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

films are made up of sequences sequences are made of scenes and scenes are made up of shots in previous episodes we covered composition [Music] 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 episode 7 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 studio binder 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 shapes called lens elements these elements slightly 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 50 millimeter lens some common focal lengths range from the wide 17 millimeter lens to the narrow 200 millimeter lens however some lenses have extremely short focal lengths such as a four millimeter fisheye 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 100 millimeters the more narrow your angle of view is the shorter the focal length such as 24 millimeter 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 their larger apertures also let in more light for low-light shots like kubrick's iconic candle lit scenes in barry linden the larger aperture can also capture a shallower depth of field which is great for isolating subjects as in the master that'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 uh 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 [Music] the extreme wide-angle lens extreme wide-angle lenses range between 18 millimeters to 24 millimeters 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 fisheye lens to underscore the absurdity of these characters the queen has decided harley i disagree a lot i would like an audience with the queen where i mistake my case state it to me i love a comedy fish-eye lenses also exaggerate facial features when used in close proximity like in fear and loathing in las vegas where a fisheye matches the character's distorted and drug-induced perspective look at your face you're about to explode [Music] 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 [Music] wide-angle lenses have a focal length between 24 millimeters and 35 millimeters this is great for capturing wide shots like this shot from parasite beyond affecting a shot size wide-angle lenses also accentuate movement which is great for trucking through grocery store aisles as in punch drunk love when used in tight spaces wide-angle lenses can create distance who are they you gonna go beat him up for me nice stunt guy in this scene from drive cinematographer newton thomas siegel 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 [Music] the standard lens standard lenses also called normal lenses are lenses between 35 millimeters to 50 millimeters the focal length of standard lenses are most similar to how the human eye sees the world this becomes the ideal choice when cinematographers want a grounded and natural presentation for example director luca guadinino's film call me by your name was entirely shot on a 35 millimeter lens for this reason only one lens didn't choose any other lenses we only shoot with 35 millimeters for me to get the sense of you and i then simplicity i wanted to be straightforward i didn't want to create technology between the camera and the performances what does one do around here wait for the summer to end yep what are you doing the winter wait for summer to come well we only come here for christmas and some other vacations christmas easter as well 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 70 millimeters and up often referred to as long lenses telephoto lenses are typically used for capturing distant subjects making us feel like we are observing the scene from afar tinker taylor 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 circus 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 [Music] 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 his running appear 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 micro 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 15 millimeters or you could have a telephoto macro lens with a focal length of 200 millimeters macro lenses are defined by their ability to capture extreme close-up 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 one to one magnification ratio meaning the size of the image captured is the same size as in real life other macro lenses can have a five to one 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 distant 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 a 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 seven [Music] 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 close-up 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 gonna 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 nemens international to create the appropriately named deconizer 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 an 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 look i'm trying to do something that's important this is not important to me in this scene from birdman we can see the extreme wide-angle lens creating a subtle fish-eye effect this is my 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 uh well sir it's uh this rug i have it really tied the room together uh you told brandt on the phone he told me where do i 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 also you know that they were trying to piss on your rug did i urinate on your rug you mean did you personally come and pee on my rug hello do you speak english sir paulo stead english i'll ask you again did i urinate on your run it also creates a bit more distance between our two characters who are clearly on opposing sides of the issue question come on man i'm not trying to scam anybody here uh you know now let's look at a scene shot with a standard lens what's the matter what's bothering you i'll handle it i told you i can handle it i'll handle it in 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 [Music] i knew that satina was gonna have to go to wallace and fray they are [Music] afraid of us [Music] and i never i never wanted this for you it is said that francis ford coppola shot the majority of the film on a standard 40 millimeter lens perhaps to ensure an unbiased neutral look into organized crime and finally an example using a telephoto lens captain relax nobody get hurt no al-qaeda here just business we want money in this scene from captain phillips the use of a televoted 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 okay 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 ebook 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 [Music] you

Channel: StudioBinder

Views: 568,404

Keywords: Lens, camera lenses explained, lenses, camera lens, camera lenses, filmmaker, cinematography, filmmaking, photography, aperture, macro photography, telephoto lens, macro lens, fisheye lens, focal length, wide angle lens, fisheye, prime lens, cinema lens, prime lenses, zoom lens, zoom lens vs prime lens, telephoto lens photography, wide angle, lens differences, lens breakdown, lens focal length comparison, camera lenses for beginners, standard lens, think media, peter mckinnon

Id: uSsIqR3DuK8

Length: 19min 45sec (1185 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 16 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/Korbyzzle]

Yo straight up do you participate in the conversation your video sparks or are you just shamelessly self-promoting a basic monologue ?

[u/andersminor]

Anyone else feel like this is too rudimentary for this sub? It’s a 20 minute video that just talks about focal length and focusing distance. I feel like a YT channel w over 500k subs shouldn’t be free to self-post content of this quality.

[u/PopeUnderTheMountain]

I'm reading a book right now called " Language of the Lens" that goes through the different lens types, focal lengths, etc and how it creates mood, affects composition, etc.