claystevens
Member
As the title said, which lens do you use most frequent?
35, 50, 85, or the kit lens?
35, 50, 85, or the kit lens?
Which lens do you use most while shooting video?
- Thread starter claystevens
- Start date
Victor Nhat Nguyen
Well-known member
For full frame. I use the normal focal length: 50mm the most. It's just really versatile. 85mm is my next lens and I use it for portraiture. I also like to use my 35mm f1.4 for slider shot where I want to see parallax but sill want to maintain really shallow depth of field.
I've never shot stills or VistaVision, so not a clue what focal lengths mean there.. but for 35mm (or video equlivents) my current go-to lens is an Angenieux 28-70 f2.6, i also have a Zeiss 16-35 f2.8 & 80-200 f4, they are the first call usualy
for the primes i carry (16-24-35-60-85-135-180) the 24 & 85 get the most use, the 135 and the 180 next, the 16, 35 and 60 the least use
I'm far more likely to use one of the zooms unless i NEED more light on the sensor than zooms allow.. but i'm not a fan of next to zero DoF so i'm more likely to add light to a set to the f4 area than to lean on a prime wfo @ t1.5
on my wish list is a Zeiss master zoom - 16-110 t2.6
for the primes i carry (16-24-35-60-85-135-180) the 24 & 85 get the most use, the 135 and the 180 next, the 16, 35 and 60 the least use
I'm far more likely to use one of the zooms unless i NEED more light on the sensor than zooms allow.. but i'm not a fan of next to zero DoF so i'm more likely to add light to a set to the f4 area than to lean on a prime wfo @ t1.5
on my wish list is a Zeiss master zoom - 16-110 t2.6
David G. Smith
Steak Knife Member
I shoot with a Sony FS-100 and have been doing a bit of run and gun stuff lately and my go to lens is a Vivitar Series 1 28 -105mm f2.8 -3.5 macro zoom (Kiron manufacture). It is a vintage all manual lens with a push-pull zoom. I like it. It has a lot of "Image Mojo", is plenty sharp for HD, but not bleeding edge too sharp. It is not parfocal and the variable aperture across the zoom range is something that you have to deal with. In run and gun shooting, the push-pull design, where one big ring controls both zoom and focus, after a little practice, it is very easy to use the lens as a very practical variable prime. I can sometimes pull off controlled zooms with the lens. I really like the lens and like I said, it is my go to lens for run and gun shooting on the FS-100.
In more controlled situations with that camera, my favorite prime is a 35mm Nikkor f2.8 AIS lens. With the Super 35mm sized sensor I have found that the 35mm focal length is the "Normal" focal length, for me. Shooting fictional narrative drama, I could see shooting the vast majority of a film with a 35mm focal length.
I have several flavors of 50mm lenses, including a Nikkor 50mm f1.4 AIS lens, but to be honest, I just don't care for the 50mm focal length on the Super 35mm sensor. I can't really articulate why. It just does not look right to me. For glamor portraiture I have a Nikon E Series 100mm f2.8 that I have found that I really like.
On the wide end I have a Nikkor 20mm f2.8 AIS lens that is a great lens. I also have a Nikkor 24mm f2.8 AIS lens, but with the 20mm and the 35mm in my kit, it does not get much use.
I have a huge wish list of lenses that I would love to have, but I am pretty satisfied with the bread and butter Nikkor kit that I have, and the Vivitar!
In more controlled situations with that camera, my favorite prime is a 35mm Nikkor f2.8 AIS lens. With the Super 35mm sized sensor I have found that the 35mm focal length is the "Normal" focal length, for me. Shooting fictional narrative drama, I could see shooting the vast majority of a film with a 35mm focal length.
I have several flavors of 50mm lenses, including a Nikkor 50mm f1.4 AIS lens, but to be honest, I just don't care for the 50mm focal length on the Super 35mm sensor. I can't really articulate why. It just does not look right to me. For glamor portraiture I have a Nikon E Series 100mm f2.8 that I have found that I really like.
On the wide end I have a Nikkor 20mm f2.8 AIS lens that is a great lens. I also have a Nikkor 24mm f2.8 AIS lens, but with the 20mm and the 35mm in my kit, it does not get much use.
I have a huge wish list of lenses that I would love to have, but I am pretty satisfied with the bread and butter Nikkor kit that I have, and the Vivitar!
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
To me shooting video is about shooting "sequences" editable series of shots
in the main sequences are made from wides, mids, and close ups.
usually those three shots are done with (s35 chip) 18mm 30mm 80mm
ideally I would therefore have an 18-80 zoom.
Such zooms are extremely expensive I therefore compromise and usually use an 18prime and a 35-70 zoom
in the main sequences are made from wides, mids, and close ups.
usually those three shots are done with (s35 chip) 18mm 30mm 80mm
ideally I would therefore have an 18-80 zoom.
Such zooms are extremely expensive I therefore compromise and usually use an 18prime and a 35-70 zoom
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
Of course there are affordable 18-xx zooms Designed for stills photo use - personally find them too plasticky to be usable for video
f44876
Active member
I constantly utilize a Canon FD 50 1.4 (decent sharpness, pleasant bokeh - if not a little on the sterile side), a 25mm 1.4 bolex lens (covers the full frame on the AF100 with only a tiny bit of vignetting -- my main "artsy narrative" lens, seriously attractive/swirly bokeh), and a Vivitar FD 35-105 3.5 zoom lens (a little soft, but it only cost me $30 at a thrift store. Its parfocal/constant aperture -- so great for zooms). All the lenses I own are 'budget' glass. When I need a little more firepower, I rent or borrow (I have a few shoulders to tap at some universities in the NY/NJ/PA area).
When I rent for narrative/creative pieces, I typically go with an Angenieux 16-42 T2.8 (It's a little on the sterile side, but slap on a 1/4 or 1/8 diffusion filter and it can capture some really organic looking images. Great lens for sequences/pieces where you don't want the viewer to notice the camerawork.) and a Zeiss Superspeed 50 T1.4 for beauty shots/close-ups. I typically shoot on S35 (F3, FS100) and MFT (AF100, GH2) so I rarely need a longer lens than a 50 and the wide end of the Angie is wide enough for the most shots at 16.
When I rent for narrative/creative pieces, I typically go with an Angenieux 16-42 T2.8 (It's a little on the sterile side, but slap on a 1/4 or 1/8 diffusion filter and it can capture some really organic looking images. Great lens for sequences/pieces where you don't want the viewer to notice the camerawork.) and a Zeiss Superspeed 50 T1.4 for beauty shots/close-ups. I typically shoot on S35 (F3, FS100) and MFT (AF100, GH2) so I rarely need a longer lens than a 50 and the wide end of the Angie is wide enough for the most shots at 16.
David W. Jones
Veteran
I shot a lit bridge last night. I used an 18mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 100mm, 135mm, 2x Mutar, on a full frame camera.
As others have mentioned, it really depends.
As others have mentioned, it really depends.
[smartass answer]I use the lens that goes best with my microphone and my light[/smartass answer]
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[not as smartass answer]
It's largely a style thing... I find i tend to shy away from "normal" focal lengths (~50mm FFE) in most shooting situations, usually opting for slightly wide (<~35mm FFE) or very close (~90-180mm FFE).
Simple logistics of "what lens did I use most this year?" Lumix 14-140 (kit lens) because it works best for the jobs from my single biggest bread & butter client... but I rarely used it for any other work.
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[not as smartass answer]
It's largely a style thing... I find i tend to shy away from "normal" focal lengths (~50mm FFE) in most shooting situations, usually opting for slightly wide (<~35mm FFE) or very close (~90-180mm FFE).
Simple logistics of "what lens did I use most this year?" Lumix 14-140 (kit lens) because it works best for the jobs from my single biggest bread & butter client... but I rarely used it for any other work.
Darren Levine
Veteran
Totally depends on what im shooting.
run and gun eng/event shooting during daytime? sigma 18-250 until canon comes out with a damn power zoom ef lens
same situation but now nighttime? usually a 28 and 50mm 1.8, but now pushing iso on the C100 with the slower but more versitle lens prevails some of the time depending on how little light there is.
narrative run and gun? 24-105. pack the 28 and 50mm 1.8 just in case
more controlled narrative, usually the 28 and 50 get most of the work
i also keep around a 70-300 to get the extra reach when needed.
run and gun eng/event shooting during daytime? sigma 18-250 until canon comes out with a damn power zoom ef lens
same situation but now nighttime? usually a 28 and 50mm 1.8, but now pushing iso on the C100 with the slower but more versitle lens prevails some of the time depending on how little light there is.
narrative run and gun? 24-105. pack the 28 and 50mm 1.8 just in case
more controlled narrative, usually the 28 and 50 get most of the work
i also keep around a 70-300 to get the extra reach when needed.
darren-
if i may ask, why the 28mm and not the 35mm?
with the c100 crop, wouldn't the 35mm offer a "normal" view?
not arguing.
i'm just asking.
thank you in advance for sharing your toughts.
be well.
rob
smalltalk productions/nyc
Darren Levine
Veteran
28 is around a 43mm FF equivalant, and like mcbob said, many like myself prefer just that tad bit of extra space to work with
Samuel H
Major Contributor
On my full-frame camera, I would say:
* 50mm (about 35% of the shots)
* 24mm (about 25% of the shots --> establishing, flycam, etc)
* 135mm (about 25% of the shots --> portraits, etc)
Next up would be the 35mm, with just about 10% of the shots, then the 90mm. I hardly ever carry the 180mm, and I don't think I've actually used the 300mm in anything but tests.
But it really depends on what you're shooting. My biggest project I think we used 120mm-equivalent for 60% of the shots, 35mm-equivalent for all the others.
* 50mm (about 35% of the shots)
* 24mm (about 25% of the shots --> establishing, flycam, etc)
* 135mm (about 25% of the shots --> portraits, etc)
Next up would be the 35mm, with just about 10% of the shots, then the 90mm. I hardly ever carry the 180mm, and I don't think I've actually used the 300mm in anything but tests.
But it really depends on what you're shooting. My biggest project I think we used 120mm-equivalent for 60% of the shots, 35mm-equivalent for all the others.
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Grug
Veteran
I really like my Zeiss 85mm CP.2 (particularly for wide shots!). If I could ever get enough space, I'd love to shoot a whole project on just the 85mm, I love the compression it creates - it just requires a little more attention and planning to art direction and framing if you want to use it for your wide-shots and mid-shots.
Sometimes you need to squeeze more things into your frame, create more obvious camera movements or isolate your actors from the space around them, and for that my 21mm CP.2 holds a special place in my heart.
But I find most projects demand their own unique combination of focal lengths, characters are either trapped in their surroundings (50mm, 85mm & 135mm), isolated from them (16mm, 21mm, 28mm), or they're quite neutral within the space (35mm, 50mm); or perhaps the director wants a predominantly handheld look (in which case the 28mm and 35mm will pretty much do all the work). Obviously you bring in other focal lengths as they're needed, but I find there tends to be a select few that do the majority of the work of each project that's decided by the particular mood we're trying to create.
Sometimes you need to squeeze more things into your frame, create more obvious camera movements or isolate your actors from the space around them, and for that my 21mm CP.2 holds a special place in my heart.
But I find most projects demand their own unique combination of focal lengths, characters are either trapped in their surroundings (50mm, 85mm & 135mm), isolated from them (16mm, 21mm, 28mm), or they're quite neutral within the space (35mm, 50mm); or perhaps the director wants a predominantly handheld look (in which case the 28mm and 35mm will pretty much do all the work). Obviously you bring in other focal lengths as they're needed, but I find there tends to be a select few that do the majority of the work of each project that's decided by the particular mood we're trying to create.
David G. Smith
Steak Knife Member
I have been looking at that Sigma 18-250, mostly as a replacement for the kit lens on my T2i for stills. How do you like it and do you think it is a good stills lens?