GH2 Famous Director's lens prefs

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mattman1

Member
I have a book that has interviews with filmmakers and some of my favorite directors (Jeunet, Cronenberg, Scorsese) say they shoot mostly on the wide side. Specifically 28mm.

I'd like to replicate that but I'm confused about the gh2's crop factor. I know that the gh2 has a 2x crop factor so I would need a 14mm. But that's for full frame (still photography) not super 35. Super 35 is only like 1.4 or something so I would need ~ 20mm lens to replicate that.

My question is: when Scorcese is saying he likes a 28mm lens, is he referring to full frame or super 35? In other words, should I buy a 20mm lens or a 14mm lens to replicate his look?

P.S. Yes, I know there's a lot more to these directors than just the lens lengths they like, but this is a start.
 
They would be talking about either academy 35 or super 35, I would guess. Not full frame.

so 20-24 should get you pretty close to 28mm super 35 or academy 35 respectively.

I'm using the AF100 sensor size for comparison, but it's pretty close.
 
Well I believe Scorsese used an Arri Alexa for Hugo and that is a about a 1.4 crop factor compared to m4/3. So that would be a 20mm lens or the beauty pancake 20mm f1.7.

By the way I think it is true across the board that most film lenses are wide. You will hardly ever see a long lens used unless there just really is no choice. Most of the longer lenses I use and others use are more for trying to use the GH2 in a live video production environment such as a concert where we cannot stop the action to stage the shot.
 
By the way a 17mm m4/3 would equal about a 24mm on those cameras which is why I think we are starting to see a lot of 3rd party 17mm lenses.
 
I've heard it said that the crop factor of the GH2, since the sensor was slightly larger than m4/3, is actually closer to 1.86x.
 
mattman1 said:
My question is: when Scorcese is saying he likes a 28mm lens, is he referring to full frame or super 35? In other words, should I buy a 20mm lens or a 14mm lens to replicate his look?
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I'm sure that they are referring to a 28mm lens, period. A lens that has 28mm printed on it. From that, you have to figure out what format they have shot most frequently with (probably Super 35), to derive the equivalent lens that you are looking for.
 
Yes but the GH3 may be back to just a 2.0 crop factor.

That also really only translates to an extra 1mm on the wide end.
 
When Scorsese says he likes a 28mm, it's a 28mm lens. However, it depends on when the interview was done. Super 35 didn't become common until the early 1990s and most films shot spherically would be in Academy 35. Academy 35 is very close to the GH2 (which has a 1.86 crop in video mode, as it's a native 16:9 sensor). So say Scorsese liked using a 28 in Goodfellas (1.85:1 Academy), then a 28 on a GH2 would be very close, while if it was a 28 on The Departed (2.39:1 Super 35), then it would be something like a 24.
 
Directors who have academy award winning cinematographers, production designers and the best locations in the world love wide angles. hahaha. Us indie kids use long lenses to make our ikea decorated apartments look better.
 
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
Directors who have academy award winning cinematographers, production designers and the best locations in the world love wide angles. hahaha. Us indie kids use long lenses to make our ikea decorated apartments look better.
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There are few words who can describe how true and important this comment is.
 
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
Directors who have academy award winning cinematographers, production designers and the best locations in the world love wide angles. hahaha. Us indie kids use long lenses to make our ikea decorated apartments look better.
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And then there was Tony Scott, he really really loved long lenses. Well, Ridley is kinda into them as well.
 
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
Directors who have academy award winning cinematographers, production designers and the best locations in the world love wide angles. hahaha. Us indie kids use long lenses to make our ikea decorated apartments look better.
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haha, yup, best quote today:) Also keep in mind, i'm pretty sure they don't have any type of image stabilization other than a shoulder rig, Once you start getting away from the wider side, it becomes very hard to go handheld without jittery swaying shots. So if a director likes to keep the camera moving a lot, you have to stay fairly wide. Helps with focus too.
 
Most talented Photographers, & Directors, prefer normal (or slightly wide-angle) lenses over all other focal lengths.

They simply provide the perspective that humans perceive, & feel intimate.
 
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I personally love how 85mm looks on a crop cameras, a certain bokeh that is unmatched. For normal shooting though a 28mm is my favorite focal length, but 50mm is great for when you do not want to cast shadows on your subjects.

I love all focal lenses and really use them where they are fit. The tokina 11-16mm gives me a certain look that makes certain things seem larger than life which I love as well. At the end of the day I mix and use all focal lengths.
 
mattman1 said:
In other words, should I buy a 20mm lens or a 14mm lens to replicate his look?

P.S. Yes, I know there's a lot more to these directors than just the lens lengths they like, but this is a start.
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I suggest you purchase both the Lumix 14mm f2.5 and the Lumix 20mm f1.7. Why?

There are scenes that really call for a WIDE angle. The 14 gives you pretty good wide view without getting into the ULTRA WIDE or FISHEYE looks. It stays pretty much rectilinear correct and is quite a sharp lens (and affordable too).

The 20mm is what I call "wide normal". Lets you get in closer to small groups, shoot in somewhat small rooms and is not prone to foreshortening as long as you don't get too close. It's a comfortable perspective to work with.

I have both and find them very useful.

Don't "fixate" on Scorcese (or anyone else's "numbers"), replicating his look may depend on composition and sense of vision more than matching the specific focal length lens he uses.
 
So Jean Pierre Jeunet says he used a 25mm to shoot Delicatessen and I want to use something similar. According to IMDB, Delicatessen was shot on 35mm 1.85:1 (does this mean Academy 35?). So since Academy 35 is similar to the size of GH2 sensor, I would just use a 25mm. There would be no crop factor?

And yes I know there are a lot of other factors that made Delicatessen look so amazing. But one thing at a time.
 
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