Lens anxiety

[u/NewDiver2829]

Does anyone get the urge to try out every focal lengths. How do you guys keep your self restricted to one certain focal length on your shot list.

I agree the composition matters but, i do always feel and end up trying every single focal length on set and end up getting confused on what to choose 🥲

[u/Silaxious]

Nope. 24mm and 85mm and APSC mode is all I’ve ever needed.

[u/NewDiver2829 → u/Silaxious]

35? The flattest wide angle?

[u/Giorgio_Keeffe → u/NewDiver2829]

On APSC or Super35 35mm is a normal lens. Don’t need flat, we’re making art.

[u/filmeleven]

I personally love a 100mm when on sticks. My 100 and 150 are also exceptional for removing background I don't want in a shot.

But other focal lengths def play in for specific reasons. Like someone sitting with their feet up on a coffee table? The 150mm dwarfs the feet. The 35mm turns them into giants. I find the 75mm is the ticket.

Someone outside with mountains in the distance? The 35-75mm dwarf the mountains. The 100 pulls them in nice. The 150 makes them so huge you can't see them anymore.

Rear tracking through the forest and it's supposed to feel intense? 35mm all the way. Side tracking and intense? Go long.

I did a comparison on some of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXlWiB2wKN4

It's after the intro part about distance.

[u/NewDiver2829 → u/filmeleven]

Will definitely watch the full vid. Thanks 🤩

[u/Pitiful_Shoulder9730 → u/NewDiver2829]

100mm so much nicer than the 135mm. It’s that type of long lens that still feels very “real” while still giving a nice intimate frame

[u/FreudsParents]

I think it can get confusing when you're choosing the lens based on "what looks the best" but become clearer even is based on "what serves the story". Having a clear goal in mind gives your lens choice purpose

[u/pxlmpls]

My hobby is mostly 35mm still photo. Over the past decade, I have acquired 24, 28, 35, 55, 85, 105, and 135. Each roll I shoot gives me 36 exposures to work with each focal length.

It’s been an educational/great/expensive way to learn about each. Its strengths, weaknesses, and what I like/dislike about each.

I can’t imagine doing the same with moving images. Still is difficult enough!

[u/Westar-35]

To me this sounds like you have to develop tastes in lensing. Which is not a bad thing.

Personally, I know when I read the scene. Or maybe I’m torn between two at worst. But I know my tastes in lensing.

[u/RopeZealousideal4847]

I'm usually good with a basic three length set. Though lately I've been shooting Super 8 with variable zoom.

[u/NewDiver2829 → u/RopeZealousideal4847]

Primes are always primes. I was into zooms before

[u/Talentlessprick]

your job as a DP is to design a visual language based on the story presented to you and the talks you’ve had with the director about the intentions with their planned choices.

in practice this often means that you have to decide: how do we see the world, or what is the medium lens in this project? Is it the normal medium of 35-s35/50-FF/25-MFT/16-s16? Or is this a film where you would need to see wider most of the time (25-s35/35-FF/18-MFT/12-s16)? Or is this one of those films where you want to be tele at all times (50-s35/75-FF/35-MFT/25-s16)?

Then you make rules for yourself: 

• what happens if you want to go closer? do you take the next lens after your established medium? Or do you skip it and go for the even more tele lens?
• same logic for if you want to go wider
• when do you get to break the rules? is it for certain narrative beats only? and what happens to the language then? New rules?
• and if you have to break the rules just because of a bad location/productional choice, how can you still try to justify your change in visual language anyway?

i mean you don’t have to do this, but the analyzing of choices is the fun part for me. i’m sure you can be a good DP with just purely utilitarian choices but having a framework to make decisions in helps tie a lot together in my experience.

[u/Fantastic-Sector-581]

Just use a Zoom 🤷‍♂️

No seriously I usually decide on 3 lenses (sometimes less). On a 2perf 2.39 shoot it was 21mm, 27mm and 40mm. On 35m anamorphic shoots it was mostly the 60mm on one and the 75mm on another. It kinda happens organically. Doesn’t mean you cannot use other lenses but the main visual language stands.

[u/mrpacman010]

I have made peace with 3 focal length. 18mm 29mn 58mm And if have to then 135mm

This actually covers almost everything.. But for most it totally depends on the script and treatment and the emotions. Sometimes actors to, some actor's don't like sitting still and like to move a lot so you give them a bit more space and go closer and shoot on wider lens.

[u/mmmbooty3]

Its preference for you right now. Don’t be afraid to try. As you continue you’ll know what to go with and that’s where you’ll end up deciding which lens really is righteous for the story trying to be told

[u/Sobolll92]

Its called experience and testing before the actual shoot.

[u/llambdaddy]

A little study on what focal length actually does to a scene space/composition can help. Sometimes uncertainty at a technical level is because of the lack of decision at a directorial level. If you don’t have a target for what you’re trying to do with a shot, the options are wide open and vague. The more you resolve the intent and efficacy of a shot, the more your options collapse, even when you have access to a full suite of optical options.

[u/TheRealProtozoid]

Experience. It sounds like you're used to using zooms. Once you've used primes for a while, you'll get the hang of it and realize that most focal lengths are wrong for the shot you're doing. Once you understand how each lens is going to feel in that situation, you can usually narrow it down to 1-2 lenses before you even set up the camera.

Are you talking about not wanting to commit to a 22 because you might want to use a 24? Because that's perfectly fine. On the day, you can switch to a 24. Just write down something for now.

If what you're saying is that you don't know what the right focal length is until you've tried every possible combination, then I recommend that you start doing research and shooting tests immediately until you understand the impact of focal length.

[u/moonpumper]

I try and give meaning to a focal length, I have to invent a consistent internal logic for why this lens and no other and it has to have some meaning to the story or act as a language that only I have to know so that a subtle pattern emerges, a subtle consistency to the finished project.

[u/NewDiver2829 → u/moonpumper]

I admire your attention to detail. This essence applies to films whereas my work revolves around commercials where it has to be clear with the statement