Leica R lenses to other high-end lenses like Cooke or Panavision Primo?
-Mateo compares the Leica R lenses favorably to the much more expensive Cooke and Panavision Primo lenses, noting that they offer a similar quality for a fraction of the cost.
What are some of the cons or downsides of using vintage lenses like the Leica R set?
-Some cons of using vintage lenses include potential chromatic aberration and artifacts when shooting at wide open in high contrast situations, and the need for maintenance due to their age.
What advice does Mateo give for those interested in purchasing a Leica R set?
-Mateo advises that if one has the money, likes the look of the lenses, and has work coming in, they should consider buying the set, especially since they are discontinued and finding them in good condition with close serial numbers is becoming increasingly difficult.
What alternative vintage lenses does Mateo recommend?
-Mateo recommends Canon FD and Nikkor lenses as great alternatives to the Leica R set, noting that they are more affordable and still offer a vintage look and feel.
What issues did Mateo encounter with the 19mm lens from his set?
-Mateo experienced an issue with the aperture of the 19mm lens closing by itself, which required servicing from the seller, Duklos.
Outlines
📸 Reflection on Leica R Set Investment
In this paragraph, the speaker Mateo shares his two-year experience with his Leica R set, purchased from Mark Manarella. He discusses whether the investment was worth it, considering the high cost of these lenses and their alternatives. Mateo highlights the versatility of the set, which he has used for various types of film projects, including commercials, documentaries, and feature films. He emphasizes the vintage character and usability of the lenses, even for professional work, and compares them favorably to more expensive lens sets from Cook, S4, and Panavision Primo. Despite the high price, Mateo believes the lenses offer exceptional value and would consider repurchasing them, given their comparable quality to much more expensive options.
🔍 The Unique Appeal of Vintage Lenses
The speaker delves into the special qualities of the Leica R lenses, focusing on their 3D pop effect, creamy bokeh, and the ability to separate subjects from the background, even at wide angles. He mentions the sharpness of the lenses when stopped down and their unique look that is almost recognizable. Mateo also addresses the cons of using vintage lenses, such as potential chromatic aberration when shot wide open in high contrast situations, but notes that this issue is resolved by stopping down to f2.8 or f4. He contrasts the vintage lenses with modern ones like the Sigma 18-35, which lack the personality and emotional impact that he finds in the Leica R set. Additionally, Mateo talks about the importance of maintenance for vintage pieces and his experience with a service issue, advising viewers to purchase from reputable sellers for support.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Leica R Set
💡Investment
💡Versatility
💡3D Pop
💡Bokeh
💡Vintage Lenses
💡Chromatic Aberration
💡Canon FD
💡Nikkor Lenses
💡Maintenance
💡Color Match
Highlights
Two years since purchasing the Leica R set from Mark Manarella, sharing personal opinion on the investment's worth.
Discussing the current high price and alternatives to Leica R lenses.
The versatility of the Leica R set for various types of film projects over the past two years.
Introduction of the specific lenses in the set and their serial numbers for color matching.
Praise for the 28mm lens as a great travel film lens, especially with the Pocket 6K and Ursa Mini.
The 35mm f2 Samiron R lens being highly usable for commercial and corporate videos.
The value of vintage lenses for their character and usability in professional work.
Client reactions to the footage shot with Leica R lenses, emphasizing the impact of the lens over the camera.
Comparison of Leica R lenses to high-end Cook lenses, S4, and Panavision Primo sets.
The unique look provided by the Leica R lenses, including 3D pop, bokeh, and subject separation.
The sharpness and potential chromatic aberration when shooting at wide open with vintage lenses.
Acceptance of minor defects as part of the vintage lens character.
Recommendation of Canon FD and Nikkor lenses as alternatives to Leica R lenses.
The importance of maintenance for vintage lenses and the experience with Duklos for modifications.
Advice on purchasing Leica R lenses if the budget allows and the appreciation for their unique character.
The scarcity and potential future value of Leica R lenses, suggesting they may continue to appreciate.
Recommendation to buy from a reputable dealer and the potential benefits of doing so.
Transcripts
hey guys mateo here welcome back to a
new video and today i want to talk about
my leica r set again and the reason is
it's been exactly two years since i
purchased this set from mark manorella
so i just want to tell you guys my
opinion about my investment if it was
worth it if there are alternatives to
these lenses because i know they're
super expensive now what about the
versatility what did i shoot in these
two years i just want to go through some
of these points and just talk a little
bit more about this incredible set so
there are many versions of these they're
the samicron there's the el merit with
the 2.8 the samicron r2 and the sami
locks are 1.4
just to put it out there i just want to
give you guys an idea of what i bought
so the 19 is now married v1 serial
number 30 94 something my latest
acquisition the leica 28 millimeter is a
merit as well 30 93 something so very
close to the 19. but this 28 millimeter
is a great focal length to work with on
the pocket 6k the ursa mini i really
really like it and i think it's a great
travel film lenses that i bring with me
all the time i just brought it to boston
where i shot some pretty cool stuff so
i'm shooting with a 35 millimeter f2 so
samicron r that is i think a 31 serial
this guy 50 mil samikranar f2 this is a
31 3161 something and this is the 90 mil
f2 somicron r and this guy is a 30
73 something serial number so as you can
tell they're all between 30 and 31 so
very close serial number color matched
perfectly
let's start with the first point i want
to make were dislike
worth the investment of course i don't
want to talk about money and their
actual value right now which is crazy
because that doesn't make any sense with
actual filmmaking and uses these lenses
for work so in these years i shot pretty
much everything with these lenses from
commercial to documentaries to corporate
video feature films short films
literally you name it and they've been
great and the crazy thing about this guy
as i mentioned in my first video is that
yes they are vintage lenses and they
have the character but they're very
usable even for a commercial or
corporate videos so the fact that i use
these lenses for 99 of my work in the
past few years it's of course worth the
investment i've been charging clients
and they have been loving these lenses
every time we check the footage on the
big screen on the flander they're
shocked they're like oh my gosh what
camera is that i'm like it's not the
camera it's the lens and you can
literally throw this guy on any camera
and uh it's gonna completely change the
character of your footage i can assure
you that so yes in my opinion there
absolutely worth the investment and i
would probably buy them again would i
buy them right now for 15 grand
probably so yeah because when you think
about the fact that these guys are
absolutely comparable to cook lenses the
s4 or the panavision primo those set
they go for a hundred thousand dollars
we're talking about 15 grand here so
is it a lot of money yeah it's a lot of
money about 15 grand for five lenses
these are top players so when you think
about the real cost i think a 7 8 000
for a set they were probably under value
and now they're going you know up in
prices
now the second point i want to make is
what makes these lenses so special i
think to me is the 3d pop is that
combination of a
kind of green
the bokeh
which is super creamy and the separation
of the subjects from the background
what's crazy is that it gives you depth
even on a wide-angle shot when
technically everything is in focus but
the level of separation that you have
here it's not of course there's plenty
sharp because these lenses when you
close down to two eight to four they're
incredibly sharp at f2 they might be a
little softer and the look they have is
so unique they become almost like
recognizable in my opinion super
portable i can use them for anything i
can stack it on a photo camera take some
photos i can use it on my pocket 6k you
can use it on ursa they're simply
amazing now what are the cons because of
course these answers are great they have
some cons sometimes when you shoot at
wide open with these lenses in a super
high contrast situation you might see
some chromatic aberration some artifacts
something it's a vintage lens so i'm
absolutely okay with that the good news
is once you step down to 2.8 or 4 it's
gone and it's plenty sharp no defects
whatsoever it's just a perfect lens so
this is true also for the canon fd for
the nikon for all other vintage lenses
they have some defects and some problems
but that's what they make a vintage live
special so if you want the perfect lens
the super cynical lens get a sigma 18 to
35
perfect no artifacts nothing
that lsno is so flat it doesn't have a
character it doesn't hit me when i see
footage shot on the 18-35 can you still
get some really cool shot absolutely but
i'm at a point where i want something to
be special and i wanted to be able to
have a feeling every time i capture a
shot and these guys give me something
like emotion those sigma those rocking
others they don't they're just good
lenses no breathing nothing but they
don't have personality now let's talk
about something else because uh as any
vintage piece comes maintenance i bought
them modded from duklos and they came in
great condition the only problem i had
it was with the 19 mil
after a while the aperture closed by
itself so it happened a couple of times
that i was at 2.8 and then i was
checking out my footage i was like wow
it's kind of dark and i was looking at
it and it was at 4. i sent this to
duklos in may 2021 to get serviced it
came back and it was pretty much the
same so now i have to call nucleus again
it's not as bad to be completely honest
but i need to fix that this is something
you have to keep in mind guys there
might be some issues some troubles but
that's why you want to get this guy from
a reputable seller someone like mark
someone that can take care of you and
you know what it's doing now another
question that i keep getting from people
is what's a good alternative to like r i
never use the contacts zeiss lenses you
can find plenty of information on the
forums of line what i did use with the
canon fd which i love and i think it's a
great entry level lens for everybody in
order to use this canon fd on an ef
pocket for example you need to convert
them to ef you can't use any adapter
another vintage glass that i use and i
highly recommend are the nikkor lenses
those are awesome you can still buy them
new actually on ebay i think they go for
500 to 700 bucks a lens i use them on
the ursa mini too and i like them i
think they're great now to the final
point i wanted to make about these
lenses should you buy them now if you
have the money
if you like the look
if you have
works
coming in yes i will buy them now
they're discontinued it's not the leica
makes these guys anymore finding them in
good condition color match with a very
close serial number
it's almost impossible at the moment so
if you see a set for 15k
again
don't sell your house don't say your car
for them if you have the money parked in
your bank and you think you're gonna use
these lenses yes will they keep climbing
up yeah i think they will will they ever
go down
everything is possible but you have the
money you're confident you're gonna use
them buy them from a reputable dealer
again i'm gonna leave mark contacts in
the description below he's probably
buried with emails already and he told
me that he can't find his lenses but
every once in a while they come up send
him an email tell him i sent you he's
gonna waive you the shipping fee
probably going to give you some discount
good luck to everyone who want to
purchase a set of leica thanks for
watching guys and i see the next one
[Music]
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