STILL LENSES EXCEL AT
LIGHTNING-QUICK autofocusing
and electronic control over aperture.
Cinema lenses, by contrast, are almost
always manually operated. While autofocus
can play a role in video, it can also be
unpredictable and jarring. Manual control over
both focus and aperture allows for smoother, more
predictable transitions. The aperture on a cinema lens is
also de-clicked, meaning there won’t be a hard stop as
you open or close the diaphragm, allowing for gentle
changes in exposure as lighting conditions or depth-of-
field needs change.
Unlike many still lenses, cinema lenses have very long
focus pulls—the focus ring will rotate almost all the way
around the lens barrel, allowing the filmmaker to achieve
a very gentle, slow focus. These rings are frequently
threaded with gears so you can more easily attach a follow-focus mechanism to the lens.
A CINEMA LENS
is generally going
to take a bigger
bite out of your
wallet than a still
lens of comparable
focal length. For example,
Canon’s EF 35mm f/1.4
still lens with AF costs
about $1,000, while the
company’s CN-E 35mm
T1.5 L F costs $4,600.
Rokinon’s new XEEN series
has provided a lower cost
cinema alternative, but
even those models are
pricier than the company’s
budget-friendly still lenses.
There’s no question that
cinema lenses are an
investment.
ANY RELATIONSHIP INVOLVES TRADE-OFFS. Many wedding filmmakers prefer to love
the one they’re with and use a single set of still
lenses for stills and videos. It’s less to carry, less to
insure, and for solo operators, far less of a hassle if
you want to quickly transition from stills to video. There
are still lenses with “de-clicked” apertures and manual focusing,
so you can get some of the smooth exposure options in a still lens
without having to shell out for a cinema lens.
Nonetheless, if you need a lens that’s optimized for the unique
demands of motion storytelling, there’s no substitute for a true
cinema lens.
THE
FILMMAKING
ISSUE
ANY CINEMA LENS WORTH
ITS SALT will provide an aperture
rating based on T-stops, not
the traditional F-stop. The key to
understanding the difference is the
“T,” which stands for “transmission.”
Whereas an F-stop is simply a measure of
the lens’s aperture in relation to its focal length,
a T-stop is a measure of the actual amount of light
that is transmitted through the aperture and onto the
image sensor itself. It’s a more precise measurement
of the light-gathering capabilities of a lens, since it
can accurately account for any light that’s reflected or
absorbed after it passes through the aperture.
here’s an old saying in photography: “You date the body,
but marry the lens.” As those in a committed lens relationship well know, it’s
hard to part with a favored piece of glass. But for DSLR and mirrorless shooters, a still
photo lens may not always be the best companion when it comes to filmmaking.
Over the past several years, lens makers have greeted the rise of DSLR and mirrorless
filmmaking with cinema lenses geared for those cameras. These lenses have some major
differences from their still counterparts that you’ll need to familiarize yourself with if you
want to start a long-term relationship. Consider this a speed-dating session.
by greg scoblete
STILL PHOTO LENSES COME
IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES.
A Nikon 35mm full frame lens
is going to look a lot different
than a Nikon 50mm or 80mm full
frame lens. Cinema lenses, with
a few exceptions, are built with
exactly the same dimensions
regardless of focal length. In
fact, they’re not only the same
size, but the focus and aperture
rings are in the same place, so
you can quickly change lenses
without having to readjust
accessories like matte boxes
or follow focus gears
to accommodate
a new lens. Color
characteristics are also
more tightly controlled
and calibrated in the
factory so there’s less
chance of a color shift when
swapping lenses.
Cinema lenses have visually
busier exteriors than most
still photo lenses, too, with
duplicated focus and aperture
scales appearing on two sides of
the lens barrel. These duplicated
markings make it easier to read
and adjust exposure settings
no matter which side of the
camera you’re on (remember,
you’re making these adjustments
manually, so it pays to have them
easily viewable at all times).
BOTTOM
LINE
LOOK-
ALIKES
NOT A
CHEAP
DATE
F-STOPS
VS.
T-STOPS
Settlingwith a
cinema lens
BYE BYE,
AUTO-
FOCUS