Video Maker - USA (2019-06)

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24 VIDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2019

Best Telephoto Zoom

Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II USM

The Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II USM

is massive lens but, with its aperture

range of f/2.8 to f/32, this monster

provides the highest quality zoom.

The beautiful bokeh (complimented

by a well-rounded, eight blade dia-

phragm), fast and accurate focus and

numerous measures against aber-

rations makes the Canon EF 70-200

f/2.8L IS II USM one of the most versa-

tile zoom lenses on the market.

The quality doesn’t come cheap,

however, and purchasing this lens

will set you back $1,800. A cheaper

and lighter version is available with a

maximum aperture of f/4 for $1,100.

Best Cine Lens Line

Zeiss CP.3

The follow-up to the highly regarded

CP.2, this line of cine lenses is one

of the highest quality available on

the market. Available in 15mm T2.9,

25mm T2.1, 35mm T2.1, 50mm T2.1

and 85mm T2.1, each lens in the line

features improved ergonomic design

compared to the line’s CP.2 prede-

cessors, 14 blade diaphragms and

improved protection against aberra-

tions and reflections. If you only want

the best for your set, the Zeiss CP.3’s

performance is unparalleled.

The full line is priced at $20,812

with the cost of individual lenses

ranging from $4,400 to $6,700.

Factors to consider

The lens is the most important part of

a camera so it’s no wonder so many

people agonize over new lens pur-

chases. A good lens is expensive and

specialized so, whether you’re buying

your first or your twentieth lens,

it’s important to know exactly what

you’re looking for and which lens best

fits your needs.

Here are the main factors you’ll

need to consider before investing in

your next lens.

Mount System

The mount type is the first thing you

need to consider with lenses. Every

camera manufacturer has a different

system for connecting lenses to their

cameras. This connection is known

as the mount. When you shop for a

new lens, you need to make sure the

one you choose will attach to your

camera. Some of the most common

mount systems for DSLR and mir-

rorless systems right now are: Canon

EF, Nikon F, Sony E mount, Fujinon X

mount and Micro Four Thirds (MFT),

used in most Panasonic cameras.

Some lens mounts pair exclusively

with cameras from the same manu-

facturer, but you’ll encounter cinema

cameras using the EF mount, for

instance, even outside of the Canon

ecosystem. There are also manu-

range covers the most commonly

used focal lengths and is generally

affordable with prices ranging from

a several hundred dollars to a couple

thousand depending on the mount

and manufacturer.

Effective Focal Length

When choosing a lens based on focal

length, you’ll also want to consider the

size of the sensor in the camera it will

be paired with. Sensors smaller than

full frame come with a crop factor that

will increase the effective focal length

of your lens by as much as two times

for MFT sensors.

That means a 35mm lens, when

paired with an MFT sensor, will have

a field of view equivalent to that of a

70mm lens. On a camera with a APS-C

sensor with a 1.5-time crop, the same

lens will have a field of view approxi-

mately equivalent to a 52mm lens.

Know the crop factor for your camera

to be sure you’re getting the lens you

need.

Prime vs. Zoom

Prime lenses have one fixed focal

length while zooms can be used to

cover a range. They can have a long or

a short throw, covering a wide range

of focal lengths or only a very narrow

range. Zoom lenses are typically more

expensive, especially as the zoom range

increases, but they can take the place of

several prime lenses and are convenient

for run-and-gun situations where you’re

reframing often. Zoom lenses come

in two varieties: internal zooming and

external zooming. External zooming

lenses are more common and more

affordable, but internal zooming lenses

are a better choice when accessories

such as matte boxes are a factor.

The best lenses For Video - 2019

facturers such as Sigma, Tamron,

Rokinon and Fujinon that offer the

same lens across several different

mounts. Higher-end brands like Zeiss

and Cooke even offer interchangeable

lens mount options. When investing

in lenses, consider which cameras

and mounts you anticipate using in

the future so that you can continue to

use you collection of lenses after your

next upgrade.

Focal Length

Once you determine compatibility,

focal length will likely be the driving

force in your purchasing decisions as

you fill out your collection of lenses.

It is usually the first number denoted

in a lens description and is measured

in millimeters. The lower the number,

the wider the angle of view, allowing

more of the scene to be captured. A

lens with a longer focal length will

bring the viewer in closer to the action

and create more space compression in

the image.

Focal length is one of the main de-

terminants in the appearance of you

image and is a useful storytelling tool

when used deliberately.

Lenses at the extremes — super

wide or extreme telephoto — are

generally only used in specific circum-

stances or for a specific creative effect.

Very wide lenses will often distort the

image, which can be distracting in

the wrong context. Lenses with focal

lengths between 20mm and 100mm

are much more common in video

production, with 50mm lenses more

or less approximating the field of view

of the human eye.

You’ll also find that most manufac-

turers, including Canon, Nikon, Sony,

Sigma and Tokina, make very similar

24-70mm zoom lenses — this zoom

ONCE YOU DETERMINE COMPATIBILITY, FOCAL

LENGTH WILL LIKELY BE THE DRIVING FORCE IN YOUR

PURCHASING DECISIONS.

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VIDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2019 25

range covers the most commonly

used focal lengths and is generally

affordable with prices ranging from

a several hundred dollars to a couple

thousand depending on the mount

and manufacturer.

Effective Focal Length

When choosing a lens based on focal

length, you’ll also want to consider the

size of the sensor in the camera it will

be paired with. Sensors smaller than

full frame come with a crop factor that

will increase the effective focal length

of your lens by as much as two times

for MFT sensors.

That means a 35mm lens, when

paired with an MFT sensor, will have

a field of view equivalent to that of a

70mm lens. On a camera with a APS-C

sensor with a 1.5-time crop, the same

lens will have a field of view approxi-

mately equivalent to a 52mm lens.

Know the crop factor for your camera

to be sure you’re getting the lens you

need.

Prime vs. Zoom

Prime lenses have one fixed focal

length while zooms can be used to

cover a range. They can have a long or

a short throw, covering a wide range

of focal lengths or only a very narrow

range. Zoom lenses are typically more

expensive, especially as the zoom range

increases, but they can take the place of

several prime lenses and are convenient

for run-and-gun situations where you’re

reframing often. Zoom lenses come

in two varieties: internal zooming and

external zooming. External zooming

lenses are more common and more

affordable, but internal zooming lenses

are a better choice when accessories

such as matte boxes are a factor.

On the other hand, prime lenses

will often have a faster, or wider, max-

imum aperture than zooms. Fewer

elements in prime lenses also leads to

generally sharper images compared to

equivalent zoom lenses.

Aperture

The aperture is the opening in the

lens that allows light to enter the

camera. The size of this opening is

controlled by a multi-bladed iris,

which also influences the appearance

of bokeh — or blur— in your image.

More blades lead to a more circular

opening, producing smoother, more

pleasing bokeh in the defocused areas

of the image.

This size of the aperture is a key

measurement and is noted with the

maximum width to which it can open.

You’ll usually see this measured as the

F-stop of a lens, for instance f/2.8, f/4

or f/5.6. The smaller the F-stop num-

ber, the more open the aperture can

become, allowing in more light.

Also, the wider the opening of the

aperture, the shallower your depth of

field will be. This means the plane of

focus in your image will be thinner.

Think of a shot where the subject is

in focus and the background is very

blurry — it was probably done with

a wide open aperture, like f/2.8 or

wider.

When shopping for a new lens,

look for maximum apertures of f/4 or

wider. Zoom lenses will often fea-

ture a variable maximum aperture

depending on the focal length used.

This means you’ll likely need to adjust

your exposure when zooming. Zoom

lenses with a constant aperture are

easier to work with, but they typically

come at a higher cost.

Likewise, lenses with wider maxi-

mum apertures will usually be more

expensive. However, moving from

f/4 to f/2.8 can make a big differ-

ence for videographers working in

low light situations or who want the

cinematic look shallow depth of field

can provide.

Sensor Size

Another important factor of your lens

purchase is the sensor format of your

camera. The main types of sensors to

consider here, from largest to smallest,

are full frame, Crop Sensor (APS-C and

Super35) and Micro Four Thirds. MFT

is both a sensor size and a mount type.

Since full frame sensors are the

largest, lenses made to cover a full

frame will provide an image large

LENSES WITH WIDER MAXIMUM APERTURES ARE

USUALLY MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT MOVING FROM F/4

TO F/2.8 CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR VIDEOG-

RAPHERS WORKING IN LOW LIGHT.

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