What Are Your MUST HAVE Focal Lengths?

[Jeff Kilgroe]

They did, it just doesn't cover 4k

Zeiss made the 10-100 T2 (1.8) Zoom for 16mm. AWESOME lens. Tiny image circle. :cryin:

There are also S16 conversions of the Cooke 20-100 and 18-100 zooms. The 18-100 converted to a 9-50mm F1.4 / T1.6, if memory serves. Excellent in many ways, but it made for a heavy beast of a lens for an S16 option -- roughly 13 lbs.

 

[Greg M]

35mm is my most frequent fl

 

[Phil Holland]

k

18,25,25,50,85

Heh. Dylan really can't go without a 25mm

Dylan's kit is what is mostly standard and expected from a rental house and desired by productions.

What's always on me for most situations: 14, 18, 20, 24, 35, 50, 60, 85, 100, 135, 200.

Simpler for travel. 24, 50, 85.

I'll sometimes drop the 14mm into that for some more reach.

300, 600, and 8/15 fisheyes when necessary.

I sometimes swap out that 14mm with the Tokina 11-16mm.

I find that I shoot with 35mm more on the Epic at 5K and the 24mm on the Scarlet at 4K. Just a taste thing.

Lenses I don't own, but adore at 5K/4K. MP 21,27,32. All of those provide something unique and special even though not very far apart. Really hard to describe.

I was at RSH today playing with their 18mm prime on an Epic at 5K. 18mm itself is just such a great balance between wide and not too wide without adversely effecting our object of interest with perspective distortion.

My basic mindset is to build a kit with a wide, normal, and telephoto lens. And if I have the flexibility add an ultra wide and longer to super telephoto into the mix. I usually seem to build odd number kits of 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 lenses. That's just what's been happening over the years with my style of shooting.

That said, I shot everything this afternoon on a 35mm and didn't flinch. Nice balance there.

 

[Mark George]

I love this forum. I'm not the OP, but I appreciate everyone sharing their knowledge and preferences. Thanks, guys.

 

[Timur Civan]

A 40 and a 65

Man After my own heart.

If i could only carry 6 lenses the rest of my life:

16mm S4
32mm S4
40mm S4
65mm S4
135mm S4
Angeniuex 24-290

I hate 50mm Lenses. IF Cooke made a 40mm and 65mm minS4, i'd sell the 50 in a hear beat. To me a 50mm is vanilla Ice cream. Its nothign. It has no charachter, offers no perspective, and is just plain boring.

IF a 32mm is "Normal" field of view, a 40mm is your lover leaning in to listen to what youre saying, the 65 is going in for the kiss. both emotive focal lengths.

 

[Matt W.]

Man After my own heart.

If i could only carry 6 lenses the rest of my life:

16mm S4
32mm S4
40mm S4
65mm S4
135mm S4
Angeniuex 24-290

I hate 50mm Lenses. IF Cooke made a 40mm and 65mm minS4, i'd sell the 50 in a hear beat. To me a 50mm is vanilla Ice cream. Its nothign. It has no charachter, offers no perspective, and is just plain boring.

IF a 32mm is "Normal" field of view, a 40mm is your lover leaning in to listen to what youre saying, the 65 is going in for the kiss. both emotive focal lengths.

Obviously 18-85mm is the only "smart" answer, but I agree if I could pick three lenses for narrative it would usually be 16mm, 32mm, and 65mm. If I could pick one it would be 32mm. Of course it all depends on the project. For a music video or action movie wider and longer.

But never 50mm! I can't stand it. No depth compression and no exaggeration. It really is just the worst focal length. Unbelievably boring. Even 40mm is a bit too subtle for me, to be honest, though talented people I know seem to love it for some reason. That said, when I meet someone who only shoots at 50mm I immediately assume he or she is a genius for being able to compose with no favors from the lens. 135mm can be kind of nice, too. Maybe it's multiples of two.

 

[Nils J. Nesse]

To me a 50mm is vanilla Ice cream. Its nothign. It has no charachter, offers no perspective, and is just plain boring.

Timur,
So you've never had real vanilla ice cream? One of the more interesting and sophisticated flavors for sure.

I've been shooting "everything" on 35mm and 85mm lately. My next short film will be all 50 and 100.

 

[Rolf Kestermann]

Man After my own heart.

If i could only carry 6 lenses the rest of my life:

16mm S4
32mm S4
40mm S4
65mm S4
135mm S4
Angeniuex 24-290

I hate 50mm Lenses. IF Cooke made a 40mm and 65mm minS4, i'd sell the 50 in a hear beat. To me a 50mm is vanilla Ice cream. Its nothign. It has no charachter, offers no perspective, and is just plain boring.

IF a 32mm is "Normal" field of view, a 40mm is your lover leaning in to listen to what youre saying, the 65 is going in for the kiss. both emotive focal lengths.

There is a view to look at a lens, right through it at what matters.

 

[Jon MIchael Puntervold]

I hate 50mm Lenses. ... To me a 50mm is vanilla Ice cream. Its nothign. It has no charachter, offers no perspective, and is just plain boring.

I currently only use Red Pro Primes and Zeiss SuperSpeeds, as I own what I use. My two favourite focal lengths are 25mm and 35mm (I use them 90% of the time), and sometimes I use the 85mm to smack the background in, especially nice with SuperSpeeds at night. If I could add two extra focal lengths it would be 27mm and 32mm. I think I've used a 50mm twice the last couple of years, vanilla ice cream is a good description... but even vanilla ice cream sounds too tempting.

 

[Philipe Ratton]

18, 25, 35, 50, 75, 95.