Ultimate Guide to Camera Lenses — Every Type of Camera Lens Explained [Shot List Ep. 7]

Summary

This video script delves into the art of cinematography, focusing on the impact of different camera lenses on visual storytelling. It explains how lenses, categorized as prime or zoom, with varying focal lengths, create distinct visual effects. The script explores wide-angle, standard, telephoto, macro, and tilt-shift lenses, illustrating their use in famous films to shape perspective, accentuate movement, and capture detail. It emphasizes the importance of lens choice in enhancing narrative and mood, ultimately guiding filmmakers to tell more compelling stories.

Takeaways

• 🎥 Films are composed of sequences, scenes, and shots, with each visual component being influenced by the lens chosen by the cinematographer.
• 🔎 A lens works by bending light through its elements to create an image on the sensor, with focal length in millimeters determining the angle of view.
• 🌌 Prime lenses have a fixed focal length and are known for producing sharper images with larger apertures, ideal for low light and shallow depth of field scenes.
• 🔭 Zoom lenses offer variable focal lengths, allowing for different shot sizes without changing the lens, though they typically have smaller apertures.
• 🌠 Extreme wide angle lenses (18mm to 24mm) can capture both close-ups and landscapes in a single shot, with some featuring distortion characteristic of fisheye lenses.
• 🏞 Wide angle lenses (24mm to 35mm) are great for capturing wide shots and accentuating movement, also creating a sense of distance in tight spaces.
• 👀 Standard lenses (35mm to 50mm) mimic the human eye's perspective, providing a natural and grounded presentation of the scene.
• 🌄 Telephoto lenses (70mm and up) are used for capturing distant subjects and can compress space, creating a sense of observation from afar.
• 🔍 Macro lenses are defined by their ability to capture extreme close-ups with detailed sharpness, with magnification ratio and minimum focusing distance being key considerations.
• 🖼 Tilt shift lenses can manipulate focus and create miniature effects or a dreamy, vintage look by modifying the plane of focus and color diffraction.
• 🎬 The choice of lens can dramatically affect the mood and feel of a dialogue scene, with each type of lens bringing a unique perspective to the storytelling.

Q & A

What are the basic components of a film according to the script?

The basic components of a film are sequences, scenes, and shots.

What is the role of a lens in film composition?

A lens in film composition is crucial as it determines the angle of view, depth of field, and the overall visual impact of the shot.

How does the focal length of a lens affect the angle of view?

The focal length of a lens affects the angle of view inversely; the longer the focal length, the narrower the angle of view, and vice versa.

What are the two main categories of lenses used in film?

The two main categories of lenses are prime lenses, which have a fixed focal length, and zoom lenses, which can vary their focal length.

Why might prime lenses produce sharper images than zoom lenses?

Prime lenses produce sharper images because they have fewer lens elements, which can result in less distortion and better image quality.

What is the advantage of using a zoom lens in a film production?

A zoom lens allows cinematographers to shoot wide, medium, and close-up shots without changing the lens, saving time and offering flexibility on set.

What is the focal length range for extreme wide angle lenses?

The focal length range for extreme wide angle lenses is between 18mm to 24mm.

How do fisheye lenses differ from other lenses in terms of perspective?

Fisheye lenses offer a very wide angle of view and can introduce distinct distortion, creating an unnatural perspective that can be used for creative effect.

What is the focal length range for wide angle lenses?

The focal length range for wide angle lenses is between 24mm and 35mm.

How do standard lenses, also known as normal lenses, differ from wide angle lenses?

Standard lenses have a focal length between 35mm to 50mm and are most similar to how the human eye sees the world, providing a more natural and grounded presentation.

What is the main characteristic of a telephoto lens?

A telephoto lens has a focal length of 70mm and up, and is typically used for capturing distant subjects, creating a sense of observation from afar.

What is the purpose of a macro lens in film?

A macro lens is used to capture extreme close-up shots with the sharpest detail, allowing for the magnification of small subjects or details.

How does a tilt-shift lens manipulate the image?

A tilt-shift lens can shift the focus mechanism left or right and tilt up and down to create miniature effects or modify the depth of field and perspective.

What is the significance of the magnification ratio in macro lenses?

The magnification ratio in macro lenses indicates how much larger the captured image is compared to the subject in real life, with a 1:1 ratio being life-size and higher ratios providing greater magnification.

How does the choice of lens affect the mood and feel of a dialogue scene?

The choice of lens can significantly affect the mood and feel of a dialogue scene by influencing the perspective, distance between characters, and the sense of intimacy or detachment.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Understanding Camera Lenses and Their Impact on Storytelling

This paragraph introduces the concept of camera lenses and their role in filmmaking. It explains how films are composed of sequences, scenes, and shots, and how these are influenced by the lens choices of a cinematographer. The paragraph discusses the function of lenses, including how light passes through them and how focal length affects the angle of view. It also differentiates between prime lenses, known for their image sharpness and larger apertures, and zoom lenses, which offer flexibility in focal length. The summary highlights the importance of lens choice in creating visual storytelling, including the impact on composition, camera movement, and depth of field.

05:01

🌌 Exploring the Effects of Wide and Telephoto Lenses

This paragraph delves into the specifics of wide and telephoto lenses, discussing their focal lengths and the visual effects they create. It covers extreme wide angle lenses, which can capture both close-ups and landscapes in a single shot, and fisheye lenses, known for their distortion and ability to exaggerate facial features. The paragraph also examines standard and wide angle lenses, which are used for capturing wide shots and accentuating movement, as well as telephoto lenses, which are ideal for capturing distant subjects and creating a sense of observation from afar. The summary emphasizes how these lenses can alter the audience's perspective and contribute to the film's narrative and style.

10:04

🔍 The Role of Macro and Tilt Shift Lenses in Capturing Detail

This paragraph focuses on macro and tilt shift lenses, explaining their unique focusing abilities and the distinctive visual effects they produce. Macro lenses are defined by their capacity to capture extreme close-ups with high detail, influenced by magnification ratio and minimum focusing distance. Tilt shift lenses, on the other hand, can manipulate the plane of focus, creating miniature effects or a dreamy, vintage look. The summary discusses how these lenses are used by filmmakers to emphasize important details or create stylized visuals that enhance the storytelling.

15:05

🎬 The Influence of Lens Choice on Dialogue Scenes

The final paragraph examines how different lens types can affect the mood and feel of dialogue scenes in films. It provides examples of scenes shot with extreme wide angle, wide angle, standard, and telephoto lenses, illustrating how each lens type can create a unique atmosphere and narrative perspective. The summary underscores the importance of lens selection in shaping the viewer's experience of a scene, from the surreal intimacy of an extreme wide angle lens to the unbiased neutrality of a standard lens, and the secretive, voyeuristic quality of a telephoto lens.

Keywords

💡Sequences

In filmmaking, sequences are a series of related shots that are edited together to tell a part of the story. They are fundamental to the structure of a film and help to organize the narrative into coherent segments. In the script, sequences are mentioned as being made up of scenes, which in turn are composed of shots, illustrating the hierarchical organization of film content.

💡Camera Lenses

Camera lenses are optical devices used in film production to focus light onto a sensor or film stock, capturing the image that forms the visual content of a movie. The script discusses various types of lenses, emphasizing how they affect visual storytelling by altering the angle of view, depth of field, and other visual elements.

💡Focal Length

Focal length is a measure of the distance from the optical center of a lens to the image sensor and is expressed in millimeters. It determines the angle of view and magnification of the subject. The script explains that different focal lengths, such as wide-angle or telephoto lenses, create different visual effects and impact the storytelling.

💡Prime Lenses

Prime lenses have a fixed focal length and are known for their image quality and large apertures. They allow for more light intake, which is beneficial for low-light conditions and creating a shallow depth of field. The script mentions prime lenses as an option for cinematographers seeking sharp images and specific visual effects.

💡Zoom Lenses

Zoom lenses offer a variable focal length, enabling cinematographers to adjust the field of view without changing the lens. This flexibility can save time during production and allows for a variety of shots, from wide to close-up, as illustrated in the script with examples from various films.

💡Wide Angle Lenses

Wide angle lenses have a focal length between 24mm and 35mm and are used to capture a broader field of view. They can accentuate movement and create a sense of space, as demonstrated in the script with examples from films like 'Parasite' and 'Punch Drunk Love'.

💡Standard Lenses

Standard lenses, also known as normal lenses, have a focal length between 35mm to 50mm. They mimic the perspective of the human eye, providing a natural and grounded view of the scene. The script cites 'Call Me By Your Name' as an example of a film shot entirely with a standard lens for its natural presentation.

💡Telephoto Lenses

Telephoto lenses have a focal length of 70mm and up, often used for capturing distant subjects and creating a sense of compression in space. The script describes how these lenses can be used to isolate subjects or convey a sense of surveillance, as seen in films like 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'.

💡Macro Lenses

Macro lenses are designed for extreme close-up photography, capturing fine details with a high degree of magnification. They do not fall within a specific focal range and can have varying magnification ratios. The script explains that macro lenses are perfect for capturing details that demand the audience's attention, as in David Fincher's films 'Zodiac' and 'Se7en'.

💡Tilt Shift Lenses

Tilt shift lenses allow for the manipulation of the plane of focus, creating selective focus effects or a miniature effect that can make real-world scenes appear like a model or a part of a board game. The script mentions their use in films like 'Game Night' and 'The Assassination of Jesse James by The Coward Robert Ford' to create unique visual styles.

💡Depth of Field

Depth of field refers to the range of distance within a scene that appears acceptably sharp. A shallow depth of field isolates subjects by blurring the background, while a deep depth of field keeps more of the scene in focus. The script discusses how the choice of lens and aperture affects depth of field, impacting the storytelling and visual style.

Highlights

A film's visual storytelling is significantly influenced by the choice of camera lenses.

Camera lenses can be categorized into prime lenses with fixed focal lengths and zoom lenses with variable focal lengths.

Prime lenses tend to produce sharper images due to fewer lens elements and larger apertures for low light conditions.

Zoom lenses offer versatility by allowing cinematographers to capture wide, medium, and close-up shots without changing the lens.

Extreme wide angle lenses, ranging from 18mm to 24mm, can capture both close-ups and landscapes in a single shot.

Fisheye lenses with their distinct distortion can be used to create an absurd or exaggerated perspective.

Wide angle lenses with focal lengths between 24mm and 35mm are great for capturing wide shots and accentuating movement.

Standard lenses, or normal lenses, mimic the human eye's perspective with focal lengths between 35mm and 50mm.

Telephoto lenses with focal lengths of 70mm and up are used for capturing distant subjects and creating a sense of observation.

Macro lenses are defined by their focusing abilities and can capture extreme close-up shots with sharp detail.

Tilt shift lenses can manipulate the image by shifting or tilting the focus plane, creating miniature effects or stylized looks.

Different lenses can create completely different effects on the same subject, impacting the mood and feel of a scene.

The choice of lens can influence the audience's perspective and create a stylized or natural look in a film.

Understanding lens characteristics is crucial for capturing better shots and telling compelling stories.

Anamorphic lenses, not covered in this episode, offer a unique dimension to lens choice in filmmaking.

Upcoming episodes will explore frame rates and their direct effect on audience experience of a scene.

Transcripts

Films are made up of sequences.

"- Royal with cheese. - Royal with cheese."

Sequences are made of scenes.

And scenes are made up of shots.

In previous episodes,

we covered composition.

Camera movement.

Gear.

And depth of field.

All of these visual components

are directly impacted by the lens

a cinematographer chooses.

In this episode, we will discuss types of camera lenses

and the different effects each one has on visual storytelling.

"- Get in."

♪ This Is - Intro ♪

This is episode seven of the shot list.

Camera lenses.

In this episode, we'll be examining the various types of camera lenses.

Along the way,

we'll be populating these camera lenses

in a StudioBinder shot list.

Which you can download and reference in your upcoming projects.

But before we begin,

let's go over how a lens works.

Light passes into the lens.

And through different glass shades called "Lens Elements".

These elements sightly bend or refract the light.

So it lands on a focal point on an image sensor.

This is where a picture is created.

Every lens is distinguished by its focal length expressed in millimeters.

Such as a 50mm lens.

Some common focal lengths range from the wide 17mm lens

to the narrow 200mm lens.

However, some lenses have extremely short focal lengths,

such as a four millimeter fish eye lens.

Or extremely long focal lengths,

such as a 1200 telephoto lens.

Now, focal length is simply the distance

between the optical center of a lens

to the image sensor.

The longer the focal length,

such as 100mm,

the more narrow your angle of view is.

The shorter the focal length such as 24mm,

the wider your angle of view.

All lenses fall under two categories.

Prime lenses or zoom lenses.

A prime lens has a fixed focal length.

While a zoom lens can vary its focal length

by adjusting various lens elements.

In comparison with zoom lenses,

prime lenses have fewer lens elements

that can produce sharper images.

They're larger apertures also let in more light for low light shots,

like Kubrick's iconic candlelit scenes in "Barry Lyndon".

The larger aperture can also capture a shallower depth of field,

which is great for isolating subjects as in "The Master".

"- It's a lot to process."

Although zoom lenses have smaller apertures

cinematographers can shoot a wide, medium, and close up

without changing their lens

saving valuable time on set.

For more on how to creatively use the zoom function,

make sure to check out our previous episode on camera movement.

Now that we've covered how a lens functions --

"- Thanks. I get it now."

-- let's go over the specific types used by filmmakers

and how different lenses

can create completely different effects.

Let's start with the widest lenses.

The extreme wide angle lens.

Extreme wide angle lenses range between 18mm to 24mm.

Extreme wide angle lenses can simultaneously capture close-ups

and landscapes in one shot,

like in "The Revenant".

Some lenses have distinct distortion

and enter the category of fisheye lenses.

This scene from "The Favorite"

uses the unnatural perspective of the fish eye lens

to underscore the absurdity of these characters.

"- The queen has decided, Harley. - I disagree.

A lot.

I'd like an audience with the queen where I may state my case.

- State it to me. I love a comedy."

Fisheye lenses also exaggerate facial features

when used in close proximity.

"- Get in."

Like in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas",

where a fish eye matches the characters distorted

and drug-induced perspective.

"- Look at your face. You're about to explode."

But what if a filmmaker wants a wide angle of view without the noticeable distortion.

They reach for our next lens.

The wide angle lens.

Wide angle lenses have a focal length between 24mm and 35mm.

This is great for capturing wide shots, like this shot from "Parasite".

Beyond effecting a shot size

wide angle lenses, also accentuate movement,

which is great for trucking through grocery store isles

as in "Punch Drunk Love".

When used in tight spaces, wide angle lenses can create distance.

"- Who were they?

- You're gonna go beat them up for me?

Huh, stunt guy?"

In this scene from "Drive",

cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel uses a wide lens

to make two characters feel far apart

while also making the audience feel more present.

Wide angle lenses are great for influencing the audience's perspective.

But they can also create a very stylized look.

If a DP wants a more natural look,

they might use our next lens.

The standard lens.

Standard lenses, also called normal lenses,

are lenses between 35mm to 50mm.

The focal length of standard lenses

are most similar to how the human eyes sees the world.

This becomes the ideal choice

when cinematographers want a grounded and natural presentation.

For example, director Luca Guadagnino film "Call Me By Your Name"

was entirely shot on a 35mm lens for this reason.

"- Only one lens, we didn't choose any other lens.

We only shoot with 35mm.

For me to get the sense of human eye and simplicity.

I wanted it to be straightforward.

I didn't want to create technology between the camera and the performance."

"- What does one do around here?

- Wait for the summer to end.

- What do you do in the winter? Wait for summer to come?

- We only come here for Christmas and some other vacations.

- I thought you were Jewish.

- Well, we are Jewish, but also American, Italian, French,

somewhat atypical combination."

A standard lens helps us feel like we're seeing with our own eyes,

allowing us to feel present in the moment and part of the story.

It is the opposite effect of our next lens.

The telephoto lens.

A telephoto lens is any lens with a focal length of 70mm and up.

Often referred to as long lenses.

Telephoto lenses are typically used for capturing distance subjects.

Making us feel like we are observing the scene from afar.

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" has surveillance at the core of its story.

Which motivates a shot like this.

The secrecy and voyeuristic qualities of this scene

are perfectly communicated with the choice of a telephoto lens.

"- I want to talk about loyalty, Toby.

Intelligence has been leaked, Toby.

Someone's been taking files from the service."

Unlike wide angle lenses, telephoto lenses also compress space.

"- Things aren't always what they seem, George. You should know that."

This is great for isolating a character in a crowd.

Like in this shot from "The Pursuit Of Happiness".

Chris Gardner's cathartic moment is amplified and contrasted

by the ambivalent crowd around him.

While this scene uses a telephoto lens to capture a joyous moment

"The Graduate" uses it to capture desperation.

In this scene, Ben is frantically running to stop Elaine's wedding.

The telephoto lens compresses the distance

and flattens the space

making is running up here desperate and futile.

While the last few lenses we've discussed are defined by their focal length

our next two lenses are defined by their focusing abilities.

Macro lenses.

Macro lenses, sometimes referred to as macro lenses,

don't fall within a specific focal range, like our previous sections.

For instance, you could have an extreme wide angle macro lens

with a focal length of 15mm.

Or you could have a telephoto macro lens with a focal length of 200mm.

Macro lenses are defined by their ability

to capture extreme closeup shots with the sharpest detail.

This makes macro lenses perfect for extreme close-up shots.

When choosing macro lenses

there are two things that must be considered.

Magnification ratio and minimum focusing distance.

Macro lenses have a 1:1 magnification ratio,

meaning the size of the image captured

is the same size as in real life.

Other macro lenses can have a 5:1 magnification ratio

meaning the size of the image captured

is five times bigger than real life.

In regards to minimum focusing distance,

this is simply how close

or how far

you need to be to your subject to stay in focus.

If you're shooting distance subjects such as insects,

and don't want to cast shadows or scare them off

you'll want to use a macro lens with a longer focal length.

If you're able to get up close and personal with your subject

and want to include more of the background,

you may opt for macro lens with a shorter focal length.

The macro lens can often feel like a magnifying glass

hovering over important plot details.

And we can't talk about detail without mentioning David Fincher.

In Fincher's investigative films like "Zodiac" and "Se7en"

macro lens shots are used to magnify clues and details

that demand our attention

and force us to participate in the film's investigation.

While we cannot definitively confirm all of these shots were taken with a macro lens

these are the type of extreme closeup shots

that macro lenses are perfect for capturing.

Moving on to our final lens.

The tilt shift lens.

A normal lens gives a consistent plane of focus.

In a tilt shift lens however

the lens focus mechanism can be shifted, left or right,

or tilted up and down to manipulate the image.

In the movie "Game Night",

characters are taken on a journey, similar to a board game.

"- The game that we're going to play tonight is so epic

that we don't need a board and we do not need pieces."

Aerial tilt shift shots are used in the film to create a miniature effect

making houses and large settings appeared like set pieces on a board game.

In the film "The Assassination of Jesse James by The Coward Robert Ford"

cinematographer Roger Deakins wanted to use the blurring effects of a tilt shift lens.

However, he wanted to modify the tilt shift lens

to create a more dreamy, vintage and stylized look

that matches many of the photographs taken in that time period.

So he teamed up with "Otto Nemenz International",

to create the appropriately named Deakinizer lens.

A riff on the tilt shift lens that also diffracts colors

and vignettes the image.

The result is a completely unique visual style

that echoes the time period of the film.

So these are the six types of lenses

most commonly used by cinematographers today.

Different lenses can capture the same subject in a completely different way.

So let's try and experiment by using one of the most common types of scenes in a film.

The dialogue scene.

Pay attention to each example

and how the lens choice

affects the mood and feel of the scene.

We'll start with an extreme wide angle lens.

"- I'm trying to do something important!

- This is not important! - It's important to me!"

In this scene from "Birdman", we can see the extreme wide angle lens

creating a subtle fish eye effect.

"- ...this is... God, this is my career!"

The film was shot entirely on extreme wide angle lenses.

This helped create an intimate and seamless look

while also creating a slight distortion.

"- It's not important, okay? You're not important-- get used to it!"

Echoing the surrealism of the film.

"- Birdman: The Phoenix Rises."

Now, here's a scene shot with a more standard wide angle lens.

"- What can I do for you, sir?

- Well, sir, it's this rug l have.

It really tied the room together.

- You told Brandt on the phone. He told me.

Where do l fit in?"

In this scene from "The Big Lebowski",

the wide angle lens provides a flatter image

without any noticeable distortion

perhaps to highlight a more grounded story.

"- Yes. Yes.

- Oh, so you know that they were trying to piss on your rug.

- Did l urinate on your rug?

- I mean, did you personally come and pee on my rug?

- Hello. Do you speak English, sir?

¿Parla usted inglés?

I'll ask you again.

Did I urinate on your rug?"

It also creates a bit more distance between our two characters

who are clearly on opposing sides of the issue.

"- Come on, man. l'm not trying to scam anybody here, you know."

Now let's look at a scene shot with a standard lens.

"- What the matter?

What's bothering you?

I'll handle it.

I'll told you I can handle it, I handle it."

This scene from "The Godfather",

you can see how a standard lens

brings the characters a bit closer

while still making the audience feel more present.

"- I knew that Santino would have to go through all this.

And Fredo...

Fredo was, well...

But I never wanted this for you."

It is said that Francis Ford Coppola

shot the majority of the film on a standard 40mm lens,

perhaps to ensure an unbiased neutral look into organized crime.

And finally an example using a telephoto lens.

"- Captain.

Relax.

Nobody gets hurt.

No al qaeda here.

Just business.

We want money."

In this scene from "Captain Phillips",

the use of a telephoto lens captures the tone perfectly.

It provides a voyeuristic perspective

as if the audience is hiding, like the rest of the crew,

trying not to be seen by the Somali pirates.

"- Hey!

- Look at me. - Sure.

- Look at me. - Sure.

I'm the captain now."

All of these scenes are standard dialogue scenes.

But as you can see the lens they were shot on,

makes them all uniquely different.

Understanding the unique characteristics of every type of lens

will not only help you capture a better shot,

but will help you tell a better story.

You'll find a link in the description for our free e-book on camera lenses.

The lenses we've covered in this video are all spherical lenses.

In a separate video, we'll discuss how

anamorphic lenses bring an entirely new dimension to lens choice.

And in the next episode of the shot list,

we'll explore frame rate

and how different frame rates directly affect how an audience experiences a scene.

Subscribe, click the bell, and we'll see you again

in the next episode,

♪ ♪