GEAR
CINE LENS SPECIAL
OPTIC VERVE Real cinema primes can deliver a unique look as well as healthy handling improvements – and they need not cost the earth CLASS GLASS
WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
NATURAL BEAUTY The fast maximum aperture of a cine lens provides a filmic look
I f you have only ever managed with autofocus lenses made for DSLR or mirrorless cameras, there are issues to work around. Focus breathing, fly-by- wire focusing, click-stop aperture rings and size inconsistency between lenses can all cause problems. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The mark of a serious filmmaker is using proper cinema lenses not only designed to combat all those quirks, but that are faster and have a constant T stop instead of f/stops, which means the light transmission is constant when you swap lenses. So you spend less time adjusting lighting or changing exposure settings, and more time focusing on the action in front of you. When manual focusing with many modern AF lenses, there is often a short focus throw which makes critical changes difficult. And electronically controlled, fly-by-wire focusing systems make this even worse, even though some manufacturers try to combat this by dialling in a linear response. But nothing comes close to the tactile focus of an all- manual cinema lens with a large throw,
of the lenses are often a consistent size to ensure they work with most standard matte boxes and filters. Some advanced lenses allow you to alter the flange focal distance, so you can make adjustments for individual cameras which is impossible on conventional AF lenses. When you change focus on an AF lens, you also get a change in angle of view – almost like zooming. The best cine zoom lenses are designed to suppress focus shifts. And it’s all done optically or mechanically, so there’s no lag as there often is with electronic control. Of course, cine lenses don’t offer image stabilisation or autofocus, but the biggest hurdle has typically been the significant cost. In recent times that’s been changing, with a whole host of new manufacturers offering more affordable options. Even some of the biggest-name brands have more compact versions of the flagship ranges at a much-reduced price. There has never been a better time to invest in cinema lenses, which can give benefits that last for decades. So we take a look at the very latest on the market, plus the proven alternatives.
especially when it’s fitted with a follow focus mechanism. There are all-mechanical lens rings to control the focus and iris. This is more intuitive and the time lag found in electronically controlled lenses isn’t an issue here. Additionally, the iris ring is stepless for greater precision when changing exposure. With clickless operation, there’s no vibration or noise as you alter settings. Some AF lenses are starting to offer this now, too. Standard cine lens accessories such as follow focus rigs all fit easily due to a 0.8M standard-sized gear pitch on the control rings. Buy from a single range of lenses and these rings are in the same position on all focal lengths, making swapping lenses much faster and easier. The front “Even some of the biggest brands now have more compact versions of flagship ranges”
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