The lens choice within cinematography is just as important as the acting, dialogue and score, it helps create the atmosphere. Broadly they can be grouped in to types.
Up first is the standard (Normal) Lenses, these give an almost human eye representation, most are around 50mmm, which is why they can be referenced as the " nifty fifty". They are a generalist lens, good for generation shooting , but the key here is the human eye perspective, so great for natural scenes and maybe interviews.
Second in my list is the Macro Lenses, which does exactly what it says, it gets the details, say the intricacies of a flower head, its textures etc. So it great for these extreme close ups where the composition and structure of the subject is part of the visual story telling.
Then we have "Prime" Lenses, which are fixed in focal length such as 24mm, 50mm, 85mm). I prefer these within " still" photography. So what' s good about them. Well they provide a sharp image quality with large apertures which provide better low-light performance and depth of field control. They are preferably used in portraits, cinematic shots, and controlled environments.
Now on to the " zoom" lens, they differ over the prime e as they naturally have a Variable focal length such as 24-70mm, 70-200mm) etc. They provide a flexibility with framing the subject without having to change lenses to create dramatic shots. Most of the common uses would be for action shots and m documentary/
Moving on we have wide angle bunch which are typically smaller in focal length, say 14mm><35mm. These are great for a wide field of view, say panning an open desert , seascape as they exaggerates and enhance the perspective to the shot.
As we are moving in the " zoom" types then telephoto lenses with focal lengths of say 70mm, 100mm to 300mm are worth a mention here. Great for the wildlife shot where getting close would impact the shot. They bring with them a narrower depth of field great with nature - wildlife shots, they can also create a Bokeh effect such as close up with a blurred background. Some 300mm and above can be referenced as super telephoto , which can get great detailed shots from afar, such as aerial photography and film
On to some interesting ones now, on of the quirkiest in my opinion is the fish eye, personally I am not a big fan of this due to the "distortion" is creates. However I do see the advantages with say sports photography and filming, some of the 360 cameras ( ( insta360, DJI, GoPro) use these in their action cam ranges. In the example below you can see the "distortion" - curvature- spherical effect it creates. What it does do well is create more movement in the image and depth
And then there is the Anamorphic Lens, one I didn't know they much about at first other than the basics that that give a widescreen aspect ratio say 2.39:1, they can give lens flare and bokeh, which I have noticed being a theme in some films.
So, what do they do, in simple terms then get a wider view with a horizontal compression, so music videos and higher end cinema. the cleanest example I could find to explain how they interface with the sensor was found in https://jethrojeff.com/ blog
John Wick Chapter 4 ( 2023) was filmed with anamorphic lenses, IMDB (2024) state that the lenses used consisted of :-
"Digital Anamorphic (4.5K ARRIRAW): Filmed with Arri Alexa LF & Mini LF cameras equipped with Arri Large Format Anamorphic Primes, Signature Primes and Master Anamorphic Primes, shot by Dan Laustsen ASC DFF. Color by Jill Bogdanowicz ASC. "
James D( 2023) cites Laustsen as stating that :-
"Laustsen says action scenes were “played as wide as they could” with dolly, crane, and Steadicam framing the bulk of the imagery"
Finally the Tilt-Shift Lens, one I am definitely not familiar with at all. These create an optical illusion in photos. It makes objects look like miniatures, as if they are toys placed on a tabletop.
Expertphotography.com state that the "effect is often used in photography to make landscapes or cityscapes look like models."
They can also create that impossible shot such as the view from a wing mirror ( without the cameras reflection), which would be great in a tense scene where a vehicle is following another from the drivers perspective.
Tilt shift lenses are popular , they allow control the focus and depth of field and preventing vertical converging lines. A few good points are offered by Shotkit (2024)
Keeping the entire scene in focus even with a wide aperture
Making some creative selective focus choices
Changing the position of the camera without altering the resulting image
Preventing the parallax effect when shooting panoramas They can also be used to create a sense of motion in a photograph, even when the subject is stationary.
So in summary, understanding the lens type lens type contributes to the to the visual storytelling toolkit, which in turn influences composition, depth, and emotional tone.
References.
Macro Flower. Macro shot of a flower | Premium AI-generated image
Skier Fisheye. Insta360 X3 – Waterproof 360 Action Camera
IMDB Anamorphic Film List List of 2023 Movies Shot on Anamorphic
Comments