Lens focal length comparison chart anywhere?

[Karel Bata]

I'd like to know if there's a chart anywhere that compares lens focal lengths for the different capture sizes with traditional film sizes.

I grew up using a 35mm SLR, so to me 50mm is 'normal'. So what's the equivalent (the same field of view) for RED 2k, 3k, 4k...?

Cheers! :smile:

 

[Fredrik Harreschou]

DELETED

 

[David Mullen ASC]

I'd like to know if there's a chart anywhere that compares lens focal lengths for the different capture sizes with traditional film sizes.

I grew up using a 35mm SLR, so to me 50mm is 'normal'. So what's the equivalent (the same field of view) for RED 2k, 3k, 4k...?

Cheers! :smile:

You can use calculators like the ones here:
http://www.panavision.com/tools.php

But it's simple math if you know the size of the recorded area. I usually just compare horizontal view because if you compare the diagonal view of the frame, you have to match aspect ratios.

FF35 is 36mm wide, Red 4K is 22.12mm wide. That's a 1.6X difference if you divide 36 by 22.12.

So the equivalent of a 50mm would be 31.25mm on the Red One shooting in 4K. I find that the 35mm prime is the closest thing to that look when shooting in 35mm cine, though ARRI and Cooke both make a 32mm.

3K is 16.59mm wide, so that's a 2.17X difference, so the equivalent of a 50mm is a 23mm.

2K is half of 4K so that's easy to figure out.

The thing is that once you get a basic set of primes for a 35mm cine camera, you figure out what view they give you as you use them, so you don't need to convert the focal lengths in your head, you just learn that the 18mm is your wide-angle, the 35mm is your medium, etc.

 

[Karel Bata]

Thanks David. Most excellent.

 

[David Rasberry]

I have posted an excel spreadsheet at Scarletuser that compares horizontal angle of view with focal length for some common formats in table format. It works both ways, enter AOV to get equivalent focal lengths or enter focal length for comparative AOV.

http://www.scarletuser.com/showthread.php?t=3958

 

[Mitch Gross]

You may find this helpful. It includes the Canon 5D, which gas a sensor the size that you are used to.

http://blog.abelcine.com/2010/08/18/35mm-digital-sensor-comparison-chart/

 

[Karel Bata]

Nice chart. Reminds me of the Kodak ones we had stuck up on the walls of my old film school. "One day I'll know all that," I thought. More like "One day that'll all be obsolete."