Metric vs. Imperial lens set choice. Based in Australia.

Q

Quested

Member
Hi all,
I'm about to buy my first serious lens set (hopefully Ultra Primes) and was wondering whether I should go with metric or imperial. I work in Australia most of the time but fly to the UK (and once it opens up again, USA) sometimes.

I've always rented locally so never thought about it, but how do AC's and crews in general think about feet/meters. Do they care? I'm 90% wireless FF anyway.

Anyone in film over in Australia, are all the sets in feet because of the traditional homes of cinema (LA / UK) or do you like to see Metric over here? Is there a world standard? I work in advertising usually but would like to pop them into a rental house.

I've been shooting fo Metric but there are so many more used options in imperial.

I've worked in Australia / NA / France / UK and plan to move around a bit.
 
Traditionally good old Imperial feet and inches have been the go. As mentioned with focus pullers using electronic means and monitors these days I think the Imperial vs Metric choice is now more of a moot point. Most focus pullers I know find Imperial to be an absolute second nature and can calculate and judge by eyeball and tape very accurately in feet and inches so for them, the step of recalculating in Metric is an annoying extra step. Interestingly what I do notice quite often though is when it comes to resale very often given lenses that are in a similar condition the Imperial marked lenses go for a slightly higher price. Maybe a point for consideration way down the ownership path.

Chris Young
 
Quested said:
Hi all,
I'm about to buy my first serious lens set (hopefully Ultra Primes) and was wondering whether I should go with metric or imperial. I work in Australia most of the time but fly to the UK (and once it opens up again, USA) sometimes.

I've always rented locally so never thought about it, but how do AC's and crews in general think about feet/meters. Do they care? I'm 90% wireless FF anyway.

Anyone in film over in Australia, are all the sets in feet because of the traditional homes of cinema (LA / UK) or do you like to see Metric over here? Is there a world standard? I work in advertising usually but would like to pop them into a rental house.

I've been shooting fo Metric but there are so many more used options in imperial.

I've worked in Australia / NA / France / UK and plan to move around a bit.
Click to expand...

Here in Australia, everything is Imperial, and you'll royally piss off your ACs if they have to suddenly work in metric because you've randomly acquired a metric set. The same goes for the UK and the US (I'm not sure about Canada, but I'd be surprised if they were metric).

Continental Europe is really the only place (that I know of) that uses metric markings in film production. So if AUS/UK/USA are going to be your primary stomping grounds, absolutely stick to imperial lens sets.
 
This reminds me of the indifferent reaction by Bob Beamon at 8.90m in the 1968 Olympics.
 
Being a product of the American education system I have no idea what these supposed measurement systems are. Only advice go with the one that goes to 11. “Because this one goes to eleven.”
 
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