Filmmaking Tips 101: Lenses
On a 16mm camera, the lens is 25mm long. With a 35mm camera, the lens is 50mm long and on a digital video camera the lens is 25mm long.
Wide Angle Lenses
Wide angle lenses are shorter than normal lenses, but are designed to capture wide areas in front of you.
A wide angle lens will stretch out a person’s image if shot too close and won’t represent their likeness properly.
The lens covers a larger area than a normal lens, it exaggerates depth making elements appear further apart. Because of the appearance of distance, smaller movements seem larger in a wide angle lens than in a normal lens. Walking towards and away from the camera using this lens can seem considerably greater than they actually should appear.
Camera shakes are less noticeable, it’s good for steady-cam .
Telephoto Lenses
Telephoto lenses are longer and can capture distances a lot further away in greater detail. Their scope though is limited, as they’re not designed to showcase all that’s in front of you.
Subjects seem closer than normal. Movements can seem slower. Not recommended for steady cam usage because of larger size and detail.
Pin-cushioning
Some wide angle lenses feature geometric distortion. Vertical and horizontal lines become curved around the frame.
