The Tamron 28-105mm f/2.8 Reborn as a Digital Cinema Lens
This system: Tamron 28-105mm f/2.8 LD Aspherical IF SP AF Nikon F, FotodioX Nikon F to Canon EF adapter, Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R 0.71x, RED Komodo 6K.
Pros: Bright f/2.0 (with Canon adapter), useful focal range, sharp, minimal chromatic aberration (if any), parfocal (my copy), internal focus, manual aperture ring, made in Japan.
Cons: Not ideal for autofocus or zooming while shooting video.
I first discovered this lens in 1998 when I needed a lightweight zoom lens for my Arriflex 35-3 motion picture film camera. It was available in a Nikon F mount that would work with the mount that I had made for my camera by Cinemeade Engineering. The cine zooms at the time were quite heavy and I needed something quick and light for shooting storms with. I sold the lens in 2009 when I went all-digital.
Since this is a stills lens, it doesn’t zoom smoothly, there is focus breathing, and the autofocus isn’t as good as a modern lens. Given that, I use it like a manual ‘variable prime.’
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Introducing the world’s first 28 – 105mm F/2.0 Zoom Lens
Why use this old stills lens for video? Good question. First, when paired with the Canon 0.71x adapter and my RED Komodo, I get a bright f/2.0 (effectively) zoom lens that is lightweight and versatile. On the RED Komodo shooting at DCI 6K, and with the Canon 0.71x adapter, the full-frame equivalent of the lens is 26.44 mm to 99.15mm. That’s a very useful focal range. The other reason for me is because I shot most of my Super 35mm film footage with this same lens between 1998 and 2008. And, that content has been used in high-end, award-winning movies, commercials and documentaries. This lens proved valuable then, so I purchased another copy recently (from eBay) to try on my Komodo and see what happens.
NOTE: FotodioX makes a basic Nikon F to Canon EF adapter, and a version with contacts.
ABOUT: Martin Lisius is a Texas-based filmmaker and founder of StormStock, the world’s largest weather and climate footage library he created in 1993. In 2024, he wrote and directed the documentary film “The Chasers of Tornado Alley: Touching the Sky.”