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35mm or 135mm ?

Emilian Dechev

Emilian Dechev

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Hello there, a bit of an odd topic here :)

I have got a Zeiss CP.3 kit of 4 lens: 15mm, 25mm, 50mm, 85mm

Now I want to add a 5th lens. Unfortunatelly I have money only for 1 lens.

So I wonder, what lens would be more practical to complement my existing kit - the 35mm or the 135mm ?

I am shooting 90% of the time with a S35 sensor and only 10% with Full Frame.

Any thoughts will be appreciated!
 
Well the 135mm might get you shooting full frame more often. (maybe I misunderstood .... do you have Two sensors?). I guess I still say .... get the 135mm ... great for Sergio Leone closeups! And 'B' roll.
 
I'm going to have to go with George on this one.

You already have a decent selection of wide lenses, I'd for sure add the 135mm.
 
George Butterfield said:
Well the 135mm might get you shooting full frame more often. (maybe I misunderstood .... do you have Two sensors?). I guess I still say .... get the 135mm ... great for Sergio Leone closeups! And 'B' roll.
Click to expand...

My own camera is the Ursa Mini 4.6K which is "S35", so I use it most oftenly. We had a bigger shoot where we rented a Red Monstro, to use again with that Zeiss kit. But that is a rare occasion and maybe the whole sensor debate is not the most important for decision. In practice there were far less occasions, when I needed the 135mm. Maybe 8 out of 10 times on set I needed 35mm, and only 2 times I need 135mm. I guess I am answering my own question here :D
 
For me, 35mm for sure.

Vintage Cooke focal lengths if I remember right are 18, 25, 32, 40, 50, 75. Arri Mk 2 is 16, 24, 32, 40, 50, 85. Schneider 18, 28, 35, 40, 50, 75. (Too big a gap with Schneider on the wide end.) A lot of focal lengths between 25mm and 50mm...

I think Deakins said if he could use six focal lengths it would be 21, 27, 32, 35, 40, 50. So he does most of his shooting between 25mm and 50mm it seems.

That area around the normal (28mm on S35) is where it all happens. Unless you're Tony Scott. Anyway, you should know your style better than we do but I would say 35mm for sure.
 
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I spend much more of my time from 18-100 than I do anywhere else and I'm often at 35mm. I would say that's a more needed lens. And if you're renting, the 135 is optional, but not having a 35 is a big gap.
 
If you want to rent out or sell your lens set, then the 35mm would complete a normal S35 prime lens set - 15, 25, 35, 50, 85mm is standard. 15, 25, 50, 85, 135mm is not, so you might struggle to get other people to accept your set. For a Full Frame set, you might lose the 15mm and add a 135mm. But you would still expect to have a 35mm in there.

However - if the lenses are just for your own personal use, and you never shoot with a 35mm focal length, then I wouldn’t feel obligated to buy one. In that case, buy what fits your own style and what you will actually use regularly.

Personally, 35mm is one of my most often used focal lengths in both S35 and Full Frame. But that’s not true for everyone, and it also varies depending on the job. Sometimes in documentaries (S35) I will only use two focal lengths, 24mm for handheld and 50mm for interviews. I rarely use a 135mm, as I find it’s a bit limited in utility, so I would rather have a telephoto zoom with more range instead. But if you’re shooting with two cameras, then a 135mm prime that matches the wider lenses can be very useful. So it all depends.
 
You need the 35mm.

That's a "normal" FOV in Super35, and that is a critical gap in your lenses right now.

Get the 135mm later, it's more of a speciality lens in real world situations.
 
Emilian,

Your own work should dictate the answer to your question. At which focal length range do you find yourself usually working in? Some people prefer prefer the perspective and depth of wider lenses and others the compression of longer focal lengths. How often does the jump between 25mm and 50mm get in your way? How often does the 85mm not give you the reach you need?
IMHO I would consider the 35mm as it is a wonderful focal length especially in S35 as it is wide enough to give a good sense of scale and space whilst allowing for reasonable focus separation. Unsure what sensor you are using but there are some reasonable workarounds on the longer end. 85mm is my longest focal length and I have a 8K sensor so sometimes I simply crop my sensor on the 85mm lens for better reach. The nature of my work is I do not work alot past 85mm but when on a budget and I do need a long reach I use a Canon 70-200mm Mk2 f2.8 to cover. It's an amazing piece of glass at a very reasonable price and easily intercuts with my primes. I mainly eye focus with it as it has a floating focus ring but on the long end focus by eye aint so bad.
 
As others have said, what do you mostly shoot? I have a six lens prime set, but I don't shoot narrative. Mostly interviews and b-roll. My 135 and 85 are my two most used lenses. My 135 probably sees action 10:1 or 20:1 vs. the 35.
 
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