CAMERA LENSES
Six Camera Lenses Creating a Variety of Different Effects
How Does a Lens Work?
Light passes through the lens and into different and multiple glass shapes known as “Lens Elements”: slightly bend (refract) the light which then lands on a point (known as the Focal Point) on an Image Sensor. An Image Sensor is where an image is created.
Each Lens is separated by its Focal Length (mm) which is the distance between the Optical Centre (the centre of the lens) to the Image Sensor). The smaller the Focal Length, the closer the lens can capture and the wider the angle of view. The larger the Focal Length, the further the camera can capture, but the narrower the angle of view.
Prime Lenses have their Focal Lengths fixed, while Zoom Lenses can alter the Focal Lengths by adjusting lens elements.
For this reason, Prime Lenses have a low number of lens elements, which allows Prime Lenses to capture sharper images. The large apertures also let in more light for low light scenes, i.e. scenes under candlelight. Prime Lenses allows for capturing shallower depths of focus to isolate the characters.
Zoom Lenses allows for filmmakers to change their Shot Sizes without changing their lens, which saves valuable time.
The first four lenses will speak about their aperture and ability to capture, while the last two will be a further dive into the lenses focusing abilities.
Extreme Wide Angle / Fisheye (18mm to 24mm)
Extreme Wide Angle Lenses can capture closeups and landscapes within the same shot. Fisheye Lenses work the same as Extreme Wide Angle Lenses, but have some visual distortion.
Due to this atypical visual distortion, this is used in shots where the audience is invested in the scene but suspend their disbelief for certain actions occurring on the scene. In a Close Up Shot, the Fisheye lens exaggerated facial features and distorts them.
Wide Angle (24mm to 35mm)
Wide Angle Lenses provide a wide angle view without the Fisheye’s distortion.
Wide Angle Lenses are successful in immersing the audience, and at times create a stylised look. They accentuate and highlight movement within large, cluttered spaces; in tight spaces, they can create distance between two characters close in Local Space, while still making the audience present in their story.
Standard (35mm to 50mm)
Standard Lenses provide a shot which is identical to visuals we as humans see in our daily life.
The Standard Lens are ideal for grounding your audience and presenting a shot in a more typical viewing. It allows the audience to feel immersed in a scene as though they are viewing the characters in real time with their own eyes.
Telephoto (70mm & Up)
Telephoto Lenses are used to capture subjects at a large distance.
This Lens is used to make the audience feel as though they are viewing the subject from afar, and compress the space of all distances whether they are backgrounds, foregrounds, or midground. They are commonly found in spy films, mysteries or isolating a character amongst a crowd.
Macro
Macro Lenses are used to capture extreme close up shots in sharp detail. Although they do not fall into a specific focal length like the above four, they do have a wide range of Focal Lengths. These are separated by having “MACRO” specified on the camera.
The Macro Lens is typically used for capturing objects in Insert Shots in clear and sharp detail for the audience to be able to understand its importance, as seen in detective, thriller or mystery films. It can also be used for capturing animals who may not be suitable to follow closely: out of danger, frightening them, or terrain.
There are two things to consider when choosing Macro Lenses: Magnification Ratio and the Minimum Focusing Distance.
Magnification Ratio is defined by “Size of Subject in the Shot” to “Size of the Subject in Real Life.” Macro Lenses have Magnification Ratios of 1:1 (the size of the subject in the shot is the same as in real life) and 5:1 (the size of the object is five times larger than in real life).
Minimum Focusing Distance refers to the distance the camera should be to the subject to have them remain in focus. Longer focal lengths may be required for capturing subjects which scare off easily, like insects. If able to capture subjects up close, a shorter focal length may suit the shot.
Tilt Shift
Tilt Shift Lenses are used to intentionally keep the subjects out of focus, even tilting the shot whether its up, down, left, or right to distort the scene.
Tilt Shift shots make the subjects seem much smaller than their actual size intentionally, in order to make them seem like pieces or toys. In another way, they create a blur to create a dream-like effect for a more vintage and stylised look.
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