Losing A Lens From Your Set

[Daniel Soderberg]

If you had to lose one focal length from your standard set of 5 lenses (the 18mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm), which one would you give up and why?

 

[Antonio Forjaz]

35mm
It is the lens I seem to use the least

 

[Jake Bastian]

My 50mm is labelled XX because it's the forbidden lens on set, used only when absolutely necessary. Although some days I still go out of my way to find situations I can use it in so I wouldn't exactly be happy to give it up.

 

[Shawn Booth]

I know you're asking if you had to but all I can think of is: Lose one? How about gain 2 more?

Like a 12 or 14mm and a 100mm, or a 135mm...

But I assume you are speaking of RPPs only yes? From your list, I'd lose the 25mm. The 50mm is too close to the human eye to get rid of in narrative work (POV shots). I personally like the jump from 18mm WIDE to the 35mm. Just my taste.

 

[Shane Kelly]

if I had to chose, the 25. I use the 35 all the time.

 

[Clint Lealos]

I would probably nix the 25mm.

 

[Frank Glencairn]

Definitely the 18, since I used it only once (and ended up not using the shot, cause I did not like that wide look), but would like to have a 120 instead.

In contrary to many DPs, I seldom go wider than 35 and only if I really have to. I think they look boring on anything else than landscapes.

But to each his own.

Frank

Edit:

I The 50mm is too close to the human eye to get rid of in narrative work (POV shots).

Good point Shawn - have to think about that.

 

[Terry VerHaar]

...

The 50mm is too close to the human eye to get rid of in narrative work (POV shots). I personally like the jump from 18mm WIDE to the 35mm. Just my taste.

This brings up a point I have pondered lately: Traditionally, the 50mm lens has been the "normal" (like the human eye) lens. But my understanding that was in the world of full frame 35mm still photography. With the so-called crop factor of an S35 or APS-C sensor, wouldn't the 50mm end up with a FOV more like an 85? So, is it the FOV that is "normal" or the lens characteristics, in terms of the way it represents the relative distances in the frame, etc?

Just wondering. :bigear:

 

[Bill Anderson]

So far we've nixed the 18mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm; just one more to go before you have to take a drawing class. ( ;


Terry, it's the 50mm field of view that is considered "normal" 35mm full frame. And that also has to do with how "it represents the relative distances in the frame" - relationships between near and far, and so on. Still a little subjective, but a good point of departure.

 

[Michael Romano]

So far we've nixed the 18mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm; just one more to go before you have to take a drawing class. ( ;

I love it! Nobody likes drawing class! If you're not ready to carry around all these lenses, go with zooms. You'll be happier.

 

[Terry VerHaar]

So far we've nixed the 18mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm; just one more to go before you have to take a drawing class. ( ;


Terry, it's the 50mm field of view that is considered "normal" 35mm full frame. And that also has to do with how "it represents the relative distances in the frame" - relationships between near and far, and so on. Still a little subjective, but a good point of departure.

Unless I misunderstood your response, doesn't that then mean that a 35 might be more "normal" in the S35 world?

 

[Daniel Soderberg]

So far we've nixed the 18mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm; just one more to go before you have to take a drawing class. ( ;

Haha, I love it. So nobody wants to give up the 85mm? I would assume because it's the longest and most people would like an even longer lens to add to their set of 5 primes.

So to reveal my own thoughts... I would get rid of my 25mm. It's kind of an awkward length because it's not quite a wide angle and not quite a normal... I would really just go from 18mm to 35mm when jumping from wide angle to normal.

My reasoning is because I kind of want to sell my 25mm (one of the lenses in my 5 set) and invest in a longer focal length like a 135mm for better range.

 

[Adrian T.]

If you're speaking of an RPP set, you'd also have the 100 mm. And then I'd ditch the 85 mm because it's so close to the 100 mm.

 

[David Mullen ASC]

If I had to be honest, I'd say out of that set the 18mm would be the least used on many of my productions... however, sometimes you need it to get a particular shot. The "workhorse" lenses are the 25mm through 50mm, being the most "normal". You could shoot a whole feature on the 25mm, 35mm, and 50mm if you absolutely had to. However, if you could deal with big leaps in focal lengths available to you, you could just go with each lens being twice as long as the one before it, so you'd get something like an 18mm, 35mm, 75mm, 135mm.

Really depends on the directorial style, some stay in the short range and some stay in the long range. For one director, the 18mm wouldn't be wide enough and for another, the 135mm wouldn't be long enough.

 

[Shawn Nelson]

Personally my 25mm RPP gets used the least, though I expect my preferences might change upon receiving my Epic. On Red, my feelings are pretty much identical to what Shawn Booth wrote

From your list, I'd lose the 25mm. The 50mm is too close to the human eye to get rid of in narrative work (POV shots). I personally like the jump from 18mm WIDE to the 35mm. Just my taste.

 

[Eirik Tyrihjel]

I wouldn´t loose a single one of them, but if I had to, I probably would have chosen the 25mm. After all I could use the 18mm and then do a zoom in post to achieve the 25mm as an emergency. generally I use all of them, I tend to like the 85mm the most, but obviously I don´t use it that often. The Red Pro Primes are a great set, extremly happy with them and more and more cinematographers in Norway are starting to appreciate them!

 

[Daniel Soderberg]

If I had to be honest, I'd say out of that set the 18mm would be the least used on many of my productions... however, sometimes you need it to get a particular shot. The "workhorse" lenses are the 25mm through 50mm, being the most "normal". You could shoot a whole feature on the 25mm, 35mm, and 50mm if you absolutely had to. However, if you could deal with big leaps in focal lengths available to you, you could just go with each lens being twice as long as the one before it, so you'd get something like an 18mm, 35mm, 75mm, 135mm.

Really depends on the directorial style, some stay in the short range and some stay in the long range. For one director, the 18mm wouldn't be wide enough and for another, the 135mm wouldn't be long enough.

Thanks for your opinion David!

 

[Nils J. Nesse]

The 25 and 35 are my favorites. Recently shot a feature with about 90% of the shots being the 25 RPP.
So I'd lose the 85.

 

[Brent J. Craig]

On most of the shoots I work on (TV commercials), the 25 and 50 hardly ever come out of the box because they are too "normal".

We like the 21 and 32 because they "feel different" than the 25.

The 50mm, being approximately equal to the normal human field of view, just feels too wishy-washy. You're not up close, wide, and in the action; nor are you zoomed in with eagle eyes. The 50mm makes you just kind of "there" and unless it is framing a particularly compelling scene, you are always left feeling that you could have seen the same thing in everyday life. This might work for cinema-verite, but it doesn't sell dish soap.

 

[Tim Duran]

Gee David Mullen, don't start being honest now. It's not a requirement in Hollywood.