The Importance of Camera Lenses (MMM, Episode 11)
Greetings all,
Madeline here, back with the eleventh entry in The Movie Minute, with a focus on an essential part of the filmmaker’s arsenal- camera lenses!
While many casual cameras, such as the one built into our phones, often have one or more lenses built into the unit, it’s a different story with professional camera gear. By default, the camera body is simply a box with a sensor, and a lens must be attached separately for the camera to be able to see anything. But which lens is the right one?
There are multiple factors to consider when choosing the right lenses for your project. While different types of lenses come from many manufacturers such as Panasonic, Canon, Nikon, Sirui, Zeiss, Cooke, Leica, Fujinon and so many more, what ultimately matters is what types of lenses will be needed for different portions of the project. One major factor, for example, is focal length. Lenses can come in a variety of focal lengths, with 35mm being one of the most popular. For reference, the focal length of the human eye ranges from about 17mm – 24 mm. A lens with a shorter focal length tends to be wider in viewing angle, while longer lenses are usually meant for tighter shots as well as telephoto lenses for focusing on subjects at a distance.
There are two main types of lenses based on their functions: prime and zoom. As revealed by Nathan Lee Allen from Adorama, both types come with their own advantages and drawbacks. A prime lens only has one fixed focal length and thus less versatility. However, prime lenses have multiple advantages such as lower cost, lower f-stops (ideal for low-light environments), higher image quality, and less moving parts. A zoom lens, on the other hand, offers more versatility with multiple focal lengths, but can be less sturdy, much heavier, and more costly.
There’s also the differentiation of photography lenses vs. cine lenses. We typically use photography lenses for the work we do, due to lower costs and lighter weight. Cine lenses, on the other hand, have much higher quality and features that necessitate them for professional cinema productions. Within the last 5 years, lens manufacturers have trailblazed the way for indie filmmakers to acquire very specific use case cine lenses at a fraction of the cost. We, at Poor Bear Stories, have a set of 7Artisans cine lenses due to their extreme low light capabilities and a t stop of 1.05 – allowing the aperture to let in significantly more light than most lenses (great for dark shoots).
Mounts are also an important factor to consider when choosing a lens. Each camera body has a certain type of mount, depending on the manufacturer, with some lens mounts in use by multiple manufacturers across different models. Examples include Micro Four Thirds for the Panasonic Lumix line (including our GH5’s), Sony E-Mount for the FS7 all the way up through the popular FX3, FX6 and FX9, and the Canon EF mount for the EOS R line – to include our R and R6II. For those who wish to use a lens that uses a different mount than the camera body, there are special attachments known as lens adapters or “speed boosters”, though they can be quite costly.
Here’s a take on lenses from our creative director, Jacob Centeno:
“I remember when I first went from “kit” lenses to the Meike Cine Primes on the GH5 – it changed my entire world. The GH5 is notorious for suffering in low-light conditions but the Meike primes opened up to T2.2 – unlocking a new level of “night” for me. The primes, themselves, ran $400 – $500 a lens and I ended up with 3 in the end that are still being used to this day for a very special podcast.
Overall, having the right lenses is a vital component of a good quality video production. And with a wide variety of lenses out there of different manufacturers, form factors, and types, it’s important to determine which lenses will be the most useful and practical for the job. And remember, always be sure to clean your lenses with a special lens cleaning kit, and leave the lens cap on when not in use to prevent the glass from getting dirt or damaged!
That’s all for this week’s Movie Minute. Hope to see you all next week! -Madeline
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More info/sources:
https://www.adorama.com/alc/what-is-a-cine-lens-and-how-is-it-different-from-a-photo-lens
https://www.adorama.com/alc/prime-vs-zoom-lens-which-one-is-right-for-you