LENS SPEC I AL | FEATURE
F ull-frame still cameras revolutionised photography and when the same happened in the multi-frame world, it was thought the same fundamental change would materialise. However, the full-frame argument has been condensed into two parts: the merits of resolution and the huge range of Super 35 glass that already line the shelves of rental companies and do the job. Lens manufacturers, like Cooke, were quick to support the new format and had a range ready to service it, but others have been more circumspect and only now are releasing their mostly prime large format ranges; companies like Angénieux who after 50 years of delivering wonderfully cinematic zoom lenses have now produced – with development help – its first primes. But are they too late to the increasingly crowded market chasing a hopefully nascent one? WHAT DOES LARGE FORMAT GIVE YOU Well it depends on who you talk to. Cinematographers love this format as it
allows you to play with perspective and eye- popping depth-of-field. DOP Jon Joffin had used the Zeiss Supreme range with Sony’s Venice cameras and was smitten with the effect. “Such extreme depth-of-field seems to work great on faces and, of course, other objects. The thin depth-of-field that LF provides was one reason we used the Venice/Supreme combination. The ultra- thin depth-of-field allowed us to use wider lenses than we would normally choose and still maintain the beautiful, painterly background blur. There is something about LF that looks rich and cinematic, even when downsized to 4K. It has the feel of 70mm film,” he says. Zeiss has recently added the 21mm and 135mm to the range, both T1.5. Joffin’s director, Aisha Schliessler, was even more effusive. “Large format is like seeing in a new way. The richness and the texture of the image feels incredibly filmic. The thin focus and almost anamorphic quality (without typical anamorphic distortion and bending) helps to direct the viewers’ eyes to where we want them to go, and the image feels much more three
LEFT A Cooke Full Frame + 75mm lens on a Sony Venice camera ABOVE Arri Alexa Mini LF with the DNA LF series of lenses TOP Shot on a 35mm DNA LF prototype. There’s a softness to the boy’s face, which is the vintage glass working its magic
JULY 20 1 9 | DEF I N I T ION 43
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