Lens Question

RandomHero

RandomHero

Well-known member
Hey everyone,
A friend of mine asked me this question, and I want to get back to him on it tomorrow, but I don't have the answer and don't have time to do a lot of research tonight... these are his words, and anyone who could shoot me a quick answer, I'd greatly appreciate it!

"I have a question about a lense but I don't know what it is called.
It allows you to get a very close shot but appears at a further
distance. I have heard this is for getting closer to the talent for
better audio."

He's concerned about the audio because he's booming the sound, so any help
the lense question would help me a lot. Thanks everyone!
 
It does not matter if he is close or far from talent if he is, in fact, booming a mic. He can only get as close as the FoV allows. Either way, if the camera is up close with a wide lens or further away with a longer lens, his room to get close to the talent is still dictated by FoV and the shot design. The room he will be allowed will be the same distance if the composition is not changed. It's pointless.

The only advantage of getting closer to the talent with the camera by using a wide angle lens (vs being further with longer lens) would be if there WASN'T a boom op. IE: If the mic was onboard the camera. Otherwise, it's really pointless.


If he is booming, the only way to ensure he can get really close is to have shot design dictate lots of CU's and less Wide shots. Lens selection on a decided shot design will not change the booms ability to move in closer.
 
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Andrew Brinkhaus said:
That would be a telephoto lens.
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No I don't think so... I think a telephoto does the opposite. This guy means he wants to get close to the talent while still making the shot look like its from far away. I don't think the lens this guy is asking for exists.

A wide angle might work, but if you're using a wide angle just because it lets you get close to your talent then you're going to get all sorts of unnecessary distortion.

You should never let your audio necessities dictate what lenses you want to use, that just calls for sloppy film making. If you need to be able to get good audio just get a bigger boom pole if your shot is too wide. Or use a telephoto and a field recorder.
 
Qzar said:
You should never let your audio necessities dictate what lenses you want to use, that just calls for sloppy film making. If you need to be able to get good audio just get a bigger boom pole if your shot is too wide. Or use a telephoto and a field recorder.
Click to expand...

Most true. Your longer Boom pole idea is a very good one!

Qzar said:
Or use a telephoto and a field recorder.
Click to expand...

Using a telephoto to get the same wide shot would simply make the camera move further away and allow the boom operator the exact same distance to talent.

Read the above post, I wrote yesterday. If you are booming, your distance away from talent will always be the same if you keep the intended composition, despite lens length and camera distance.
 
A telephoto lens allows you to get a tighter composition, but appears further away, as it compresses space in the Z-axis. It is apparent the camera is further away, as opposed to a wide angle lens, it is easy to tell based on field of view and depth of field that the physical lens is closer to the subject.

Based on the first half of the description, that is what is described, although as soon as he says "this is for getting closer to the talent for better audio" it makes me think wide angle as in referencing an on-camera mic? What would it matter if someone is booming then? I'd go back to set and tell this guy to do some research.

Qzar said:
No I don't think so... I think a telephoto does the opposite. This guy means he wants to get close to the talent while still making the shot look like its from far away. I don't think the lens this guy is asking for exists.

A wide angle might work, but if you're using a wide angle just because it lets you get close to your talent then you're going to get all sorts of unnecessary distortion.

You should never let your audio necessities dictate what lenses you want to use, that just calls for sloppy film making. If you need to be able to get good audio just get a bigger boom pole if your shot is too wide. Or use a telephoto and a field recorder.
Click to expand...
 
Andrew Brinkhaus said:
A telephoto lens allows you to get a tighter composition, but appears further away, as it compresses space in the Z-axis. It is apparent the camera is further away, as opposed to a wide angle lens, it is easy to tell based on field of view and depth of field that the physical lens is closer to the subject.

Based on the first half of the description, that is what is described, although as soon as he says "this is for getting closer to the talent for better audio" it makes me think wide angle as in referencing an on-camera mic? What would it matter if someone is booming then? I'd go back to set and tell this guy to do some research.
Click to expand...

I definately know what you are saying, but I think this guy means "further away" not in respect to the z-axis but more as in a wider shot from closer up... which really goes against any rules of optics. It would cause way too much distortion to try to make a close (in respect to distance to the talent) shot look like it was shot from far away (distance wise again).
 
Mr. Brinkhaus...you don't know what the hell your talking about........lol. j/k.
"Going no where!!!!!!!!!!!"
 
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