Macro and telephoto lenses for cinema

Eric Coughlin

Eric Coughlin

Veteran
What is the high end using for macro and telephoto lenses? I'm not aware of telephoto cinema lenses. Cinema lenses seem to end around 200mm. Are they just using Canon L-series lenses after that? What's out there?

I see Arri has a 100mm Master Macro.
 
Angenieux 24-290mm Optimo Lens

Arri 60mm Zeiss Macro Lens

Arri 100mm Zeiss Macro Lens


There is also the Canon 50-1000mm but seeing as it is relatively new I’ve only seen it on a set once.


I have a buddy who has done what you are looking to do. He went from 1-man owner / Op to full blown production company doing regional high-end work. He now owns all three lenses listed above as well as a set of Summicrons and a set of Sigma cine primes that he bought after selling his set of Superspeeds because of his move to FF. He owns a set of DP Rouge zooms as well. ( 30-80mm, 16-40mm ). He has two REDs and an Fs7. At one point I think he owned 4 REDS because at the time RED was in greater demand and he was renting to low-budget film productions.

Back to cinema telephoto glass, it generally isn’t needed much in cinema / commercial production. In that type of work you are usually setting the distance between camera and subject, as opposed to wildlife or sports in which distances are not often under your control. You aren’t likely to place subject and camera a great distance apart. There’s just not much reason to.

There are also 2x adapters such as the one made by Angenieux. They cost you 1-2 stops.
 
Hmm, yeah, the Canon 50-1000 or Angenieux 24-290 with a 2x teleconverter (580mm) would get pretty far on the focal range.

For Canon L lenses there is the 800mm F/5.6 and Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L with built in 1.4x extender. I wasn't aware the latter lens existed.

I wonder if, given that the 800mm f/5.6 is a prime, if it'd have a better image than for example the Canon 50-1000, though being a still lens it'd probably be worse in typical ways like focus throw and breathing.

The only telephoto cinema primes I could find are the Whitepoint Optics primes listed on B&H which go up to 500mm. They have a tilt shift version available too which looks stupidly long in terms of form factor.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod..._ts121plfts_ts70_500mm_imperial_pl.html/specs

1572439636_IMG_1268747.jpg


This non-tilt shift version looks more normal.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...t_optics_ts121plf_ts70_500mm_imperial_pl.html

1560444634_1480778.jpg


They're T/8, which is slower than what the previously listed lenses are at 500mm.



Yeah, obviously these are specialty lenses and probably not something I'm really in the market for, but I was just curious of what is used for the unique instances.

I have a product shot shoot in mind which made me think what macro lenses could be good for it, though realistically I'd probably go for something cheap like the Nikon 55 f/2.8 macro lens I already have if my higher end lenses could not focus close enough.
 
fyi- Those White Point lenses are Hasselblad “medium format” lenses re-housed to be better for cine-style shooting.

Here is the basis of that WP 500mm:

http://https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/used/21070?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4MC3gKb65QIV4f_jBx156wT2EAUYASABEgKGD_D_BwE

The lenses are of still-photo origin. But that is the case with many “cinema” lenses. Most all cine lenses are derived from optics developed for still photography. Arguably, even Master Primes are based in optics originally developed for still photography.
 
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