Prime time at Take One Productions
We recently rented a set of prime lenses for a Pocono Mountains shoot.
They were the Sigma FF High Speed Prime set, 20 mm to 85mm, in the kit were 24-, 35- and 50-millimeter lenses also. We liked the look of them so much we wondered…what if we just didn’t, you know, return them? We’re happy to report we did not turn to a life of crime, we worked with our friends at LensRentals.com and arranged a deal where we paid for and kept the set. We remain delighted with that decision.
This lens is so well machined. The quality of the iris and focus rings is top notch.
So, prime lens, what’s the big deal? Well, the internet defines them as the following.
A prime lens is a fixed focal length lens that doesn’t let you zoom in or out. This focal length is the distance between the point of convergence in the lens to the sensor in your camera. Prime lenses have very wide or large apertures. Apertures measure the size of hole when the lens opens inside a camera. Prime lenses have maximum apertures typically ranging from f/2.8 to f/1.2.
Thanks internet, that was helpful.
This image can help explain the paragraph about focal length and prime lenses
The big deal with prime lenses is they allow for a shallow depth of field. In simple terms, depth of field is the area in front of and behind the subject that appears sharp and in focus in a photo. Imagine taking a picture of a flower (or these lenses that are just as pretty). If the flower is sharp and clear, but the background is blurry, that’s an example of a shallow depth of field. On the other hand, if both the flower and the background are sharp and clear, that’s a deep depth of field. When we compare these images, it becomes even more clear.
This is an example of an image with a shallow depth of field. The 85mm lens is only 6 inches from the 35mm. The 85 is tack sharp and the 35 is buttery soft
This image demonstrates a wide depth of field, even the Philco Predicta television that is 8 feet away remains in focus.
Prime lenses are also helpful for creating a “dreamy” looking effect on out of focus lights seen in the frame often in the background. This the quality of this effect is referred to as bokeh. The Sigma lenses have 9 aperture blades which create a beautiful round bokeh effect and when the lens is stopped down (narrower opening) they create 18-point starburst effects. The lenses look great in interviews, and they really shine when doing narrative work.
This was shot with a prime lens that uses 7 blades for it’s iris. The Sigma super primes with 2 more blades will make the background lights look even softer.
A prime lens is a precise instrument and because of that, it requires more attention to detail. Shooting with prime lenses takes longer than it does shooting with kit or EFP zoom lenses. Narrow depth of field means focus is critical which translates into slower moving productions. Add to that changing focal length means physically changing the lens.
The technology available to digital cinema has democratized the “cinema look.” Nearly all tiers of production cameras can mimic the look of high-end cinema cameras. The sensors can handle the light ratios and information, so what is placed before the sensor becomes more important.
“The better the glass the better the image” has long been a refrain heard in the electronic field production space. They say it because it’s true.
The kit lens and the ENG zoom lens are good tools to have. Comparatively speaking, a prime lens is like going from that kit lens Chevy to a Cadillac.
The camera on the right used to be the small one. We outfitted both Sony cameras with Zacuto Kameleon viewfinders.
These new Sigma High Speed primes paired exclusively with the Sony cameras in the Take One Productions digital cinema kit can bring that shallow depth of field look to any production.
Until next time, Keep on being awesome!